The New Era of NFL WAGs: SI Swimsuit’s February Digital Cover

While their NFL player husbands and boyfriends plan their next moves on the field, these women are building empires off of it.

For years, “WAG” has been a word used about women, rarely one women were invited to define for themselves. It came loaded with assumptions: glamour over grit, proximity over purpose. But that version of the story is obsolete. In today’s sports culture, the women on the sidelines aren’t waiting to be seen. They’re already leading.

Our February 2026 digital issue spotlights six women who are doing exactly that, reshaping what it truly means to be a so-called WAG by simply being themselves.

Enter Normani, Brittany Mahomes, Christen Goff, Ronika Love, Haley Cavinder and Claire Kittle.

Shot on the sun-drenched beaches of the South Seas resort on Captiva Island, Fla., this dynamic collective is made up of trendsetters, tastemakers and leaders across music, sports, business and digital culture. They also happen to share one more thing in common: They are the wives and girlfriends of NFL players.

While their partners prepare for game day, these women are breaking records, launching brands, building communities and redefining success on their own terms. With that in mind, we asked each of our February 2026 digital cover models the same question: What does the term WAG mean to you?

Normani was photographed by Katherine Goguen on Captiva Island, Fla. Swimsuit by Sole Mare. / Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FvoltaxMediaLibrary%2Fmmsport%2Fsi_swimsuit%2F01kgmk8bqxc4f08n4y9d.jpg. Normani’s Digital Cover. Normani - MAIN. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FvoltaxMediaLibrary%2Fmmsport%2Fsi_swimsuit%2F01kgmkszekj7zkb2r18f.jpg. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FvoltaxMediaLibrary%2Fmmsport%2Fsi_swimsuit%2F01kgmkjndh1z584hsp42.jpg. View Normani’s Gallery. Normani Model Page

“I feel like the term WAG definitely needs to be redefined,” says singer-songwriter Normani, making that declaration—part challenge, part call to action—as she steps onto the set. She radiates confidence. “I feel very sexy. I feel like I’m in my divine femininity. The photographer is incredible. This is going to be iconic.”

Kicking off her career as a member of Fifth Harmony, Normani found success with her breakout solo singles “Love Lies” (featuring Khalid) and “Motivation” before releasing her debut album, Dopamine, in 2024. The artist announced her engagement to Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf last March, and, when it comes to the word WAG, she believes it’s defined by more than a simple relationship status. Instead, it signifies a mutual understanding of what drives your partner.

“I know what it means to be in an industry that expects and demands a lot out of you and [your] schedule, so I try my best to be as supportive as possible,” she says. “Just showing up and being sincere and being grounded—just being a light wherever I can be and where I’m called to be.”

That same light shines from every frame of her debut shoot. Normani says she hopes her images depict the “resilience” and “strength” that come with “feeling confident and comfortable within self.” She adds, “I think it’s really important to check in with yourself. To take time with yourself. For me, being present has been really important, and just celebrating yourself. I deserve to celebrate myself more.”

Brittany Mahomes was photographed by Katherine Goguen on Captiva Island, Fla. / Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

Brittany - MAIN. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FvoltaxMediaLibrary%2Fmmsport%2Fsi_swimsuit%2F01kgma0q67z5g0jardrg.jpg. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FvoltaxMediaLibrary%2Fmmsport%2Fsi_swimsuit%2F01kgma3jcbkh4zb0y6ng.jpg. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FvoltaxMediaLibrary%2Fmmsport%2Fsi_swimsuit%2F01kgma1jfeyc1s538ja7.jpg. View Brittany Mahomes’s Gallery. Brittany Mahomes’s Model Page. Brittany Mahomes’s Digital Cover

Joining Normani at the South Seas resort is Brittany Mahomes, who is all too familiar with that ever-evolving three-letter word. The former professional soccer player turned certified personal trainer began dating Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in March 2012, while they were students at Whitehouse High School in Texas. They married a decade later.

“I think being the significant other to an NFL player is an incredibly hard role, and we take on a lot of important stuff behind the scenes that people don’t get to see,” she says, bracing to brave the uncommonly chilly Floridian breeze for her second shoot with the brand, following her 2024 debut feature in Belize. “But we also get to enjoy life and do things that we love, too.”

Like the term WAG itself, things have evolved for the mother of three since her first SI Swimsuit appearance. In January 2025, she and her husband welcomed their third child. She was also honored with the FARE Champions Award for her work in the food allergy space. And in November, Mahomes—a co-owner of the Kansas City Current—joined the National Women’s Soccer League’s first advisory board.

