Simone Biles has spent most of 2025 cheering at her husband’s NFL games from the stands. But Sunday night, the world watched her on a different stage, one that felt more familiar to gym fans after Suni Lee’s recent sideline appearance.

Biles was recently spotted at the Levi ‘sStadium in Santa Clara, as the Chicago Bears took on the San Francisco 49ers. But this time the Olympic champion had a pass, a job, and a purpose that everyone wanted to know.

The new role? NFL Photographer. Finally, Biles joined the NFL Celebrity Photographer Series, working with the league’s Live Content Correspondents team. The NFL’s official account shared a short video of her introducing herself from the field, greeting fans just like a reporter would. As she says, “Hey guys, I am Simone Biles, and we are here at Sunday Night Football where the Bears take on the 49ers.”

Earlier that day, the 28-year-old gymnast teased her new role with an Instagram story selfie, calling it a “side quest coming sooooooon.” Later, when the side quest was revealed, she posted more sideline stories, this time capturing her husband, Jonathan Owens, through a professional Sony lens, commenting on the lighting like someone whose angles exist in frames, not flips, for now.

Even the broadcast cameras captured her in action, wearing an NFL media vest and carrying a professional camera. This was also the first time Simone Biles was seen as a credentialed NFL photographer, despite being a familiar face around Bears games all season.

The only thing Simone Biles couldn’t turn around that night was the score. The 49ers won 42-38, sealing the match on the final play in a close, high-scoring battle. It was four points that made all the difference, as the Bears lost out on the top seed, but the parallel story down on the sidelines was Simone herself. But she’s not the only athlete to try her hand at NFL photography.

Simone Biles, fellow gymnast Suni Lee, and other stars step behind the NFL camera

Suni Lee proved she can be a top gymnast, even while managing two kidney conditions. But it turns out she has other creative talents too.

The 22-year-old Olympian spent Christmas Day on the sidelines in Minnesota for the NFL matchup between the Vikings and Lions. Instead of cheering or waving, she was focused on capturing the action at U.S. Bank Stadium.

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Like Biles, Lee also participated in the Celeb Photography Series in her hometown of St. Paul. But this wasn’t her first appearance at a Vikings game this year. Back in Week 7, she showed up and even led the pregame Skol chant, proving she can get the crowd going as much as she can capture the field. And she even caught up with Snoop Dogg after the halftime show.

Even NBA superstar Kevin Durant joined the series, sharing memorable sideline shots with fans at Super Bowl 50 in 2016. Former running back Marshawn Lynch has also dabbled in photography, snapping photos of NFL preseason games for teams such as the Seahawks and Raiders. He joined fellow Seattle icons like Randy Johnson and Ken Griffey Jr., who also took up photography after their playing days came to an end.

From gymnasts like Simone Biles to other professional athletes, the NFL Celebrity Photographer Series is showing that stars can shine off the field just as much as they do on it.