John Cena Makes Surprise NFL Draft Appearance

John Cena may be nursing battle scars from WrestleMania 41, but that didn’t stop him from showing up for his hometown team during the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Undisputed WWE Champion made a special video appearance Friday night during ESPN and NFL Network’s live coverage of Night 2 of the draft. Cena, alongside actor Idris Elba, helped introduce the New England Patriots’ third-round pick—Washington State wide receiver Kyle Williams.

Still feeling the effects of his grueling WrestleMania 41 main event against Cody Rhodes, Cena explained why he couldn’t be there in person: “I couldn’t make it to Green Bay, Wisconsin tonight,” he said, but still proudly represented the Patriots from afar.

A native of West Newbury, Massachusetts, Cena has long been a die-hard supporter of New England sports, and his latest cameo continues to show love for the region. With the Patriots trying to rebuild their offense, Cena’s message helped add some extra star power to the team’s draft night.

Meanwhile, Cena was also featured during Friday’s WWE SmackDown, just five days after dethroning Cody Rhodes to become the Undisputed WWE Champion. WWE officially announced during the show that Cena’s first title defense will happen at Backlash next month—where he’ll face none other than Randy Orton.

Was John Cena the perfect pick to rep the Patriots at the draft? And how do you feel about Cena vs. Orton happening again for the Undisputed Title? Sound off in the comments and let us know your take.