NFL legend Eric Dickerson says if Bad Bunny dislikes US he should ‘stay in Puerto Rico’

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The NFL season is heating up, and all roads lead to Levi’s Stadium in February, when football’s biggest night takes over Santa Clara.

But before we even know who’s battling for the Lombardi Trophy, the halftime show has already been fixed. The headline act is the chart-topping Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, who’s about to bring reggaeton to the 50-yard line. But not everyone’s ready to dance.

Eric Dickerson slams Bad Bunny

NFL legend Eric Dickerson isn’t exactly thrilled about this booking. The former Los Angeles Rams great told TMZ he’s not down with Bad Bunny performing, especially after hearing what the rapper allegedly said about the United States.

Dickerson was rather straightforward when he was spotted at LAX this week. He said he'd “heard some stuff" he’s said about America, and that he’d rather anyone else play during February’s big game if it’s true.

“I’m from the US,” Dickerson added. “I love my country. And if you don’t like the United States, just get your a** out of here and don’t come over here.”

When reminded that Puerto Rico is a US territory, Dickerson still doubled down. “I know Puerto Rico is part of the US,” he said. “But, it’s not the US. That’s the way I look at it. That’s the way I feel.”

Bad Bunny's relationship with the States

Bad Bunny (real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) calls Puerto Rico home. He’s also one of the biggest artists on the planet, ruling Spotify’s global charts as the most-streamed performer from 2020 through 2022.

But while millions will tune in to watch his halftime show at the Super Bowl, there’s some irony in play. His upcoming world tour, “DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS,” includes stops across Latin America and Europe but has zero US dates.

The tour kicks off on November 21 in the Dominican Republic and wraps up on July 22, 2026, in Brussels, Belgium. When asked why he's not playing shows in the US, Bad Bunny told i-D Magazine that immigration policies played a role.

“People from the US could come here to see the show,” he said. “Latinos and Puerto Ricans of the United States could also travel here, or to any part of the world. But there was the issue of—like, f*****g ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”

Bad Bunny's snarky commentary isn't helping

If there was any hope of softening critics, Bad Bunny didn’t exactly help his cause during a recent 'Saturday Night Live' hosting gig. He told the audience that if anyone doesn’t understand his Spanish lyrics, they “have four months to learn.”

That didn't sit well with critics like Dickerson, for whom it was another shot across the bow.

“If Bad Bunny said something about the US, don’t come here and perform,” Dickerson said flatly. “You know, don’t come here. Stay in your country.”

Meanwhile, Dickerson’s not the only one giving the halftime lineup a side-eye. President Donald Trump recently waded into the conversation, making it clear he’s never even heard of the “Tití Me Preguntó” hitmaker.

“I’d never heard of him,” Trump said on Greg Kelly Reports. “I don’t know who he is. I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s crazy. Then, they blame it on some promoter that they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”