The National Football League season kicks off this weekend as the Kansas City Chiefs take aim at an unprecedented three consecutive Super Bowl titles.

For current and former players in the NFL, though, another version of football has become a focus for financial investment in recent years, including at clubs across the USL Championship, League One and Super League.

Here are the current and former NFL players who are investors at clubs across the three leagues.

Oakland Roots & Soul SC – Marshawn Lynch & Josh Johnson

Both Oakland natives, cousins Marshawn Lynch and Josh Johnson are among the wide variety of Town celebrities to have invested in Roots & Soul.

Lynch invested in the club in 2021 following a career in which he recorded 10,413 rushing yards and 94 total touchdowns in 149 regular season appearances across stints with the Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders. Nicknamed “Beast Mode” for his punishing running style, Lynch recorded four consecutive 1,000-yard season with the Seahawks, with whom he won Super Bowl XLVIII, recording a touchdown in a 43-8 rout against the Denver Broncos.

Johnson was among those who invested in the club during its inaugural Community Investment Round in 2023. His career in the NFL has spanned more than a decade after being selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2008 Draft and has seen him compete for 14 different teams in the league, including the then-Oakland Raiders in 2018. Now 38 years old, he is currently the back-up quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens.

Loudoun United FC – Yannick Ngakoue

The Washington, D.C. native was among a trio of current and former professional athletes that acquired a stake in Loudoun United in 2022 following Attain Sports & Entertainment’s acquisition of the club that year. The 29-year-old Defensive End earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2017 while competing for the Jacksonville Jaguars and has recorded 69 sacks and 71 tackles for loss in 123 career regular season games.

Sporting Club Jacksonville – Fred Taylor & Tim Tebow

Footballing icons during their careers, Fred Taylor and Tim Tebow have been part of Sporting JAX’s ownership group since the club’s launch as the club builds toward its inaugural seasons in both the USL Championship and USL Super League.

A local legend with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Taylor was nominated as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year after a remarkable career that saw him rush for 11,271 yards and 62 touchdowns in 140 regular season games for the Jaguars. Taylor recorded seven 1,000-yard rushing seasons with the Jaguars in 11 seasons before closing his career with the New England Patriots.

Part of the greater Jacksonville community since starring at Nease High School, Tebow became a legend at the University of Florida where he became the first Sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy in 2007 and won two national championships with the Gators. He then spent three seasons in the NFL with the Denver Broncos and New York Jets, with his time in Denver being highlighted by an overtime victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers that saw Tebow connect with Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard touchdown on the first play of the extra session.

Orange County SC – Matt Barkley

A native of Newport Beach, Orange County, Barkley bought into his hometown club during the club’s community investment round this past January. The 33-year-old Quarterback, who shone in the college ranks at the University of Southern California, was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2013 NFL Draft and went on to also play for the Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Spokane Zephyr and Velocity FC – Trey Flowers & Dhani Jones

Former defensive standouts Trey Flowers and Dhani Jones were introduced as members of the investment group for Spokane Zephyr FC of the USL Super League and Spokane Velocity FC of USL League One in October 2023.

Flowers starred as a defensive end for the New England Patriots as he helped the team win both Super Bowl LI and LIII during his four seasons with the team. Overall, he has made 79 appearances in the NFL’s regular season, recording 31.5 sacks and 37 tackles for loss while also competing for the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins.

Jones competed for a decade in the league after being selected by the New York Giants in the 2001 Draft. A linebacker, Jones made 157 regular season appearances in the league and notched 60 tackles for loss as well as 9.5 sacks while competing for the Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Westchester SC – Tyrod Taylor

The current backup quarterback for the New York Jets, Tyrod Taylor was introduced as an investor in USL League One expansion club Westchester SC this June as the side prepares to kick off its inaugural season next spring.

The Virginia native has spent more than a decade in the NFL since being drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2011, making 92 appearances and 58 starts and recording 12,135 passing yards and 65 touchdowns. In addition to the Ravens and Jets, Taylor has also competed for the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans and New York Giants.

Texoma FC – Dan Gronkowski, Chris Gronkowski, Glenn Gronkowski

While they might not quite have the accolades of brother Rob, the Gronkowski brothers all competed in the NFL and are now part of the leadership of Texoma FC as it builds toward its inaugural season in USL League One next spring.

Dan Gronkowski was the first of the trio to make it to the league with the Detroit Lions in 2009. A tight end, he recorded nine receptions in 21 career appearances in the league while also suiting up for the Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos and New England Patriots.

Chris followed with the Dallas Cowboys in 2010. In three seasons he logged 35 appearances working primarily as a blocking back, also competing for the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos. Glenn, meanwhile, made one appearance in the league in 2016 with the Buffalo Bills.