DWTS Sets NFL Alums and Joe Buck for Super Bowl Episode
Dancing With the Stars will welcome former NFL contestants Emmitt Smith, Donald Driver, DeMarcus Ware and Danny Amendola for its Super Bowl-themed episode on October 13. Joe Buck will join the judging panel with Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli. The remaining 11 couples are expected to perform that night.
The Oct. 13 episode marks week five and adopts a Super Bowl theme. Four former NFL players who once competed on the show—Emmitt Smith, Donald Driver, DeMarcus Ware and Danny Amendola—will return to perform. Joe Buck will serve as guest judge beside Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli.
Smith won season three with Cheryl Burke and later placed fourth on All-Stars. Driver took season 14 with Peta Murgatroyd. Ware finished seventh in season 27 with Lindsay Arnold, while Amendola reached the season 33 finals with Witney Carson, placing fifth. The remaining 11 couples will dance to songs associated with past halftime headliners.
This crossover could broaden DWTS’s audience by pairing football nostalgia with a prime-time dance competition. NFL fans may tune in for the returning players and Joe Buck, while regular viewers could see a familiar sports figure in a new role. The episode may boost social media chatter and ratings for ABC, and it could give advertisers a timely Super Bowl-adjacent platform. Contestants might benefit from added visibility, though the guest focus could also shift attention away from their performances.