In any relationship, it can be awkward to have to explain old photos from a different time in your life. And for Hailee Steinfeld, that includes an image of her cheering on the Denver Broncos, who her husband, Josh Allen, will be facing in the AFC Divisional Round on Saturday.
The photo in question stems from Denver’s victory over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 and features the future Sinners star dabbing in the upper deck as the Broncos celebrate their championship. “HELL YEAH BRONCOS,” Steinfeld captioned the image, which she posted to the platform then known as Twitter nearly a decade ago.
HELL YEAH BRONCOS!!!! 💥@starterofficial #SUPERBOWL pic.twitter.com/zMA7YN4PiW
— Hailee Steinfeld (@HaileeSteinfeld) February 8, 2016
With the Broncos and Bills set to square off in arguably this weekend’s most highly anticipated playoff game, the old social media post of Steinfeld cheering on her husband’s opponent has been making the rounds, especially in Colorado. And that prompted CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson to seek an explanation, which appears caught Allen off guard.
“Asked Josh about this pic and he told me he had no idea it was floating around,” Wolfson, who will work this weekend’s game, posted to X. “Laughed and said she was probably paid to be there. And that he definitely wasn’t going to bring it up at home.”
Asked Josh about this pic and he told me he had no idea it was floating around. Laughed and said she was probably paid to be there. And that he definitely wasn’t going to bring it up at home. 😂 https://t.co/79YzmBCdoi
— Tracy Wolfson (@tracywolfson) January 15, 2026
To Allen’s point, there’s nothing in Steinfeld’s past that would suggest she was ever actually a true Broncos fan. And it’s also worth noting that she was wearing a Broncos Starter jacket in the photo and tagged Starter’s Twitter account in the post, which would certainly indicate that she was there for promotional purposes as her husband hypothesized.
Another wrinkle in all of this: the offending photo took place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, which will also host this year’s Super Bowl. If her husband helps lead the Bills to their first Super Bowl title in franchise history, perhaps she’ll be able to create a more Buffalo-friendly version.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.