The Action Network ran a nationwide survey to find out which NFL players fans are sick of heading into the 2025 season. Research Without Barriers (RWB) conducted the poll online from Aug. 14-19, 2025, with 3,058 NFL fans across the U.S. taking part.
Fans answered two questions: Who’s the most annoying player in the league right now? And will Aaron Rodgers actually make it work with the Steelers?
Who Is Currently the Most Annoying Player in the NFL?
Aaron Rodgers still topped the overall poll at 24%. No surprise there, the new Steelers QB has a way of rubbing just about every fan base the wrong way.
Right behind him is Travis Kelce at 17%. A chunk of fans clearly aren’t here for the constant spotlight, and it’ll be interesting to see how that number shifts now that he and Taylor Swift are officially engaged. His “most annoying” percentage might rise, or it might start to fade if fans separate him from the pop star headlines.
Right besides him stands his friend Patrick Mahomes at 11%, which feels like a side effect of being glued to Kelce. Then it was Dak Prescott at 6% and Odell Beckham Jr. at 5% to round out the top five.
P.S: Mahomes actually jumped Beckham compared to last year’s survey.
Younger fans had a very different read here. Among 18-24 year olds, Kelce led with 22%, Mahomes was right there at 21%, and Rodgers dropped to just 10%. Gen Z, apparently, is more tired of TikTok’s favorite NFL couple than Rodgers’ drama (though we can't say the same).
Further down the list were Deshaun Watson (5%), Tyreek Hill (5%), and Shedeur Sanders (4%). Even defensive guys like Jamal Adams (3%) and Maxx Crosby (2%) drew votes. And 5% of fans just wrote in “Other”, which probably means “whoever beat my team last week.”
Most Annoying Players by Fan Base
Rodgers isn’t just leading overall, he’s the villain for a bunch of specific fan bases too. Bears fans (38%) had him at the top, no surprise there, but so did Vikings fans (43%) and even Packers fans (43%). That’s breakup energy you don’t usually see in sports, and it doesn’t stop there.
Broncos fans (34%), Patriots fans (32%), and Chargers fans (31%) all piled on. So if Rodgers wants bulletin board material, he could just scroll the survey results from his couch.
Kelce’s name popped up all over as well again. Raiders fans (27%), Jaguars fans (26%), and Eagles fans (25%) all voted him most annoying. Same goes for Buccaneers (24%) and Rams fans (23%).
And here’s a thing even we didn't see coming: Steelers fans, Rodgers’ new fan base, called him the league’s most annoying at 18%.
So whether it’s Rodgers or Kelce, there’s a good chance half the stadium is booing when they take the field.
Do You Think Aaron Rodgers Will Succeed With the Steelers?
Fans are basically split. Thirty-seven percent think Rodgers will make it work in Pittsburgh, 35% say he won’t, and 28% aren’t sure. Pretty on brand for a guy who’s been loved and hated in equal measure his whole career.
Steelers fans lean optimistic. Almost six-in-ten (59%) expect him to thrive in black and gold, which makes sense, as Pittsburgh hasn’t had a headline QB since Big Ben retired. In Rodgers’ old neighborhood, though, it’s a different story. Packers fans (51% “No”) and Vikings fans (54% “No”) aren’t buying it. The NFC North seems ready to move on and not exactly wishing him well.
Elsewhere it’s more scattered. Falcons fans (57% “Yes”) and Chargers fans (56% “Yes”) are backing him, while Panthers (54%) and Rams fans (52%) are siding with optimism too. It might just be easier to root for Rodgers when he’s not lining up against your defense twice a season.
And then there’s the undecided crowd. A big chunk of fans simply said, “I don’t know” (fair enough), and it’s hard to blame them. With Rodgers, the only thing you can bank on is that something unexpected will happen
Methodology
The Action Network commissioned the research, which was carried out online by Research Without Barriers (RWB) between Aug. 14-19, 2025, with 3,058 NFL fans surveyed nationwide.
This piece is aimed at NFL fans and bettors who might also be interested in checking out our DraftKings Promo Code and Fanatics Sportsbook Promo pages to bet on this year's NFL action.
Full results are available here.
All research follows the MRS Codes of Conduct (2023) in the UK and ICC/ESOMAR World Research Guidelines. RWB is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office and is fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act (2018).
