Spurs’ Mitch Johnson and De’Aaron Fox share rooting interests ahead of NFL conference championships
With the Spurs playing at home Sunday, coach Mitch Johnson and guard De’Aaron Fox still had their eyes on the NFL’s conference title games, citing hometown and family connections.
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Even with an NBA game on the schedule, several members of the San Antonio Spurs had personal reasons to pay attention to the NFL’s conference championship matchups, according to a report published January 24, 2026.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, a Seattle native, said he would be pulling for the Seattle Seahawks to advance, pointing to hometown loyalty as the Seahawks hosted the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC title game.
Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox also had a stake in the day’s outcomes, saying he planned to cheer for the Denver Broncos due to a family connection: Broncos safety Talanoa Hufanga is married to Fox’s sister-in-law.
The report highlighted how pro athletes often track other leagues closely, especially when family ties or hometown identity make a major game feel personal. Those connections can be especially visible during playoff weekends, when stakes are high and storylines converge.
While the Spurs’ focus remained on their own contest, the story underscored the reality of a crowded sports calendar: players and staff can be locked into their professional routines and still carve out time to follow marquee games elsewhere.
The report also noted the larger context of the NFL postseason, with the Super Bowl scheduled for February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, adding another layer of anticipation as teams close in on the league’s biggest stage.
As the conference championships approached, the Spurs’ comments served as a reminder that fandom doesn’t disappear at the highest levels of competition—it often just becomes more selective, tied to the people and places that shaped an athlete’s life.