There's a portion of NFL players that fans seem to take a strong disliking to. 15, to be exact. Whether the reason be their off-the-field incidents, elaborate celebrations, or diva personality, these players make fans particularly angry. So without further ado, here are the 15 most hated players in the NFL right now:
Eli Apple:
The cornerback position features plenty of divas and trash-talkers, but unlike other players with this type of behavior, Eli Apple doesn't have dominant play on the field to back it up. After the Bengals had won three straight games against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, Eli Apple decided to call Arrowhead Stadium, "Burrowhead" before the 2022 AFC championship game. The comment didn't go over well in Kansas City. Now with a chip on their shoulder, the Chiefs played extra hard and beat Cincinnati by a score of 23-20. That was the last game Apple played as a Bengal, as he was cut during the following offseason.
Zach Wilson:
Most of the hate targeted at Zach Wilson is from Jets fans, but one of the NFL's meanest fanbases doesn't pull any punches on their young quarterback. After the Jets tanked to draft Wilson, he became one of the biggest busts in NFL history, completing more passes to the other team than his own players. Zach Wilson had the privilege of playing with a top-five defense, and instead ruined his team's playoff hopes with poor play, and even blamed the Jets' losses on a defense that allowed 19 points per game. So it's easy to see why Zach Wilson is public enemy #1 in the Big Apple.
Deshaun Watson:
Good luck trying to find someone who actually likes Deshaun Watson. The former Texans' QB earned plenty of hate for his many off-the-field incidents and his lack of responsibility for them. And to make matters worse, an already hated player is now getting paid $46 million per year in guaranteed money. Watson sure is glad his contract is fully guaranteed because his play on the Browns has been mediocre at best. So Browns fans also hate Watson, if they didn't already.
JuJu Smith-Schuster:
Unlike most other players on this list, JuJu Smith-Schuster was actually a well-liked player early in his career, as he took the high road when Antonio Brown insulted him. But after Brown left, a flip was switched, and Schuster became public enemy #1 during the next few seasons. Schuster's overratedness ticked off plenty of fans, as his only good seasons came when catching passes from a prime Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes, despite the media hyping him as an elite wideout.
JuJu Smith-Schuster also seems to spend more time making Tik Tok videos than training, as his knack for dancing on opposing team's logos is the definition of cocky, but it certainly didn't go unpunished. But you probably haven't heard much about JuJu Smith-Schuster lately, because he's catching passes from Bailey Zappe on the Patriots.
Kyler Murray:
Being a successful NFL quarterback, among other things, requires a great deal of maturity. And the Cardinals' QB does not have that maturity. Until Kyler Murray puts down the video game controller and opens the playbook, he gets a spot on this list. Murray has earned the ire of Cardinals fans who want a competent quarterback, and regular fans who don't like his me-first mentality. Murray repeatedly blames his teams' shortcomings on other players, coaches, or anything but himself, which ironically contributes to his teams' shortcomings.
Odell Beckham Jr.:
Fans certainly have a lot to hate about Odell Beckham Jr; the former Giants' receiver is nothing but a giant distraction, and his me-first attitude easily rubs players and fans the wrong way. The 2022 season featured an insane amount of speculation as to which team Beckham would play for, and he instead remained a free agent after all that speculation. Fans are also irritated that the mediocre receiver keeps getting attention because he made a catch ten years ago.
Tyreek Hill:
Tyreek Hill gives fans plenty of reasons to hate him. His unabashed personality and elaborate touchdown celebrations have garnered their fair share of ire, but Hill also left a dynasty for a rebuilding Dolphins team, simply because the Fins offered him more money. Fortunately, justice has been served, as the Chiefs won back-to-back Super Bowls without their star wideout, and Tyreek Hill is yet to win a playoff game with his new team.
Dak Prescott:
Being the star quarterback of the most hated NFL team is bound to garner some hate, even though Dak Prescott isn't a bad person. However, Prescott has also earned the ire of his own fans for his many playoff shortcomings, especially a recent blowout wild card loss to the 7th-seeded Packers. It was also quite annoying when Prescott automatically became a frontrunner in the 2023 MVP race because he beat up a bunch of bad teams. Plenty of recent trade rumors have involved Dallas's QB, so Dak could improve his reputation on a different team.
