NFL football is the quiet background noise of my life, and I’m not alone. In 2025, NFL broadcasts were among the most watched broadcasts in the United States – over 80% of the top 100, in fact.
The NFL is also working to expand its reach internationally, with games scheduled in locations around the world from London to Madrid, Melbourne, Mexico City, Munich, Paris and Rio.
Football fans are many, their appetites are voracious, so let’s talk about NFL-focused podcasts for fans who want to live the game from the preseason to Super Bowl 2026, through the draft and even into the summer offseason. We’ll walk the vast landscape, find great people to subscribe to, networks to follow, solid daily podcasts, fantasy football, and much more.
“big people”
The podcasts in this section come from the biggest players – well-known, big-name hosts and fans who have access to both inside sources and high-profile interviews with players and coaches.
Pat McAfee Show
Pat McAfee Show An easy place to start. Like many of the biggest players in the field, its discussions are not limited to the NFL, but America’s biggest sport takes center stage in the show’s daily discussions. McAfee’s outsized personality and energy dominate the show (which he broadcasts while standing surrounded by a group of co-hosts), and his perspective is that of a fan and a former player. You can listen to the show as a podcast or watch it on YouTube and live weekdays on ESPN. In fact, if you want to focus on relevant segments, YouTube is a great place to find NFL-centric clips.
pro football talk live (PFT FM) is a daily news tour featuring sports writer Mike Florio with NFL veteran Chris Simms. As the name suggests, the show focuses exclusively on the NFL and its rhythm includes both news and commentary. You can subscribe in your podcast app of choice and listen on Peacock.
The Rich Eisen Show
The Rich Eisen Show is a daily all-sports podcast with a significant NFL component. Eisen and his co-hosts, who also appear on Disney+, regularly discuss news and book high-profile guests.
athletic football show is the sports publication’s flagship NFL podcast. Robert Mays and his co-hosts Derrick Klassen and Dave Helman discuss every possible aspect of the league on weekdays throughout the year.
The number of shows in this area is tremendous, and the shows above are solid starting points. You can also check out a number of daily offerings from the NFL Podcast Network, including good morning football Podcast, Barstool Sports’ forgive my mistake For a lighter, arguably more outrageous approach, and bill simmons podcastFor another all-sports podcast with a significant NFL component.
Team-Focused Podcast
There are thirty-two NFL teams, and each of them has tons of podcasts dedicated to their fans. These podcasts generally fall into a few categories: official team podcasts, player podcasts, and fan podcasts.
On the official team podcast side, there is a lot of overlap with traditional radio broadcasts. In fact, it is very common for teams to repackage daily or weekly episodes and distribute them as downloads. They’re a solid way to catch up on the day’s or week’s news on your own timeline. Time-shifted radio has always been one of the biggest advantages of podcasts. It’s worth noting here that, because these are official products of each team, they tend to be more focused on official party lines.
Player podcasts have proliferated in recent years. They’re like the sports version of celebrity and comedian podcasts. If there’s a player you like, chances are he has a podcast. And this is true for retired players and current players. To pick one example and one team, former Pittsburgh Steeler Ben Roethlisberger has a (mostly) weekly podcast called futbahlin with ben roethlisbergerAnd so is current Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward. Not just football with Cam Hayward. Some also like to mix and match New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce The podcast pairs retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce and current Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce.
There are also plenty of fan-led podcasts, which have wildly varying qualities and sentiments, from silly to serious and outrageous. They’re literally the voice of fans like you, and it can be a lot of fun to hear, say, fans who are just like you breaking down things like last week’s game. Over the years, the best way to find podcasts I’ve found is to do a simple search through podcast apps and standard search engines. If your experience is like mine, you’ll know within a few episodes (and sometimes, a few minutes) whether their viewpoint is compatible with yours.
I used to feel like I was the last person in America who wasn’t into fantasy football, but that changed when my friend Joe invited me to his league. It took me about a week into the regular season to find my favorite thing about it – well, beyond the bragging rights earned from beating your friends. Fantasy football gives you a reason to be invested in players and games throughout the NFL, far beyond just your favorite team.
At the risk of oversimplifying things a bit, successful fantasy football players must know the best players, draft them, and start over. The ecosystem of fantasy football podcasts exists to help its listeners make the best choice.
fantasy football player Could be the marquee podcast in this field. Hosts Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike “The Fantasy Hitman” Wright bring analysis, debate and strong opinions based on data to their award-winning show.
fantasy focus football is ESPN’s fantasy podcast. Hosts Stefania Bell, Mike Clay, Daniel Dopp and Field Yates bring the journalism of Marquee Sports Network and apply it to the fantasy realm with plenty of news, discussion and debate.
FootballGuys Fantasy Football Show Discusses players and teams from the perspective of a fantasy football player, and many listeners not only enjoy the host’s balance of analysis and entertainment. Like others in this group, FootballGuys also offers a variety of guides and tools – some free, some included with paid subscriptions – covering every aspect of the game, all designed for championship-level play.
dynasty idiot
dynasty idiot This is an interesting entry in the field as it caters to the dynasty sub-genre of fantasy football, where you play with one roster for multiple years. It’s a twist on the formula that treats players more like general managers than coaches, and Dynasty Nerds hosts Rich Dotson, Matt O’Hara and Garrett Price cover it from a long-term perspective.
find your favorite
The NFL doesn’t legally own (American) football, but with its staggered mentality, it might as well. Football podcasting has no equal, where an embarrassment of riches awaits you.
No matter the subject matter, podcasting is inherently an intimate medium, and many of the best shows make you feel like you’re hanging out with friends. You get to choose your friends, so embrace the adventure. Watch these shows once again, feel the vibe and subscribe to your favorite shows. And if you think you’re really interested in a network’s podcasts, check out their other shows. As written by producer and podcaster Rick Rubin creative act“Use what is useful. Discard the rest.”