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Social media platforms have changed the way athletes from the NFL and elsewhere communicate with their fans. The most popular and fast-rising social media platform is Instagram.
NFL players use Instagram for entertainment, and they post their everyday lives showing their fans that despite their superstar status, they are human too (affluent and luxurious humans.)
In the past, NFL players relied on the media that covered their team to convey messages and news to their fans. The messages often come across as misconstrued as it gets passed from editor to reporter.
Social media allowed the NFL players to cut out the middle man and instantly speak to their fans on a personal level. Here are the five most-followed NFL players on Instagram.
5. J.J. Watt - 4 million followers
Houston Texans defensive end J.J Watt is one of the most admired players in the game. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year is not only the face for the Texans, but he's known for his humanitarian undertakings across America. The savage and fierce multi-position football player is fun-loving with a bleeding heart off the field.
4. Russell Wilson - 4.9 million followers
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is one of the most entertaining Instagram profiles. Wilson uses one of Instagram's most popular features to go live and talk directly to his fans.
The Super Bowl XLVIII winner is more than an accomplished football player, but a loving family man too.
3. Cam Newton - 4.7 million followers
New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton is famous on Instagram because he is hated as much as he is loved. The polarizing former MVP is infamous for his antics on and off the field.
He is continuously testing the limits with his outlandish outfits and forthright social media posts. Newton bumped up in followers after joining the Patriots.
2. Tom Brady - 8.2 million followers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady jumps on the list. Arguably 8.2 million followers is a low number for the NFL goat. However, the six-time Super Bowl winner has lost some of his popularity after switching NFL teams. The 43-year-old social media personality is slow to grow, possibly attributed to his age.
1. Odell Beckham Jr. - 14.3 million followers
Cleveland Brown's wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. beats the other players in followers by a landslide. The 28-year-old has the most entertaining and compelling personality. OBJ illuminates superstar on his Instagram post from luxury cars to stylish clothing he is enigmatic.
His popularity could have started from "the catch" that changed his career. Beckham made a hurdling one-handed gravity-defying catch against the Dallas Cowboys in 2015.
