Are There Any Mexican NFL Players?

The National Football League (NFL) is America’s premier professional football league. Though it is based in the United States, the NFL has a global following. So, it’s no surprise that people are wondering if there are any Mexican NFL players.

The answer is yes! There are a handful of Mexican NFL players, all of whom have made a significant impact on the league. Here are just a few of them.

Introduction

Though many Mexican Americans have played in the NFL, no player of Mexican descent has been born and raised in Mexico. There are currently no Mexican NFL players, but there have been a handful of players of Mexican descent who were born in the United States and played in the NFL.

History of NFL in Mexico

The National Football League has a long history in Mexico, dating back to the 1920s. The first NFL game was played in 1925, when the Chicago Bears defeated the Arizona Cardinals 7-6 in front of a crowd of 20,000 spectators in Mexico City. In the years that followed, the NFL staged several exhibition games in Mexico, including a 1955 game between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers that drew a crowd of 104,000 fans.

The NFL’s first regular season game in Mexico was played in 2005, when the Arizona Cardinals defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-14 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Since then, the NFL has played multiple regular season games in Mexico each year. In 2016, for example, four games were played in Mexico City: two at Estadio Azteca and two at Torero Stadium in Monterrey.

As of 2019, there have been 28 NFL regular season games played in Mexico, all of them at Estadio Azteca. The most recent game was played on November 18, 2019, when the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 24-17.

There are currently no Mexican players in the NFL. However, there have been several Mexican-born players who have had successful careers in the league. Among them are Tony Romo (formerly of the Dallas Cowboys), Jared Goff (currently of the Los Angeles Rams), and Keenan McCardell (who played for several teams during his 20-year career).

Current Mexican NFL Players

The answer to this question is a resounding yes! There are currently seven Mexican-born NFL players, all of whom are offensive or defensive linemen. The most famous of these players is probably Oakland Raiders star guard Gabe Jackson, who was born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa.

Other active Mexican NFL players include Houston Texans offensive tackle Breno Giacomini, Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman RichardRodríguez, New York Jets offensive lineman Brandon Shell, Los Angeles Rams offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth, and Baltimore Ravens offensive linemen James Hurst and Ronnie Stanley. All of these players were born in the United States with the exception of Giacomini, who was born in São Paulo, Brazil.

What is perhaps most notable about these seven players is that they all play for teams in either the AFC or NFC West divisions, which are considered to be two of the NFL’s toughest divisions. This just goes to show that Mexican-born NFL players can compete with the best of the best!

Future Prospects

Only a handful of Mexican-born players have ever appeared in an NFL game, but that may soon change. Mexican national team offensive lineman Alan Hurtado has signed a contract with the Seattle Seahawks, and while he is not currently on the active roster, he is eligible to be activated at any time during the season.

Hurtado is not the only Mexican player in the NFL right now, as tight end Ricardo Lockette also plays for the Seahawks. Lockette was born in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Mexico and played college football at Fort Valley State University.

While there are only two Mexicans currently playing in the NFL, there are several others who have signed contracts with teams. These players are all considered to be prospects for the future and could see playing time in the NFL in the coming years.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while there may not currently be any Mexican NFL players, given the popularity of the sport in the country, it is likely only a matter of time before we see some talented players making their way onto teams.