Football is an ego-driven game full of love and hatred, but it can also be hard to achieve notoriety. Some players are adored by fans, the media, and their teammates. However, others receive little to no attention and can arguably pass as an average person. But, what about the rest? That leaves many NFL players that have generated an unfathomable amount of hate.  While some players receive hate from fans for not playing as well as they should, others are hated for their antics off the field. Unfortunately, some players are outright dirty, and they are not respected by those inside or outside of the football world. Calling all football fans, read on to discover NFL’s most hated players and why they receive backlash!

A product of Virginia Tech, Michael Vick was picked first overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2001 NFL Draft. He spent six years with the team, then found himself in prison for his role in a dogfighting ring for 21 months in 2007 and 2008. However, Vick returned to the NFL once he was released and played for the Philadelphia Eagles. Vick then spent five seasons in Philadelphia, followed by a year with the Jets and Steelers. Throughout his return, and after his retirement, Michael Vick has garnered an abundance of hatred. Many animal lovers and dog owners alike will never forgive Vick for what he did to those poor pups, and rightfully so, despite his attempts to be seen as an animal rights activist by the public eye.

Unless you’re a lifelong fan of the New England Patriots or just a fan of the 2021 Buccaneers, you probably hate Tom Brady. While most football fans don’t agree on much, the hatred of Tom Brady seems to always bring fans together. This strong dislike, in particular, stems from a few things, the insane Deflategate scandal, Brady’s egotistical demeanor, and his talent. Considered the Greatest of All Time, Brady is a six-time champion and a four-time Super Bowl MVP. Besides his on-field success, he has a supermodel wife and a seemingly perfect family. Tom Brady announced his retirement following the 2021-2022 regular season, only to rescind the decision a few months later.

Vontaze Burfict is a great linebacker, but he became known more for his dirty playing style than his natural-born talent. A product of Arizona State, Burfict had a history of some questionable hits. He received a variety of punishments for these incidents and racked up fines up to $4.2 million. Burfict is notoriously known by current and former footballers for being a dirty player, especially his disgusting 2016 hit on Antonio Brown.  This hit cost the Bengals a big playoff victory and was utterly unnecessary. Brown suffered a concussion, and Burfict was suspended. Despite his past, the league allowed Vontaze to get away with a slap on the wrist for too long when it came to incidents like this until the 2019 season when Burfict hit Colts tight end Jack Doyle in the head and was suspended for the remainder of that season.

Antonio Brown might be a superb footballer, but he has burned a crazy amount of bridges with his teams and former teammates that outweigh his skill. Between the assault allegations and throwing furniture off a 14th-floor balcony it is obvious that Brown has partaken in some crazy shenanigans. If this weren’t enough, he filed a grievance with the NFL over an old helmet. He was also supposed to play with the Oakland Raiders but had so many issues with people in the organization that he was released before playing a single game. 

Steelers legend Hines Ward is notorious for being a dirty player. The wide receiver played for the University of Georgia and was drafted by Pittsburgh in the third round of the 1998 draft. Ward loved to block and blindside opponents, which often led to injuries. Despite his opponents getting injured, Ward kept using that tactic, which led to their disliking him.  The worst of these blocks came against the Cincinnati Bengals. Ward made a block that broke linebacker Keith River’s jaw. Since that, there is now a rule named after Hines Ward making these blindsided blocks illegal. Imagine hurting enough players and injuring one so badly that you have an entire rule named after you? Yikes!

Aaron Rodgers is another one of football’s greatest players who has gotten sucked up into his egotistical ways. The Green Bay Packers selected the product of the University of California, Berkeley in the first round of the 2005 draft. He backed up quarterback Brett Favre for the first few years of his career, then became a superstar himself, breaking countless NFL records.  Rodgers was always overconfident after a win, but the 2021 season was when things became real. He demanded a trade from the Packers and held out for much of the preseason, and went on a vacation instead. It will be interesting to see where he plays going forward.

When it comes to dirty players, Ndamukong Suh is one of the most brutal. An old-school defensive lineman, Suh is known for stomping on opponents, starting fights on the field and his beef with other players. Suh’s reputation was decorated with awards while playing for the University of Nebraska, but he showed his true colors in the NFL.  Suh is known for stomping on Evan Dietrich-Smith in 2011 and even stepping on Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. The most recent controversy Suh has been a part of was yelling expletives at QB Matt Stafford early in the 2021 playoffs. It appears they have history from when they were with the Detroit Lions. But, who knows, maybe Suh just hates quarterbacks. 

Big Ben has found himself in the spotlight throughout his career for being talented and reckless. A Steelers legend who has earned many accolades across 18 seasons with the team, Roethlisberger is beloved in Pittsburgh. However, once you get past Steelers fans and the western half of Pennsylvania, Roethlisberger is anything but a fan favorite. Between being criticized for not wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle and multiple assault allegations brought against him from 2008 to 2010, Roethlisberger was seen as anything but an angel by the public. As a result, he was suspended for six games in the 2010 season. While reactions from his teammates were mixed, many did say it was justified.

Keyshawn Johnson’s attitude and egotistical nature burned bridges between him and both his former coaches and teammates. Johnson wrote a book in which he bashed his fellow New York Jets wide receiver Wayne Chrebet. His blow at Chrebet lost him respect in New York for obvious reasons. Johnson ended up bouncing around teams and could never get along with anyone. While he won a championship with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003, he was butting heads with coach Jon Gruden, losing respect with that organization too. Judging from Johnson’s confrontations, his nickname “Me-shawn” seems fitting.

If any football player has had a controversial career, it is Odell Beckham Jr. During his time with the New York Giants, he had some signature catches. But still, Beckham garnered an individual rivalry with Panther Josh Norman. Beckham also partook in other diva-like activities, including throwing Eli Manning under the bus during an ESPN interview.  Big Blue traded Beckham to the Browns in March 2019, and that season, he got into scuffles with Marlon Humphrey and Freddie Kitchens. He also earned himself a two-year ban for his antics after LSU's championship win. After being placed on waivers with the Browns, he joined the Rams and had lots of drama surrounding him, including an altercation with Chuck Clark amongst other things.

Now that Brett Favre’s career has ended, he is not receiving as much hatred as he used to. Favre played football at Southern Mississippi and was drafted in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He spent a single season with them until he was traded to Green Bay. Later, he also played for the Jets and the Vikings.  The former Green Bay Packer quarterback holds many controversial views and has had multiple conduct issues, including substance use and assault allegations which were looked down upon by the public eye. Not to mention the number of times he has come in and out of retirement.

Running back Kareem Hunt was drafted in the third round and 86th overall of the 2017 NFL Draft out of the University of Toledo by the Kansas City Chiefs. However, he was not in the league long, and remained with the Chiefs until he was cut due to domestic abuse. But he still managed to sign with the Browns and played for Cleveland until his eight-game suspension was up in 2019 and has been with them since.   

Former NFL defensive end turned mixed martial artist Greg Hardy had a brief football career before changing sports. Hardy was drafted out of the University of Mississippi by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft.  He had a successful 2013 until that offseason when he was accused of assault. He was not re-signed by the Panthers after playing a single game with them in 2014, played for the Dallas Cowboys in 2015, and improved his image ever so slightly before concluding his football career. Post-football, he found his calling in the UFC where he is currently signed and competing. 

Jay Cutler spent 12 seasons in the NFL. A product of Vanderbilt, Cutler was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He spent three seasons in Denver, eight with the Chicago Bears, and retired before returning to the league to play a final season with the Miami Dolphins.  Besides being known for his boisterous attitude, Jay Cutler became known for his public and very messy divorce from reality television star Kristin Cavallari. The divorce is full of financial issues and messy banter being aired out to the public. NFL stars have backed up Cutler, but he is still widely disliked for a combination of this messy divorce and his unorthodox views.

