Eric Johnson: What to Know About the Former 49ers Tight End’s Marriage to Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson is possibly one of the most well-known figures due to her acting as well as musical pursuits. Whether she is associated with The Dukes of Hazzard, her song, “I Wanna Love You Forever,” or her lucrative clothing line, Simpson is a very recognizable individual. Her husband, on the other hand, is not as well-known to some.

Eric Johnson is a retired tight end who spent seven seasons in the National Football League after attending Yale. He was primarily known for his six years in the Bay Area, suiting up for the San Francisco 49ers. However, Johnson also spent one year with the New Orleans Saints.

In his career, Johnson tallied 2,178 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. The majority came during a 2004 season in which he posted a career-high 825 yards. Johnson officially retired from the NFL in 2008, prior to meeting and falling for Simpson.

Considering that the former tight end does not have a public-facing social media profile, there isn’t as much information readily available about him and his marriage to Simpson. The singer does provide some photos to provide a glimpse into their life.

Photo Credit: Robert Kamau/GC Images/Getty

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As multiple posts on Instagram show, the happy couple has a growing family. Johnson and Simpson have three children — two of which are kept busy through various school pursuits. One such example is a concert to celebrate the holiday season. 

“These beautiful kiddos did an amazing job performing on stage in front of a couple thousand people for their school holiday concert,” Simpson wrote after seeing the children take part in a seasonal tradition. 

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Capturing family photos is never easy, but Johnson and Simpson have found a way to make it work as part of their marriage. The two older children, Maxwell Drew and Ace Knute, can simply stand by and pose. The youngest, Birdie Mae, has to be held by Johnson to make the photo work. 

As Simpson explained in the caption, capturing this family photo took some effort, but they made it work. Although there was a required change into pajamas before heading home from Thanksgiving dinner. 

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Part of a successful marriage is enjoying entertaining activities together. Johnson and Simpson have certainly achieved this during their nine-year relationship. Although the singer/fashion icon in Simpson may have been slightly unprepared for some of the activities. 

For example, she posted a photo that showed her and Johnson working together to hold a tropical bird. Another was perched on her shoulder. “I’m totally comfortable here,” she wrote in the caption. 

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Similar to retired NBA star Dwyane Wade, Johnson is learning about some aspects of life that he hadn’t been aware of prior to marrying Simpson. Although his education has less to do with Old Navy. The singer is primarily teaching the retired tight end about proper selfie etiquette. 

As a photo posted on Instagram showed, Johnson and Simpson were in a closet and posing for the camera. “I taught my husband the art of the closet selfie,” Simpson wrote in the caption. Taking a selfie in the closet is not a simple matter, and she wanted to ensure that he knew the proper procedure. 

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As Simpson has revealed with her social media profile, she and Johnson do not share the same fashion sense. This was brought to light when she posted a photo to celebrate the former tight end’s 40th birthday. She was wearing a black dress in the photo while he was donning a t-shirt and a pair of board shorts. 

“Happy 40th Birthday to the man of my dreams. I pray in every lifetime I find you and we re-create the beauty of what we have again and again. My hero, champion, best friend, lover, and daddy to our babies…I could never have hoped for more. I love you. Let’s celebrate,” Simpson wrote in the caption. 

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While some photos posted on Instagram show Johnson taking a more casual approach to fashion, there are others that prove he is adept at dressing up. In fact, he and his son even brought their A-game to family photos in 2018. They wore matching Chuck Taylor shoes and proved to be a perfect pair to their female counterparts.

As an Easter post on Instagram showed, Johnson was decked out in a pink suit and a floral print dress shirt. Simpson and their daughter were wearing matching floral print dresses.  

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Originally engaged in 2010, Johnson and Simpson did not tie the knot until 2014 due to the births of their two eldest children. This postponed the ceremony, but they did ultimately wed at the San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, California. The ceremony was officiated by Simpson’s father, Joe. 

“I saw my gorgeous wife coming towards me and she was crying,” Johnson told PEOPLE back in 2014. “I think my heart was exploding a little bit.” To complete the ceremony, their daughter, Maxwell, was the flower girl while their son, Ace, was the ring bearer.