Five former NFL players
- Status
- Pardons granted
- Clemency
- Pardon · Feb 12, 2026
- People
- Donald Trump
- The case
- Joe Klecko (perjury), Nate Newton (drug trafficking), Jamal Lewis (using a phone to arrange a drug deal), Travis Henry (cocaine conspiracy) and, posthumously, Billy Cannon (1983 counterfeiting).
THE LINK TO TRUMP’S ORBIT
Announced by pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson, who said Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones personally delivered the news to Newton. Newsweek reported in 2020 that Jones had been a vocal supporter of Trump over players kneeling during the national anthem in 2017. No payment is documented.
WHAT THE RECORD SHOWS
The Justice Department list gives sentencing dates from 1993 (Klecko) to 2009 (Henry); The Hill dates Cannon’s counterfeiting to 1983. The Justice Department list dates the grants February 12, 2026, four days after Super Bowl LX, which ESPN reports was played February 8.
RESPONSE
Newton thanked Trump in a February 13 post on X, WFAA reported; the cited reports include no statement from Klecko or the other pardoned players. NPR reported that pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson thanked Trump for his “continued commitment to second chances” and that the White House did not return a request for comment on why Trump pardoned the players.
Correction. An earlier version called all five convictions decades old. The Justice Department list gives sentencing dates from 1993 to 2009, and The Hill dates Billy Cannon’s counterfeiting case to 1983. Corrected September 18, 2026.
SOURCES
- NPR: Trump pardons 5 former NFL players for crimes ranging from perjury to drug trafficking ↗
- The Hill: President Trump pardons 5 ex-NFL players ↗
- U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Pardon Attorney: Clemency grants by President Donald J. Trump (2025-present) ↗
- WFAA: Why did President Trump grant a pardon to Nate Newton? The former Cowboys offensive lineman is still trying to figure that out ↗
- Newsweek: Which NFL Owners Support Donald Trump? List of Those Who Have Donated to the President ↗
- ESPN: Super Bowl 2026 highlights: Seahawks capture second Lombardi with 29-13 win over Patriots ↗
A connection recorded here is not proof that it bought the outcome. Where a response exists, it is part of the record. How entries are labeled · Submit a correction or response · Download the ledger
