Man Named 'Eric Weddle' Confused on Twitter for Recently Released Ravens Safety

NFL fans responded to the safety's release on Twitter but didn't realize they found the wrong 'Eric Weddle.'

The Baltimore Ravens reportedly released safety Eric Weddle on Tuesday, and fans reached out to the veteran on the Twitter to recruit him to join their favorite teams. There was just one problem with their well-intentioned tweets– they found the wrong man named Eric Weddle.

Weddle, an education journalist with WFYI public media in Indianapolis, suddenly had a lot of Twitter mentions on Tuesday after news of the Ravens releasing his namesake broke. Despite the fact that the journalist is clean shaven and wears glasses in his Twitter profile picture, and the 5'11", 195-pound safety has a beard, many fans didn't seem to pay attention to who they were tagging in their tweets.

Weddle had some fun with the mix-up and replied to many tweets, including the ones asking when the safety shaved his beard.

Got rid of it a few years ago. https://t.co/rXizIbtTis

— Eric Weddle (@ericweddle) March 6, 2019

Should I grow it back, fam? https://t.co/puk2mELBf3

— Eric Weddle (@ericweddle) March 6, 2019

Yes— that is me! https://t.co/JbRuqMZg5a

— Eric Weddle (@ericweddle) March 6, 2019

My parents are Steelers fans. https://t.co/GGJqQLk04m

— Eric Weddle (@ericweddle) March 6, 2019

Uh, 20? https://t.co/n3pq7tF5sB

— Eric Weddle (@ericweddle) March 6, 2019

I’m here @MiamiDolphins ! https://t.co/tMbVhPsIHI

— Eric Weddle (@ericweddle) March 6, 2019

Raiders was like first team I knew of cause Ice-T wore their gear, right? https://t.co/ao0dp9McKG

— Eric Weddle (@ericweddle) March 6, 2019

Sounds like a great big budget movie https://t.co/McynZyPA3V

— Eric Weddle (@ericweddle) March 6, 2019

This isn't the first time someone has been mistaken for an NFL player on Twitter. In January, a British woman named Dee Ford received angry tweets from Kansas City Chiefs fans after the linebacker lined up offsides in the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots. The call negated an interception by Charvarius Ward that could have iced the game and sent Kansas City to Super Bowl LIII.

Ford interacted with Chiefs fans after the January game and even reached out to Weddle on Twitter on Tuesday night to joke that they can join each other at whatever team they both get traded to this offseason.

Yup. @ericweddle forget sleep. It will be a thing of the past. Take your vibrating phone and let it join mine at the KC Chiefs. Or wherever we’re both traded. 😂 https://t.co/vv4jzqCG6G

— Dee (@dee_ford) March 6, 2019

At least Ford and Weddle have a good sense of humor and seem to enjoy playing along with the antics on Twitter.