There aren’t too many Jewish players in the NFL, but there are enough to make their mark on the league. It just so happens these few players play for teams that have a good chance of making the Super Bowl — teams that would usually be favourites per NFL betting odds.

This means there will be some Jewish representation for America’s biggest sports event. 

Jewish players have been few, but have been prominent. Players like Julian Edelman and Adam Bisnowaty have been leaders in their community and helped raise awareness in fighting anti-semitism. 

Several of the Jewish NFL players on these teams have also been outstanding members of their communities. It’s encouraging to see these players get a chance to fulfill their football dreams.

Super Bowl could have plenty of Jewish representation

Among the several Jewish players in the NFL, most of them are part of Super Bowl-capable teams. These players would give the Jewish community some representation if and when their respective teams make the Super Bowl.

Here are the most notable Jews playing for Super Bowl contenders:

Jordan Dangerfield (Pittsburgh Steelers)

A member of the Ethiopian Jewish community, Dangerfield was born in New York state then moved to Florida where he became a promising football player. He went to Towson University but went undrafted in 2013.

Dangerfield, a safety, was signed to a reserve/future contract by the Steelers in 2014 but was cut repeatedly throughout 2014 and 2015. He finally got a permanent role with them in 2016.

“Pittsburgh Steelers” by Au Kirk is licensed under CC BY 2.0 

Although he likely won’t see much playing time, Dangerfield provides depth for the Steelers’ secondary. Pittsburgh will likely finish with the second-best record in the AFC and will have to win three playoff games to reach the Super Bowl.

Anthony Firkser (Tennessee Titans)

Firkser was born to a Jewish family and is part of the Temple Shaari Emeth in Manalapan, where he celebrated his bar mitzvah. He was a multi-sport athlete at the Manalapan High School mainly in basketball where he competed at the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel.

Eventually, Firkser focused on football and blossomed as a wide receiver. His strong play earned him a scholarship at Harvard. He went undrafted in 2017 and tried out for the Jets and Chiefs until landing a deal with the Titans in 2018.

In his three seasons with Tennessee, Firkser has seen his role grow slowly and he is currently setting career highs this 2020. The Titans are neck-and-neck with the Colts for the AFC South title.

It’s more than likely Tennessee faces Indianapolis first thing in the playoffs. Should they win, they are a dark horse to emerge from the AFC and make their first Super Bowl appearance in over 20 years.  

Greg Joseph and Ali Marpet (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Tampa Bay unofficially has the most Jewish players on the squad. They’ll feel right at home if the Bucs become just the third home team in the NFL to play in the Super Bowl. 

Marpet is one of the Bucs’ most crucial players as a guard in the offensive line. He was voted as a team captain in 2019 and was named by Pro Football Focus as part of their All-Underrated Team. He is an alumnus of Birthright Israel and said it is a “huge honour” to represent Jews as an athlete.

Joseph is a reserve kicker for the Bucs behind Ryan Succop. He was born in South Africa and proclaims that Judaism “absolutely” guided him during his life. 

The Bucs are trailing the Saints for the NFC South title and will likely be a middle-seed in the playoffs.They’ll need to win three games to return to Tampa for the Super Bowl.

“Tampa Bay Buccaneers” by Noelinho.org is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 

Mitchell Schwartz (Kansas City Chiefs)

Of the players on this list, Schwartz is the only one to have won a Super Bowl and is the only one to be named to the All-Pro roster. Schwartz didn’t start playing football until high school as his parents wanted him to focus on studying for his Bar Mitzvah. 

Schwartz and his brother Geoff co-authored the book Eat my Schwartz: Our Story of NFL Football, Food, Family, and Faith. His Hebrew name is “Mendel.” In 2016, he was inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Playing for the Chiefs, Schwartz is in the best position to reach the Super Bowl. Again. The Chiefs have looked indomitable and may finish the season with a 15-1 record.

Schwartz could become a two-time Super Bowl champion. He’ll continue creating a Hall of Fame resume and maybe get in there to join fellow Jews like Sid Luckman, Ron Mix, and Andre Tippett.