There’s something so heartwarmingly rad about seeing a sports star’s kids cheer them on to victory during a game, and the NFL seems to be a hotbed for enthusiastically supportive families.
In addition to being one of the league’s greatest quarterbacks of his generation, Patrick Mahomes is the apple of his two kids’ eyes. Sterling has been proudly cheering on her daddy for years now — always wearing the cutest little Kansas City Chiefs-themed outfits alongside her mama, Brittany — and baby Bronze is getting in on the action too.
And while football was what ultimately led to his divorce from supermodel Gisele Bündchen, Tom Brady‘s three kids are super supportive of his ongoing NFL career. In fact, the twice-retired quarterback’s eldest son Jack, whom he shares with actress Bridget Moynahan, seems to be pursuing his own career in football. He’s already admitted which football player he wants to be like, and no, it’s not his father.
Tom Brady and his son, Jack, might have a shared interest in football. The quarterback took to Instagram to show off Jack’s natural athletic prowess. https://t.co/9LCF0Baaet
— SheKnows (@SheKnows) April 13, 2022
Brady shared on his Let’s Go! podcast, “I think one of the great highlights of my life is watching him play and him grow and develop … I love watching him kind of dig deep and especially [play] team sports.” He noted that he “never imagined” his kids would play the game, “So getting out there and watching him play has been so much fun for me.” Brady added, “And I don’t give a sh*t how well he does. I just love watching him and seeing him enjoy it with his friends. And, you know, the camaraderie at a young age.”
Read on for more adorable moments in which NFL babies proved themselves as their football-playing papas’ biggest fans.
A version of this article was published in 2023.
Saquon Barkley & Jada & SJ
Saquon Barkley’s daughter Jada is always excited to see him on the sidelines. The two have the sweetest “secret” handshake (that the world has seen and definitely loves).
The star running back also shares Saquon “S.J.” Jr. with girlfriend Anna Congdon, and the little guy is always decked out in Philadelphia Eagles gear like his big sister.
Ahead of the 2025 Super Bowl, Jada left her dad the most precious voicemail.
“I really, really, really hope you win,” Jada reportedly said. “And daddy I’m really thankful that you’ve been caring for your whole family and I know you’re going to win, but if you don’t, that is OK!”
“I’ll always, always love you and SJ will always love you, and Mommy would always love you and your mother and father would always love you,” the then 6-year-old continued. “Our whole family would always love you no matter what you do.”
Russell Wilson & Future, Sienna, Win, & Amora
In addition to cheering him on from the sidelines during regular season games, Russell Wilson’s three kids joined him for a preseason family practice with the Denver Broncos in 2022. The quarterback shared a few snaps from the outing on his Instagram, and Future, Sienna, and Win all look like they had so much fun spending the day “at work” with daddy.
After Wilson and wife Ciara welcomed baby Amora in Dec. 2023, the singer always shared how she and the kids were supporting Wilson. (Usually with super cute matching outfits!)
Zack Baun & Elian
Zack Baun’s baby Elian stole the show after the Philadelphia Eagles secured their spot in the 2025 Super Bowl. The little guy (and his not-so-little cheeks!) was so cute celebrating with his dad on the field. Don’t even get us started on how precious it was when he sat down and started playing with the confetti.
DJ Moore & Arielle & Denniston
DJ Moore’s kids Arielle and Denniston adorably crashed one of his press conferences, proving that NFL babies can support their dads before, during, and after the game.
Micah Parsons & Malcom
While most NFL babies cheer on their dads from the sidelines or the couch, Micah Parson’s son Malcom got to attend the 2023 NFL honors with his dad when he was just 5 years old. The duo wore coordinating black and gray suits and Malcom rocked some Dallas Cowboys bling. The little guy also joined his dad on the red carpet for the 2021 NFL Draft. Parsons welcomed a baby girl in Jan. 2023, and we can’t wait to see them walk the carpet together too.
Matt Barkley & John, Jackson, & Bella
Wherever Matt Barkley goes, his cheering squad follows! The quarterback shares kids John, Jackson, and Bella with wife Brittany, and his Instagram is filled with photos of the cute kiddos decked out in team gear. They’ve been there for him when he played for the Bills and the Giants. But the cutest has got to be when they’re sporting University of Southern California swag, cheering on their dad’s alma matter.
Matthew Stafford & Chandler, Sawyer, Hunter, & Tyler
Look at that precious photo!! Need we say more?! Matthew Stafford’s daughters are his biggest fans and have unfortunately come to learn that all the cheering also comes with some booing. When the girls and their mom Kelly went to watch Stafford and the LA Rams play a game in Detroit in 2024, they were hit with a wall of boos.
“I had to explain to two of my daughters,” she said. “Hunter started crying on the field because — and it’s not everybody, but the fans that … are the loudest. But we’re not playing the game. My girls and I are not playing the game. I know my girls are not getting booed. I am. But when I have my girls with me, there’s something to be said about, ‘Maybe not.'”
“It is what it is. I took it as a teaching moment for my children…There’s also fans that are cheering for us and saying thank you but we’re not hearing that over the louder ones.”
