▲Ben Roethlisberger helped the Pittsburgh Steelers win two Super Bowls, but found himself in hot water with two accusations of sexual assault in 2009. He was suspended for four games in 2010.

▲Back in September 2015, the Pittsburgh Steelers (led by coach Mike Tomlin) apparently had issues with their headsets and accused the New England Patriots of cheating.

▲Michael Vick was a star for the Atlanta Falcons until 2007, when news broke that he funded and operated a dogfighting ring. He served 21 months in federal prison.

▲One of the biggest scandals ever, former player O.J. Simpson was accused of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. Simpson was found not guilty.

▲Between 2009 and 2011, the New Orleans Saints were allegedly involved in an illegal bounty system in which they paid out bonuses for injuring opponents. This was according to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who suspended Saints coach Sean Payton for a year.

▲Back in 1999, Robinson won an award for his outstanding character. Later that day, he was arrested for soliciting sex from an undercover police officer. He played the Super Bowl the following night, receiving criticism for his performance.

▲Retired quarterback Brett Favre made headlines after allegedly sending lewd photos and messages to sideline reporter Jenn Sterger.

▲In 1998, Eddie DeBartolo Jr. (owner of the San Francisco 49ers) was embroiled in an extortion scandal. Louisiana governor Edwin Edwards was also involved.

▲The New England Patriots were called cheaters in 2007, after they were caught filming their opponents. The team were fined US$250,000, while head coach Bill Belichick received a record fine of $500,000.

▲During the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show, Justin Timberlake caused hysteria by exposing Janet Jackson's breast to millions of viewers around the world.

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Hernandez was a rising star with the New England Patriots, but his career ended in 2013, when he was arrested and convicted for the murder of Odin Lloyd. Hernandez took his own life in 2017 while in prison.

▲Football legend Joe Namath got it all wrong when interviewed by reporter Suzy Kolber. Namath was asked, naturally, about a game. His reply? "I wanna kiss you [...] I couldn't care less about the team struggling."

▲Tom Brady is a huge star in the NFL, but found himself in hot water in 2015. He's alleged to have ordered that footballs be deflated in a playoff game between the Indianapolis Colts and his New England Patriots.

▲Jonathan Martin ditched the Miami Dolphins halfway through the 2013 season. He was apparently bullied by teammates, including Richie Incognito, who was suspended and dropped from the team.

▲Adrian Peterson was a hot player for the Minnesota Vikings. However, he was temporarily dropped from the NFL after charges of child abuse against his four-year-old son surfaced.

▲Belcher made headlines on December 1, 2012 when he killed his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins. He went on to commit s uicide that same day. His body was exhumed, and his family found out that he was suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which stems from head injuries.

▲An early controversy, Alex Karras (left) and Paul Hornung (right) were involved in a betting scandal during the '60s. However, both players were allowed to play again.

▲Dave Duerson had asked his family to research the effects of head trauma. That was before he shot and killed himself in 2011. It was later found that Duerson had indeed suffered from CTE.

▲The day before the 2003 Super Bowl, Oakland Raiders player Barret Robbins went AWOL. He was apparently partying in Mexico, and was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

▲Rice rose to fame with the Baltimore Ravens. But he was suspended in 2014, after he allegedly assaulted his then-fiancée, now-wife Janay Palmer.

▲The night before the Super Bowl in 1989, Stanley Wilson had a drug relapse. He was left off the Cincinnati Bengals squad, and the NFL banned him for life.

▲Josh Brent made headlines in December 2012 when he crashed his car, killing teammate Jerry Brown in the process. Brent got 180 days in jail, but was allowed to rejoin the Dallas Cowboys.

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Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself at a New York City nightclub in 2008. The event infamously became fodder for late-night talk shows.

▲Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens got into a bloody fight after the Super Bowl in 2000. Two people were stabbed to death at the fight, and Lewis was sued US$250,000 by the NFL.

▲Without warning, team owner Robert Irsay moved the (then) Baltimore Colts to Indianapolis. It was a huge upset for local fans, but since then the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens have both won Super Bowls.

▲Adam Jones had a hell of a reputation in the NFL. At one point, he was even involved in a strip club shooting, which led to a 2007 suspension.

▲The Washington Redskins had one problematic name, which led to many protests. Over 20 Native American tribes and 50 Native American groups demanded a name change for the team. As of 2020, they changed their name to the Washington Football Team, with a permanent name pending for 2022.

▲It's said that during the '90s several Dallas Cowboys players rented a house for some serious partying. Legendary player Michael Irvin ended up being hit with a drug charge, and was suspended for five games.

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Arguably the first controversy took place in 1925, when the Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals) won the Championship after the Pottsville Maroons (now defunct) were controversially suspended. The Maroons made their own trophy out of protest.

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Back in 2005, 17 Minnesota Vikings players hopped on a pair of houseboats (not pictured) and went crazy. It was an alleged sexual party, with misdemeanor charges handed out to several players.

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The National Football League is a staple in American sports. Not only does it introduce huge stars, but it culminates in the world-renowned Super Bowl. However, in recent years the league has become quite controversial. Most notably, quarterback Colin Kaepernick famously knelt during the national anthem, sparking a huge debate about freedom of speech.

But the NFL has seen plenty of scandals over the years. Here's a rundown of the most controversial. Click on!