Jake Paul has made a habit of grabbing attention, but his latest target is a lot bigger than a boxing ring. The boxer says he wants a shot at the NFL, and more specifically, a chance to suit up for the Cleveland Browns.
That idea is not coming out of nowhere. Paul has said multiple NFL teams are interested in him as a receiver, and that fits the background he’s been pointing to.
He played receiver and linebacker at Westlake High School in Westlake, Ohio, just west of Cleveland, and he grew up rooting for the Browns. He has also made clear that Cleveland is the destination he wants most.
The Browns have seen this kind of storyline before. Bernie Kosar and Paul Warfield were both Browns fans growing up, and both hoped to be drafted by the team. Both were.
For now, though, Paul is trying to jump into a very different world at a very awkward time. NFL teams are already in training camp, so any workout opportunity would be arriving late. Cleveland already has 12 receivers on its training camp roster, including KC Concepcion, who was taken in Round 1, Denzel Boston, who went in the second round of April’s NFL draft, and Tylan Wallace, whom the Browns signed away from the Baltimore Ravens in free agency.
Paul’s pitch leans heavily on confidence. He has made it known that he believes he has better hands than most NFL receivers and would make a roster without trouble. But the gap between backyard football and the real thing is enormous, and Paul has not played football since high school.
His boxing résumé is what gives the idea any oxygen at all. Paul first fought in 2018, headlined a bout against MMA champion Ben Askren and won by knockout, and is 12-2 with seven knockouts in 14 fights.
He has also beaten Nate Diaz, Anderson Silva, and Tyron Woodley. In 2021, Sports Illustrated named him “Breakout Boxer of the Year.”
He has also been successful in business and music, which is part of why this doesn’t read like a desperate attempt to get noticed. Paul is already rich and famous, with an estimated net worth between $80 million and $200 million depending on who’s counting.
Still, the football leap would be a different kind of test. NFL players are in this league for their careers, not a single payday. Cleveland could call, but the path would start with a workout, then a physical, and only after that could it become a training camp contract.
So the Browns fan from Westlake is making noise about a roster spot. Whether that turns into anything more is another question entirely.
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