Remember the good old days, before pop stars ruined football?
Kidding, kidding.
Professional football players have long been an archetypical stand-in symbolic of the all-American male. They’re strong, fast, and carry that whiff of Boy Scout can-do-ism, no matter whether it’s earned or not. These days, however, the job description has expanded beyond the astroturf: Athletes’ profiles have risen to the level of celebrity in recent decades, and brand endorsements, social outings, and, increasingly, personal lives are part and parcel of being a star. Fan engagement goes beyond yards passed and interceptions made—as the recent explosive excitement around Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s engagement (of the marital variety) underlined in glittery gel pen ink.
In the NFL 2025-26 Season of Our Lord, the celebrity WAG is having a moment. Increasingly, players’ trophy shelves creak under the weight not only miniature Lombardi Trophies (Super Bowl-winning teams keep the big one permanently, and players get smaller replicas) and bejeweled championship rings, but their partners’ Grammys, Critics Choice Awards, Olympic medals, and more. The crop of A-listers—trophy wives in a new definition—cheering on the NFL sidelines this year is larger and starrier than ever.
Lest you be caught flat-footed at first and goal (football!) enjoy a brief playbook of the most boldface of this football season’s celebrity WAGs.
WAG: Taylor SwiftWho’s She Rooting For?: Travis Kelce and the Kansas City ChiefsStatus: Engaged since 2025What’s Her Thing?: If you don’t know Swift’s deal by now, we don’t know what to tell you. She once sang that she would do things in her life greater than dating the boy on the football team. Decades later, Swift has proven that she can do both.Selected Wife Trophies: 14 Grammys, 40 American Music Awards, 49 Billboard Music Awards, many, many more.
WAG: Cardi BWho’s She Rooting For?: Stefon Diggs and the New England PatriotsStatus: Dating, pregnantWhat’s Her Thing?: Safe to say Cardi is having a moment. She’s primarily a musician, and just released her second album, Am I the Drama?. She’s also made the meme rounds recently, thanks to her infinitely quotable court testimony in August, pertaining to a 2018 assault accusation. The rapper was found both not liable in the civil suit, and got to explain the concept of wigs on the court record. Win-win.Selected Wife Trophies: 1 Grammy, 6 American Music Awards, 8 Billboard Music Awards, more. Holds seven Guinness World Records.
WAG: Alix EarleWho’s She Rooting For?: Braxton Berrios and the Houston TexansStatus: Dating, cohabitatingWhat’s Her Thing?: Host of Hot Mess with Alix Earle podcast, social media influencerSelected Wife Trophies: Presenter at American Music Awards and NFL Honors
WAG: Olivia CulpoWho’s She Rooting For?: Christian McCaffrey and the San Francisco 49ersStatus: Married since 2024What’s Her Thing?: Model, actor, pageant queenSelected Wife Trophies: Won Miss Rhode Island USA, Miss USA, and Miss Universe
WAG: Hailee SteinfeldWho’s She Rooting For?: Josh Allen and the Buffalo BillsStatus: Married since 2025What’s Her Thing?: Actor and singerSelected Wife Trophies: 1 Critics Choice Award, 1 Billboard Music Award, 1 Peabody Award
WAG: Simone BilesWho’s She Rooting For?: Jonathan Owens and the Chicago BearsStatus: Married since 2023What’s Her Thing?: Gymnast, has the most Olympic medals of any U.S. gymnast in historySelected Wife Trophies: 11 Olympic medals, 30 World Championship medals, 2 Pacific Rim championships
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The post The Stars on the Sidelines: Now the NFL’s A-List WAGs Have Their Own Fanbases appeared first on Vanity Fair.
