Did Brock Lesnar Ever Compete in the NFL? All About The Beast Incarnate's Pro Football Career

Has former WWE and UFC champion The Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar ever competed in the NFL? Read to learn about Brock Lesnar’s career paths outside WWE.

By Nayan Kumawat

Published on Jul 31, 2024 | 05:31 PM IST | 71.7K

Brock Lesnar NFL

In this Article

Brock Lesnar's NFL run?
Brock Lesnar’s UFC run
Brock Lesnar’s UFC record

The Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar, is one of the biggest names in combat sports. Brock Lesnar has captured multiple titles and awards in combat sports; he started his journey as an amateur wrestler, and his wrestling record is 106 wins and only five losses, and he won the national championship in college.

Later, rather than going into the Olympics and representing the United States of America, Brock Lesnar transitioned into pro-wrestling in 2002 after training hard at OVW. In 2002, The Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar got signed by WWE, where he quickly climbed ladders and was given the moniker ‘The Next Big Thing.” Lesnar conquered multiple big names and even managed to become the youngest WWE champion.

ALSO READ: Did Brock Lesnar Ever Compete in the Olympics? Find Out

Brock Lesnar NFL

Brock Lesnar's NFL run?

In 2004, Brock Lesnar decided to leave WWE when he was at the peak of his run to pursue his other goals. His reason for leaving WWE was his desire to join pro football and eventually get signed in the NFL.

Fans often wonder if Brock Lesnar has ever played in the NFL. The answer is yes. Brock Lesnar played a pre-season game with the Minnesota Vikings team as the defensive tackle. The fact worth noting is that Brock Lesnar had no experience playing professional football, even in his college days, as he was then dominating competition on the wrestling mat.

Although Brock Lesnar played for the Minnesota Vikings team as he was signed as an undrafted free agent, he played pre-season games, but he never made it to the core team and didn’t play the regular NFL season. Lesnar was released from the team in the budget cuts by the team, and the reason behind his cut from the team was a lack of experience and lesser skill sets as a professional footballer.

Brock Lesnar UFC

Brock Lesnar’s UFC run

After getting cut from the Minnesota Vikings, The Beast decided to quit professional football and return to professional wrestling in 2005; he briefly worked with NJPW.

Brock Lesnar grabbed a lot of attention in 2008 when he made his mixed martial arts debut in the UFC at UFC 81. Although he lost his debut match, Lesnar made a strong return and eventually captured the UFC championship, making him the first WWE and UFC champion on the globe. In his professional mixed martial arts career, Brock Lesnar has a professional record of five wins, three losses, and one no-contest.

brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman