Former NFL Stars Set to Light Up NASCAR Pocono Weekend in Amazon Prime Video’s Farewell Race

NFL and NASCAR might be vastly different sports, but the things that tie them together might just surprise you. From NASCAR pit crew members being former college football athletes to NASCAR Championship-winning team owner, Joe Gibbs, being a Super Bowl-winning coach with the Washington Commanders, the NFL seems to have an unspoken bond with stock car racing. In 2025, that bond stretched off the track, too!

With Amazon Prime Video being part of NASCAR’s $7.7 billion broadcasting deal, NASCAR was taking inspiration from the NFL’s successful shift to streaming platforms, with Thursday Night Football games being streamed on Prime. While the NFL has been doing it since 2017, this was NASCAR’s first-ever venture into a streaming service. So, their NFL counterparts couldn’t help but pay a visit as we come to the end of Prime Video’s 5-race schedule. Read more to know who to look out for at Pocono this weekend!

NFL x NASCAR on Prime Video

This weekend, Pocono Raceway will host a NASCAR triple-header weekend as the Cup and Xfinity Series return from their trip to Mexico City, and two NFL icons are ready to grace the track. However, interest in these stars’ appearance at Pocono was ignited way before that. The iconic former NFL quarterback who played for a host of teams, Ryan Fitzpatrick, started showing increased interest in NASCAR earlier this month.

After watching a thrilling fuel mileage race at Michigan a couple of weeks back, Fitzpatrick took to X to write, “Loving NASCAR right now!!! Gotta go see a race in person before [NASCAR on Prime Video] season ends… looks like I’ll see you guys at Pocono.” Well, this rumor has turned out to be true, as NFL on Prime analysts Andrew Whitworth and Ryan Fitzpatrick will be present at Pocono Raceway this weekend!

Adam Stern of the Sports Business Journal reported the news on X, writing, “@NFLonPrime analysts Ryan Fitzpatrick and Andrew Whitworth will be at Pocono for this weekend’s @NASCAR action and plan to be on air at some point during the @PrimeVideo broadcast.” Andrew Whitworth is a Super Bowl champion and spent most of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals. However, the offensive tackle won his only Super Bowl ring for the Los Angeles Rams in 2022 against the Bengals! Whitworth and Fitzpatrick have been working together since 2022 after Whitworth’s retirement, when the two linked up on Thursday Night Football on Prime Video as analysts.

They hit it off right away, and in 2024, they launched a podcast together called Fitz & Whit, which is under Wave Sports Entertainment. Fitzpatrick and Whitworth even shared a short career overlap at the Cincinnati Bengals in 2007-08, when Fitzpatrick spent his lone season at the team. Now, as colleagues for the last 3 years, Fitzpatrick and Whitworth look to grace NASCAR on Prime’s farewell at Pocono Raceway, but this wouldn’t be their first interaction with the sport.

Whitworth was the NASCAR grand marshal at the 2022 Wise Power 400 at Auto Club Speedway, California. Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick had imparted advice to former Cup Series driver turned Prime Video analyst, Corey Lajoie ahead of his stint with Prime Video this season. The duo seems to love the sport, and Whitworth even took a sarcastic dig at his co-host on X when the news of their Pocono presence was announced.

Whitworth wrote on X: “Me: “No, Fitz, this week it’s not a circle. It’s a triangle. Three turns.” Fitz: “Wait… three turns? Isn’t it supposed to be four?” Me: “Just leave the silk button-up at home.”” Well, we can understand your confusion, Ryan. Pocono is not like any ordinary racetrack. Nicknamed the ‘Tricky Triangle, ‘ Pocono Raceway is known for its unique triangular oval layout, involving three distinct turning zones compared to the four we see at usual NASCAR ovals. And for our NFL attendees, they may have just chosen the perfect race.

Pocono Raceway has been voted as the best track on NASCAR’s schedule for the last two years in a row! Its unique dynamics make it a humdinger to watch, with the last five races each won by a different driver! Ryan Blaney is the defending Pocono champion, but Denny Hamlin is the most successful driver of all time on the track, with 7 wins to his name, including 2 in his last six races. However, Fitzpatrick might still be team Blaney.

While posting about the Michigan race on X, Ryan also asked NASCAR journalist Jeff Gluck who he should support for the season. Fitzpatrick replied to a post by Gluck on X, writing, “Any advice on picking a driver, Jeff? My youngest son is all in on Blaney because he won last week. Was looking for a driver with a thick beard, but they all seem to be well groomed…” Well, if his son is team Blaney, it would be safe to say he is rooting for the #12 team; however, Blaney has shaved his beard, unfortunately.

The Great American Gateway 400 at Pocono promises to be the spectacle it always is, and with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Andrew Whitworth bringing their timeless humor and excitement to the track, it’s sure to be a hit on Prime Video as well.