8 Christian Football Players to Watch This NFL Season, Best TV Shows to Binge Watch

If you’re like me, it’s hard to say goodbye to summer.

Maybe it’s the weather, as temperatures begin their slow descent through fall and into winter. It could be the darkening days, as the sunshine hours grow shorter. Or perhaps it’s simply a vestige from my younger years—the childhood desire for summer vacation to continue unabated and the encroaching school year to remain at a comfortable distance.

But, even as a child, there is always at least one bit of solace to the colder days and return of school: Football is right around the corner.

Soon, football fans across the nation will be tuning in to watch their favorite teams compete on Sundays. (And Mondays. And Thursdays. And sometimes Saturdays, too!) But teams don’t exist without players, and there are a lot of players that make up the NFL today—nearly 1,700 of them!

Not only that, but many of those athletes are Christians. As my colleague, Paul Asay, noted on a recent episode of The Plugged In Show, more than 35% of NFL players say they’re evangelical Christians. So, keeping in mind that this is far from an exhaustive list, we’ve put together a list of eight Christian football players to watch this NFL season.

C.J. Stroud

Quarterback, Houston Texans

As far as rookie seasons go, C.J. Stroud had a good one. Like, historically good. Stroud threw for the third most yards (4,108) of any rookie quarterback in the 100-plus-year history of the National Football League. He also led the Texans to the playoffs and tossed three touchdowns in a wild card victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Safe to say, Stroud is viewed as one of the rising stars of the NFL. But he says his purpose is to glorify God.

“[Jesus Christ] laid His life on the cross for us. I really believe that. This is bigger than just ball, and if I have to use football for my purpose—to spread the Gospel and the life of Jesus Christ—then I’ll do that. And I think that’s what God wants,” Stroud said in an interview.

Christian McCaffrey

Running Back, San Francisco 49ers

Even if you aren’t a rabid football fan, you may have heard of Christian McCaffrey. Since entering the NFL in 2017, McCaffrey has staked his claim as one of the most electric players in the league. The two-time, First-Team, All-Pro and 2023 Offensive Player of the Year racked up more than 2,000 all-purpose yards last season, helping power the 49ers to the Super Bowl. But despite his various accolades, it’s his faith that’s most important to him.

“It means everything to me,” McCaffrey told Sports Spectrum. “My faith has gotten me where I am in life and through all the ups and downs when I rely on God … So it’s the most important thing in my life and it’s something that I know I’ll always have to lean back on and to make a priority.”

Demario Davis

Linebacker, New Orleans Saints

Although defensive players don’t grab headlines quite like offensive superstars do, you may have seen an interview with Saints linebacker Demario Davis, which went viral nearly a year ago. In a postgame press conference—a time usually reserved for players to discuss the ins-and-outs of the game they just played—Davis approached the podium with his Bible in hand. He proceeded to deliver a five-minute speech that was more akin to a sermon than a postgame presser.

He discussed a health scare involving his young daughter, his pleas to God through that terrifying time and how God miraculously answered those prayers of faith. It was a powerful testimony, a beautiful reminder that football players are people, too, and a reminder that what happens on the field isn’t nearly as important as what happens off it.

But that’s not the only time Davis has used his platform to glorify God. Appearing on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, when asked why he’s still playing at age 35, Davis replied, “It’s because God is not done with what He’s doing with me in the game yet. I’ll play as long as He tells me to keep going, because it’s Him that’s extending my platform because He knows what I’m gonna do with it. He knows every time I get in a seat like this, I’m gonna give glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Brock Purdy

Quarterback, San Francisco 49ers

Nobody expected much of Brock Purdy when he was selected as the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, earning him the moniker “Mr. Irrelevant.” But Purdy has been anything but irrelevant since entering the league.

In just his second year as quarterback for the 49ers, he led his team to the Super Bowl, tossing 31 touchdowns and even earning votes as the league’s most valuable player (right behind his teammate, Christian McCaffrey). Through these early successes, he has maintained a faith-focused perspective on his career.

