The NFL season is right around the corner, and it looks like the league has been sitting on the perfect teaser advertisement since last year.
Former NFL running back Arian Foster made headlines last year when he came out and blatantly said that the league was rigged. In an interview, Foster said that before every season, he would be given a script with detailed instructions to follow throughout the season.
He alleged that it included week by week details about when players would score touchdowns, when refs would miss calls, and which teams would win which games. A portion of the interview can be seen below:
So when that happened, the memes about the NFL practically being the WWE were plentiful, and some people even believed what Arian Foster way saying. It was a pretty wild time for the league, and someone with NFL media apparently kept the receipts from the rumor to put together one of the funnier season teasers you’ll ever see.
The NFL posted the video today, with the caption saying:
“Join us for the table read of the 104th season of the NFL.”
The league leaned on the comedic services of Keegan-Michael Key to lead the way in the skit, which features some of the NFL’s biggest names sitting around a table (or joining via Zoom) all talking about the 2023-2024 season’s script. Key kicks things off in the video by saying:
“Alright everyone, last season was a smash. Ratings gold. But this year’s script has to top it.”
After Jalen Ramsey, who is dressed in full pads and uniform, gets upset that he thought the meeting was a “dress rehearsal,” the table reads gets into a specific part of Week 1, where Bengals star wide receiver is supposed to do something impossible:
“Week 1, 4th quarter, 3:02 left. Ja’Marr leaps up and makes a no handed catch.”
Ja’Marr Chase, who happens to be sitting at the table, is confused by the “scripted” idea. He responds:
“No hands? How?”
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf then chimes in, saying:
“I don’t need hands. I’ll just catch it with my abs.”
Keegan-Michael Key goes on to call it the “Ab-ra-ca-Grab-ra,” and speaks about the ball being sent to Canton once the scripted play happens. Other highlights of the satirical advertisement are when they discuss “writing off the Patrick Mahomes character,” as well as a shirtless and chain-wearing Kirk Cousins saying that they should play shirts and skins this year.
All in all, the clip is laugh out loud funny in moments, and acts as a great segway into the football season, which kicks off on September 7th. The NFL really nailed it with this one.
Take a look:
