As the 2026 NFL season gets underway, football players will be in the spotlight once again after the long offseason. Each season brings new talking points, as well as ups and downs for teams and players. New stars rise, whereas others fall.
But in terms of recognition, who would be considered the faces of the league in 2026? It’s a tough question, because it’s not always the best players, nor should it be limited to players alone. But in terms of those representing the league on the field and off it, we have a list of ten who could be considered the face of the NFL in 2026:
Travis Kelce
Is he the NFL’s best player? No. Is he on this list because he is married to Taylor Swift? Yes. But those things do not negate several truths about Kelce. First, he is an excellent player, one for whom success has been a constant. And he has an engaging personality that shines off the field.
Myles Garrett
Being officially crowned the best player in the NFL by your fellow players is always going to add extra recognition. That happened to Myles Garrett mere days ago, so you can appreciate that the spotlight isn’t going to be firmly upon him.
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Roger Goodell
The NFL Commissioner is no athlete, but he is always in the spotlight. Goodell sparked a huge debate this summer when he announced that he believed it was inevitable that the NFL would have international franchise teams one day.
Patrick Mahomes
He is still the most famous quarterback in the league. One interesting thing about Mahomes is that he is also one of the NFL’s most popular players, according to YouGov polling data. Fame and popularity are not always the same thing in sports, so it’s intriguing that Mahomes’ massive success has not impacted his likeability.
Odell Beckham Jnr.
No active NFL player has a bigger following on Instagram than the Giants veteran. While that in itself does not warrant inclusion on a list like this, it is a testament to the engaging Beckham Jnr. brand.
Josh Allen
His marriage to Hailee Steinfeld ensured that Allen became more interesting to celebrity snappers, but in truth, Allen’s star was already on the rise long before he started dating the singer and actress. Allen has claims to being the league’s best quarterback, and that naturally leads to him being constantly in the spotlight.
Sean McVay
There’s something about the LA Rams head coach that makes him a magnet for attention. The 40-year-old never made it to the NFL as a player, but he looks like an athlete. Perhaps it’s because he is handsome; maybe it’s because he is the youngest ever Super Bowl-winning coach; or it could be that he is always at ease in press conferences. But McVay is hard to ignore.
Micah Parsons
It’s normal that quarterbacks get a lot of attention, but it’s hard to keep your eyes off linebacker Micah Parsons. From his MVP appearance in the NBA celebrity basketball game to his admission of having a toe fetish, to his work with Warner Bros. to signing the biggest non-quarterback contract in NFL history, Parsons is box-office.
Saquon Barkley
The kind of difference-maker that fans look to in the Sunday NFL game odds to win for their team. Barkley is at the peak of his powers, in his prime with the Eagles, with whom he won the Super Bowl in 2024. The running back has already set several NFL records in his career, and at 29, he is just getting started.
Lamar Jackson
The Baltimore Ravens franchise currently sits on the shoulders of Lamar Jackson, but will he get the Super Bowl his talents deserve before he finishes his career? Individual awards, including two MVPs, have been consistently arriving, but a Super Bowl win is what Jackson truly craves.