Jake Paul never shies away from calling out big names, and his latest target is NFL stars. The social media star turned professional boxer threw out another bold challenge that quickly grabbed attention across football circles.
As expected, former NFL players, including Chad Johnson, Dez Bryant, Robert Griffin III, and Asante Samuel, had strong reactions.
Chad Johnson, Dez Bryant, NFL Stars Chime In After Jake Paul Issues $1 Million Challenge
On Saturday, Paul took to X with an unusual offer aimed at every NFL player.
“Will pay any nfl player $1 million dollars if you can box me better than I run routes against you,” Paul wrote. “Internet is judge. Will send my jet to pick you up who’s down?”
The post immediately spread across social media and sparked debate over whether anyone would actually take him up on the challenge.
Soon afterward, Johnson appeared interested in accepting the offer and joined the conversation.
https://t.co/xO7x8nH1e1 pic.twitter.com/PKhTRzzF1i
— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) August 1, 2026
Griffin III also signaled his interest with a GIF like Johnson.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) August 1, 2026
The reactions kept coming as two-time Super Bowl champion Asante Samuel replied, “Bet,” while former NFL player Tay Gowan added, “Let’s do it!” Dallas Cowboys legend Dez Bryant added, “Full of [expletive] 😂”
But the discussion did not stop with football names. Josh Hokit, who currently competes in the UFC’s Heavyweight division, also jumped into the replies with a confident message for Paul.
“With all due respect, @jakepaul… Not only could I beat you in a boxing match, I’d beat you in any sport under the sun. 😊” Hokit wrote.
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Meanwhile, fans and analysts jumped into the conversation with plenty of jokes and suggestions of their own.
One San Francisco 49ers influencer wrote, “Hit up Brandon Aiyuk he aint got anything else to do.” Aiyuk remains locked in a standoff with the 49ers after the franchise voided his guarantees and placed him on the reserve/left squad list.
Wade Plemons, a sports commentator for DAZN, nominated former All-Pro Le’Veon Bell to take on Paul.
“It’s time @LeVeonBell,” Plemons posted. Another user added, “I nominate DK Metcalf as tribute.”
Bell has openly discussed fighting Paul on multiple occasions. Whether the $1,000,000 challenge is legit remains to be seen, but Paul once again succeeded in getting the sports world talking.
Paul first gained popularity on the short-form platform “Vine” before carrying that audience over to YouTube, where he became one of the internet’s biggest creators.
After building a massive online brand, Paul shifted into combat sports and opened his boxing journey with a win over fellow YouTuber Deji Olatunji. From there, Paul consistently lined up attention-grabbing fights against well-known names.
His resume includes bouts with Nate Robinson, Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva, Tommy Fury, Nate Diaz, Andre August, Ryan Bourland, and Mike Perry. He also shared the ring with boxing icon Mike Tyson and former two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, continuing to grow his profile with every event.
However, many fans have never fully bought into Paul’s boxing credentials. They often point out that several of his opponents were either retired athletes or past their prime or competitors who built their careers in MMA instead of professional boxing.
That criticism also resurfaced after Paul challenged NFL players with his latest million-dollar offer. “Bro shut up. We all know it’s a $ grab,” one user wrote.
Still, Paul owns a 12-2 professional record and continues to attract massive attention. If one of the football players accepts his latest challenge, the debate around his boxing career will only grow louder.
