If you follow the NFL and enjoy daily puzzles, the Weddle game is likely already part of your routine. It takes the classic Wordle format and applies it to the massive roster of active professional football players. It’s not about guessing letters; it’s about using data attributes to find the mystery player in eight attempts or less.
When you start playing, you quickly realize this game is less about luck and more about effective information gathering. The crucial part of the game isn’t just knowing NFL players – it’s understanding exactly how the yellow and gray tiles work for each attribute.
The Player Pool and Mechanics
Unlike some word puzzles, Weddle only uses active NFL players. You start typing a name, and the game offers a dropdown of current roster players. This removes the variable of retired players or free agents, but the pool is still large.
Clues: How the Tiles Really Work
The colors you see after each guess are the only way to narrow the field. In my experience, misunderstanding the Yellow tile is the single biggest reason people fail their daily challenge.
- Green: This is straightforward. Your guess is an exact match for that attribute (e.g., the correct Position, Team, or Division).
- Gray: The player you guessed has no connection to the mystery player on that attribute (e.g., wrong position, wrong division, or the numerical value is far outside the range).
- Yellow (Division): This is useful. A yellow in the Division column means the player is in the correct division (like the AFC East), but plays for the wrong team within that division. This tells you to swap teams but stay within the four-team group.
- Yellow (Position): This is the trickiest one, and the original article had this wrong. A yellow here means the player is on the same side of the ball (Offense, Defense, or Special Teams) as the mystery player, but not the same specific position.
- For Example, if the answer is a Defensive End (DE) and you guess a Cornerback (CB), you will get a Yellow tile for Position, because both players are on Defense.
- Yellow (Height, Age, Number): For all numerical attributes, the yellow tile means your guess is very close to the correct value. The rule is typically within 2 units (2 inches of height, 2 years of age, or within 2 numbers of the jersey number). If you are 3 units away, it often turns Gray.
Strategy: My Approach to Achieving an Early Win
The key to scoring high in this game is a structured starting approach. My goal on the first guess is not to be correct, but to eliminate the widest possible number of Divisions and Sides of the Ball.
The First Guess: Information Gathering
You need a player who covers a major side of the ball (Offense) and a division that can split the league efficiently.
I always start with a Quarterback (QB) from one of the central or western divisions.
- Guess: A well-known QB from the AFC West or NFC West (e.g., Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, or Jared Goff).
- Why QB? If I get a Green Position tile, the player pool immediately shrinks to around 32 players (Quarterbacks). This is the best outcome.
- Why Western/Central? These divisions contain teams that often span a wide range of height/age/number profiles, giving me diverse numerical data. More importantly, it immediately tests one full conference/division structure.
After the first guess, I analyze the output and make my second move purely on the most valuable piece of information.
After a week of daily plays, I found that starting with a QB from the AFC West gives me the broadest attribute range for early elimination
The Second Guess: Cross-Referencing Sides
If the first guess (the QB) yields:
- Gray Position: The mystery player is on Defense or Special Teams. My second guess must be a defensive player, ideally from a completely different conference/division to check the other half of the league. I often choose a Safety or Cornerback from the NFC East.
- Yellow Position: The player is on Offense (same side of the ball). Now I know the player is Offense, but not a QB. My second guess will be a different offensive position, often a Wide Receiver (WR), from a completely new division (like the AFC East). This tests a new position and a new division simultaneously.
- Green Position: The player is a Quarterback. I now ignore the position tiles and focus only on Team, Division, and the numerical data to pinpoint the correct QB.
Using Numerical Clues (Age and Height)
The numerical clues are your tie-breakers, and they work together.
What I realized after a few weeks is that Height is the most stable attribute. It rarely changes.
- If your first guess (a 6’2″ QB) shows Gray for height, you know the player is either very tall (6’5″+) or very short (5’9″ and under).
- Use your second guess to test the opposite extreme. If you started tall, guess a smaller player like a running back or corner. This allows you to eliminate the entire middle range of heights quickly.
Why It’s Called Weddle
The game is a clear tribute to Eric Weddle, a respected safety who had a remarkable career with multiple teams, culminating in a Super Bowl LVI win with the Los Angeles Rams. His career exemplified tenacity and high football IQ, which perfectly aligns with the challenging nature of the game named in his honor. The game was created by dedicated fans who wanted to apply a data-based puzzle format to the NFL.
You can play Weddle daily directly in your web browser without needing to register an account. It updates every 24 hours.
If you can master the Yellow Position rule – that it just means the same side of the ball – you’ll find your average attempts drop significantly. It’s all about efficient elimination.
Related Alternatives
- Poeltl Game – Guess NBA players using team and stat clues.
- Waffle – Swap letters strategically to solve six words at once.
- Phrazle – A phrase-based Wordle spin-off that tests your logic and vocabulary.
FAQs
Q: How many guesses are allowed in Weddle?
A: You get eight total attempts (Normal mode) to identify the mystery NFL player.
Q: Does Weddle include retired players?
A: No, only active NFL players appear in the guessing pool.
