There's No Mistaking Kelly Clarkson's Hometown Bias In Her Bold NFL Honors Get-Up

Kelly Clarkson is no stranger to performing for NFL fans. In 2012, the "American Idol" alum was tapped to perform the National Anthem for the Super Bowl. Although she was a seasoned performer, the pressure still mounted for the singer. "I'll tell you what, I sang the anthem about a billion times in my life, but everybody kept saying 'You don't want to screw it up like Christina [Aguilera] did last year,'" she told The Hollywood Reporter in 2012. "Everybody made me so nervous." Despite all of that, Clarkson pulled off the anthem without a hitch.

Years later, Clarkson was named as the host of the 2023 NFL Honors, a show leading up to the Super Bowl that gives out awards to the NFL's best. "Y'all! I'm so excited to announce that I'll be hosting the 2023 @nfl Honors!" the "Stronger" artist wrote on Instagram in December 2022. Previously, the show has been hosted by the likes of Steve Harvey and Conan O'Brien, and Clarkson was the first female host of the event. Admittedly, the daytime talk show host brought little expertise to the role. "I had mixed feelings ... I was like, 'Now, wait, I'm not involved in sports ball whatsoever,'" she told Access in January.

Leading up to the NFL Honors, Clarkson flaunted a striking red carpet look when she rocked a gorgeous red dress at the People's Choice Awards in December 2022. For her hosting duties, however, Clarkson selected a bold head-turning outfit.

While hosting the 2023 NFL Honors, Kelly Clarkson wore a blue custom-made gown that paid homage to the Dallas Cowboys, her hometown team. The gown had an altered top that was an ode to Cowboys great Drew Pearson, which had the number 88 emblazoned, per HollywoodLife. Pearson — a wide receiver for the Cowboys — was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021. Clarkson's skirt gave nods to multiple players as it was covered with patches of the names of Cowboys players. 

The "Because of You" singer's eye-catching outfit was on full display when she was joined on stage by Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. "I just wanted to sing one quick tribute song to Tom Brady, on behalf of all the other quarterbacks in the league," he said. Cousins then broke out into a parody rendition of Clarkson's smash hit "Since U Been Gone," that altered the lyrics to joke about Tom Brady's retirement. "Tom won seven times, went to ten / He's on some beach, so maybe Kirk can win / Yeah yeah, since he's been gone," the Vikings quarterback sang to the tune of Clarkson's 2004 song.

Seeing the "Voice" judge sport a Cowboys-themed outfit should come as no surprise. In 2012, Clarkson crafted an anthem for the team called "Get Up" as part of a promotion with Pepsi. "I've been watching games since I was a baby. Cause in Texas, all we do is football, really — that and barbecue," she told ESPN at the time.