Which NFL players are the most fun to watch in 2019?

Some players are just fun, regardless of rooting interest or fantasy implications. These rare players make football fun, but who’s the most fun to watch in the NFL for 2019?

There are a lot of talented players in the NFL entering 2019. However, talent doesn’t automatically translate into interest. Not all good players are fun to watch. It is hard to pinpoint a definition of what makes someone actually fun to watch. You know it when you see it. Players don’t even have to be on teams you root for or on your fantasy roster to be fun to watch. Fun surpasses all biases.

Who are the most fun players to watch this 2019 NFL season? Both offense and defense are on the table. Rooting interests don’t matter and your fantasy team is no longer relevant. These guys are just plain fun!

Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate the NFL in 2019 in today’s NFL Sports Debate.

Todd Salem:

Julio Jones is fun to watch. He is stoic and unstoppable. Jones feels inevitable, unlike other offensive players of similar talent levels. He has led the league in catches and in yards. He’s led the league in yards per game and total scrimmage yards. When everyone got on his case last season for never getting in the end zone, Jones went out and scored eight touchdowns in the final nine games of the season.

Jalen Ramsey is fun to watch. He is brash and confident. He trashes other players and backs up his words. He is borderline obnoxious off the field, but for some reason, that doesn’t impact my enjoyment of watching him on the field as it does for other players.

I’ve had enough of Antonio Brown (which also might change once he gets back to running perfect routes into the end zone). Ramsey somehow manages to come off as endearing in his obnoxiousness, and I can’t explain why. Maybe it’s because he’s fun. (And I’m not a fan of Jacksonville or anyone the Jaguars routinely face.)

Of course, Aaron Donald is fun to watch. He is the MVP and the defensive line’s version of Pocket Hercules, the old nickname for Maurice Jones-Drew; only his stature somehow makes him the best in the game thanks to that low center of gravity and get-off. Others have deemed Donald “Cheat Code” for obvious reasons.

A lot of fun players get the “when healthy” caveat. J.J. Watt, Tyrann Mathieu and Cam Newton are all so fun. Watt reinvented the defensive tackle position with his pass-rushing and versatility. Mathieu is a play-making safety when on the field, which is a rare title for that position. And Newton is the present embodiment of the perfect NFL quarterback prototype. His size, strength, speed and arm are unparalleled; we just need him on the field.

Who are your favorite players to watch in the league right now? And in a grander sense, how do you feel about, not necessarily rooting for, but at least enjoying players on potential competitors to your favorite club? Is that a conflict of interest too great to bear?

We all encounter similar conflicts when playing fantasy football. In fantasy, players must be drafted without bias. Get the best players on your squad regardless of which city they play for. But that is slightly different than simply appreciating watching someone when the whistle blows.

Dan Salem:

Fun knows no borders, allegiances or bias. An NFL player is fun for a variety of reasons, often personal, but rooting interest never enters the equation. I am a New York Jets fan, yet Tom Brady is perhaps the most fun quarterback to watch. When he “turns it on” and marches his team down the field, two minutes on the clock, no timeouts and straight into the end zone. That right there is a thing of beauty and beautiful football is fun to watch.

Brady executes better than anyone I’ve ever watched play quarterback. I’m rarely rooting for him but always enjoy his precision and domination. The same can be said of Saquon Barkley. Assuming he replicates his rookie success, Barkley is a joy to watch run the football. Barry Sanders was like this as well. Whenever Barkley touches the football, I’m giddy with how many tackles he may break. I’ll even root for the Giants on occasion, making his success on the field a little sweeter.

We can’t have this conversation about the most fun players without mentioning Patrick Mahomes. After he tossed the most touchdowns in the NFL last season, his offense in Kansas City is must watch. Plus, Mahomes is just fun with the football in his hand.

As I write this, I’ve realized my idea of fun has a definitive offensive bias. Great defense is often a team effort but those lockdown players in the secondary are pretty amazing to watch. Jamaal Adams is quickly entering “must-watch” territory but he needs one more top season of play to enter the ultimate fun zone.

I also love a defensive end who always seems to get to the quarterback, but you already mentioned the current best in the NFL for 2019. That leaves me ogling the offense as I await the start of the new season. A few more players I can’t wait to watch play are Travis Kelce, Le’Veon Bell and Russell Wilson.