Jay Feely campaign draws donations from Roger Goodell and Charles Barkley

Jay Feely spent years in the NFL trying to thrive in high-pressure moments. Now, the former striker faces a different pressure point as Republicans try to maintain their slim majority in the House of Representatives in November’s midterm elections.

Feely hung up his cleats after the 2014 season, ending a career that still ranks 30th on the NFL’s all-time scoring list. He later spent several years covering games as a broadcaster before entering 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 received financial support from many prominent sports figures.

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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NBA star Charles Barkley, who spent four years of his Hall of Fame basketball career with the Phoenix Suns, donated to Feely’s campaign, according to publicly available data from the Federal Election Commission.

Records show Goodell made two donations last June, one for the primary and the other for the general election. Each contribution totaled $3,500. Individual donors are allowed to donate up to $7,000 to a U.S. House or Senate candidate per election.

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Feely also received support 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 is currently running for governor.

Jay Feely is on the sideline at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Paradise, Nevada. (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, donated a total of $17,000 to Feely’s campaign, with donations from Michael, Nicole and Tim Bidwill.

Feely began his NFL career in Atlanta and later played for the New York Giants, Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals. He completed his professional football career with Chicago Bears.

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Feely stated that he received support from people outside his own political line, as a reflection of his character and the relationships he established.

“It has been an honor to be in the NFL for 25 years and get the chance to meet people,” Feely said. “I love this sport politically and to meet people who disagree with me on some political issues, to meet someone like Arthur Blank, the owner of the Falcons,” Feely said. Arizona Republic.

CBS Sports reporter Jay Feely during the game between the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on September 27, 2020. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)

“When I reached out to him, he said, ‘Jay, we disagree politically on a lot of issues, but I trust your heart, so I’ll donate to your campaign to support you.'”

Feely’s political platform also extends to college sports, and he has called for tighter regulation of the NIL if elected.

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Feely’s campaign raised $740,000 in the first quarter of 2026, the National Republican Congressional Committee said in an April press release. Election commission records showed he had raised an estimated $1.25 million as of 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 executive. Arizona voters will go to the polls on July 21.

Feely went undrafted out of Michigan in 1999 before making his first regular-season NFL game with the Falcons in 2001.

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