Smart Football. Explaining Why. NFL Newsletter and Podcast.
| Platform |  | Pricing | Freemium | Publishes | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues | 483 | Founded | 5 years ago | Last Issue | 8 days ago |
| Active | |||||
Read this Newsletter
readoptional.comLatest Issues
Buying & Selling Sophomore Stocks: Part I
Breaking down the rookie seasons for every first round pick
Jon and I kick off our offseason Summer Scouting series with a look at the 2025 rookie class. We go pick by pick through the first round, buying, holding or selling stock in the p...
2026 Organizational Tiers: Part III
Sorting through the league's basement dwellers and those on the upswing
Jon and I wrap up our tiers of the best organizations in the league by running through the final two tiers. We look at the underachievers, the perennial basement dwell...
2026 Organizational Tiers: Part II
Which franchises have risen and which have fallen?
Jon and I continue our evaluations of all 32 NFL franchises, moving on to our third tier. If you missed part one of the series, you can find it here. On this episode, we dig through our th...
2026 Organizational Tiers: Part I
It's time! Ranking the great and the good across the NFL
It’s here! Jon and I kick off our annual organization rankings by running through our first and second tiers. We look at the elite and the good, tiering organizations based on the co...
Subscriber Q&A: Hall of Fame Snubs, Chicago's defense, 12 personnel and more
Answering your questions on the league's next schematic evolutions, who should be in the HOF and more
Jon & I tackle a ton of post-draft questions from subscribers, including the biggest current Hall of Fame snubs, concerns about the Bears...
Key Facts
Audience Metrics
Subscribers, engagement, traffic and sponsorship for The Read Optional.
| Subscribers | Engagement | 80 | Monthly Web Visits | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accepts Sponsors | Estimated Cost per Ad | ||||
SEO Reach
Where The Read Optional ranks on Google, and how much search traffic it brings in.
| Ranked Keywords | 2k | Monthly Search Traffic | Top Keywords |
|---|
Chart Rankings
How this newsletter ranks in the official Substack charts.
| #181 | |
| #82 | |
| #213 | |
| #228 |
Authors
The writers behind this newsletter.
Sport & Culture writer. Currently: The Guardian / Free agent for hire. Previously: NFL/CFB Scout, recruiting analyst, X's & O's writer/nerd
Longtime NFL/NFL Draft analyst covering the game independently. Player evaluation, scheme understanding, game tape study, advanced stats and analytics matter. Use them all.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I access the email archive for The Read Optional?
You can find recent issues that have been published by The Read Optional on Reletter by scrolling up to where it says Latest Issues. Tap on the link for any of the most recent emails or hit More Issues to see older ones.
How many subscribers does The Read Optional have?
To see how many people subscribe to The Read Optional, simply upgrade your Reletter account. We provide readership numbers and lots of other stats for this newsletter so you can decide if it's worth reaching out to.
How can I advertise in The Read Optional?
Newsletter advertising can be extremely effective when it's done right. Before you pitch The Read Optional as a potential sponsor or partner, make sure that you've done your research and checked its newsletter stats with Reletter.
Then, personalize one of our winning pitching templates and send it to the right person using the contact info provided.
How much does it cost to sponsor a publication like The Read Optional?
Newsletter ad rates (or CPM) vary depending on many factors, including industry, number of subscribers, open rate, ad placement and more.
To find out how much an ad will cost, contact The Read Optional using the contact information provided and ask for a copy of their media kit.
How can I find newsletters related to The Read Optional?
Scroll up to where it says Related Newsletters to see other publications like The Read Optional. You can also search our email newsletter directory to discover other newsletters that cover the topics you're interested in.
How do I contact The Read Optional?
Reletter provides this newsletter's website URL above, where you will often find their contact information. We also provide links to associated social media accounts and pitching templates so you can reach out fast.