Largest NFL Player in History Surpasses Weight of Every Player in 2024-2025 Season
In the world of American Football, size often plays a significant role, particularly for players in the offensive tackle and defensive lineman positions. These positions require a certain level of physicality to dominate and obstruct opponents. In the current 2024-2025 NFL season, the title of the heaviest active player belongs to Daniel Faalele, an offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens, who tips the scales at 384 pounds.
Faalele, originally from Melbourne, Australia, is the heaviest player actively rostered in the NFL this season. However, there is a potential contender for the title in Desmond Watson, an undrafted free agent signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in April 2025. Watson is reported to weigh 460 pounds, which, if he makes the final 53-man roster, would make him the heaviest player ever associated with the NFL. For now, Faalele holds the title, but Watson's weight could surpass all historical players if he secures a spot on the Buccaneers' active roster.
Historically, players like Vince Wilfork and William "The Refrigerator" Perry were considered very heavy by NFL standards. However, both were lighter than Watson's reported weight. If Watson were to make the roster and remain active, he would surpass all previous records, becoming the heaviest NFL player of all time.
In the past, Michael Jasper, a former NFL player, held the record for one of the heaviest players ever, weighing 375 lbs (170 kg). Aaron Gibson, a first-round pick in the NFL draft for the Detroit Lions, holds the record for the heaviest player ever, weighing 410 lbs (186 kg). Other heavyweights in the league include T.J. Barnes, who weighed 364 lbs (165 kg), and Bryant McKinnie, who weighed 386 lbs (175 kg). Trent Brown, currently the heaviest player in the NFL, weighs 380 lbs (172.4 kg).
As the NFL season continues, the spotlight remains on these larger-than-life players, with Faalele and Watson at the forefront. The future of the heaviest NFL player title is uncertain, but one thing is clear: size continues to play a crucial role in the sport.
| Category | Player | Weight | Status | |---|---|---|---| | Heaviest NFL player 2024-25 season (active roster) | Daniel Faalele | 384 lbs | Active with Baltimore Ravens | | Heaviest NFL player signed (pending final roster) | Desmond Watson | 460 lbs | Signed by Tampa Bay Buccaneers, roster status TBD | | Heaviest NFL player of all time (conditional) | Desmond Watson (pending) | 460 lbs | Potential record-holder if rostered |
[1] NFL.com, "Daniel Faalele Bio," https://www.nfl.com/prospects/daniel-faalele [2] ESPN.com, "Desmond Watson signs with Tampa Bay Buccaneers," https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/36406516 [5] NFL Network, "Desmond Watson's weight could break NFL record," https://www.nfl.com/news/desmond-watson-weight-could-break-nfl-record-0ap3000001111568
The undrafted free agent, Desmond Watson, could potentially surpass Daniel Faalele as the heaviest active player in the NFL this season, as he reports a weight of 460 pounds. Historically, athletes like Vince Wilfork, William "The Refrigerator" Perry, and Aaron Gibson have been considered heavy in American Football, but Watson's reported weight is greater than any of theirs.