20 Exciting NFL Players on Instagram

Updated for 2014-2015 Season

Are you Ready for some Football? What a difference a couple of years makes. I first wrote this article in the summer of 2012 and have now updated it for the 2014-2015 season. When I first wrote the article, you could find very few of the top NFL players on Instagram and there were 7-8 teams that did NOT even have IG accounts yet. Few of the teams were sharing many pictures -- many had shared less than 20 photos.

Now, the world is completely different. You can find many of the top NFL stars using Instagram, especially the young ones that started in college. All of the NFL teams have gotten on board and many have share hundreds of photos understanding that the medium is perfectly suited to enhance the NFL fan experience. I have highlighted 20 of the more interesting players to follow in IG and all of the team handles.

Of course you cannot find all of the NFL players on Instagram. I have split up the list between NFC Players and AFC Players. I am also trying to highlight some of the interesting off field passions of these NFL players from philanthropy to business.

You can also Follow me on Instagram

All rights reserved. Copyright 2013 Tonto Murray on Hubpages

Note: I have only linked to the Instagram account of the first 3 players as the site limits the number of outgoing links on the page.

Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks (@dangerusswilson)

Not only is he the QB of the Super Bowl Champion, Seattle Seahawks, Russell Wilson is also one of the most active Instagram users in the NFL having shared over 750 photos. He also donates his time and money to many great causes and posts great photos of his time with sick kids at the Seattle Childrens' Hospital. Russell has over 800,000 followers on IG.

Brandon Marshall, WR, Chicago Bears (@btm15)

Another big philanthropist in the NFL is the star WR from the Chicago Bears, Brandon Marshall. When he is not catching TD passes, Brandon is working on one of a dozen projects for a number of endeavors from fashion, to fitspeed, to children's camps, but his real mission is his Foundation. The Brandon Marshall Foundation is raising awareness and helping victims of mental illness. What you might not know about Brandon is that he was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder in 2010 and it explained much of his volatile off field issues up until that time. Now he is helping others who are also suffering from mental health issues. On Instagram, Brandon has shared over 800 photos and has 145,000 followers.

Vernon Davis, TE, San Francisco 49ers (@vernondavis85)

Vernon Davis is the talented TE for the 49ers, but also a talented artist whose Vernon Davis Foundation for the Arts provides art scholarships for underprivileged children. The Foundation also sells artwork of many of the students at Gallery85 and much of the art will absolutely blow you away. Davis is also very active on Instagram having shared over 1250 photos and has 1.2 million followers.

Lesean McCoy, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (@25_mccoy)

Lesean McCoy is the consummate multipurpose running back and the #1 draft pick in most Fantasy Football drafts. He led the NFC in rushing in 2013 with 1,607 yards and added another 530 receiving yards and also scored 11 TDs during the year. Lesean is not very active on Instagram yet sharing about 56 photos so far and he has 60,000 followers.

Robert Quinn, DL, St. Louis Rams (@rquinn94)

Robert Quinn is in his 4th season in the NFL and led the NFC in sacks in 2013 with 19. Quinn anchors a resurgent Rams defense that should be good for many years. Quinn ha shared over 380 photos and has about 22,000 followers.

Patrick Peterson, CB, Arizona Cardinals (@realpatrickpeterson)

Considered one of the best cover Corners in the NFL, Patrick Peterson is in his 4th season in the NFL. He played his college ball at LSU where he was an All American defensive back. Peterson has shared over 300 photos on IG and has 145,000 followers.

Patrick Willis, ILB, San Francisco 49ers (@patricklwillis)

Patrick Willis is one of the leaders of the 49ers outstanding defense. He has led the team in Tackles for each of the past two years. Willis is also very active on Instagram and has shared over 530 photos and has 325,000 followers.

Ndamukong Suh, DL, Detroit Lions (@ndamukong_suh)

Ndamukong Suh is the star Defensive Lineman for the Detroit Lions. His unique name comes from his Cameroonian father. In Nigerian, Ndamukong means "House of Spears" which is fairly fitting as he come cutting through Offensive Lines in the NFL. Suh has shared over 110 photos and has 68,000 followers.

Richard Sherman, CB, Seattle Seahawks (@rsherman25)

Richard Sherman is a 4th year CB out of Stanford. He has been a key part of what has become the best defense in the NFL. During his first 3 seasons, he registered 20 interceptions and 167 total tackles. As we all know from last years playoffs, Richard is not shy and that goes for Instagram too. He has shared over 400 photos and has 770,000 followers.