Jalen Ramsey:
Jalen Ramsey is basically Richard Sherman 2.0; he's a loud-mouthed, trash-talking corner who, unfortunately, has the skill to back it up and had a feud with Michael Crabtree. The similarities are a bit unsettling. While Ramsey greatly contributed to the Jaguars' on the field, his big mouth and big ego helped lead to the downfall of the mighty Sacksonville defense.
In an interview prior to the 2018 season, Ramsey said that Josh Allen was trash, Matt Ryan was overrated, and Ben Roethlisberger was decent at best. If that doesn't garner hate from NFL fans, I don't know what does. Ramsey's elite play ensures the approval of his own fans, but opposing fans hate the Dolphins' star corner, as he is quite the trash-talker and shuts down your favorite team's best wide receiver.
Baker Mayfield:
Baker Mayfield hasn't received as much ire today as when he played in Cleveland, but fans still hate the former Browns quarterback for several reasons. Being the No.1 overall pick, Browns fans expected elite quarterback play from Mayfield and instead got an inconsistent journeyman. But fans of all teams were annoyed by Baker's entitled attitude, and constantly seeing him in ads while Mayfield was having a subpar 2019 season. And even today, Baker Mayfield is overrated, as he's only recording his career-best season because he gets to throw to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in Tampa Bay.
Jaire Alexander:
Jaire Alexander is another trash-talking corner who has gotten on plenty of fans' nerves, especially Vikings fans. Down the stretch of the 2022 season, Alexander trash-talked Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson and then held the 2022 offensive player of the year to just two catches. This obviously didn't go over well with the Vikings faithful.
Jaire was also suspended for a game during the 2023 season because he walked onto the field during the coin toss and wasn't the captain. His mistake almost cost the Packers' season, as the game he missed was crucial to his teams' playoff hopes, and coincidentally against the Vikings. But the Pack didn't need their star corner, as they cruised to a 33-10 victory over their NFC North rivals.
Travis Kelce:
NFL fans generally don't like players who run their mouths and still win all the time. And that pretty much describes the Chiefs' star tight end. According to Von Miller, Kelce is the "Fake Gronk", which is hilarious and quite accurate. Despite the persona that Travis Kelce tries to create in advertisements, he is clearly a jerk, and you can see it on the field. Kelce often taunts opposing players without any repercussions from the refs, and we'll never forget him pushing over his own head coach in the Super Bowl. But the fact that Kelce still won that game makes fans even more enraged with him.
Patrick Mahomes:
Nobody likes a winner. But the saying, "They hate us cause they ain't us", doesn't explain all the hate Patrick Mahomes receives. At least Tom Brady didn't have relatives who constantly post on TikTok about how the Chiefs are winning. But what fans hate even more than a constant winner is a constant winner who continuously gets better treatment from the refs. And on the rare occasion that Mahomes gets an unfair call, he whines and complains. I can see why this attitude especially rubs Saints and Lions fans the wrong way, as both teams have faced infamously poor treatment from the zebras over the years.
Lamar Jackson:
Lamar Jackson has been by some fans, but it's especially analysts that take a disliking to the Ravens QB, and for a plethora of reasons. Jackson's dual-threat style of play, his proneness to injury, his lack of playoff success, representing himself without an agent- the list goes on. While most of these criticisms aren't justified, enough people hate Lamar Jackson that he gets a spot on this list.
Russell Wilson:
Early in his career, Russell Wilson was a fun underdog story, as he was drafted in the third round and still became one of the league's best quarterbacks. But Seahawks players began speaking publicly about Wilson's diva, me-first personality, which would later lead to Wilson getting traded to the Broncos. Russell Wilson then had an uncharacteristically awful first season in Denver, winning the hatred of Broncos fans. And to add salt to the wound, we're all sick of Wilson repeatedly saying, "Broncos country, let's ride," even after embarrassing losses.