5 NFL players universally disliked by fans feat. Vontaze Burfict 

The NFL is a league that relies on fan interaction as much as quality output on the field.

Over the years, the importance of players connecting with fans has grown exponentially. However, not every individual is as easily liked as others.

There are those who are loved by all, players like Patrick Mahomes who just exude professionalism, talent, and youthful energy.

However, some players find it harder to connect with fans, not least because of their actions on and off the field. It is, though, rare for almost all NFL fans to dislike an individual, but it isn’t impossible.

There have been cases where a player has behaved so badly on a consistent basis that fans have lost patience with and trust in him completely. Here are five such players.

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#1 – Richie Incognito

Richie Incognito

There has been a certain amount of rehabilitation for Incognito amongst NFL fans, however he was exceedingly unpopular earlier in his career.

While among the premier offensive linemen in the NFL in his day, Incognito has been dogged for his part in the bullying scandal that rocked the league in 2013.

Incognito was accused of harassing teammate Jonathan Martin, with Martin fearing reprisals from Incognito should he ever speak out about his treatment of him.

Incognito had previously been reprimanded within the Miami Dolphins organization for how he treated staff members. He was alleged to have sent threatening and racist text messages to Martin.

Miami suspended Incognito after a voice clip was released which proved he was guilty of using racist language and threatening both Martin and his family members.

His reputation within the NFL has gotten worse over the years, with other players accusing him of playing dirty. Incognito was accused of gouging eyes, punching players, and making illegal late hits on a regular basis.

He was voted the 'Dirtiest Player in the League' in a Sporting News poll in 2009.

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#2 – Antonio Brown

Antonio Brown

Antonio Brown has virtually torpedoed his own reputation within the NFL through his own actions.

It may feel slightly unfair to put the blame on him entirely, but it’s difficult to find evidence which doesn’t indicate as much.

He was so well liked during his Pittsburgh Steelers career as he was a dynamic, powerful, and successful wide receiver who outperformed his sixth-round draft spot in spectacular fashion.

It all started to go downhill when he got agitated in Pittsburgh. He wanted more money and he sunk all his relationships in the Steel City to get it.

After burning bridges with the Steelers, Brown eventually got his trade to the Raiders and his behavior immediately went off the rails. From a frostbite injury on his toe, right through to refusing to practice with the Raiders, Brown signed a lucrative deal but didn’t even make it to the start of the season before he was cut.

NFL fans couldn’t understand a player costing himself money that they would have done anything to have, for matters as small as a helmet manufacturer.

What followed were criminal accusations of sexual assault against Brown, and this cut short his stay in New England to just two weeks.

He was finally able to steady himself in Tampa Bay, winning a Super Bowl before refusing to go onto the field in a game against the Jets. He subsequently took off his jersey and ran off the field towards the locker room as the game went on.

#3 – Johnny Manziel

Johnny Manziel couldn't fulfill the promise he showed in college football

Johnny Manziel had the reputation of an NFL star before he ever played a snap in the NFL.

Unfortunately, his behavior stopped him from ever settling down in the league, and fans simply lost respect for the Texas A&M graduate.

He offered very little to a Cleveland Browns team that was bereft of quality, and when it emerged that he was partying too much off the field, fans just turned off on him.

Allegations of domestic abuse furthered Manziel’s plight in the eyes of fans who had once adored him in college. He has never been back in the NFL after Cleveland cut him.

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#4 – Ndamukong Suh

Ndamukong Suh

Ndamukong Suh is a dominant defensive star and there can be no questioning his ability, but it is the consistent dirty plays that have made fans universally dislike him.

While winning the Super Bowl with Tampa Bay has added an element of success to his career, Suh has been overly physical in the past.

He was fined as an NFL rookie for a pre-season facemask penalty, while he was also given a fine for unnecessary roughness against Jay Cutler.

A further incident saw Suh stomp on a Green Bay Packers lineman. He then kicked Matt Schaub and stepped on Aaron Rodgers’ calf.

These dirty plays have gained no respect from fans at all and have detracted away from all of Suh’s excellent defensive qualities.

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#5 – Vontaze Burfict

Vontaze Burfict

It’s virtually impossible to find an NFL fan who likes Vontaze Burfict. His behavior within the league has been deplorable, not least because of the underhand nature of it, but the fact it has put others in real danger.

There have been too many instances of late hits and dangerous tackles in Burfict’s career. But he has been suspended and fined so many times that even Roger Goodell had enough and banned him for an entire year in 2019.

The most noted incident was a disgusting blindside hit on Antonio Brown, one which people still talk about to this day.

It was a cowardly act and saw him take a dangerous free shot at someone who couldn’t defend themselves. Fans have no time for that in the NFL and Burfict only has himself to blame for his universal reputation as a thug.