Is Congress adding a specialist?
Retired NFL kicker and outspoken Republican Jay Feely has launched a campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives in Arizona’s fifth congressional district.
The 48-year-old has been a broadcaster for the past 10 years before recently telling ESPN of his political plans ahead of Tuesday’s announcement in Gilbert, Arizona. Feely will be running in the 2026 midterm election to replace Andy Biggs, a fifth-term congressman and fellow Republican who plans to run for Governor in the Grand Canyon State.
‘I’m excited about this next chapter of my life,’ Feely told ESPN. ‘I think that I feel God’s calling pressing me into service, and that’s really what I believe it is, is the civil service. I don’t believe we have enough politicians that get into political office not for self-serving measures and that get into political office and don’t want it to be a career, and that’s what I believe.’
A former teammate of Tom Brady’s at Michigan, Feely formally submitted a statement of interest to the Arizona secretary of state on Tuesday, declaring his interest in the seat. He can now collect signatures to be on the ballot.
Feely joined CBS Sports Network as a color analyst in 2015 for college football games and, beginning in 2017, with CBS’ NFL coverage. He told ESPN that last football season, he didn’t feel the same challenge and purpose to his occupation as earlier in his broadcasting career.
AJ Feely is a regular on CBS’ NFL coverage and remains an outspoken supporter of Trump
Feely once played golf with Trump in 2020, calling it an ‘honor’ at the time
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He said that the July ᴀssᴀssination attempt on President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania motivated him to run for public office. Feely noted that Trump and Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio had asked him to run for Congress in 2022, but he and his wife had children in high school and declined. Their children will be out of high school by 2026.
Feely also helped Trump’s efforts in Arizona, where the current and former President won by 5.5 percent in 2024. What’s more, he even played golf with Trump in 2020, calling it an ‘honor’ at the time
‘I felt that there was a calling to something greater and that there was a different platform that I wanted to try to utilize to have a positive impact on people,’ Feely said of his upcoming campaign, as quoted by ESPN.
‘I’ve always been involved in politics and done a lot of different events for different politicians, local and national, and I’ve always liked thinking about political issues and talking about political issues, so, that’s not new, but leaving broadcasting after I’d worked so hard to get where I was and to step aside, and to say I think there’s a greater calling, yeah, that was different for me.’
Feely has been outspoken in support of Trump in recent years, telling OutKick’s Dan Dakich in September that Trump is better for the economy than the Biden-Harris White House.
Having my wife, my kids and grandkids with me at our campaign launch event meant the world to me. pic.twitter.com/QcVL4G68qX
— Jay Feely (@jayfeely) April 23, 2025
Former college teammates Tom Brady and Jay Feely greet before a 2007 Pats-‘Phins game
A number of NFL and AFL figures have served in Congress, including retired Tennessee тιтans linebacker Colin Allred, former Indianapolis Colts receiver Anthony Gonzalez, Buffalo Bills great Jack Kemp, and Hall-of-Fame Seattle Seahawks receiver Steve Largent.
A native of Odessa, Florida Feely kicked at Michigan and played during the 1995, 1997 and 1998 seasons, including a national championship in 1997 when he made three field goals and two extra points.
He played in the Arena Football League in 1999 and 2000 before getting his opportunity with the Falcons in 2001.
Ultimately Feely played 14 years in the NFL and made 332 of 402 field-goal attempts (82.6 percent) with a long of 61, and 449 of 452 extra-point attempts (99.3 percent). He played for the Atlanta Falcons (2001-04), New York Giants (2005-06), Miami Dolphins (2007), New York Jets (2008-09), Arizona Cardinals (2010-13) and Chicago Bears (2014).
