There is a wide receiver in the NFL that is infamous for a very unique reason. That player, now on the Miami Dolphins, is Robbie Chosen.
Now, many of you might be wondering who that is exactly. Well, Chosen, who used to go by Robby Anderson, has changed his name multiple times. In addition to Robby Anderson, Chosen has also gone by Robbie Anderson and Chosen Anderson.
Why did Chosen change his name several times? Let’s delve into his explanation.
Why WR Robbie Anderson Changed His Name to Robbie Chosen
Chosen was born in North Jersey on May 9, 1993, and grew up in South Florida. He was known as Robby Anderson throughout his time at Temple University and early in his NFL career.
Then, in 2022, he changed his name for the first time, tweaking the spelling of his first name from Robby to Robbie. He explained that he preferred that spelling growing up. This change was minor enough that it barely registered nationally.
However, his next name change would become a big story. In February 2023, he announced on social media that his name change was granted, and he was officially Chosen Anderson.
What prompted this name change? After Anderson signed with the Dolphins, Pro Football Network asked him to explain the rationale behind the name switch, but he didn’t divulge many details.
“Well, you know, I don’t really wanna touch on that right now. I wanna keep it, you know, intimate,” Chosen said. “But it was a positive, positive thing. I’ll touch on it at a different time, and it was a little process, legal things. … But it’s a positive meaning behind it. Something I’m very grateful for and something I feel strongly about.”
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When asked a follow-up about his name change, Chosen said this is a “new era and direction” for him and he viewed the name change as “kind of like a foundational thing moving forward for my generations.”
For those keeping track, he changed his name four times over the course of two years — from Robbie Anderson to Robby Anderson to Robbie Chosen to Chosen Anderson.
Who Is Robbie Chosen?
Chosen is technically on his fifth NFL team in what will be his ninth NFL season. He spent four years with the New York Jets before signing a two-year, $20 million contract with the Carolina Panthers in 2020.
Carolina extended Chosen through the 2023 season, but he wore out his welcome in Charlotte, and the Panthers traded him to the Arizona Cardinals after a heated on-field argument with wide receivers coach Joe Dailey prompted then-coach Steve Wilks to kick him out of the game.
Here’s the video of Robbie Anderson getting in the face of Joe Dailey. pic.twitter.com/TR9agsvaFr
— Joe Person (@josephperson) October 16, 2022
After the game, Chosen said he wanted to be more involved after he wasn’t targeted through three quarters.
“I was honestly confused and upset by it as I should be,” he said at a press conference after the game.
“I don’t see nobody that’s a true competitor and knows the value they bring, that’s a true competitor and has a true passion for the game that’s OK with being told not to do something or being taken out of something when they didn’t do anything wrong.”
Chosen finished the season in Arizona but was on the move again after the Cardinals cut him in March 2023. A month later, he signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with the Dolphins.
Then, he signed a one-year deal with the Niners, but couldn’t make the team. After that, he signed back with the Dolphins practice squad.
In his first seven NFL seasons, Chosen caught 375 passes for 4,956 yards and 29 touchdowns.
While he didn’t legally adopt the Chosen moniker until last year, it’s not new to his longtime fans since it’s how he has referred to himself on social media for some time.
On social media, Chosen has hinted that part of the reason for his name change was to get a fresh start and distance himself from his past mistakes.