Back in 2020, LeBron James revealed during an Uninterrupted “After Party” show that there was a time when he seriously considered making the move from the NBA to the NFL. People still talk about Michael Jordan playing minor league baseball for almost two years. LeBron playing in the NFL for a year wasn’t unheard of in 2011.
Just to clarify, Lebron James was 27 years old in 2011.
https://x.com/uninterrupted/status/1262553595230040065
Maverick Carter, business partner and friend to LeBron James, revealed on the show that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones offered James a contract in 2011, WKYC reported. Carter claimed that James has the contract framed and hanging in his office.
It could be a joke between friends, but Lebron did play football for St. Vincent St. Mary High School as a wide receiver. He earned All-State honors after earning 61 receptions for 1,245 yards and 16 touchdowns during his junior season. He didn’t play his senior year due to a wrist injury.
How Close Did LeBron Really Come to Joining the Cowboys?
Back in January 2025, LeBron James appeared on the New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce podcast. FOX Sports summarized that James discussed how close he was to playing football for the NFL during the NBA lockout in 2011.
“The only time I’ve really taken it super-duper seriously was in 2011 when we had the NBA lockout,” James said. “And I didn’t know when we were going to make the deal with the owners and get our league back going, so I actually thought about it a little bit back then. I was still young enough to get out there with y’all, but that’s the only time I’ve actually seriously considered it.”
The NBA lockout lasted for 149 days and reduced the regular season from 82 to 66 games. If the lockout had lasted longer, there could have been a scenario where LeBron James played a couple of games for the Dallas Cowboys. The media frenzy would have been biblical. A Dallas Cowboys jersey with the name LeBron James on it would have been the highest-selling jersey of all time.
LeBron No Longer a Fan of Dallas Cowboys
However, NBCSports Philadelphia reported in 2022 that LeBron appeared on an Instagram Live session with Maverick Carter and heavily criticized the Dallas Cowboys franchise. He said the following:
“Nah, man. I had to sit out on the Cowboys, man,” James said when asked if he was still a Cowboys fan. “There’s just a lot of things that were going on when guys were kneeling. Guys were having freedom of speech and wanting to do it in a very peaceful manner. … The organization was like, ‘If you do that around here, then you will never play for this franchise again.’ I just didn’t think that was appropriate.”
https://x.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/1586030279621283841
It seems unlikely that LeBron James is going to play football for the Cleveland Browns or the Dallas Cowboys. That train has sailed, but there is an alternate reality where LeBron is one of the greatest tight ends of all time. A massive part of Bron’s legacy is his longevity, but that’s not likely the case when the sport is football. It’s a lot harder on the body than basketball.
When talking to Jason and Travis Kelce, James said that it’s easier for a basketball player to transition to the NFL compared to an NFL player trying to get into the NBA.
“Football going to basketball, it’s much more coordination and running and jumping, and it’s consistent,” he explained, as basketball players don’t get as many timeouts between the action.
It’s fun to think about, but things ultimately worked out as they were meant to. LeBron James on the Dallas Cowboys will have to become one of those “what-if” questions in sports history. You never know. LeBron could become a partial NFL owner someday.
