To the average NFL fan, Braxton Berrios wasn’t exactly the most high-profile name to watch in the early portions of free agency. But as ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted on Monday, reporting on the Houston Texans signing Berrios to a one-year deal, the news was notable for one small portion of fans thanks to the relationship between Berrios and uber-popular influencer Alix Earle.
Over the past few seasons, we have seen the kind of influence that support from a celebrity can bring to the NFL when it comes to the oft discussed public relationship between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. The proof has been in the pudding, as the female demographic in the NFL has taken a significant jump ever since the inception of the Swift-Kelce relationship.
While Swift has undoubtedly been the biggest factor in this rise in female viewers, perhaps some of the credit should also be going to Alix Earle, who frequently shares her experience at games in support of Braxton Berrios as an “NFL WAG” to her 7.3 million followers on TikTok.
On Monday’s SportsCenter Special covering the start of NFL free agency, Adam Schefter reported on the Texans signing Berrios, referencing Earle by mentioning that his daughter was quite interested in this signing from the Texans.
“Well, a little deal,” said Schefter. “Braxton Berrios, the former Dolphins wide receiver, I know my daughter cares a tremendous amount about this, is signing with the Houston Texans, a one-year $2 million deal. The Texans get a crafty wide receiver. They are looking for some wide receiver help. There you go, he gets the deal done.”
Laura Rutledge, the host of the SC Special, helped Schefter out a bit on the specifics of who he was referring to when he referenced why his daughter cares so much about the deal.
“You’re referencing Alix Earle,” added Rutledge. “I like that Adam. Adam plays to all fans. Doesn’t matter the age, doesn’t matter what you’re interested in.”
On top of likely getting an influx of new fans, the Texans will be getting some much-needed depth at the wide receiver position with Berrios considering the fact that Tank Dell is expected to miss the 2025 season after suffering a devastating knee injury this past postseason.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.