Charles Woodson might be toasting future Cleveland Browns victories with a whiskey in hand — but not as a team owner. The Hall of Famer has decided to keep his name attached to his spirits brand, Woodson Whiskey, foregoing a minority stake in the franchise.
In May 2025, Woodson received league approval to acquire a 0.1 percent stake in the Browns, but the deal never materialized. “I thought I was going to be a proud owner of the Browns, but it wasn’t able to happen because I wasn’t able to take my name off of my product,” Woodson told Front Office Sports. “It’s what made the product. It’s how I started, so I wasn’t able to do that.”
NFL regulations prevent any team owner, regardless of the size of their holding, from leveraging their name or image to endorse alcoholic beverages.
According to Forbes’ 2025 NFL team valuations, the Browns are valued at approximately $6.4 billion, making a 0.1 percent ownership stake worth roughly $6.4 million. “We respect the decision by Charles and wish him well,” the Browns said in a statement to The Athletic.
Woodson’s brand, however, continues to maintain a strong connection to football. In 2025, his whiskey company announced a partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As part of the agreement, Woodson Whiskey secured the rights to license and incorporate the Hall of Fame’s trademarks across its marketing initiatives and commemorative product lines.
On the Woodson Whiskey website, fans can find a Limited Edition Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey, with the bottle prominently featuring the Pro Football Hall of Fame logo. “The Hall represents the very best of the game and the legacy of those who have given everything to football,” Woodson said in a statement when the partnership was announced.
Woodson actively showcases his whiskey across social media platforms. He shared a photo Thursday that featured former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski holding one of his bottles. “All️ American Whiskey. Crafted for legends. @gronk,” he wrote.
Woodson’s introduction to wine came in 1998 when the Raiders camped in Napa, Calif. In 2020, he became the first Black NFL player with a nationally distributed wine brand, Charles Woodson’s Intercept, and he added his own whiskey that same year.
Woodson Whiskey is the official bourbon of the Las Vegas Raiders. In 2025, Joel Cardenas, the brand’s marketing director, told The Athletic that Woodson “puts a ton of time into making his brand work. … I think that all translates from the time it takes to be a successful football player throughout his career.”
Since retiring in 2016, Woodson has stayed close to the NFL as a studio analyst, working first at ESPN before joining Fox Sports in 2019. On the field, he spent 11 seasons with the Raiders and seven with the Green Bay Packers, earning nine Pro Bowl selections, four All-Pro honors and a Super Bowl ring.
The NFL did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Woodson’s decision to prioritize his spirits brand over team stake ownership.