“I haven’t, you know, tried to hold on to the football life, being a quarterback,” Purdy told Sports Spectrum. “It’s been about, ‘all right, God, [playing football] is what I do, but I am who you say I am’ … Jesus Christ is my rock. He’s my Lord and Savior. That’s Who I live for, and that bleeds into how I love my teammates well, how I can have a good mindset when things are going well, when things aren’t going well, in football, in life. That’s my identity.”

Justin Simmons

Safety, Atlanta Falcons

“When you’re in tune with the Lord, His signs are glaring … God knows what you’re going through. God knows what you’re praying for. Dive into what He’s trying to tell you. Don’t run away from it.”

So wrote Atlanta Falcons safety Justin Simmons in a devotional for Sports Spectrum Magazine. The stellar defensive back can often be seen making plays on the football field. In fact, since 2016, no player has nabbed more interceptions than the two-time Pro Bowler. But it’s how he lives out his faith in Christ off the field that has really impacted those around him.

“[Christ] is my identity. I don’t have to focus my worth on how great I do on the field,” Simmons told Sports Spectrum. “It’s important to know that even if I do have the worst game of my career, Christ is for me, and He always will be … Instead of finding my identity in sports, I now know my worth and purpose is found in Christ alone.”

Trey Hendrickson

Defensive End, Cincinnati Bengals

If you watch any Cincinnati Bengals games this year, keep an eye out for Trey Hendrickson. Chances are, he won’t be too hard to find. The 6-foot-4, 270-pound defensive end is usually making plays around the football—and acknowledging God after he does so. After nearly every sack, Hendrickson lifts his gaze and his hand to give God the glory.

You may also have seen the viral moment near the end of last season where, when Hendrickson realized an opponent was injured, immediately removed his helmet and got down on one knee to pray—a genuine act of faith and sportsmanship that impacted those who witnessed it.

“My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is more to me than just football,” Hendrickson said during the lead up to Super Bowl LVI in 2022. “… So it’s one of those things that anything that I do on the field is to glorify Him, through Him, for Him, for His glory.”

Minkah Fitzpatrick

Safety, Pittsburgh Steelers

Another playmaking defender, Minkah Fitzpatrick loves to cause havoc for opposing offenses. But off the field, he strives to honor Jesus’ command in Matthew 22:39, bringing peace into the lives of those around him.

“When you [love your neighbor], you create peace and a softness in other people’s hearts and love them as we would like to be loved,” Fitzpatrick told CBN News.

Recently, Fitzpatrick received the Bart Starr Award, given to a player who exemplifies remarkable character and leadership. He received the award with humility, pointing to his savior, Jesus Christ:

“As I receive this award for my good character, my good relationship with the Lord, I just want everybody to know that I’m nothing but the product of sitting at the feet of Jesus,” Fitzpatrick said in his acceptance speech. “I’m nothing but a product of a man who sits at the feet of Jesus—at the foot of the cross—and lets Him mold his heart, mold his mind. I’m not a perfect man by any means, way, shape or form. You can ask my mom.”

Daniel Carlson

Kicker, Las Vegas Raiders

As oft forgotten as they are (that is, until a critical field goal needs to be made at the end of a close game), no football team is complete without a kicker. So we’ll include one in this list. And one of the very best kickers in the NFL today is Daniel Carlson.

His career got off to a rocky start, though. Drafted by the Minnesota Vikings, he missed three field goals in only his second professional game and was released the next day. Later that year, he was picked up by the Raiders and finished the season strong. And he hasn’t looked back—on the field or in his spiritual life.

“[Jesus is] everything,” Carlson relayed on the Sports Spectrum Podcast. “Obviously, He’s my foundation … God loves us and sees us as sons and daughters, and no matter how far we step away from, you know, His purpose and His plan in our life—and we just screw up and mess up over and over again—He still just looks at us and says, ‘I love you. I’m gonna take the first step. I’m gonna go to the cross [and] die for you.’”

As we mentioned at the outset, this is far from a comprehensive list of all the Christian athletes playing in the league today, or even throughout the NFL’s history. So, who are your favorite Christian NFL players, past or present? How have they inspired you to live out your faith in Christ? Let us know in the comments below or tell us on Instagram and Facebook. And enjoy the upcoming football season!