Professional boxer Jake Paul stole the headlines last week when he claimed he could play as a slot receiver in the NFL. Paul even offered a $1 million reward to any NFL player who could outbox him better than he ran routes, with the internet set to serve as the judge for the contest.
Robert Griffin Addresses Jake Paul’s NFL Ambition
During Wednesday’s segment of the “Outta Pocket with RGIII” podcast, former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin compared Paul’s NFL aspirations to Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham playing in the league.
“Jake Paul playing slot receiver in the NFL is just as likely, I don’t know, as Sophie Cunningham becoming a kicker in the NFL,” Griffin said. “In case you guys don’t know, Sophie Cunningham was a kicker on her high school team… and actually went in her high school and made a field goal. Does anybody think that Sophie Cunningham is going to be a kicker in the NFL? No. I don’t think so.
“I don’t think Jake Paul will ever have an opportunity to play slot receiver in the NFL because there’s so many receivers that have been playing the position for the entirety of their lives, that know the game, that played the game, that they would take an outside receiver and move them into the slot before they decided, you know what? Let’s give Jake Paul a shot.”
Paul’s challenge was answered by Josh Hokit, a former Fresno State fullback who spent parts of two seasons on the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad before a brief stint with the Arizona Cardinals, without playing in a regular-season game.
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Paul started his career as a content creator on the defunct “Vine” platform before retaining his audience on YouTube. He started his combat sports career by beating YouTuber Deji Olatunji in an amateur fight in 2018 before turning pro in a bout against AnEsonGib in 2020.
The divisive influencer has accumulated a respectable 12-2 record in his professional career, with seven wins coming by knockout. He has fought several well-known personalities, including Mike Perry, Nate Robinson, Andre August, Ben Askren, Anderson Silva, and Nate Diaz.
His most high-profile fights were a win by decision against boxing icon Mike Tyson in 2024 and a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in 2025. Paul suffered his first career loss against Tommy Fury by split decision in 2023.
In addition, Paul co-founded the Most Valuable Promotions company, which recently merged with the Professional Fighters League to form a combined boxing and MMA organization.
