Social media stars on all 32 NFL teams

ByESPN.COM
June 13, 2016, 8:37 AM

— -- This time of year, players all over the NFL are using social media as a way to showcase their offseason activities. Who are some must-follows? NFL Nation runs through each team's social media star.

AFC EAST

Buffalo Bills

Guard Richie Incognito

Incognito has been among the most engaging personalities and most approachable players in the Bills' locker room since he arrived in Buffalo in February 2015, so it's not a huge surprise that he's active -- and humorous -- on social media. Incognito's sense of humor showed recently when he poked fun at the Bills' controversial media reporting policy by "reporting" on what was on the menu for players in the cafeteria. -- Mike Rodak

Miami Dolphins

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh

Suh takes some interesting trips, which makes his social media feeds unique and unpredictable. Whether it's making an offseason vacation to Dubai or hanging out with NBA MVP Steph Curry or movie star The Rock (below), Suh provides a behind-the-scenes look at the perks of a superstar athlete. -- James Walker

New England Patriots

Wide receiver Julian Edelman

While Tom Brady has upped his social media game the past two years with a heavy emphasis on Facebook, and TE Rob Gronkowski is the "funnest guy in sports," Edelman gets the nod for his consistency of posts on a variety of topics and also his sense of humor. The "Cops" video with Danny Amendola puts him over the top in a close vote. -- Mike Reiss

New York Jets

Wide receiver Brandon Marshall

Marshall is very active on Twitter and Instagram, often using the forums to raise mental-health awareness. Marshall, who was diagnosed several years ago with borderline personality disorder, is an outspoken advocate on mental health. He also uses social media to interact with fans. After dropping a would-be touchdown last season against the Patriots, he tweeted that "my A** should be walking back to New York." -- Rich Cimini

AFC NORTH

Baltimore Ravens

Wide receiver Steve Smith Sr.

Smith stands out on the Ravens, although Justin Forsett ( picture with President Obama) and Eugene Monroe (his campaign for medical marijuana) are also very active. Smith won't hesitate to trash-talk with fans, call out Greg Hardy on domestic violence or post some family fun. When he got a gold-colored rental car, Smith made a video that he shared on social media. -- Jamison Hensley

Cincinnati Bengals

Cornerback Adam Jones

Say what you will about the way they handle the end of playoff games against the Steelers, but you have to give it to the Bengals on social media. For the most part, they handle it the right way. They tend to keep the trash talk to a minimum, while showing glimpses into their personal lives or workout routines. No Bengal is better at doing that than Jones, who regularly shows off his pride in his kids, and posts to Instagram videos of his intense, "#nodaysoff" training routine. On the posts not featuring his kids, Jones likes using four-letter words, so he isn't always providing the most G- or PG-rated content. Still, he'll give you a laugh from time to time, and offer cameos of people such as assistant strength and conditioning coach Jeff Friday (below). -- Coley Harvey

Cleveland Browns

Wide receiver Terrelle Pryor

The Browns are not an especially active team on social media, but one of the most frequent users is Terrelle Pryor, who is attempting to make the switch from quarterback to receiver. Pryor often posts his workouts and his past successes on Instagram, with a fair amount of selfies mixed in. One particular photo shows Pryor's dreams for himself as a Brown. -- Pat McManamon

Pittsburgh Steelers

Running back Le'Veon Bell

Bell and Antonio Brown are both great on social media, but Bell wins the tiebreaker by a small margin. Both players basically chronicle their daily lives on Snapchat, posting workout videos and public appearances. Bell gets the nod for entertainment value. He will call out those who slight him in any way, he'll have dialogue with just about anyone who replies to him, and he teases his rap tracks with Snoop Dogg (below). -- Jeremy Fowler

AFC SOUTH

Houston Texans

Defensive end J.J. Watt

This one is easy. Watt tweets selfies, he tweets pictures with Lionel Messi and Jennifer Aniston (below), he tweets about his workouts, and he tweets about his friend and former First Lady Barbara Bush's birthday. He's active on Instagram and Snapchat (@JJWatt.99) too, giving fans an eye into his life and all the cool things that come with being a three-time defensive player of the year. Most recently, Watt posted a shirtless photo from a pool day and blushed as he tried to explain himself (he said his abs rarely look so good). As Watt spoke, Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson giggled to the side of the room. He noted Watt's good fortune that he hadn't seen it earlier. "I would've given him hell," Jackson said. -- Tania Ganguli

Indianapolis Colts

Punter Pat McAfee

On a team that features non-social media participant Andrew Luck, McAfee is the runaway winner when it comes to social media on the Colts. He's outgoing, funny and has no problem calling out social media trolls. He routinely gives away tickets to his comedy show on Twitter. Back when the Pacers were in the 2014 NBA Eastern Conference finals, McAfee used me in one of his ticket giveaways (see below). McAfee told me that he and his marketing team have taken it as far as analyzing what time of day is best for posting on social media. -- Mike Wells

