The state of Iowa is a bit of a melting pot for NFL fan bases. Without a pro team there ae a number of different ways NFL fandom can go. Up north, you have the Minnesota Vikings. Down south you get the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chicago Bears aren’t too far from the east side of the state. And the Green Bay Packers are close as well.
Those teams also get a good look at the Iowa Hawkeyes. They can easily scout them in-person and usually get a pretty good beat on what type of person and player they are looking at.