J.J. Watt & Koa
J.J. Watt may no longer be in the NFL, but his son Koa will always be a major football fan — especially since his uncles T.J. and Derek are in the NFL! In Oct. 2023, Koa joined his dad on the Houston Texans field when J.J. was awarded the Ring of Honor. The ceremony coincided with the Texans’ game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, so Koa also had a ridiculously cute interaction with T.J. on the sideline.
Marcus Mariota & Makaia Kei
There is no denying that quarterback Marcus Mariota’s daughter made a grand entrance into the world of football. She was born when Marcus and his wife Kiyomi were featured in Quarterbacks. And we cannot get over the special newborn photoshoot from soon after her birth in Dec. 2022. The little cutie slept peacefully in a University of Oregon football helmet, already repping her parents’ alma mater.
Kirk Cousins & Turner & Cooper
Kirk Cousins’ kids were also seen on Quarterbacks and are always proudly flaunting their Vikings gear. In the Netflix docuseries, Cousins’ son Cooper (b. 2017) joined his dad in the locker room after the Vikings made the largest comeback in NFL history. He has also started interviewing Vikings players, showing he may have a career in broadcasting ahead of him! As for Turner (b. 2019), he may have a career in helmet modeling.
Odell Beckham Jr. & Zydn
Odell Beckham Jr.’s son Zydn was born just days after the star wide receiver won the Super Bowl in Feb. 2022. And these photos of baby Zydn wearing an adult-sized Ravens jersey and hat are unbelievably adorable. Both are triple his size! Now we want OBJ to recreate this photo with Zydn every year so we can see how much he’s grown.
“You are my biggest blessing and I’m forever grateful and honored to be your father,” Beckham wrote in a moving birthday tribute. It’s been divine timing this past year and words don’t even do justice for the joy and pure love you have brought to my heart lil man. You have ignited a fire within me, a rebirth in my soul, and an even stronger determination to be the best in all facets of my life.”
Ryan Tannehill & Steel & Stella
There are few things cuter than Ryan Tannehill’s kids Steel (b. 2016) and Stella (b. 2018) getting in on the training camp fun. Last summer they threw the ball around with their dad and ran to give him a hug on the field for his birthday.
Steel started playing football in 2021 and Tannehill loves to cheer his little guy on. “Proud of this guy! Fun to watch the playoff win!” he captioned a photo from the special night.
Patrick Mahomes & Sterling & Bronze
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes rarely goes a Sunday without his babies on the sidelines. His wife Brittany always has the cutest Chiefs-themed outfits on deck for their littles, and she frequently documents their team spirit on her Instagram — like this cute matching moment between Sterling and Bronze, for example. The couple welcomed baby Golden Raye Mahomes in Jan. 2025, and her first football game will be the Super Bowl. (No. Big. Deal.)
Jason Kelce & Elliotte & Wyatt
Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce’s number one fan lives in his house. The NFL player shared a video on Instagram in 2023 following the Eagles’ win against the New York Giants, in which his youngest daughter Wyatt is yelling “E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles, yay!” while laying down in her crib.
Kelce hilariously captioned the post, “Apparently Wyatt is pretty pumped about the Eagles win last night too. Woke up to her singing the entire fight song this morning in her crib.” The team reshared the video on the Eagles’ account, captioning it, “Jason Kelce raising ’em RIGHT 😂.”
Tom Brady & Jack, Benjamin, & Vivian
During a 2022 episode of the Let’s Go! With Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald, and Jim Gray podcast, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady said of his daughter Vivian, “She is my number one cheerleader, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The dad of three also shared a text conversation between him and his younger son, Benjamin, the same year — the proud kid told his dad to “Go do what you do best” and “Kick some butt” ahead of Brady’s game against the New Orleans Saints.
Drue Tranquill & Elijah, Anna, & Mackenzie
Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Drue Tranquill shares three kids with his wife Jackie, and they frequently cheer daddy on from the sidelines in the most adorable Chargers-themed outfits.
Tranquill’s newest baby, Mackenzie, experienced her first Chargers game at the end of 2022 when she was just three weeks old — a precious moment documented by mom on Instagram — and his eldest kids, Elijah and Anna, are even more familiar with cheering on their dad on the football field.
Van Jefferson & Bella, Vanchi, & Champ
Not many dads can say their child was born the day they won the Super Bowl, but LA Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson can! He and his wife Samaria welcomed their second child together on Super Bowl Sunday in 2022, and on more ordinary Sundays, Samaria and the kids can usually be found on the sidelines cheering their favorite player on to victory.
Eric Decker & Vivianne, Eric Jr., & Forrest
While Eric Decker retired from the NFL in 2018 to spend more time with his wife, country music singer Jessie James Decker, and their kids, Vivianne, Eric Jr., and Forrest, the proud papa’s babies frequently cheered him on from the sidelines — and sometimes even on the field — during his football days.
These days, it’s Eric Jr. who’s being cheered on by his pro footballer dad. Decker shared in a 2021 post on Instagram, “The older my oldest son Eric ll gets, the more questions and excitement and love for the game he gets. He wears Jess’s old jerseys everyday (because they fit him) and he makes sure to inform me of what’s going on every Monday, Thursday and Sunday. It’s fun to reminisce and see the excitement in my boys eyes! He loves the game already just as much as I did as his age. Pretty cool dad moments.”
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