It's officially game time as the NFL regular season kicks off and you prepare to share your man every Thursday, Sunday and Monday night with the TV. But while our partners get sucked in keeping up with their favorite teams during the NFL season, there are women out there whose partners are actually giving their time and their bodies playing on the field for 18 weeks. They're WAGS, the wives and girlfriends of football players. And even though the mass majority of WAGS are white women, there are Black ones, including a few famous ones (Holly Robinson Peete, Sanya Richards-Ross and Kerry Washington are a few retired WAGS), cheering for the men in their lives. We've compiled a few active ones in honor of the new season and as a reminder that there are professional athletes who still keep a sista on their arms, and they look mighty good together.
Erica is the wife of Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald. The couple have a son, and a baby on the way as you can see, in addition to a daughter and son he has from a past relationship.
Though they aren’t married, Daiyanna and Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins have been a solid couple for some time. They have a daughter together and these days, are red carpet regulars at sports events. Per the picture, they have a healthy sense of humor in front of cameras.
A former athlete herself, Ally Kendricks (whose mom is actress Paris Vaughan and father is a former NHL star), is married to Eric Kendricks, linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers. The couple recently welcomed a son in May.
There are few NFL couples as prominent as singer Ciara and her hubby, Russell Wilson, who is the quarterback for the Denver Broncos and a former Super Bowl champ. The couple turn heads at all sorts of industry events, and they stay busy during the off-season: The Wilsons currently have two children together, a third on the way, and he’s taken Ciara’s son, Future, proudly as his own.
Tamela, who wears quite a few hats, including being a life coach and podcaster, is married to Demario Davis. He is a linebacker for the New Orleans Saints and the couple have five children.
The model and mom is engaged to Davon Godchaux, who is a defensive tackle for the New England Patriots. They have a baby girl on the way and both came into the relationship with kids. He has a son while she has two daughters with ex-husband Sterling Shepard.
The GOAT gymnast has been married to Jonathan Owens since April. He is a strong safety for the Green Bay Packers. Because of their intense schedules as athletes, they’ve gone into this first year of marriage doing things via long distance but reunite when time permits.
New York Jets safety Chuck Clark will miss this season due to a torn ACL, but he at least has his wife, Aysha, to lean on. He also has kids to spend time with, as the couple have two daughters.
Gabby is the wife of Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end and Super Bowl champ William Gholston. The couple have three sons together, and she says he’s an amazing father. “The boys love daddy so much. We have an alarm system when our doors open and my youngest one, every time a door opens, he’s like ‘daddy?’” she told Tampa Bay Parenting in 2020. “It could be anybody and he thinks it’s him walking through the door. They see his car pull up and that’s it, that’s a wrap, no more mommy time— it’s daddy. So he’s definitely a pro.”
Model Lauren Wood went public with her relationship with Odell Beckham Jr. in 2019. They share a son named Zydn who was born in 2022. This year, the wide receiver is back on the field, this time playing for the Baltimore Ravens. Wood is sure to be in the stands (along with his mom of course) cheering her bae on.
Back in March, Christian, who plays linebacker for the Buffalo Bills, said “I do” to partner Kendra in a spectacular celebration in Los Cabos, Mexico. “This past weekend I was blessed to be able to marry my bestfriend [sic], my soulmate, my better half, my companion, my Queen!” he wrote on Instagram. “Love is build [sic] on the foundation of God and to be able to make the commitment and promise to one another in front of family and friends was the best feeling in the world!” The NFL star and his “forever love” have two children together.
While it’s rare to see our May/June 2023 cover star hand-in-hand with girlfriend Bry, they are going strong. As he told us, while he’s not “married or anything like that,” he is “spoken for.” The two have been an item, on an off, since they were in college at the University of Alabama.
