THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE NFLPA INFLUENCER HOT LIST POWERED BY ZOOMPH

Date

Topics

Share

Joe Burrow, Damar Hamlin, Sauce Gardner, Christian McCaffrey, Isiah Pacheco, Aidan Hutchinson, Bijan Robinson, Trevor Lawrence, Micah Parsons, Maxx Crosby and Tua Tagovailoa are among the top 50 most marketable and influential figures on social media among NFL players.

Social media enables NFL players to establish genuine connections with fans by sharing their daily experiences and interests. The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) collaborated with Zoomph, a social media analytics company, for the annual NFLPA Influencer Hot List. This list ranks the Top 50 players based on the Zoomph Social Marketability Index, considering data from Twitter/X and Instagram between September 7, 2022, and July 23, 2023, covering both in-season and off-season periods.


View the full NFLPA Influencer Hotlist


Highlights:

  • Notably, the top 10 includes representation from five distinct positions: quarterback, defensive back, wide receiver, running back, and tight end. The overall diversity in the top 50 extends to seven positions, including fullback and linebacker.
  • San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey's mid-season trade from Charlotte elevated him from #31 to #5 on this year's list. His transition highlighted his on-field journey and personal life with fiancée Olivia Culpo, propelling him into pop culture. Regular posts about workouts, tours, fashion, and wellness greatly boosted his social media influence.
  • Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby surged from #43 to #15 on the Hot List within a year, captivating fans through personal reflections, videos, and sharing his off-field life. Despite being a fourth-round pick, his distinctive personality and passions ignited a huge fan following.
  • Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin's impact this year goes beyond the field, with his engaging and genuine presence on social media driving significant interaction. His openness has attracted a growing fan base, as he passionately raises awareness for the Chasing M's Foundation and shares his journey of overcoming challenges. A poignant example was his first post after his cardiac arrest: 'Keep Praying For Me,' revealing the incredible man who shares what matters most to him.
  • Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields rose 16 places from #27 to #11, captivating fans by taking charge of his narrative and displaying more of his unique personality. Meanwhile, Joe Burrow, previously at #2, secured the top position by skillfully using creative social media captions, sharing humor, style, and football prowess. His connection to fans spans from his home state of Ohio to Louisiana, where he excelled at LSU.
  • San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk enters at #33, gaining social media fame through his on-field performance, fantasy stats, and consistent posts. These highlight his workouts, family life, and notably, his two Samoyed puppies: Pierogi and Mozzarella, which have followers drooling.
  • The 2023 list features promising rookies Bijan Robinson (#36), Zay Flowers (#41), and Bryce Young (#50), hailing from football powerhouses Texas, Boston College, and Alabama. Their compelling backgrounds and on-field brilliance complement their vibrant off-field personas. Their impressive presence at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere, connecting with partners, highlights their ability to use social media effectively, potentially boosting their brand growth and rise on the 2024 list.

Beyond the cumulative Influencer Hot List, powered by Zoomph, the NFLPA also evaluates players' social media activities to facilitate partnerships and campaigns with brands. This assessment considers factors like consistent engagement, areas of interest, and audience demographics. The list aids NFLPA's business insights through a composite score based on posts, followers, engagement, impressions, and interaction rate.

Audience metrics were determined by Zoomph's consumer insights platform, which has a database of more than 350 million social profiles. Individual audiences were created for each player and analyzed based on their own social following. All audience demographic and psychographic data was anonymized prior to ingestion into Zoomph. Audience data is continually refreshed into the Zoomph platform.