The NFL, perhaps more than any other professional sporting league in the United States, draws fans from all corners of the country. By far the most popular sport in the United States, the NFL’s annual revenue exceeds that of the NBA, MLB, and NHL, at over $11 billion.
And with such popularity, more-and-more fans are opting to resume stadium attendance, providing that “12th man” advantage for their home teams. And while regular fans can opt to purchase tickets at face value directly from the league, their preferred team, or on a third party reseller such as StubHub, for NFL players themselves, many teams will provide their players with free tickets to games to provide to family and loved ones.
Below, we are going to discuss just whether or not NFL players get free tickets, why NFL teams provide free tickets to their players, and just how many tickets an NFL player can expect to receive per game. In addition, we will also look at the most common recipients of these free tickets and how free tickets can help an NFL player to perform better on the field.
How Many Tickets Are Available to an NFL Game?
The NFL perhaps more than the NBA, MLB, or NHL has the largest stadium and arena capacities. With multiple stadiums capable of holding and housing over 80,000 fans on any given Sunday, NFL stadiums are in a unique position to be able to provide players with free tickets at little to no cost for the team.
Per Pro Football Network, below are the stadium capacities for all 32 teams in the NFL.
MetLife Stadium | 82,500
New York Jets and New York Giants
Opened: 2010
FedEx Field | 82,000
Washington Commanders
Opened: 1997
Lambeau Field | 81,441
Green Bay Packers
Opened: 1957
AT&T Stadium | 80,000
Dallas Cowboys
Opened: 2009
Arrowhead Stadium | 76,416
Kansas City Chiefs
Opened: 1972
Mile High Stadium | 76,125
Denver Broncos
Opened: 2001
Bank of America Stadium | 75,523
Carolina Panthers
Opened: 1996
Caesars Superdome | 73,208
New Orleans Saints
Opened: 1975
NRG Stadium | 72,220
Houston Texans
Opened: 2002
Highmark Stadium | 71,608
Buffalo Bills
Opened: 1973
M&T Bank Stadium | 71,008
Baltimore Ravens
Opened: 1998
Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 71,000
Atlanta Falcons
Opened: 2017
SoFi Stadium | 70,000
Los Angeles Rams
Opened: 2020
Lincoln Financial Field | 69,596
Philadelphia Eagles
Opened: 2003
Nissan Stadium | 69,143
Tennessee Titans
Opened: 1999
TIAA Bank Field | 69,132
Jacksonville Jaguars
Opened: 1995
Lumen Field | 69,000
Seattle Seahawks
Opened: 2002
Levi’s Stadium | 68,500
San Francisco 49ers
Opened: 2014
Heinz Field | 68,400
Pittsburgh Steelers
Opened: 2001
FirstEnergy Stadium | 67,895
Cleveland Browns
Opened: 1999
Lucas Oil Stadium | 67,000
Indianapolis Colts
Opened: 2008
Gillette Stadium | 66,829
New England Patriots
Opened: 2002
U.S. Bank Stadium | 66,655
Minnesota Vikings
Opened: 2016
Raymond James Stadium | 65,890
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Opened: 1998
Paul Brown Stadium | 65,515
Cincinnati Bengals
Opened: 2000
Hard Rock Stadium | 65,326
Miami Dolphins
Opened: 1987
Ford Field | 65,000
Detroit Lions
Opened: 2002
Allegiant Stadium | 65,000
Las Vegas Raiders
Opened: 2020
State Farm Stadium | 63,400
Arizona Cardinals
Opened: 2006
Soldier Field | 61,500
Chicago Bears
Opened: 1924
Why Do NFL Players Want Free Tickets?
While NFL players are generally well-compensated for their efforts on the field, there are certain perks and benefits to playing in a major league which players have come to expect. From new jerseys per game, to access to the best and most elite trainers and nutritionists, to tickets to the game for family and friends.
For an NFL player, although they most certainly are able to pay for tickets for family and friends, it is seen as a perk from the team that they are able to provide a certain number of tickets to family and friends to be able to watch them play live.
Similarly, for these players, having members of their family or friends in attendance can not only help to motivate them to play better, but can also provide them with the support and confidence they may need to perform better on the field.
How Many Free Tickets Do NFL Players Receive?
While many NFL stadiums exceed 60,000 seats and are able to accommodate several tens-of-thousands of fans, there are caps to the number of free tickets provided to the players. Generally, these caps are determined on a team-by-team basis, however the general consensus appears to be two free tickets per player.
And with a full NFL roster consisting of 53 players, this means that a team can expect to provide 106 free tickets to their players. However, that is not considering the away players. Generally, NFL teams will also offer away teams and their players with a similar number of free tickets, equating to roughly 212 free tickets provided to NFL players’ family and friends.
Where Are The Free Ticket Seats Located?
As NFL stadiums are typically quite large, in order to house the full field and the multiple tens-of-thousands of fans, there are multiple seating options available for an NFL team to provide to the players playing on the field.
Generally, however, the free tickets are seated closer to the field, oftentimes within the 100-level section of the stadium. Similarly, these tickets are typically seated horizontally to the field, providing the players’ family and friends with some of the best seats in the house.
However, most NFL teams will separate home and away players’ free tickets, with the home players family and friends being seated in one section and the away players’ family and friends being seated in a separate section.