Top 5 NFL Careers Off the Field

Many football fans dream of working for an NFL team, but opportunities as players or coaches are rare. Fortunately, NFL business operations create numerous career paths, from managing team logistics to marketing and finance. Additionally, roles in NFL talent acquisition, such as scouting and evaluating players, provide other avenues for those passionate about the game. Teams employ hundreds of staff beyond players and coaches, offering various NFL career options.

In other words, if you’re truly interested in working for your favorite team, there could be a lot more avenues available to you than you thought.

5 Off the Field NFL Jobs to Consider

Here are five different types of NFL jobs you could have with a professional team:

NFL Career #1: Business Operations

Professional sports, including the NFL, operate as businesses focused on financial success, revenue, expenses, and franchise value. Teams rely on business-minded professionals, including financial analysts to project monetary outcomes, accountants to manage cash flow, and marketers to maintain consumer interest. While fans focus on on-field success, the sports and business worlds are deeply interconnected, sharing similar operational needs.

NFL Career #2: Talent Acquisition

Player and coach acquisitions are key interests for sports fans, with scouting being central to identifying and evaluating talent. Scouts, often former players, assess whether a player’s skills align with a team’s needs. Recently, passionate fans have started performing scouting tasks, sharing insights online or selling them to teams. 

Scouting extends beyond finding new talent; teams also analyze opponents. If you’re a dedicated football enthusiast, this passion could lead to an NFL career.

NFL Career #3: Travel Management

NFL teams travel extensively during preseason, regular season, and postseason, requiring careful coordination. Travel management staff handle flights, ground transportation, hotel accommodations, and team meals. Professionals with experience in travel or hospitality can find opportunities in these roles, as NFL teams, like other businesses, rely on experts to manage travel logistics and partnerships.

NFL Career #4: Information Technology

Sports teams rely on technology as much as any other business. Think about the wireless headsets coaches use, the devices on the sidelines for game review, the laptops in booths, and the stadium’s tech needs. Beyond game day, teams depend on in-house systems for analyzing footage and managing operations. 

To keep everything running smoothly, NFL teams need skilled IT specialists to set up, maintain, and troubleshoot their tech infrastructure. For those with expertise in technology, professional sports offer exciting career opportunities.

NFL Career #5: Data Analytics

Data analytics might be the fastest-growing field in professional sports, and while it’s still an emerging concept in the NFL, we may see a boom in hiring in this area over the next decade.

Since baseball’s “Moneyball” revolution in the early 2000s, sports franchises have increasingly relied on data to guide decisions about player acquisition, strategy, and more. While the NBA has been a frontrunner in adopting analytics, the NFL is quickly catching up and integrating data into its decision-making processes.

If you’re a numbers enthusiast, a career in NFL data analytics might be for you. Teams like the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles employ data experts—mathematicians, statisticians, and predictive analytics specialists—to make strategic decisions, such as optimal player groupings or whether to go for it on 4th down. With the Eagles’ success as a model, other teams are likely to embrace this data-driven approach.

Score a career touchdown today

Landing your dream job in the NFL can be a reality. The only thing standing in your way is, well, you. So, stop dreaming and get to work. Join Jobs In Sports today, the largest sports job board available, and begin applying for the job you want – before someone beats you to it.