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Jay Feely spent years in the NFL trying to deliver in high-pressure moments. Now the former kicker faces a different kind of pressure as Republicans seek to protect their slim House majority in November’s midterm elections.
Feely hung up his cleats after the 2014 season, closing out a career that still leaves him 30th on the NFL’s all-time record list. He later spent several years covering games as a broadcaster before taking the plunge into politics.
Feely announced his bid for one of Arizona’s congressional seats last year and is running as the Republican candidate in the state’s first congressional district. His campaign has since drawn financial backing from several prominent sports figures.
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Former Arizona Cardinals kicker Jay Feely attends the 2026 AZ Clean Elections primary debate for the 1st Congressional District at Sneaky Big Studios in Scottsdale on June 24, 2026. (Diannie Chavez/The Republic/USA)
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NBA great Charles Barkley, who spent four years of his Hall of Fame basketball career with the Phoenix Suns, have both donated to Feely’s campaign, according to public records from the Federal Election Commission.
Records show Goodell made two donations last June, one to the primary and the other to the general election. Each contribution totaled $3,500. Individual donors may give up to $7,000 to a candidate for the US House of Representatives or Senate per year. choice.
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Feely also received an endorsement from President Donald Trump earlier this year.
Feely’s campaign website describes the 50-year-old as a “proud conservative and staunch supporter of (Trump)” who aims to “fight for border security, protect our freedoms and put America first.”
David Schweikert has represented Arizona’s first congressional district since 2011, but he is now running for governor.
Jay Feely on the sidelines at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada on February 11, 2024. (Mary Kouw/CBS via Getty Images)
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and longtime broadcaster Jim Nantz, who worked with Feely at CBS, also contributed to his campaign. Then-Ravens head coach Jim Harbaugh donated $2,500 to Feely’s campaign last September. The Bidwill family, which owns the Cardinals, has given a total of $17,000 to Feely’s campaign through donations from Michael, Nicole and Tim Bidwill.
Feely began his NFL career in Atlanta before later playing for the New York Giants, Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals. He finished his professional football career with the Chicago Bears.
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Feely pointed to support from people outside his political orbit as a reflection of his character and the relationships he has built.
“It’s just been an honor for me to be around the NFL for 25 years and to get a chance to meet the people,” Feely said. “To have this sport for me to meet these people who might disagree with me politically, on a number of the political issues, someone like Arthur Blank, who is the owner of the Falcons…” Feely told The Arizona Republic.
CBS Sports reporter Jay Feely during the game between the Carolina Panthers and the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on September 27, 2020. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)
“When I contacted him, he said, ‘Jay, we disagree politically on so many issues, but I trust your heart, so I’m going to donate to your campaign to support you.’ “
Feely’s political platform also extends into college sports, where he has called for tighter regulation of the NIL if elected.
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The National Republican Congressional Committee said in an April news release that Feely’s campaign raised $740,000 in the first quarter of 2026. Election Commission records showed he had raised an estimated $1.25 million at the end of March.
Feely faces a competitive primary against Joseph Chaplik and John Trobough. Chaplik was previously elected to the Arizona House of Representatives, and Trobough is a technology director. Arizona voters head to the polls on July 21.
Feely left Michigan in 1999 before making his NFL regular season debut with the Falcons in 2001.
