There probably isn’t a single NFL player that hasn’t been on the receiving end of a little bit of hate. The weird thing is, sometimes that hate actually comes from the player’s own fanbase. It’s impossible to control everyone, and sometimes sports fans can lash out in irrational ways towards some beloved players.
Fans hating on their own teams often stems from players botching a big game, or a major playing acting up in the public eye. The hate that people get isn’t always fair, but those who dish it out are never shy about making their voices heard when they really don’t like a player.
10 Aaron Rodgers
It’s best to get one of the most obvious examples out of the way first with Aaron Rodgers. He’s been playing in the NFL for nearly two decades, and with all that time there have also come a few down seasons.
The Packers fans can be tough to please, and while Rodgers has led the team to a lot of success, whenever he lets them down, they make it quite clear that they’re unhappy. Some Packers fans have been calling for Rodgers to retire even despite two recent MVP seasons.
9 Jay Cutler
While Jay Cutler would manage to create quite the career for himself in the NFL, things were a bit rocky from the start. He found a proper home on the Bears for years, but before that, Cutler was a member of the Broncos.
Despite putting up some of his career-best stats with the Broncos, it wasn’t enough for the team’s fans. It doesn’t help matters that some fans view Cutler in a negative light thanks to some of his own previous comments on other legendary NFL players.
8 Tim Tebow
Everyone and their mother is aware of who Tim Tebow is, and everyone is also aware that no matter where he goes, Tebow gets a lot of hate. Someone could point to pretty much any team he’s been on and find that team’s fan base hating on the man.
While people have come up with a number of reasons as to why Tebow got so much hate, the prevailing issue seems to be his outspoken nature when it comes to religion. His play is often brought up, but a lot of people seem to dislike just how open he is with his faith for various reasons.
7 Antonio Brown
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Antonio Brown is yet another player who can be linked to hate from pretty much every team he’s ever signed onto. The thing is, most of the hate comes down to the various personal antics and issues that Brown winds up getting himself into.
His poor personal decisions have led pretty much every fanbase he’s had to turn on him immediately to some degree. He might be a solid player, but that’s not enough to turn the opinions of most NFL fans no matter where he goes.
6 Eli Manning
A lot of people might be reeling back in shock seeing Eli Manning’s name on a list of hated players, but a shocking amount of Giants fans have undeservedly voiced a great deal of disdain for the quarterback despite all the success he brought to the team.
Manning won the team two Super Bowls, but that never stopped fans from feeling like he was boring. He postured himself as a lifelong Giant, but some fans just don’t care thanks to his simple play and occasional snooze-worthy interviews.
5 Colin Kaepernick
It really shouldn’t be a shock to anyone that Kaepernick is regarded more as a hated NFL player than he is a beloved one. Whether people appreciate his outspoken views or not, he wasn’t exactly the most legendary player to hit the field.
The 49ers had mixed opinions on him during his entire time with the team, but the moment he made the decision to kneel, he became a serious target for hate. The hate came from everywhere, but even the team’s fanbase turned on Kaepernick to a significant degree.
4 Cam Newton
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To many, the hate that Cam Newton has received throughout his career does not make any sense. A lot of people have chalked up much of the hate to intolerant and racist people, but there are a few NFL fans who’ve hated Newton even while representing their team.
People who take issue with him generally point to his controversy in college, and what they perceive to be a lack of skill on the field (despite being named the MVP of 2015). The controversy from his college days were due to allegations against his father for violating NCAA rules.
3 Odell Beckham Jr.
Fans of the New York Giants really did not like Odell Beckham Jr. despite putting up some of his best seasons with the team. The reasons that he got a lot of hate were because many of his actions made him look like a bit of a whiny crybaby.
Even worse, many diehard fans of the team did not like the way that he represented the team. Many Giants fans ragged on Beckham after he posted the infamous boat photo, a picture that many superstitious fans believe was the cause of much misfortune for the team.
2 Zach Wilson
While he’s incredibly new to the NFL, Zach Wilson has already managed to get a ton of undue hate from the Jets fanbase. The team has been one of the worst in the league for the last few years, and it certainly isn’t Wilson’s fault.
Wilson has talked about having to delete social media thanks to all the hate he gets. The young man is simply doing his best, and Jets fans may want to look inward as to why so much talent isn’t all that interested in trying to play for the team.
1 Tom Brady
Yes, even one of the most beloved players in the league has received his fair share of hate from his own fan bases over the years. Since he has been received mostly positively by the Buccaneers, some of his most significant hate came during his time with the Patriots.
Aside from the superfans who get angry when Brady doesn’t win every game, a lot of fans turned on him in the middle of the Deflategate scandal. No one takes kindly to what was essentially ruled to be a cheated game, and even Patriots fans had choice words for Brady.