Despite these changes, her overall goal with her SI Swimsuit features remains the same: for women to see themselves and the beauty in this evolution. “I just hope that I’m inspiring women all around the world to still take care of themselves and focus on their health and wellness and still be confident in who they are.”

Christen Goff was photographed by Katherine Goguen on Captiva Island, Fla. / Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FvoltaxMediaLibrary%2Fmmsport%2Fsi_swimsuit%2F01kgmbxjdy569m4x9dkq.jpg. Christen Goff’s Digital Cover. Christen - MAIN. Christen Goff’s Model Page. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FvoltaxMediaLibrary%2Fmmsport%2Fsi_swimsuit%2F01kgmbsh6fxsnvcp3anb.jpg. View Christen Goff’s Gallery. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FvoltaxMediaLibrary%2Fmmsport%2Fsi_swimsuit%2F01kgmbrjgz0xew43mktq.jpg

Six-time SI Swimsuit model Christen Goff offers a decidedly different approach to the acronym as she touches down for her latest shoot with the brand, candidly telling us, “I feel like [the word] WAG has gotten such a bad rap over the years.”

Goff first joined the brand in 2021 after co-winning the Swim Search open casting call. Appearing in every issue since, Goff most recently jetted off to Jamaica to pose for the 2025 issue. Her shoot featured a special guest, as the model returned to the fold while expecting her first child with husband and Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. The couple welcomed their baby girl, Romy, back in July. 

The model’s trek to the South Seas resort marks her first shoot back amid her motherhood journey. Under the golden sun, Goff shares that she remains inspired by the NFL partners who stand on the sidelines with her and all the ways they’re already changing the metaphorical game. “I think there are so many women who are kind of changing that word and doing great things in their communities and their own brands,” she says. “I just think being a WAG is so much more than being the wife of a football player.”

And that sense of sisterhood is also seen in her sentiments around her seventh SI Swimsuit shoot. When we ask what she’s most looking forward to this time around, she answers without pause: “Getting to do the cover shoot with fellow women who are in the NFL with me is going to be just so special and fun. It’s kind of just like tying all my worlds together: Sports Illustrated and football.”

Ronika Love was photographed by Katherine Goguen on Captiva Island, Fla. Swimsuit by Vix Paula Hermanny. / Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FvoltaxMediaLibrary%2Fmmsport%2Fsi_swimsuit%2F01kgmqgzw4c8hyyd0tx2.jpg. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/v1770298952/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/si_swimsuit/01kgq0mhfb6nd0ak5n1n.jpg. Ronika Love’s Digital Cover. View Ronika Love’s Gallery. Ronika - MAIN. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FvoltaxMediaLibrary%2Fmmsport%2Fsi_swimsuit%2F01kgmqers432s4p2cxpk.jpg. Ronika Love’s Model Page

Meanwhile, Ronika Love astutely points out that, like many of her fellow WAGs, she is also a professional athlete. Yet her husband, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, doesn’t have a signifier meant to describe his place in her life.

“It was hard for me to never be referred to as an athlete myself. I’m super competitive, so for people to call me [a WAG], I’m like, ‘Oh, like, he is a husband and boyfriend, as well. He’s a HAB,’” the record-setting volleyball player says. “They immediately put women into these boxes of just being the plus one and not having anything for themselves and only getting credit for their life and their accomplishments because of their husband. At first, it used to bother me, and now, we’ve been together almost six years, and I’ve grown up a lot through it.”

Love spent the last two years playing for the San Diego Mojo of Major League Volleyball, where she led the team in hitting percentage and service aces, and in 2025, she received PVF All-Star honors. She kicked off the new year by announcing that she and her husband are expecting a baby girl this spring.

In Florida, the athlete trades the hardwood court for the sandy coast. Sparkling in vibrant swimwear and colorful coordinates on our set, Love basks in the fun of it all. “I feel like everything I was hoping for has already happened,” she says. “I can’t believe that I’m here.”

“I always wanted to be on Sports Illustrated—never imagined it was going to be pregnant,” she says. Still, the beauty of this timing isn’t lost on Love, “I think there’s so much power in being a woman and growing a human, but like, looking sexy on the beach.”

