New research from Betway has revealed which NFL players have experienced the fastest growth in fans online over the last year.
By analyzing follower growth on Instagram over the last 12 months, Josh Allen was revealed to have had the biggest jump in followers, with a huge growth of 50.24%.
The reigning Super Bowl champion, Aaron Donald, had the second-highest growth in Instagram followers, with a staggering 46.17% growth over the past year.
Photo: USA TodayHaving a strong online presence on social media channels has become an extremely important factor for the modern NFL player, with platforms such as Instagram providing great opportunities for players to communicate directly with their fans and create an online community.
The best way of measuring online communities and fanbases is through one metric: followers. By looking at how follower counts are growing, we can get an insight into which player’s online fanbase is growing the fastest.
To discover this, Betway analyzed the growth in followers of the top 25 players in the NFL in 2021 Instagram accounts over the past year and ranked them in order to reveal which fanbases are growing the fastest.
The following table ranks the top 25 players in the NFL in 2021 based on the yearly growth in followers (%):
| Rank | Name | Username | Team | % yearly growth |
| 1 | Josh Allen | @joshallenqb | Buffalo Bills | 50.24% |
| 2 | Aaron Donald | @aarondonald99 | LA Rams | 46.17% |
| 3 | Davante Adams | @taeadams | Green Bay Packers | 40.60% |
| 4 | Tom Brady | @tombrady | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 26.75% |
| 5 | Myles Garrett | @flash_garrett | Cincinnati Bengals | 26.12% |
| 6 | Fred Warner | @fred_warner | San Francisco 49ers | 24.84% |
| 7 | Jalen Ramsey | @jalenramsey | Baltimore Ravens | 22.50% |
| 8 | Aaron Rodgers | @aaronrodgers12 | Green Bay Packers | 22.00% |
| 9 | Budda Baker | @buddab32 | Arizona Cardinals | 19.03% |
| 10 | Xavien Howard | @iamxavienhoward | Miami Dolphins | 17.54% |
| 11 | Stefon Diggs | @stefondiggs | Buffalo Bills | 15.64% |
| 12 | Tyreek Hill | @cheetah | Kansas City Chiefs | 12.95% |
| 13 | T.J. Watt | @tjwatt90 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 11.89% |
| 14 | Lamar Jackson | @new_era8 | Baltimore Ravens | 11.33% |
| 15 | Travis Kelce | @killatrav | Kansas City Chiefs | 9.87% |
| 16 | Russell Wilson | @dangerusswilson | Seattle Seahawks | 8.81% |
| 17 | Patrick Mahomes | @patrickmahomes | Kansas City Chiefs | 8.56% |
| 18 | Bobby Wagner | @bwagz | Seattle Seahawks | 7.83% |
| 19 | Derrick Henry | @last_king_2 | Tennessee Titans | 7.32% |
| 20 | Dalvin Cook | @dalvincook | Minnesota Vikings | 6.65% |
| 21 | DeAndre Hopkins | @deandrehopkins | Arizona Cardinals | 4.76% |
| 22 | Alvin Kamara | @alvinkamara | New Orleans Saints | 3.16% |
| 23 | DK Metcalf | @dkm14 | Seattle Seahawks | 3.09% |
| 24 | Deshaun Watson | @deshaunwatson | Houston Texans | -0.88% |
| 25 | Khalil Mack | @fiftydeuce | LA Chargers | -2.83% |
After a spectacular season with the Buffalo Bills, Josh Allen claims the number one spot as the hottest player on the ‘gram among the top 25 players last year, with his follower count growing by 50.24% over the past year. Aaron Donald comes in at second place after winning the Superbowl with the Rams with a growth of 46.17%, and Davante Adams comes in at third with a growth of 40.60%.
On the other hand, Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints and DK Metcalf from the Seahawks actually lost followers over the last year, with the players’ follower counts experiencing a 0.88% and a 2.83% drop in followers, respectfully.
Methodology
Betway analyzed the follower counts on Instagram for the top 25 NFL players in 2021 over the last 12 months. Data are accurate as of 28th June 2022.
Featured Image: USA Today
