Diddly Drogba
Superstar
How do NFL players feel about Bad Bunny playing the Super Bowl halftime show?
The Athletic NFL Staff
This piece is part of The Athletic’s annual NFL anonymous player survey, covering a range of topics around the league.
The Athletic has live reaction and coverage of the latest news ahead of the 2026 Super Bowl.
The September announcement of Bad Bunny drew ire in right-wing media circles after President Donald Trump panned the selection. At the league meeting in October, commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters that the league was not considering replacing the “King of Latin Trap,” who will be the first Spanish-language artist to perform on the Super Bowl halftime stage.
Reaction from players in this poll was largely split, though the majority who didn’t like the selection cited a lack of familiarity with Bad Bunny’s music or said they simply preferred a different performer.
A few respondents, though, did weigh in on the culture-war aspect.
“I don’t even know who Bad Bunny is,” said an NFC offensive player. “I always think it should be an American. I think they’re trying too hard with this international stuff.” (Bad Bunny is from Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States.)
Said a different NFC offensive player: “I do not like it. (I’d prefer) anyone who’s synonymous with football and football culture. I feel like there’s tons of artists out there who are fans of the game.”
And an AFC offensive player said: “I think there are better examples of character and morality than Bad Bunny.”
Conversely, a few players are excited to have something different.
“I’ve heard his music obviously, but I don’t speak Spanish so I’m not a big fan,” said one NFC defensive player. “But I do think it’s cool to have him, because America is based on diversity. America was built on immigration. So I feel like having him just furthers that American dream. I like it. I like the choice.”
Added an NFC special teamer: “I love the culture behind it.”
And an NFC offensive player who was adamant the NFL bring country music back to the Super Bowl: “I don’t know who (Bad Bunny) is and never listened to his music. But I saw on the year-end data he’s the global leader in music streams; it makes sense wanting to make this a global performance. Good for ratings.”
As for the music, some respondents noted they aren’t devoted fans, but are still excited by the selection.
“I think it’s pretty awesome,” said an NFC offensive player. “Some of his music is really good, man. When I was training, I heard it in Florida. I heard his music all the time. And it’s a bop, man.”
Added another NFC offensive player: “Heck yeah. It's going to be a good time. The girls like Bad Bunny, so of course, we're going to like it.” e2
And an AFC defensive player: “It’s a little different, but I’m a fan of changing things up, exploring different musical genres.”
The Athletic also asked players who their dream halftime performer would be (players were allowed to name more than one). The winner? The late “King of Pop.”
“If we’re talking about my dream, it would be Michael Jackson,” an NFC defensive player said with a laugh. “But that’s obviously not happening.”
To be clear: Most of the players who voted for Michael Jackson first asked our reporters whether their choice had to be alive; none of the respondents seemed to be under the impression that Jackson, who died in 2009, was a potential future halftime performer. (The good news: Jackson’s Super Bowl XXVII performance, in January 1993, is a Google search away.)
Among living artists, Drake — who was, in a way, part of last year’s Super Bowl halftime — was the most popular choice.
Some of the more passionate and/or interesting responses:
An AFC offensive player: “Beyonce. They should just let her do it every year.”
An NFC offensive player: “I’ve gotta get George Strait in there, followed by a close Chris Stapleton. His national anthem was awesome, so let’s give him halftime.”
An NFC defensive player: “I feel like we should have had E-40 or somebody from the Bay (area) do it.” (An NFC defensive player from a different team concurred regarding this year’s show: “A collective of artists from the Bay Area, similar to the L.A. halftime show.”)
Another NFC defensive player: “Florence & The Machine. But I don’t know if everybody would rock with that.”
And an AFC special teamer: “Bad Bunny is awesome. I’ve been to a concert before, and he’s great
. I'd rather him than 'George Strait' or whatever country rock star they talkin bout.
