Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was duped into believing Zendayawas a mega-fan of his teammate, wide receiver Zay Flowers. The internet buzz started with a supposedly heartwarming yet totally fabricated tweet from a fan account on X, hyping up Flowers as Zendaya’s top pick for the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year.

The “quote” claimed, “He just has a certain swagger to him and in the way he plays. He’s so fun to watch, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else winning OPOY at this moment.” Riding the wave of excitement, a thrilled Jackson didn’t pause to fact-check, instead, he hit retweet and added his own cheeky comment, “@ZayFlowers let’s goooooooo, send her some ‘Zendaya Flowers’ awwww I absolutely love it.”

But, as quick as a hiccup, fans started scratching their heads, wondering how Jackson could fall for the phony praise. While it was all fun and games, and Zay Flowers himself got a kick out of it-responding with “Ayy you funny as, but that does sound good“-it raised eyebrows about how quickly misinformation can spread, even among NFL stars.

Zendaya, a renowned actor and singer, did have a brief history with the Ravens, having belted out the national anthem at a Thanksgiving game back in 2013, and there’s even been some cheeky banter from Ravens’ cornerback Marlon Humphrey who humorously proposed she ditch her beau, Tom Holland, for him. Despite the laughs, Zendaya remains just a fan of the game, with no official endorsements or predictions about who should take home NFL awards.

Zay Flowers’ stellar first year with the Ravens

Ravens WR Zay Flowers gifted his dad a brand new car

Meanwhile, on the field, Zay Flowers continued to impress in his rookie year, even setting a franchise record for receptions and yards by a first-year receiver, though his season was marred by a crucial fumble in the AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

In the end, the real Offensive Player of the Year award went to San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, while Jackson racked up his second MVP award, underscoring a stellar season despite the Ravens’ heartbreaking playoff exit.

As for Jackson and the faux Zendaya fandom? It’s a reminder that even sports heroes can get tackled by fake news.