‘We Believe In The Man Upstairs’: Why Many NFL Quarterbacks Are Practicing Christians
The Hail Mary pass may be one of the most famous terms in football. it also conjures up all kinds of religiosity with a game many Americans consider a religion. Like church, Sunday is all about football for millions.
It’s therefore no surprise that so many pro football players are practicing Christians. That is true mostly of quarterbacks.
In fact, the ubiquity of quarterbacks who are also Christian can be attributed to a combination of personal, cultural and societal factors. While there’s no one reason that explains the elevated number, there are several elements that can help explain why Christianity, in particular, seems to resonate so strongly with these men.
Quarterbacks carry a heavy burden of leadership, both on and off the field, and especially each winter during the high-pressure playoffs. Signal callers are seen as the face of a franchise and are expected to maintain a high level of mental toughness, discipline and focus.
For many quarterbacks, faith becomes a vital source of strength, providing them with comfort and grounding in the face of the intense pressures and scrutiny that come with their position.
Prayer, devotion and reliance on God offer a way to deal with the stress of making high-stakes decisions and overcoming adversity.
“Football is a sport that has clear religious connections, from the Hail Mary pass to Touchdown Jesus to the Immaculate Reception. The likely permanent exit from the league of the NFL’s most famous Christian, Tim Tebow, left me wondering how many other quarterbacks have expressed their Christian faith in overt terms,” wrote Richard Lindsay, who holds a doctorate in art and religion from Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, in 2015.
At the time, Lindsay noted, that “24 out of 32 starting NFL quarterbacks are evangelical Christians.”
That 75% figure isn’t a surprise for those who follow the NFL. Many pro quarterbacks come from college football programs where Christianity plays a prominent role in team culture. Universities such as Baylor University and Notre Dame, among others located in the South and Bible Belt, routinely integrate faith into their athletic programs.
Coaches often encourage players to explore their spiritual side, whether through Bible studies or chapel services. This environment fosters the idea that faith is important to success and development, something that carries over into the pro ranks.
This season, all four NFL teams competing for a place in next month’s Super Bowl are practicing Christians: Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills), Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders) and Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles).
“Every day, every day diving into it in and receiving the word every day,” Hurts said, describing why he reads the Bible every day.
At the same time, these quarterbacks often use their public platforms — such as news conferences, interviews and social media — to express their personal beliefs. Faith has become a part of the public persona for many players. We have seen the same throughout the NFL Playoffs, which will culminate with Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.
Last year, on the eve of winning a third Super Bowl, Mahomes told reporters: “I know that I’m on the football field to glorify Him before everything. So it’s not about winning or losing, it’s about going out there and being the best that I can in his name.”
It was no surprise. Mahomes has long been open about his Christian beliefs, especially before big games.
“Before every game, I walk the field and I do a prayer at the goalpost,” Mahomes said. “I just thank God for those opportunities, and I thank God for letting me be on a stage where I can glorify Him. The biggest thing that I pray for is that whatever happens, win or lose, success or failure, that I’m glorifying Him.”
Mahomes will take on the Bills in Sunday’s AFC Championship. The team is led by Allen, who is also an outspoken Christian following a “spiritual awakening” when his teammate Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during a game in 2023.
“I said this in my press conference the other day, [there was] just kind of a spiritual awakening really for me, and I know for a lot of other people that maybe didn’t have the strongest belief, or wasn’t one of the biggest, strongest Christian followers,” Allen said during a podcast appearance on “Kyle Brandt’s Basement.”
Allen added: “To see what’s transpired here, it’s a crazy, crazy feeling. It’s something I’ve never felt before. It’s something I know a lot of my teammates have never felt before. You can’t really do anything but accept it and lean on your brothers and share that moment with them.”
During the podcast, Brandt replayed Allen’s quote about God from the news conference, to which Allen replied: “I’ve never been struck like that before from a play, from an experience, from an emotion. … I’ll be the first to admit, I haven’t been the most devoted Christ-follower in my life, and I’ve had my different beliefs and thoughts and ideas and stuff like that, but something got hold of me there and it was extremely powerful, [something] that I couldn’t deny.”
Meanwhile, in the NFC Championship that will also be contested on Sunday, the Eagles will face the Commanders, a franchise led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
After last Saturday’s upset win against the top-seeded Detroit Lions, Daniels credited his team's faith in God when asked what the Commanders knew that other people didn't about his team’s chances of winning.
“Man, it just starts with our faith in God,” Daniels said. “As a team, we believe. We believe in each other; we believe in the Man upstairs.”
Clemente Lisi is the executive editor of Religion Unplugged. He previously served as deputy head of news at the New York Daily News and a longtime reporter at The New York Post. Follow him on X @ClementeLisi.