Memes are a huge part of being online today, and of course with the NFL being as big as it is; memes and football are a perfect match together. While I can not review some of the funnier ones due to their sensitive content or dark humor, here are some random memes I enjoy or are very popular amongst the NFL community. Most of these memes come from or are inspired by work from @ghettogronk on Instagram.
CTE
While yes, it is a very serious medical condition resulting from repeated blunt trauma to the head, the players who seemingly suffer from it are incredibly funny. Antonio Brown has gone off the rails with multiple instances including, but not limited to the “Dubai Pool” incident, his comments on CTE not being real, multiple arrests, and his treatment of Tom Brady after the legendary QB opened his house to him. While not as controversial, Chandler Jones also seems to be on the funny side of CTE as seen by his new hit song, “Bill Belichick” where he melodically states,
“Bill Belichick, oh how I miss you, I just wanna kiss you”.
Everyone has different opinions on them, but while it can be concerning at times, they are hilarious and it results in good memes. I give these an 8.7/10 because they are hilarious, but the memes make themselves.
Kirko Chainz
Kirk Cousins while very intense and a fierce competitor is a pretty funny guy off the field. Fans frequently create memes that highlight his catchphrases, like the infamous “You Like That!” moment, or poke fun at his unique personality. These memes may explore his “game manager” style or poke fun at his occasional struggles in high-pressure situations. “Kirko Chainz” comes from a flight after a Vikings win where he has sunglasses on and hits a dance very awkwardly while his teammates are hyping him up behind. Cousins embodies an incredibly white and old dad which makes it much funnier. This is one of my favorite NFL nicknames, so I’d give it a 9.4/10
Zach “Cougar Hunter” Wilson
While Zach Wilson may not score much on the field, that does not discourage him off the field. Coming out of the draft, Wilson was selected with the second overall pick by the New York Jets. The average person would think the biggest story would be his amazing potential or hype surrounding his name, but that was far from the case. Wilson was alleged to have relations with his mother’s best friend while being in a relationship with his now ex-girlfriend Abbey Gile. Gile is now dating Wilson’s former best friend and college teammate Dax Milne, who is currently a wide receiver for the Washington Commanders. What else would the internet do than make a hilarious joke out of such a messy situation? Wilson has been horrendous since entering the NFL but gets his respect from fans for his tendency to attract older women. Recently Wilson played the best game of his young but underwhelming career in which he outperformed former MVP and face of the league Patrick Mahomes. Who was responsible for this? According to NFL fans, the performance was due to star tight end Travis Kelce’s mother being present. These memes are funny, but I’ve seen them better and funnier. These get a 6.9 from me.
MAGA Nick Bosa
This one can be messy, to say the least. Fans found pro-Trump tweets in his Twitter feed and immediately had fun with that. Memes surrounding Nick Bosa’s support for Donald Trump often center around his openness in his conservative political views within the predominantly liberal landscape of professional sports. These memes exaggerate his endorsement of Trump, portraying him as a vocal and enthusiastic supporter. Fans used this as an opportunity to make jokes about Bosa being a “racist”. Jokes about his stats being best when going against African American quarterbacks exploded everywhere giving Bosa a bad name. His teammates came to his defense however denying any claims of prejudice from Bosa. Not funny 0/10.
Super Bowl Script TikToks
These are hilarious in my opinion. These come from TikTok slide shows in which the creator will seem to give a reasonable score prediction in the first half; then at half, or if the game is tied at the end of the 4th quarter in some instances, something impossible happens. The Chiefs and 49ers players all mysteriously quit, die, or get severely injured, and other teams run out onto the field. One contained the Patriots and Seahawks getting a Superbowl rematch where Bailey Zappe throws an interception on the goalline to lose the game for the Patriots. Another contained the Patriots and Falcons getting a rematch where the Patriots are up twenty-eight points to the Falcons’s three where in this timeline the Patriots blow the lead for the Falcons to win. In some of them, two basketball teams appear out of nowhere. The most popular example of that is the 2016 Chino Hills with the Ball brothers going against the 2020 Montverde Academy with “Cade ‘n em”. These are always incredibly creative and as I scroll, I see something even more original every time. These get a 10/10.
Derek Carr’s WR Troubles
The list of wide receivers that Derek Carr played with that have been in legal trouble is dumbfounding. Chris Olave was arrested for “reckless operation of a motor vehicle” after going seventy miles per hour in a thirty-five zone. Michael Thomas was arrested for battery after throwing a brick at a construction worker’s car after a dispute in which Thomas did not like where he parked his car. Antonio Brown’s beginning to his downfall began as soon as he became a Raider where he got frostbite on his feet, demanded his release before the season even started, and started his notorious antics that harmed him and the league. The most tragic instance involved the young, promising speedster Henry Ruggs III who hit a woman’s car at 156 miles per hour while driving under the influence of alcohol. Ruggs III is now serving a sentence in which he faces three years of jail time at a minimum. While it is not Carr’s fault, unfortunately, the timing of all these wideouts’ pairing with Carr is very unfortunate. Meme gets a 3.7/10 f0r creativeness.
“Broncos Country, Let’s Ride”
The “Broncos, let’s ride” memes exploded when Russell Wilson, the star quarterback from the Seattle Seahawks, was traded to the Denver Broncos. Originally associated with the team’s motivational catchphrase, the memes gained a negative connotation as fans made fun of Wilson’s corniness in the video as he repeated the phrase with a different tone in his voice every time. However, the humor took a turn when Wilson’s performance on the field was horrendous and led to the Broncos missing the playoffs. Simultaneously, the Seahawks made the playoffs with Wilson’s backup Geno Smith who went on to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Wilson’s struggles on the field turned the motivational video into a source of irony and self-deprecating humor for fans. Many TikToks resulted in a mocking manner, in which people would replace “Broncos” with their team or organization. Even Justin Tucker who is an all-pro kicker from the Baltimore Ravens got in on the fun mocking Russ by saying, “Ravens flock, let’s fly,” on the plane ride home after beating Wilson and the Broncos. This one became so much more than the original meme so I’ll give it an 8.7/10 despite its basicness.
