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Sarah Mahmoodshahi: All About the Wife of NFL Star Joe Haden
Sarah Mahmoodshahi met Joe Haden at an Alicia Keys concert in 2010. Three years later, they married in Miami Beach, celebrating with a wedding that included her Persian heritage.
Their relationship began just before Joe entered the NFL. Sarah remembered being drawn to his confidence and the way he spoke when they first got to know each other.
Years later, the former Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback described her as his best friend. Together, they became parents to two sons, Joey and Jett, who joined them when Joe celebrated his retirement in Cleveland in 2022.
Sarah and Joe Met Through a Mutual Friend
Sarah and Joe’s first meeting took place on March 25, 2010, in a suite at an Alicia Keys concert in Washington, D.C. A mutual friend had invited them both.
Joe’s confidence made an impression. Sarah later described him as “very confident, but not cocky.”
Their relationship developed during the early years of his professional football career. By September 2012, Joe was ready to propose—and he wanted their families involved.
Joe Turned a Family Dinner Into a Surprise Proposal
Sarah believed they were attending a farewell dinner for her older brother, Reza, who was moving to London.
Instead, Joe had arranged an engagement celebration at the Gaylord National Resort near Washington, D.C. Before proposing, he privately asked Sarah’s mother, Narges, for permission to marry her.
Then he got down on one knee in front of their friends and relatives. The surprise worked: Sarah had arrived expecting an evening for her brother and left engaged.
Their Miami Wedding Honored Sarah’s Persian Heritage
Sarah and Joe married on June 29, 2013, at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach.
Their photographer, Alain Martinez, documented a two-part celebration that honored Sarah’s Persian heritage. His published wedding gallery includes photographs from the preparations, ceremonies and reception.
The event brought together a large creative team. Carrie Zack Events and Square Root Designs worked on the celebration, with floral arrangements by Blooming International and music from the band Libido.
Martinez later explained that he initially could not share the wedding photographs because of disclosure agreements. He published the gallery after receiving clearance, giving readers a look at the day through the photographer who captured it.
Joe Said Sarah Helped Him Settle Down
Joe has spoken openly about the difference Sarah made in his life.
Looking back on his early NFL years in a 2021 interview, he acknowledged that late nights and socializing had sometimes distracted him from football. He was still showing up for work, but he felt his priorities needed to change.
His engagement to Sarah came during that period of reassessment. He later described their relationship as a source of stability.
“She brought simplicity to my life,” he said. “She’s not just my wife, she’s my best friend. She helped settle me down.”
The comment came several years into their marriage, after they had become parents. Joe was reflecting on how his daily life had changed since entering the league as a young player.
Sarah and Joe Have Two Sons
Joe Haden in 2017. Photo: Erik Drost / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0.
The couple welcomed their first son, Joe, also known as Joey, in September 2016. Their family later grew with the arrival of their younger son, Jett.
Fatherhood became a regular part of Joe’s conversations about life away from football. A 2021 Steelers profile described him sharing photographs of his sons in the locker room and looking at pictures of his teammates’ children.
Asked what motivated him, Joe pointed to his family and faith. His wife and sons were part of the life he discussed alongside his parents and four younger brothers.
By the time he considered retirement, the boys’ everyday routines had become an important part of that decision.
Retirement Gave Them More Time Together
Joe’s NFL career lasted 12 seasons: seven with Cleveland and five with Pittsburgh.
When he stepped away in 2022, he began enjoying parts of family life that had been harder to fit around a football schedule. An October report described Joe and Sarah taking their children to school together and collecting them afterward.
Those ordinary routines helped him feel comfortable with retirement. He could still watch football, but he was also available for the school day with Sarah and their sons.
His decision also involved the physical demands of another season and whether a new contract would make returning worthwhile. After considering those factors, he said he could leave the game feeling happy with what he had accomplished.
Sarah Joined Joe for His Cleveland Farewell
Sarah, Joey and Jett accompanied Joe when Cleveland celebrated his career in October 2022.
He returned to the Browns’ facility, watched practice and reflected on arriving in the city as a 21-year-old. Back then, he had not yet married Sarah or become a father.
By his farewell, all three were beside him.
The Browns later confirmed his one-day contract, allowing him to retire with the team that drafted him.
For fans, the occasion marked the end of a long football career. For Sarah and Joe, it also came with a different daily schedule, one with more room for school runs, their children and time together.
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