Haley Cavinder was photographed by Katherine Goguen on Captiva Island, Fla. / Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FvoltaxMediaLibrary%2Fmmsport%2Fsi_swimsuit%2F01kgmce91gaasw20xz1e.jpg. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FvoltaxMediaLibrary%2Fmmsport%2Fsi_swimsuit%2F01kgmcdfnxvcy15242ww.jpg. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FvoltaxMediaLibrary%2Fmmsport%2Fsi_swimsuit%2F01kgmcbb5tsb6nb00yya.jpg. Haley Cavinder’s Digital Cover. View Haley Cavinder’s Gallery. Haley - MAIN. Haley Cavinder’s Model Page

A fellow athlete turned SI Swimsuit model, Haley Cavinder may be newer to the WAG world, but she’s well-known here at SI Swimsuit. 

The content creator returns for Round 2 with the brand after having walked in the 2024 SI Swimsuit runway show at Miami Swim Week with her twin sister, Hanna. Boasting millions of followers across social media, the basketball star played for the Fresno State Bulldogs before joining the Miami Hurricanes in 2022. Officially retiring from the sport after the 2025 season, Cavinder is focused on building her brand empire with her sister while also planning her wedding. Her fiancé, Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson, popped the question last April.

As the hair and makeup team works its magic on our beachside set, Cavinder reflects on the meaning behind the three letters that brought the models together for this feature and the ways she’s come to redefine it in her own life. “What I realized this year when I stopped playing basketball and built my own brand is that you can support someone and be their number one fan, but also stay true to yourself and chase your dreams—that’s what WAG means to me.”

She also shares that same sentiment for the women on the sidelines beside her each season, applauding their power, presence and professionalism. As she readies to model shades of blues and white for her inaugural shoot, she’s open about what she looks forward to most on our set. “I’m excited to work along with so many powerful and successful women,” she shares. “I think Sports Illustrated is such a great community full of empowering women ... Just to be able to be in that community and be around such hardworking women is something that’s really inspiring, as well.”

Claire Kittle was photographed by Katherine Goguen on Captiva Island, Fla. Swimsuit by FAE. / Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

Claire Kittle’s Model Page. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FvoltaxMediaLibrary%2Fmmsport%2Fsi_swimsuit%2F01kgmptpqta79d5vnzcr.jpg. View Claire Kittle’s Gallery. Claire - MAIN. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FvoltaxMediaLibrary%2Fmmsport%2Fsi_swimsuit%2F01kgmppjjeph9d3zr5h4.jpg. https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FvoltaxMediaLibrary%2Fmmsport%2Fsi_swimsuit%2F01kgmpwg6z36aab1cwz3.jpg. Claire Kittle’s Digital Cover

Claire Kittle tells us she’s inspired to say “yes” to more, and that continues with her first-ever SI Swimsuit feature.

“In college, my husband was on the cover of Sports Illustrated for football,” she says while warming up in the car between shots on set. “So now, I get to have one, too.”

The former University of Iowa basketball player and current content creator is the wife of San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle. A passionate sports fan, Kittle specializes in carving out space for her fellow fans—both online and in person—all while reimaging what WAG-related content looks like. As just one example, in 2025, she joined forces with fellow 49ers WAG and Off Season brand founder Kristin Juszczyk to create the Wife’d Up, Mic’d Up series on YouTube, which saw the two reacting in real time to important game-day moments. 

She also founded the HOSS Tailgate Tour, a space for football fans to meet up, make friends and build community, inspired by her real-life college friend group. “HOSS,” Kittle tells us, stands for “The House of Sports and Sisterhood.” This sense of sisterhood pervades much of Kittle’s life and career, including her relationship with a certain other acronym.

“I mean, at the end of the day, [WAG] is just a shortened word to describe a group of people, right? I think all of us do a good job representing ourselves, representing our husbands and representing the NFL in general,” she says, later adding, “I think that’s really how you change the narrative around something: leading by example. Words can mean whatever, but you have to take action.”

Brittany Mahomes, Ronika Love, Christen Goff, Normani, Claire Kittle and Haley Cavinder were photographed by Katherine Goguen on Captiva Island, Fla. Brittany and Haley’s swimsuits by HAUS OF PINKLEMONAID. Ronika’s swimsuit by Myra Swim. Christen’s swimsuit by Sienna Swim. Normani’s swimsuit by Norma Kamali. Claire’s swimsuit by Adora Swim. / Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

And our February 2026 digital cover models do precisely that. They lead by example, excelling in their own careers with passion and persistence while carving out space for others to find community, chase their dreams and do what they love. They may all share one role in common as the partners of NFL players, but these six women represent a diverse group of superstars who are living proof that a single three-letter word can have endless meanings.

These WAGs are so much more than just wives, girlfriends or familiar faces spotted on the sidelines each Sunday; they’re game changers in their own right, and they’re overdue for a Super Bowl-sized celebration all their own.