Ray Lewis spent his entire 17-year NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens. Drafted in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft, Ray Lewis is widely regarded as the most outstanding linebacker in league history. While Lewis is adored in Baltimore, he is seen as a criminal and an attention-loving diva everywhere else.  The Baltimore Ravens legend was especially disliked for both his talent and off-field concerns including a murder conviction. His conceited attitude did not help his case, and the current NFL Hall-of-Famer is still receiving backlash for his actions.

If any football player knew how to get on people’s nerves, it is Randy Moss. The wide receiver is a product of Marshall University and is regarded as one of the best wide receivers ever. He has broken many records and has been inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.  Besides receiving backlash for being so good at his craft, Moss also got himself involved in some trouble. Between a traffic incident, substance abuse and assault allegations, Moss is no friend of the law. He is also notorious for refusing to speak with the media and the “straight cash, homey” incident, which will be remembered by football fans forever.

Many football fans disdain Johnny Manziel, also known as “Johnny Football,” especially Cleveland Browns fans. Manziel’s future looked bright while playing for Texas A&M. However, he had a short and disappointing NFL career. Not only did he perform poorly, but Manziel ran into trouble with the law.  He was arrested for an altercation that got out of hand in 2012 and threw a water bottle at a fan during the 2015 season. In addition, he was caught partying on video in 2015 multiple times, and in 2016 he was suspended for four games due to substance abuse. Even though his career was over, he has still been trolling the Browns and Browns fans via social media. No wonder he receives so much hate.

Cam Newton, also known as “Super Cam," is currently the Carolina Panthers' quarterback, as of 2022. He has been the team’s superstar QB since 2011 despite his struggles with injuries throughout his career. Carolina fans adore Newton, but beyond that, he has gotten himself into some hot water and receives hate for more than just his talent. Newton’s haters seethed over his success throughout his career and the overconfidence that came with it. Not only did he cut his post-game press conference short following Super Bowl L, but he also has made rude comments to female reporters. None of this went over well with the general public for obvious reasons.

Former linebacker Bill Romanowski played in the NFL for 16 seasons. Selected by the 49ers in the 1988 NFL Draft, he spent six seasons with San Francisco and six more in Denver. He also played two seasons for both the Eagles and Raiders before retiring. While Romanowski’s career sounds good in theory, considering his accolades for his on-field play, he still had one of the most controversial careers in all of football.  Romanowski was involved in many altercations with teammates and opponents on the field. As a result, he was fined countless times, but this never seemed to stop him. The worst incidents include physically removing Eddie George’s helmet in 2002 and kicking running back Larry Centers.

Deshaun Watson was selected out of the first round of the NFL Draft in 2017 by the Houston Texans after leading Clemson to the college football national championship in 2016. He has spent his entire career in Houston thus far and was beloved by many until recently. First off, he requested a trade after being given a $160 million contract four months prior. However, he was deemed not tradeable. This is because of 22 assault allegations that arose in 2021. Due to these allegations, he lost the public, especially fans. His future in the NFL is currently a mystery, so it will be interesting to see what happens. 

Former NFL linebacker Brian Cushing spent nine seasons with the Houston Texans. A product of the University of South Carolina, Cushing was the 15th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. Cushing won many awards as a Texan and became the team’s all-time leading tackle. However, while he showed promise in college and apparent success early in his NFL career, he was also notorious for taking performance enhancers throughout his tenure in the NFL.  He was suspended for the first four games of the 2010 season and ten games in 2017. He had injuries and did not perform at his peak between those years. As a result, he was anything but a fan favorite everywhere, including Houston. The team released him in 2018.

Love him or hate him, Jalen Ramsey has a particular way of carrying himself. Ramsey is currently a cornerback for the Los Angeles Rams. He played at Florida State and was drafted fifth overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016. Ramsey has a history of butting heads with those around him.  During his time at Florida State, he had a reputation for trash talk. Additionally, he was traded from Jacksonville to the Rams following a fallout with the Jaguar’s front office. Even with the Rams, Ramsey started altercations with his teammates. From the looks of it, front offices, NFL players, and fans alike aren’t exactly fond of Ramsey and for good reason.

