Switching sports at the age of 41 is practically unheard of. Even though LeBron James hitting free agency doesn’t guarantee a move from the NBA to the NFL, there’s no reason NFL teams wouldn’t at least try their luck.

After spending eight consecutive seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James has officially entered free agency following the expiration of his two-year, $101.35 million deal with the Lakers. Soon after the news broke, it didn’t take long for several NFL teams to jump in, with franchises already making playful pitches to recruit him on social media.

The New York Jets were among the first to shoot their shot, posting, “Run it back in the green and white, @kingjames?”

Not far behind, the Buffalo Bills joined in as well, sharing a post that read “Never say never,” alongside an edited image of LeBron wearing a Bills jersey.

The Houston Texans also jumped on the trend. While their defense is already one of the strongest in the league, their offense could definitely use another weapon. Perhaps that’s why they decided to send their own recruitment pitch to LeBron.

And of course, the Green Bay Packers couldn’t stay out of the conversation either, casually posting: “Heard he is a free agent.”

For what it’s worth, James has often mentioned that he misses playing the sport.

“I still love football to this day, man,” James said back in 2021. “Just getting out there and playing, Friday night lights back in high school was something I enjoyed every Friday, so it was definitely challenging and tough to walk away from the game, and I still love it to this day.”

Even though James has always been outspoken about his love for the sport, the idea of him making the jump to the NFL still feels like a long shot. Not necessarily for former NFL MVP Cam Newton, though. He has already shared his own prediction about where the NBA superstar could end up next.

“San Antonio… or I won’t be mad at LeBron going to Houston to be with KD,” Newton said on his “4th&1” podcast while discussing where James could continue his career.

LeBron James could have made it to a college football team back in the days

James may be a little rusty on the football side of things, as he hasn’t taken the gridiron since his junior year at St. Vincent-St. Mary back in 2001. But when his 6’ 9” frame took the field, he was a force to be reckoned with.

While playing for St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, he earned first-team All-State honors in Ohio during his junior year after putting up impressive numbers – 57 catches, 1,160 receiving yards, and 16 touchdowns, while helping his team reach the state semifinals. He didn’t play football in his senior year. But even then, he finished his high school football career with 108 catches, 2,065 yards, and 28 touchdowns.

While it was clear that James would pursue basketball as his primary sport, recruiting offers poured in from colleges like Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan, and Florida. LeBron James is today the best-recognized face in the NBA, but his NFL career remains one of the biggest “what if” storylines ever.

While NFL teams are making humorous attempts at recruiting him, Prime LeBron would be a threat to any of them if he continued playing football.