Matty Ice, Danny Dimes, Stat Padford: The 20 best NFL nicknames today

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Over the years, the NFL has seen some great players step onto the field, and some of them have garnered nicknames that fit them to a tee. A good or great nickname should explain something about the person it’s attached to. Something about their personality, ability on the field, or an attribute that stands out. Sometimes they start as one thing and then take on another meaning as the player progresses through their career. So, we’ve decided to look at some of the best nicknames circulating around the league.

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Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner

How can you not like the nickname “Sauce,” especially at the cornerback position? The name fits Gardner, and he backed that up during his rookie campaign. Gardner won Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, was selected First Team All-Pro, and made the Pro Bowl. Throw some extra sauce on that taco.

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Micah Parsons: “Eleven from Heaven”

Micah Parsons may or may not be too fond of this nickname since it was stowed upon him by one of the most prominent sports media trolls walking the earth in Skip “Drip” Bayless. The only thing Skip is dripping with is jackassery, but the name he’s given Parsons isn’t bad.

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Tyreek Hill: “The Cheetah”

Fast like a cheetah, quick as a hiccup. However you phrase it, Tyreek Hill is associated with speed, and he’s got plenty of it to spare. Hill recently participated in the USA Track and Field Masters Indoor Championships in Louisville, KY. While most players are on vacation getting in some much-needed rest and recovery, Hill is training for and competing in track meets with some of the fastest people in the world.

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Russell Wilson: “DangeRuss”

Many of you think Russell Wilson is corny, and you might have an argument. Ok, you probably do. He’s a good guy, though, and formerly a great player in a past life. That life seemingly stayed behind in the Pacific Northwest when DangeRuss was shipped to Denver. After his overall performance in 2022, Wilson will need to remind the league about the “DangeR” part of that nickname.

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Kyler Murray: “K1"

Kyler Murray is the “1,”…at least he is to the Arizona Cardinals and wears the number. Initials and numbers combined usually make pretty good nicknames. This one is no different.

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Patrick “Mahomeboy” Mahomes

Another media personality-inspired nickname by Patrick’s biggest on-screen supporter. Shannon Sharpe presented us with this gem a few years back when he hopped on the Mahomes bandwagon.

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Joe Burrow: “Joe Shiesty”

With Joe Burrow, it’s a pick-your-poison deal regarding nicknames since he’s accumulated a few. You could go with “Joey Franchise” or “Joe Cool” and, of course, “Joe Shiesty,” depending on your mood. The way he’s played since entering the NFL and helping to turn around the Cincinnati Bengals, he’s earned all three and then some.

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Derrick Henry: “King Henry”

Derrick Henry has been the “King” of prototypical running backs over the past few seasons in terms of production and presence. The Tennessee Titans have played an old-school brand of football where King Henry is the focal point. Although teams have known that, stopping him has rarely been part of the equation.

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Tyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu

The “Honey Badger” nickname has followed Tyrann Mathieu his entire career, and it’s still one of the coolest around. Like a real honey badger, Mathieu goes all out on the field and never holds back, making him one of the better safeties of his era.

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Daniel Jones: “Danny Dimes”

Whether you like Daniel Jones or not, you’ve got to admit the name “Danny Dimes” is a damn good nickname for anybody. Even if he isn’t most known for “dropping dimes,” it isn’t one we’ve heard often in the NFL, so it works. (Or, as Saquon Barkley calls him, “Vanilla Vick.”)

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Matt Ryan: “Matty Ice”

Matt Ryan is currently without a team following his release from the Indianapolis Colts early in the offseason. But no matter where Ryan plays or how well he does, the name “Matty Ice” will follow him well into retirement.

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Marquise “Hollywood” Brown

Besides being dubbed “Hollywood,” Marquise Brown’s biggest claim to fame in the NFL is being related to Antonio Brown. Although Brown has had his moments on the field, he’s yet to break out and level up to the next stage of his career as an elite wide receiver in the league.

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Christian McCaffrey: “Run CMC”

If you grew up in the 1980s and 90s, you get this reference. It just sounds cool as McCaffrey can run the ball with the best of ‘em, as he’s one of the best backs in the NFL. That’s a nickname you can wear proudly anywhere.

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Tyshun “Deebo” Samuel

Most don’t know that Deebo’s first name is actually Tyshun. For a long time, whenever I heard the name Deebo, I instantly thought of the character from the movie franchise Friday, played by Tommy “Tiny” Lister Jr., aka Zeus (who also wrestled Hulk Hogan in the then-WWF). Yes, I know, all these names. But Deebo Samuel has made a lasting impression on the field over the past couple of years. Now he’s the one most sports fans think of when hearing the name Deebo.

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Kirk Cousins: “Captain Kirk”

Kirk Cousins gets a ton of grief, and sometimes he earns it. After a great regular season, he failed to live up to the name “Captain Kirk” and couldn’t lead the Minnesota Vikings past the wild card round of the playoffs. While it was necessarily his fault, the quarterback needs to do more, and Cousins’ Vikings fell short.

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Javon Hargrave: “Gravedigger”

Javon Hargrave puts QBs in the dirt. That’s easily explained and one of the more appropriate nicknames based on his play and last name. Playing on the defensive line is about asserting your will over an opponent. Sometimes that means intimidation. A name like “gravedigger” speaks for itself.

“When I first got to (South Carolina State), my friends called me Grave because of my last name,” Hargrave said. “In my first year, on my first sack, I smacked the quarterback. I knocked him back a few yards. When I got back to the sideline, my defensive coordinator called me ‘Gravedigger.’ It was pretty dope to me. It stuck.”

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Jimmy Garoppolo: “Jimmy GQ”

Jimmy Garoppolo has that look they love in Hollywood, and he’s done well capitalizing on it since leaving New England. If his right arm was as charming as his smile, he’d have a Super Bowl already and probably still be the 49ers QB. But hey, we can’t have everything in life.

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Matt Stafford: “Stat Padford”

This nickname was not meant as a compliment when Fox Sports radio host Rob Parker coined the term “Stat Padford” in reference to Matthew Stafford doing everything on the field besides winning as Detroit Lions QB. Stafford finally shed the moniker “Stat Padford” after winning a Super Bowl with the Rams, but it’s a name that tickles the funny bone.

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Aaron Donald: “The Terminator”

Another appropriate name for a player who destroys his foes and does it easily on most plays. Donald terminates offensive lines and is considered by many to be the best player in the NFL. He might have the most apropos name on this list.

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Saquon Barkley: “SaQuads”

Whether it’s “SaQuads” or “Quadzilla,” Barkley’s thighs have become legendary in a very short time. He’s a man with large quads, so of course, he squats like 5 times his body weight. When he’s healthy, that driving power from his legs shows why everyone marvels at his quads.

The 20 best NFL nicknames today

Matty Ice, Danny Dimes, Stat Padford and more classics for currently active players

Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner

Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner

Micah Parsons: “Eleven from Heaven”

Micah Parsons: “Eleven from Heaven”

Tyreek Hill: “The Cheetah”

Tyreek Hill: “The Cheetah”

Russell Wilson: “DangeRuss”

Russell Wilson: “DangeRuss”

Kyler Murray: “K1"

Kyler Murray: “K1"

Patrick “Mahomeboy” Mahomes

Patrick “Mahomeboy” Mahomes

Joe Burrow: “Joe Shiesty”

Joe Burrow: “Joe Shiesty”

Derrick Henry: “King Henry”

Derrick Henry: “King Henry”

Tyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu

Tyrann “Honey Badger” Mathieu

Daniel Jones: “Danny Dimes”

Daniel Jones: “Danny Dimes”

Matt Ryan: “Matty Ice”

Matt Ryan: “Matty Ice”

Marquise “Hollywood” Brown

Marquise “Hollywood” Brown

Christian McCaffrey: “Run CMC”

Christian McCaffrey: “Run CMC”

Tyshun “Deebo” Samuel

Tyshun “Deebo” Samuel

Kirk Cousins: “Captain Kirk”

Kirk Cousins: “Captain Kirk”

Javon Hargrave: “Gravedigger”

Javon Hargrave: “Gravedigger”

Jimmy Garoppolo: “Jimmy GQ”

Jimmy Garoppolo: “Jimmy GQ”

Matt Stafford: “Stat Padford”

Matt Stafford: “Stat Padford”

Aaron Donald: “The Terminator”

Aaron Donald: “The Terminator”

Saquon Barkley: “SaQuads”

Saquon Barkley: “SaQuads”