Jacksonville Jaguars

Offensive lineman Luke Bowanko

Bowanko is by far the funniest and most entertaining Jaguars player on Twitter. From picking on teammates,to  supporting his alma mater (Virginia), to getting into trouble with minor league baseball clubs, to innane observations, Bowanko's Twitter feed is always interesting. He had a priceless reaction to the news that WR Allen Hurns signed a four-year, $40 million contract extension. -- Mike DiRocco

Tennessee Titans

Cornerback Jason McCourty

Jason has an entertaining Twitter account he shares with his twin brother, Devin, who plays for the Patriots. Jason offers critiques of teammates' public activities and publicizes the twins' charity, Tackle Sickle Cell. They recently shared behind-the-scenes pictures from their induction into the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni. -- Paul Kuharsky

AFC WEST

Denver Broncos

Linebacker Von Miller

He is the Broncos' Everywhere Man -- except, of course, at practice these days -- but unsigned or not, the Broncos' king of all things social media is linebacker Miller. When he's not making news for intentionally cropping GM John Elway out of a photo, Miller's  Instagram account has been a travel brochure this offseason. He's witty, entertaining, self-depricating and understands the medium. DeMarcus Ware, too, is a regular on many social media platforms and is consistently active, including recent trips to Africa and New Zealand, but Miller is still No. 1. -- Jeff Legwold

Kansas City Chiefs

Running back Jamaal Charles

No Chiefs player is as popular on Twitter as running back Jamaal Charles, who has more than 750,000 followers. In February, Charles tweeted this short video clip of his workout as he rehabbed from a torn ACL. -- Adam Teicher

Oakland Raiders

Quarterback Derek Carr

Carr's Twitter timeline offers a glimpse into the quarterback's private life, from his sporting rooting interests to videos and pictures of team functions to his faith, which is shared with regular references to scripture. -- Paul Gutierrez

San Diego Chargers

Wide receiver Keenan Allen

From promoting his 13U AAU basketball team, to dancing on a boat (below) or singing to his daughter Kamari, Allen is sure to surprise you on social media. Allen also challenged fans to show up at Qualcomm Stadium after the Chargers announced they were staying in San Diego another season. -- Eric D. Williams

NFC EAST

Dallas Cowboys

Wide receiver Lucky Whitehead

Whether on Snapchat (@mustbeluck), Instagram or Twitter, Whitehead takes home the Cowboys' title. The second-year wide receiver doesn't take himself too seriously. Actually he doesn't take himself seriously at all. You can see him drop off his application to work at Popeye's. You can see him dressed up as Lucky Woods on the golf course. You can see him do the Running Man Challenge. And you can see some catch a football one-handed ... after completing a flip. -- Todd Archer

New York Giants

Team mom Annie Apple

The Giants' biggest social media star right now is Annie Apple, the mother of their first-round pick  Eli Apple. She's a newly minted ESPN Sunday Countdown contributor who burst onto the scene with her lively Twitter account right after Eli was drafted. Annie says she won't offer critiques of her son's play or his team, but following her on Twitter is a madcap romp through topics ranging from life as an NFL rookie to live reaction of "The Bachelor" to obsessing over the NBA Finals and to even politics. Eli Apple has said his mom has been this way since he can remember, and he doesn't expect her to change. Good news for us.  -- Dan Graziano

Philadelphia Eagles

Safety Malcolm Jenkins

The Eagles took a social media hit when they released guard Evan Mathis last year. Plenty of players -- Mychal Kendricks, Zach Ertz, Jordan Matthews, Connor Barwin -- are worth following on Twitter and Instagram. But the nod here goes to Jenkins, who mixes inside looks at the team with his other activities, from marketing bowties to doing TV appearances. -- Phil Sheridan

Washington Redskins

Linebacker Junior Galette

Galette interacts constantly with fans, talks movies and Kobe Bryant, recruits players ( Josh Norman), shows his passion and has ripped his former team, New Orleans, via Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (@sackman093, where he'll post game film). He gave away a signed jersey to a Redskins fan on Twitter and some more gear when he passed 5,000 followers (below). "I can extend to a lot of people," Galette recently told reporters about using social media, "and it's just a wonderful feeling." -- John Keim

NFC NORTH

Chicago Bears

Guard Kyle Long

The Bears' social media star is unquestionably Long, whose Twitter use borders on obsessive. One of the most popular athletes in Chicago, Long uses multiple social media platforms to interact with his legions of fans, plus to poke fun at teammates, family and friends. Long is also a gaming enthusiast, and announces on Twitter when he is streaming live, much to the delight of his nearly 200,000 followers. -- Jeff Dickerson

Detroit Lions

Linebacker DeAndre Levy

Detroit's most recognizable player, Matthew Stafford, doesn't participate in social media and its recently retired legend, Calvin Johnson, doesn't do much with it either. Levy, meanwhile, has used his Instagram to attack the NFL's stance on head trauma. When he's not doing that, he posts pictures of his various world adventures to his 29,000 followers. A runner-up might be Stafford's wife, Kelly, who uses Instagram to chronicle her own adventures and occasionally things her husband does. -- Michael Rothstein

