Superman is back in a big way, with James Gunn’s “Superman” hitting movie theaters this week as one of the summer’s most anticipated blockbusters. The film promises a colorful reboot for the longtime face of DC Comics, and its release comes just weeks before the NFL is set to make its own sunny return with the start of 2025 training camp.
Which got us thinking: Which of the NFL’s current superstars could just as well double as superheroes? Which football standouts — who also happen to wear colorful uniforms and fly around the country in search of victory — most embody the Man of Steel on the gridiron? Which fan favorites might be best equipped to take up the red cape and serve as the ultimate beacon of hope, conquering giants and carrying their people to the promised land?
In celebration of “Superman,” here’s our ranking of the NFL’s five best on-field superheroes entering the 2025 campaign, all of whom have already enchanted aplenty with their combination of heart, heroics and awe-inspiring physical gifts:
Neither Hurts nor Mahomes may be everyone’s cup of tea as increasingly rugged rather than aesthetically marvelous leaders, but they adapt to the moment when it matters most. The former is an admitted “old soul” who refuses to emit anything but an old-fashioned work ethic; he’s been knocked down on the biggest stages only to crawl back and conquer them. And with two championship-level Super Bowl performances in the last three years, Hurts makes the Eagles fly due primarily to his unfazed poise. Mahomes, on the other hand, once set a standard for superhuman production as a big-play machine, only to evolve into more of a calculated — you might even say Clark Kent-ian — winner of more recent seasons.
If it’s the sheer burst and positivity of Superman that you’re after, Jefferson fits the bill better than anyone. No one — not even fellow LSU product Ja’Marr Chase — makes finding wide-open green grass look so easy, and no one has a wider smile when he cruises in the end zone. Not even injuries can keep his resume from maintaining a Hall of Fame-level glint. Even as long-suffering Minnesota fans pray the Vikings around him will help deliver a title bid, he brings a warming and infectious joy to purple faithful everywhere.
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Jeff Kerr
If we were casting an NFL Superman based on looks alone, Burrow would be a shoo-in, offering the movie-star mug to go with a prototypical pocket-passing build. And doesn’t he already serve as Cincinnati’s would-be savior alongside Chase? The Bengals may not always support him enough to capture the ultimate hardware, but no one is ever doubting his touch. In fact, the unending sentiment out of southwestern Ohio is that as long as Burrow is upright, the Bengals have a chance.
Just look at that uniform; it practically screams Superman! Allen has all but taken Kal-El as on-field inspiration, soaring to MVP-level heights by putting his body on the line as the NFL’s top supersized dual threat. Yes, he kind of reigned himself in to keep Buffalo rolling in 2024, but when you think “Josh Allen,” you think never-say-die theatrics. Still to be determined is whether he can finally overcome the Kryptonite that is Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, delivering the Bills to long-awaited glory.
There may be others, like Hurts and Mahomes, who’ve so far proven more formidable in the clutch. But there isn’t a leader — a face of a franchise, a city, an entire community — who plays with such alien electricity as Jackson. His efficiency as a quarterback has grown in recent years, but Jackson’s superpower has always been his otherworldly athleticism. A repeat MVP thanks in part to his game-breaking off-script ability to fly, he also radiates hope and jubilation as he moves, serving as one of the NFL’s most delightfully childlike ambassadors. It feels like a matter of when, not if, Jackson will finally claim the game’s biggest stage.
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Author: Cody Benjamin
July 10, 2025 | 12:40 pm
