Longtime NFL placekicker turned CBS Sports game analyst Jay Feely may soon become the latest athlete and sports media personality to vie for political office.
According to reports from the Washington Post and Arizona Republic on Monday citing a local Republican strategist, Feely is “seriously considering” running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Arizona’s 5th district next year.
The seat is currently held by 66-year-old Rep. Andy Biggs, the former chairman of the far-right Freedom Caucus, who recently announced his candidacy for Arizona governor in next year’s election.
The Republic reports that, since spending four years with the Arizona Cardinals and living in the state since retiring from the NFL, Feely has befriended President Donald Trump and local Republican leaders.
Feely has worked at CBS Sports since 2015, when he became a game analyst on the network’s college football slate. Feely helped pioneer the special teams analyst role, working the sideline on NFL games and taking note of weather conditions, the kickers’ range, and more. That niche helped propel his career, landing him as part of the CBS broadcast team for Super Bowl LVIII in 2024.
In the past few years alone, everyone from former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville to Heisman winner Herschel Walker to former Baylor and Cowboys linebacker Colin Allred have pursued Congressional seats, leaving Feely in good company.
Republicans have controlled Arizona’s 5th district, which takes up large swaths of the East Valley of the Phoenix basin, for all but six years since it was formed in 1983. The Republic reports that 45 percent of registered voters there are Republicans. While Republican State Rep. Travis Grantham already announced his candidacy to replace Biggs, the local and national support Feely has received would appear to give him an inside shot at the nomination in the solidly red district.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.