Latin superstar Bad Bunny is nothing short of a global sensation in the wake of his latest Grammy-winning album, but he’s apparently not everybody’s cup of tea.
That much was revealed in The Athletic’s anonymous survey in which NFL players were polled about their opinions on Bad Bunny performing the Super Bowl 2026 halftime show. According to the survey, 58.6% of players were in favor of the NFL’s selection of the Puerto Rican rapper, while 41.4% were not; 58 players were polled altogether.
The Athletic noted two main reasons fueling the majority of players who didn’t like Bad Bunny as a halftime show performer: a lack of familiarity with his music, and a preference for a different artist.
Still, a few players among the naysayers’ group also gave their brutally honest thoughts on the league’s Bad Bunny pick, and let’s just say they didn’t hold back.
Here are those anonymous quotes from The Athletic:
“I don’t even know who Bad Bunny is,” said an NFC offensive player. “I always think it should be an American. I think they’re trying too hard with this international stuff.” (Bad Bunny is from Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States.)
Said a different NFC offensive player: “I do not like it. (I’d prefer) anyone who’s synonymous with football and football culture. I feel like there’s tons of artists out there who are fans of the game.”
And an AFC offensive player said: “I think there are better examples of character and morality than Bad Bunny.”
Bad Bunny is coming off his biggest career win in the 2026 Grammys on Sunday night, taking home the ceremony’s prestigious Album of the Year award for his critically-acclaimed “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS.” It marked the first time an entirely Spanish-language album has won the honor. As one of the world’s top-streamed artists in the last half-decade, the 31-year-old Puerto Rican singer closed out his blockbuster year on a high note and is set to draw more international eyes to Super Bowl 60 between the Patriots and Seahawks in San Francisco on Feb. 8.
Clearly, a sub-section of NFL players aren’t fans of his music, but one could argue Bad Bunny’s reputation simply says enough.
In a separate survey, NFL players were asked who their dream Super Bowl halftime performer would be, and their top choices were Michael Jackson, Drake, Beyonce, Chris Brown and Travis Scott. Creed, Justin Bieber, Chris Stapleton and Morgan Wallen, among other artists, also garnered a few votes.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as New Survey Shows NFL Players Mixed on Bad Bunny As Super Bowl Halftime Show Performer.
