LeBron James is hitting free agency in his 24th NBA season, and the internet did what the internet does — it turned it into a joke about football. The Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers both jumped on the trend on June 30, posting photoshopped images of James in their jerseys. The Bills went with a simple line of copy: “Never say never.” The Packers followed with, “Heard he’s a free agent.”
Both tweets were clearly jokes. LeBron is 41 years old and has never played a down of professional football. But the posts landed because LeBron’s love for football is well-documented. He’s talked before about how he could have played tight end in the NFL. There’s old video of him running routes and catching passes during warmups with teammates, and honestly, he looks like he belongs out there. At 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds, the physical tools are there. The timing is not.
Starting football at 41 is not realistic, even for a generational athlete like LeBron. The Bills and Packers know that. The whole thing was just a fun way to get engagement and remind everyone that football season is creeping up. It worked.
Where LeBron Is Actually Likely to Go
The NFL stuff is just a distraction. The real drama is playing out in the NBA free agency rumor mill, where three teams are emerging as the most serious suitors: the Golden State Warriors, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Miami Heat. Each has its own case. Golden State offers Steph Curry and a winning culture that’s already been proven. Cleveland would be a homecoming — LeBron’s third stint with the Cavs, which feels almost inevitable at this point. Miami is the team that nearly got him before, and Pat Riley never really stops recruiting.
There’s been no official word from LeBron’s camp yet on where he’s leaning. He’s probably going to take his time with this one. His decision will shape the entire league for the next year or two, and at this stage of his career, he’s only chasing rings.
So no, LeBron James is not going to play for the Bills or the Packers. But the fact that two NFL teams even bothered to troll him says something about how big his free agency moment really is. It’s not every day that a basketball player becomes a trending topic in football circles.
The Bills and Packers had their fun. Now the real waiting game begins.
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