Professional boxer and influencer Jake Paul set off a round of online sparring with the football world when he challenged NFL players to step into the ring. The offer, posted to X on Saturday, was conditional: $1 million to any NFL player who could outbox him by a wider margin than he could beat them running routes, with, per Paul, the internet serving as judge.
He also offered to fly the challenger in on his jet. The dare followed a public back-and-forth with former NFL safety Ryan Clark, who had questioned Paul’s claim that he could “100 percent” play slot receiver in the league despite never having stepped on a pro football field.
Kyle Long Mocks Jake Paul’s NFL Claim
Former Chicago Bears guard Kyle Long, a three-time Pro Bowler, mocked Paul’s claim on X. Long went after Paul’s grasp of the NFL calendar, pointing out that players are already locked into training camp with the regular season and playoffs still ahead of them.
“You have had since the Super Bowl to make this happen, sad. Clearly you’re a non ball knower as all of the NFL players are currently locked away in the facility until next February. You should up the $$$ and Resend this after the SB!!!!” Long posted.
Paul doubled down on his claim about catching passes in the NFL with no training. The boxer insisted that no NFL player can last two rounds in the boxing ring, while he could catch a pass by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“Not a single NFL player could last 2 rounds in a professional boxing ring. Meanwhile, I can catch a touchdown pass tomorrow in the NFL with 0 training Patrick Mahomes “Run a 10 yard out” Me “Okay” Patrick sends me perfect pass and I catch it lol what are we talking about here?” Paul added.
Josh Hokit, a former Fresno State fullback who spent two years with the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals without appearing in a regular-season game, fired back at Paul on X. The undefeated UFC heavyweight said he’d beat Paul in a boxing match and in any other sport. Paul answered by inviting Hokit to fly down to his gym in Puerto Rico. Hokit wasn’t the only taker; former receiver Chad Johnson and two-time Super Bowl winner Asante Samuel also responded, Samuel with a one-word reply: “Bet.”
PREDICT THE NFL SEASON: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
Paul gained popularity posting videos on the now-defunct platform Vine before building his audience on YouTube. The divisive influencer then switched to combat sports, beating YouTuber Deji Olatunji in an amateur bout in August 2018 before turning professional against AnEsonGib in January 2020.
He continued to set up fights against well-known personalities, including Nate Diaz, Anderson Silva, Andre August, Tyron Woodley, Ben Askren, Nate Robinson, and Mike Perry, along with Tommy Fury, who handed him his first professional loss. But his two highest-profile bouts came against boxing legend Mike Tyson, whom he beat by decision in November 2024, and two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, who knocked him out in the sixth round in December 2025. Paul is 12-2 as a professional with seven knockouts.
Jake Paul’s older brother, Logan Paul, had his own run-in with NFL legend Tom Brady at Fanatics Fest in New York last month, where the seven-time Super Bowl champion struck at him on stage on July 17 after Logan needled him over their flag football rivalry. Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns stepped between them. Brady had told Cody Rhodes’ podcast the day before that he wanted WWE to write him into a storyline, and fans and analysts speculated the beef between the pair was manufactured to drive interest in the promotion.