Former running back Ray Rice was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He spent six seasons with Baltimore and garnered success on the field. However, his off-the-field actions tarnished his reputation and ended his time in the league.  In 2014, Rice was indicted for assault and was suspended indefinitely by the league. He became notorious for his wrongdoings. While Rice was reinstated, he never played for the Ravens or any NFL team again and officially ended his league tenure in 2016.

Arguably one of the NFL’s most talented receivers ever, Terrell Owens spent his career with quite a few teams but is best known for his tenure with the Dallas Cowboys. While he is viewed as one of the best at what he did, Owens also was at the center of controversy throughout his career due to his rampant narcissism. Between the Desperate Housewives skit on ABC, a spitting incident against the Atlanta Falcons and multiple questionable touchdown celebrations, Owens has made a name for himself, for better or worse. While his on-field actions would have made him a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, the committee waited to induct him until his third year of eligibility in 2018.

Ezekiel Elliott is a hated player on one of the most hated teams in pro sports. The Ohio State alumnus was drafted fourth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft and the first running back selected that year. He was elected to the Pro Bowl three times and led the league in rushing yards in 2016 and 2018.  In between his two best seasons, in 2017, Elliott was suspended for six games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. After his suspension, he returned, but he wasn’t the player he once was. Not only did his wrongdoings not go well with fans, but neither did his return to the NFL. As of 2022 he is still with the Cowboys and signed an extension, potentially making him a Cowboys lifer.

Another troublesome and widely hated NFL player is Adam "Pacman" Jones. The Tennessee Titans drafted Jones as the sixth overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft following his tenure playing college football at West Virginia. Jones was known best for his time with the Bengals, but his time off the field tells more of his character than anything else. Jones was suspended from the NFL not once but twice. This includes the entire 2007 season for many incidents and 2015 for a dirty play involving Amari Cooper on the field. Not only that, Jones was part of the Bengals’ meltdown in the 2015 AFC Wild Card game and since that has been an enemy of fans, especially those in Cincinnati.

Michael Irvin was one of the Dallas Cowboys’ staples from the 1980s and 1990s. The wide receiver spent his 12-year career in Dallas before his career ended due to a spinal cord injury. He was hated for his exuberant personality as a player so much that Philadelphia Eagles fans booed him as he was carted off with that career-ending injury. Despite all of this, his antics garnered him more and more hate after his NFL career ended. From assault allegations to unnecessary disputes to other legal troubles, Irvin’s reputation may not be repairable at this point. 

Richie Incognito was widely regarded as a bully during his NFL career. The Rams drafted a University of Nebraska product, Incognito, in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He remained with the team until 2009 and played with the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills. After being suspended from the 2018 season, he signed with the Raiders and is with them as of 2022. Incognito is best known for his time with the Dolphins, where he hazed and bullied his former teammate Jonathan Martin. As a result, Incognito was suspended for the entirety of the 2018 NFL season.  He is also known for altercations at a local gym and funeral home and his disorderly and reckless behavior.

Throughout his career, especially his prime years in the NFL, Cortland Finnegan was referred to as everything from “crazy” to “dirty” by fans, coaches and even former teammates. The Tennessee Titans drafted Finnegan in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft.  Finnegan’s trash-talking and dirty plays combined with his narcissistic personality have gotten him into trouble. The worst of the incidents Finnegan has found himself a part of was an on-field fight with Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson. While both players were fined, Finnegan’s reputation never recovered, which was most likely because Finnegan had a history of dirty behavior on the field whereas Johnson did not.

Shawne Merriman, also known as “Lights Out,” made a name for himself in the early and mid-2000s until things went south. A product of the University of Maryland, Merriman was drafted 12th overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 2005 NFL Draft. The overdramatic linebacker was known for his “Lights Out” sack dance which many loved, but others found annoying. Merriman’s career was plagued with injuries, which ultimately ended his NFL tenure. He was also a user of performance enhancers which got him suspended, and this did not help his reputation in the slightest. Besides performance enhancers, he faced multiple lawsuits and other troubles for his off-the-field antics.