Green Bay Packers

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers

Part of the credit here goes to Rodgers' actress girlfriend Olivia Munn (and her 1.1 million followers on Instagram), who has posted videos of them sword fighting and lip syncing (below). But the Packers QB is easily the most creative -- if not selective -- social media star on Green Bay's roster. His photobombing of the game captain photos that are posted on Packers.com have been a hit for years. And he even took to Twitter to call out someone who wrote a letter to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel saying he was ruining the game with his hard counts. He's also fond of taking playful jabs at former teammate Tom Crabtree, himself a social media star both during and after his playing days. -- Rob Demovsky

Minnesota Vikings

Defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd

The Vikings' roster isn't stocked with big personalities, but as Floyd has shown a little more of his wit in the locker room, he has also done so on Twitter. He weighs on happenings around the NFL -- or the NBA -- with clever one-liners, tweaks media members along with fellow athletes and plays the occasional trick on his followers. On April Fool's Day, Floyd broke the "news" that the Vikings weren't picking up his fifth-year option, saying a mock farewell to Minnesota. -- Ben Goessling

NFC SOUTH

Atlanta Falcons

Tight end Jacob Tamme

Tamme instantly became the team's social-media star when he playfully engaged the fans recently, urging them to vote for him as the league's player you love to hate. Tamme won the voting, and won over Falcons' diehards with his willingness to interact. -- Vaughn McClure

Carolina Panthers

Running back Jonathan Stewart

Cam Newton may have about 600,000 more Twitter followers than Stewart, but I'd give the social media nod to Carolina's running back. Defensive end Charles Johnson runs a close second. But Stewart, generally a quiet person, gets the nod for the music videos. The one below featured several of his Panthers teammates lip-synching Adele's "Hello." Enjoy. -- David Newton

New Orleans Saints

Running back Mark Ingram

Drew Brees is an obvious answer, with 2.4 million Twitter followers and plenty of adorable posts starring his four kids. But the most entertaining follow might be Ingram, especially during a big NBA game or UFC event. Ingram offers a little bit of everything: fan interaction, comic relief with emojis and memes, workout videos and heartfelt family pics. -- Mike Triplett

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Offensive tackle Donovan Smith

Smith doesn't have nearly the Twitter followings of Jameis Winston (245,000) or Gerald McCoy (67,300), but there's never a dull moment with the second-year starting left tackle. He Periscopes team paintball outings, Snapchats his grandmother dancing to Plies while cooking breakfast and tweets post-practice dance sessions in the locker room (see below). And while he's not a player, GM Jason Licht deserves some love too. He follows back and retweets fans. He posts photos from fishing trips with son Charlie and daughter Zoe's dance recitals. Most importantly, there's a tradition he started called #SiegeThePool. After wins, he jumps into his pool with his kids while wearing a suit. He even got director of football operations Shelton Quarles and now-Titans GM Jon Robinson in on the action. -- Jenna Laine

NFC WEST

Arizona Cardinals

Quarterback Carson Palmer

The answer would've been  Tyrann Mathieu, until he went on a week hiatus from Twitter in April and didn't return as the same social media maven he once was. So the new title goes to Palmer. He's relatively new to the social media world and has an only Instagram account and Facebook page, but he has done quite well at mastering it. His posts on Instagram mirror his dry sense of humor and give a look behind the curtain into his life as a quarterback at home. Both were on display when he filmed a video of his wife in the hospital shortly after she gave birth to their fourth child. -- Josh Weinfuss

Los Angeles Rams

Punter Johnny Hekker

Before the Rams released Chris Long, this was a close race between Hekker and Long. But with Long now in New England, Hekker claims the throne. He's funny, insightful and willing to engage his followers on a consistent basis. The two-time Pro Bowler has amassed quite a cult following thanks to witty tweets like the one below, referencing the team trading up to No. 1 overall in the draft. -- Nick Wagoner

San Francisco 49ers

Wide receiver Torrey Smith

Smith not only takes on social issues on social media, he interacts with fans. To look at the receiver's Twitter timeline is to get an update on current events, with his take, of course. I wrote on why he's such an open book last fall and, with 379,000 Twitter followers, Smith is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. -- Paul Gutierrez

Seattle Seahawks

Punter Jon Ryan

The Seahawks are a team filled with stars, but the bigger-name players often use their Twitter accounts to promote business interests or cite inspirational quotes, which is their prerogative. The guy who has used social media the best is Ryan. He provides humor - whether it's about his broken nose or red hair - and interacts with fans. But Ryan can discuss serious topics too. And apparently, he grew frustrated with how some of his followers reacted to the shootings in Orlando over the weekend. That caused Ryan to delete his account, according to his fiance -- Sheil Kapadia