Danhausen’s unusual blend of wrestling character work, sports superstition and pop-culture visibility could be headed to the NFL.
At least three NFL teams have reportedly contacted WWE about potential promotional partnerships involving Danhausen, including the possibility of appearances inside stadiums. The discussions are said to be exploratory at this stage, and there is no indication that a deal with any specific franchise has been finalized. Still, the reported interest reflects the increasingly broad reach of a performer whose “curse” gimmick has become a recurring point of conversation far beyond professional wrestling.
Danhausen has built his identity around a very particular presentation: a theatrical, comedic-yet-menacing character who issues curses, demands money, and invites audiences to “love that Danhausen.” That act first developed into a major attraction on the independent scene before gaining wider exposure through televised wrestling, social media, merchandise and his interactions with personalities in the sports world.
Now, WWE may be positioned to turn that attention into a significant sports-marketing opportunity.
For more background on this topic, read Joe Gacy Hopes Wyatt Sicks Can Reunite as Members Pursue Separate Paths.
A crossover appeal unlike a typical wrestling partnership
WWE has long worked with professional sports teams, athletes and leagues. Wrestlers regularly attend games, throw ceremonial first pitches, appear at major sporting events and participate in social-media campaigns with franchises. Those collaborations can create valuable local promotion for television events, premium live events and talent appearances.
Danhausen’s situation appears different because the interest is reportedly tied directly to the character’s association with sports outcomes and fan superstition. Rather than simply presenting a WWE star as a celebrity guest, an NFL club could potentially use Danhausen as part of a larger game-week storyline, stadium presentation, merchandise activation or online campaign.
Internally, WWE’s response to Danhausen’s crossover merchandise work with the New York Knicks has reportedly been extremely positive. One person within WWE described the reaction to that product as “unlike anything the company has experienced with a talent generating crossover interest from professional sports organizations.”
That is a notable description, particularly given WWE’s lengthy history of athletes crossing over into wrestling and wrestlers appearing in mainstream sports settings. WWE has partnered with major leagues and teams for decades, while personalities such as Pat McAfee and Logan Paul have also helped connect wrestling programming with audiences outside its traditional base.
Danhausen, however, brings a different kind of appeal. His presence is not based on a conventional athlete-celebrity crossover. It is built on fans embracing the idea that his fictional curses and blessings have some playful connection to real sporting success.
The Knicks connection helped elevate the conversation
The recent attention surrounding Danhausen’s sports ties grew substantially through his association with the New York Knicks. He became a pop-culture talking point after claiming to have lifted a curse placed on ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith. The Knicks subsequently went on an extraordinary playoff run and won the NBA Championship, ending a 53-year wait for the franchise.
The coincidence gave Danhausen’s persona an unusually useful hook: sports fans could engage with the joke without needing to be committed wrestling viewers. In the world of fan rituals, lucky charms and long-running curse narratives, Danhausen’s character was a natural fit.
Danhausen and the Knicks later worked together, further establishing the connection between the wrestler and the organization. Karl-Anthony Towns was involved in helping Danhausen secure a victory at Saturday Night’s Main Event in June, creating a direct WWE television moment from the broader Knicks crossover.
For WWE, that type of integration can serve several purposes at once. It gives a talent a distinctive story that can draw attention from outside the normal wrestling news cycle. It offers a sports organization a promotional concept with immediate online familiarity. And it gives fans merchandise that represents both their favorite team and a WWE personality.
The reported NFL interest suggests the Knicks campaign did not simply perform as a one-off novelty. Instead, it may have demonstrated that Danhausen’s character can help create attention around a sports brand in a way that feels organic to both sides.
Why the NFL could see value in Danhausen
NFL teams compete heavily for attention throughout the season, especially in major markets where clubs share the spotlight with other professional teams, college sports, concerts and entertainment properties. A recognizable wrestling figure who can be framed as a good-luck charm, a curse-breaker or a villain for an opposing team could give a franchise fresh material for its digital channels and in-game presentation.
There are many ways a partnership could theoretically take shape, though no specific plans have been disclosed. A team might bring Danhausen to a home game, feature him in a promotional video, build a themed merchandise item around a rivalry game, or use his persona in a broader fan-engagement campaign. A stadium appearance could also give WWE programming an audience in front of tens of thousands of spectators while providing an NFL team with content designed for wrestling fans and casual viewers alike.
The character is especially adaptable to that environment. Fans can cheer Danhausen, blame him, ask for a curse on a rival, or celebrate when he declares that a curse has been removed. That flexibility can work across markets without requiring the team to treat the concept as anything more serious than the fun, exaggerated fiction it is intended to be.
Reportedly, should an NFL partnership come together, WWE expects Fanatics to be involved in a crossover between Danhausen and the team later in the season. Fanatics is a major player in licensed sports merchandise, and its potential involvement would make sense given the reported enthusiasm around the Knicks-related items.
No team has been identified in connection with the reported inquiries. As a result, it remains unclear whether any interested club will move ahead, which markets may be involved, or what form an eventual agreement could take.
The Las Vegas angle adds another layer
Danhausen’s current sports mythology has also included the Las Vegas Raiders and Tom Brady. Last month, Danhausen discussed Brady during an interview with Complex, saying that the former NFL quarterback had been cursed after referring to wrestling as “cute” and “scripted.” Brady is a partial owner of the Raiders.
The remark was consistent with Danhausen’s established character, but it also illustrates why NFL-related promotional interest could be particularly entertaining. Professional football already thrives on rivalries, antagonists, bold predictions and fan-driven narratives. Danhausen’s act can slide into those conversations while remaining unmistakably rooted in wrestling performance.
His sports curse history has extended beyond the NBA as well. Danhausen also claimed to have cursed the Vegas Golden Knights, after which the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup. Whether fans view those moments as amusing coincidence, committed character work or both, the important point for promotional partners is the engagement they can generate.
Sports fans often create their own traditions around streaks and turning points: a certain jersey worn on game day, a particular seat at home, a lucky meal, or a ritual performed before kickoff. Danhausen’s curse gimmick provides a ready-made version of that language, one that can be adapted into short-form videos, merchandise slogans and live-event moments.
A major opportunity for WWE and Danhausen
For Danhausen, an NFL campaign would represent another major step in translating a specialized wrestling persona into a mainstream entertainment brand. His path has never depended on fitting the mold of a conventional WWE attraction. The strength of the character is its specificity. Danhausen is memorable because he has a clear voice, visual identity and world view, all of which can be understood quickly even by viewers who do not follow wrestling weekly.
For WWE, the potential payoff goes beyond a single stadium appearance. Successful relationships with NFL organizations can create new retail opportunities, increase visibility on sports-focused platforms and introduce wrestling talent to audiences who may not otherwise encounter them. The reported interest also reinforces the value of allowing performers to maintain distinctive characters that can travel across entertainment categories.
There is still a meaningful distance between preliminary outreach and an official partnership. Until WWE, an NFL team or Fanatics announces an agreement, the situation should be viewed as a developing possibility rather than a confirmed campaign. But the reported inquiries from multiple teams indicate that Danhausen’s crossover momentum is being noticed.
“Love that Danhausen” began as a familiar refrain attached to an unconventional wrestling act. If the NFL interest turns into a concrete collaboration, it may soon become part of a much larger sports-marketing story as well.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.