Trump-Backed Former NFL Kicker Jay Feely Will Face Former New York Jets Doctor in Arizona Primary
Trump-Backed Former NFL Kicker Jay Feely Will Face Former New York Jets Doctor in Arizona Primary
Joseph KonigThu, July 23, 2026 at 6:11 PM UTC
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Jay Feely speaks with voters on July 21, 2026; Dr. Amish Shah speaks at a rally in Phoenix on Nov. 4, 2024Credit: AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin; PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty -
NFL veteran Jay Feely secured won the Republican primary in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District on Tuesday, July 21
His opponent on the Democratic side will be former state Rep. Amish Shah, a physician who worked for the New York Jets when Feely played for the team in 2008 and 2009
Feely played for six NFL teams from 1999 to 2015: the New York Jets and Giants, the Atlanta Falcons, the Miami Dolphins, the Arizona Cardinals and the Chicago Bears
Former journeyman NFL kicker and broadcaster Jay Feely secured the Republican nomination for an Arizona congressional seat this week, thanks in part to President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
His opponent on the Democratic side will be former state Rep. Amish Shah, a physician who worked for the New York Jets when Feely played for the team in the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
Kicker Jay Feely (3) of the New York Jets kicks a field goal during the AFC Divisional Playoff Game against the San Diego Chargers on Jan. 17, 2010, in San Diego.Credit: Donald Miralle/Getty
“I’m asking you to go out and vote for Jay Feely, a friend of mine and a great athlete to represent Arizona’s first congressional district,” Trump said in an endorsement video, filmed at the White House, earlier this month. “Jay is a true American First conservative and a natural-born leader.”
“He was elected team captain on three different NFL teams — that’s pretty good,” Trump, 80, added.
After playing football for the University of Michigan in the late 1990s, Feely was a placekicker in professional football from 1999 to 2015, playing for six NFL teams — the New York Jets and Giants, the Atlanta Falcons, the Miami Dolphins, the Arizona Cardinals and the Chicago Bears.
He spent the ensuing decade as an NFL broadcaster for CBS.
Feely — who occasionally golfs with Trump, according to Politico — is running to succeed Arizona Rep. David Schweikert, who mounted an unsuccessful campaign for governor in the GOP primary.
The 1st District, covering Phoenix’s northern suburbs, is one of Democrats’ top targets to flip as they seek to retake the House from Speaker Mike Johnson in November.
Trump won the district by just over four percentage points in 2024, and Schweikert beat Shah by under three percentage points the same year.
“I also have to thank President Trump. He and I have been friends for two decades,” Feely, 50, said at his victory party on Tuesday. “We know how important it is to stand up for him and the policies that he’s trying to impact our country with.”
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CBS Sports broadcaster Jay Feely at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas ahead of Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11, 2024.Credit: Gail Schulman/CBS via Getty
Shah, who served in the state legislature from 2019 to 2024, declared victory on Wednesday, July 22, after a close Democratic primary that pitted him against former Phoenix TV news journalist Marlene Galán-Woods, who was backed by the House Democrats’ campaign arm.
“I hope that I can get their endorsement over Jay Feely,” Shah, 48, joked on Tuesday night, according to The New York Times.
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On Wednesday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee congratulated Shah in a post on X, writing: “Known for putting people over party politics, Dr. Shah is an independent voice Arizona can count on.
According to his official state legislature biography, Shah “led the New York Jets Airway Management Team” and “helped the NFL improve their emergency management through research and presented his work at the NFL Physicians’ Society.”
The Washington Post reported Shah worked on the Jets’ sideline from 2008 to 2013.
Feely was the Jets’ starting place kicker — responsible for field goals, extra point kicks and kickoffs — in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. He appeared in all but one regular-season game and attempted five field goals in three playoff games for the 2009 Jets, missing two.
NFL physician Dr. Amish Shah during his tenure with the New York Jets in an undated photo shared by his 2026 congressional campaign.Credit: Amish for Arizona
Toward the end of his career, Feely played for the Arizona Cardinals for four seasons.
In April 2025, Feely told Fox News the July 2024 assassination attempt targeting Trump in Butler, Pa., inspired him to run for Congress.
“The lawfare that Democrats did against President Trump and you watched him get shot,” Feely said. “That was a big moment for me. I remember starting to really think about running for office the day that he got shot.”
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Source: “AOL Sports”
