6 NFL players who are low-key romance heroes

As odd as it might sound, the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day are just days apart. That’s not to say that you can’t add a bit of spice to the Super Bowl.

Even though the teams have already been decided, I wanted to have a little bit of fun and try to make things as romantic as possible. Even if you’re an NFL fan or are forced to watch the Super Bowl, then this post is for you.

I’m going to be featuring 6 current NFL players who I think would make perfect heroes in romance books. While some of these might not come as a surprise, some of these men are easily becoming a lot of women’s celebrity crushes and I don’t blame them.

Last but not least, this post is just for fun as I love both romance books and the NFL.

These 6 NFL quarterbacks deserve to have their own romance novels.

With the Super Bowl upon us, I thought it would only be right to feature some NFL players who dominate on the field but also give me major romance hero vibes. Obviously, this is all in fun and isn’t meant to do anything aside from having some fun with the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day so close together.

With that being said, let’s get into the 6 NFL players I picked out and see if you agree with me if you’re an NFL fan and romance reader like myself.

1. Jimmy Garoppolo

The first NFL player making my list is actually one who isn’t even playing at the moment. Even so, I couldn’t include a list of NFL players and romance heroes without Jimmy Garoppolo. Let me start off by saying this man sat behind Tom Brady for years before getting his own chance. While things have been rocky for Jimmy G, he’s always been determined and didn’t have a problem, waiting for his chance.

Let’s just be honest with ourselves here and say Jimmy G has a good chance at being a cover model for romance books. Can you just picture this man on a historical romance cover? Because I can and it’s delightful.

2. J.J. Watt

Technically, J.J. Watt is now retired, but I honestly couldn’t think of a better Watt brother to feature on this list. Not only did this man play on a terrible team for years, but he also suffered multiple injuries during his career. Despite that, the obstacles never stopped him and he went on to win many accolades during his tenure in the NFL. He won Defensive Player of the Year 3 times, won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, and is surely headed to the Hall of Fame.

When I think of NFL players in romances, J.J. Watt always comes to mind. Plus he’s pretty much who I pictured while reading The Wall of Winnipeg and Me because how could you not? Now that he’s retired and living his life with his wife and their son, he’s truly living that romantic dream.

3. Jalen Hurts

Moving onto some actual active players, I had to feature Jalen Hurts for multiple reasons. First, even though I’m not an Eagles fan, I respect him. He made a lot of brave decisions in college to end up where he is now and there’s something admirable about that. Coupled with how he is playing at such a high level now, it’s a testament to his commitment and determination to be the best he can be. Plus he just seems like a great guy with an awesome personality.

As for Jalen Hurts, it’s hard to pinpoint him into one trope or genre of romance. While sports romance is the obvious one, he seems like a genuinely nice person so maybe he’d fit more into the friends-to-lovers trope. Either way, he was a shoo-in to make my list.

4. Josh Allen

Can we just appreciate that photo for one second? Okay, let’s talk about Josh Allen. For me, he’s one of those NFL players who came in and just turned a team around. The Bills were good but we were waiting for them to be great aka getting Josh Allen. He’s really changed the culture in Buffalo and despite cracking under the pressure a few times, he’s been a great player. With multiple playoff appearances under his belt and a long career ahead of him, there’s a lot to be excited about with Josh Allen.

To me, Josh Allen is the quintessential second-chance romance guy. He didn’t get a huge chance in college but he’s making the most of his time in the NFL now. It’s just awesome to see him play at such a high level and prove himself after only getting one scholarship offer. It’s clear he’s starting to get his happy ending now.

5. Saquon Barkley

Saquon Barkley is just one of those guys you can’t help but root for. Maybe it’s because I live close to Penn State, but this guy is a hometown hero. He killed it while he was at Penn State and now, he’s killing it in the NFL. While he’s dealt with some hiccups as far as injuries go, Barkley always comes back better than ever and that’s something I admire especially in the NFL world.

As far as romance goes, he’s another player I can’t really pinpoint which genre or trope he’d fit into aside from small-town. Either way, I feel like his impact at both Penn State and the NFL is undeniable so he’s done more than enough to be considered a romance lead at least for PSU fans.

6. Joe Burrow

Could it be anyone else aside from Joe Burrow? This is the man who inspired this whole post but let’s get into why he’s such a great player. Despite joining the NFL in 2020, this man has already taken his team to the playoffs, been to the Super Bowl, won Comeback Player of the Year, and is now in the hearts of millions. Plus he’s also a Heisman trophy winner and is singlehandedly changing how people talk about the Bengals.

Let me just say that I don’t even need a trope for this man because he can fit anywhere. I’ve seen tons of romance lovers talking about him on Instagram. Picturing him within the pages of a romance novel is just second nature to me at his point. He’s the man, the myth, and the legend along with the romance hero we’ve been waiting for.

The Super Bowl airs on February 12th, 2023 on Fox. 

Do you have a favorite NFL player you imagine as a romance hero? Be sure to let us know who we missed in the comments below.