NFL Players Who Own the Brand
A growing number of NFL players don't just endorse brands. They own them. Coffee roasters, tequila labels, clothing lines and grooming ranges now sit alongside their playing careers, and some will outlast them.
A growing number of NFL players don't just endorse brands. They own them. Coffee roasters, tequila labels, clothing lines and grooming ranges now sit alongside their playing careers, and some will outlast them.
That changes the partnership. A paid ambassador lends their name for a fee. A founder-athlete has money, reputation and often their family in the business, so they think like a partner: about margins, distribution, co-branding and the long term. For the right brand, that makes them more valuable, and more selective.
Coffee
Coffee is the most common NFL side business. The Takeout counts at least 11 player-owned brands, from national ready-to-drink cans to neighbourhood cafes.
Patrick Mahomes, Throne Sport Coffee. Mahomes is the second-largest investor in this ready-to-drink coffee, which adds protein, electrolytes and B vitamins. He is also its face and product tester, and it is stocked at Whole Foods and Hy-Vee.
Deion Sanders, BLK & Bold. Coach Prime became a co-owner in September 2024. The certified B Corp gives 5% of gross profits to youth programmes and is sold in more than 11,000 US stores.
Cooper Kupp, Dodo Coffee Co. The Rams receiver co-founded the brand with his wife, Anna, and her family, built around clean ingredients and a mobile coffee truck.
Justin Watson, BLQK Coffee. The Super Bowl-winning receiver co-founded a social enterprise that gives 10% of profits to charity and sources beans from women-owned farms in Ethiopia.
The smaller brands matter too. Former players such as Stephen Tulloch (Circle House Coffee) and Zack Follett (Kuppa Joy, now eight cafes) run local chains with strong community ties.
Tequila and drinks
Dak Prescott, Volteo Tequila. The Cowboys quarterback made a founder-level investment in this organic, additive-free tequila from Jalisco, with part of sales going to his Faith Fight Finish Foundation.
Travis and Jason Kelce, Garage Beer. The brothers became the largest investors and operating partners in this Kentucky light lager in 2024, taking an active role in brewing, distribution and marketing. Sales were up 196% that year before their national push.
Travis Kelce and Rob Gronkowski, Casa Azul. Both have invested in the tequila soda brand. Kelce joined in 2023, his first ready-to-drink investment, and Gronkowski followed in June 2024.
Drinks suit athletes because they sell in bars and stadiums, which is where football fans already are. For a brand, a player-owned drink is also a ready-made co-branding partner for game-day events.
Apparel
Tom Brady, BRADY. Brady launched his athleisure brand in January 2022, developed over four years with Jens Grede, the co-founder of SKIMS. It sold pieces from $20 to $495 and signed college players through NIL deals.
Travis Kelce, Tru Kolors. Kelce's clothing line has already worked with a big brand: he partnered with Pepsi on limited-edition T-shirts that raised money for his foundation.
Damar Hamlin, Chasing Millions. Hamlin's clothing and lifestyle brand is the commercial side of his Chasing M's Foundation, which shows how a player's business and charity can share one story.
Apparel brands built by players tend to sell the player's personality as much as the clothes. That makes them good partners for collaborations and limited drops, less so for anything that would dilute the player's own label.
Skincare and grooming
This is the category where the difference between founding and endorsing is easiest to see.
Michael Strahan, Daily Defense. The Hall of Famer's grooming line launched at CVS in 2022, created by his own company, SMAC Entertainment, with biotech firm Evolved by Nature. Five products, all priced at $12 to $14.
Kayvon Thibodeaux, Starface. The Giants pass rusher is both spokesperson and shareholder at the acne brand, which signed him before the 2022 Draft. That hybrid of ambassador and part-owner is becoming more common.
Jalen Hurts, Mielle. By contrast, Hurts joined the hair care brand in October 2026 as a brand ambassador, with no ownership reported. It's a classic paid campaign, and a useful comparison.
Founder vs ambassador
What they want: Paid ambassador: A fee for agreed deliverables · Founder-athlete: Growth, distribution and brand equity
Time horizon: Paid ambassador: One campaign or season · Founder-athlete: Years, often beyond retirement
Category conflicts: Paid ambassador: Exclusivity in your category · Founder-athlete: Their own brand may compete with yours
Best deal types: Paid ambassador: Ads, social posts, appearances · Founder-athlete: Co-branded products, retail placement, equity swaps
Who you negotiate with: Paid ambassador: Marketing agent · Founder-athlete: Agent, co-founders and the business's own team
Credibility: Paid ambassador: Borrowed from the player · Founder-athlete: Built into the product
How to partner with a founder-athlete
Pitch the business, not just the player. Offer something that helps their brand grow, such as shelf space, a co-branded product, events or access to your customers.
Check for overlap. A player with their own coffee won't front a rival coffee chain, but they may welcome a bakery or breakfast brand.
Talk to the co-founders. Many of these businesses have operating partners who make the commercial decisions.
Build in the cause. Most player-owned brands give to a foundation or charity. Aligning with it strengthens the pitch.
Think long term. Founder-athletes are building something to last, so multi-year partnerships fit better than one-off campaigns.
Totalete indexes more than 3,600 football athletes across the NFL and college. Shortlist founder-athletes whose businesses complement yours and manage every conversation on the campaign board.
Ownership details from public reports, accurate as of November 2026. Stakes and partnerships change, so confirm with each player's representatives.