Matt Forte, RB, Chicago Bears (@mforte22)

Matt Forte is a 7th year NFL RB out of Tulane. He has developed into one of the most well rounded RB in the League. Over his first 6 years, he has combined for over 9,500 total yards and in 2013 he finished with over 1,900 yards. Matt is active on IG with over 175 photos posted and over 80,000 followers

Note: I have only linked to the Instagram account of the first 3 players as the site limits the number of outgoing links on the page.

Jamaal Charles, RB, Kansas City Chiefs (@djcharles25)

Jamaal Charles has become one of the best Running Backs in the NFL and one of the top 3 picks in any Fantasy Football draft because he is a threat as both a runner and a receiver. He scored 20 TDs in 2013. Charles is in his 7th season out of University of Texas. Jamaal is very active on Instagram sharing over 625 photos and has 100,000 followers.

JJ Watt, DL, Houston Texans (@justinjames99)

JJ Watt is in his 4th season in the NFL and has become one of the Top 5 D Lineman in the league. He graduated from Wisconsin, where his two younger brothers currently play. The JJWatt Foundation helps fund middle school athletic programs in WI and TX to help kids realize their dreams. One thing you might not know about JJ is that he hockey was his first love and he started playing it when he was 3. JJ is active on IG sharing over 200 photos and he has 290,000 followers.

Andy Dalton, QB, Cincinnati Bengals (@andydalton14)

Andy Dalton is a 4th year QB for the Bengals and one of only 3 NFL QBs to throw for over 3,000 yards in each of his first 3 seasons. Nicknamed the Red Rifle (for his red hair), Andy and his wife Jordan have also created a Foundation that helps seriously ill children in the greater Cincy area. Dalton is active on social media and has shared over 230 photos on IG and has 35,000 followers.

Robert Mathis, OLB, Indianapolis Colts (@rmathis_the1st)

Robert Mathis is in his 12th season in the NFL but rather than slowing with age, he seems to be getting better. He led the league in sacks in 2013 with 19.5. He also added 59 combined tackles and 8 forced fumbles. Robert is sitting out the 2014 season with a torn achilles tendon. Mathis is active on Instagram with 280 photos shared and has 35,000 followers.

Demarcus Ware, DL, Denver Broncos (@demarcusware)

Demarcus Ware spent 9 seasons in Dallas before moving to the Broncos this past offseason. He has logged over 11 sacks in 7 of his NFL seasons and has over 119 career sacks. Now he is hoping to add a Super Bowl Ring to his collection of individual NFL awards. Ware is very active on IG having shared over 575 photos and he has 160,000 followers

A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals (@ajgreen_18)

AJ Green is the prototypical NFL receiver; tall, fast and great hands. In his 4th NFL season, Green had over 1,000 receiving hards in each of his first three seasons in the league and his yards have increased each year in the NFL. He has also added 11 TDs in each of his past two seasons. AJ is an active follow on IG sharing over 230 photos and he has 130,000 followers.

Mario Williams, DL, Buffalo Bills (@bbwolf94)

Mario Williams is in his 9th NFL season out of NC State. He spent 6 years with the Houston Texans before moving over to Buffalo a few seasons ago. He had one of his best years in 2013 registering 13 sacks and 1 forced fumble. He is a key part of the resurgent Buffalo defense. Mario is a very active Instagram user sharing over 550 photos and he has 15,000 followers.

Chris Harris, CB, Denver Broncos (@chrisharrisjr)

Chris Harris is one of the best young cornerbacks in the League. In his fourth year out of Kansas, Harris is a key reason why the Denver defense has been so good of late. He registered 68 tackles and 3 interceptions in 2013 and will look to improve on that in 2014. Harris has shared over 300 photos on IG and has 92,000 followers

Vontae Davis, CB, Indianapolis Colts (@21vdavis)

Vontae Davis is a 6th year NFL CB out of Illinois. He spent his first three seasons in Miami and now is part of the resurgent Colts defense. During his first 6 years, he has registered 26 interceptions and 247 total tackles. Davis is one of the best cover corners in the AFC. Davis is a huge Instagram user posting over 740 photos and has 48,000 followers.

Montee Ball, RB, Denver Broncos (@monteeball)

Montee Ball is a 2nd year RB out of Wisconsin. He is now the starting RB in Denver with Moreno's move to Miami. Stepping into Denver's powerful offense is a great position but comes it challenges too. Ball is active on IG sharing over 150 photos and he has 20,000 followers.