While the games in the NFL are won on the field, the process of chasing Super Bowl glory undeniably starts in the front offices of the league’s 32 franchises—because it is the executives in the suits that ultimately decide which players are able to don the team’s laundry and get out there on Sundays to chase victory.
Unfortunately for NFL fans, not all front offices are created equally. Let’s take a look around the NFL at the 5 best and 5 worst that the game has to offer.
Best – Kansas City Chiefs
Granted, much of the Kansas City Chiefs front office success hinges on the whole “we drafted Patrick Mahomes thing,” but in many ways it is inextricable from the way that they run their organization. Not only did they identify Mahomes’s talent and move up in the middle of the draft to snag him, they also had the wherewithal to let him sit behind a consummate professional like Alex Smith for a year and let him develop.
Beyond Mahomes, the Chiefs have run a masterclass in managing player personnel against a tight cap. Decisions like letting Tyreek Hill walk, while unpopular at the time, have been integral to the sustained success that the organization has had in recent years. The Chiefs are always mindful of their spending and have negotiated contracts that reflect a mix of seasoned veterans and promising talents at reasonable costs.
Worst – Carolina Panthers
As good as the Chiefs front office is at running an organization, well, that’s how bad the Panthers are. Admittedly, a huge part of the problem starts at the top with David Tepper, who has likely instilled the fear of God in his executive staff managing the roster, but still… The way that they have mismanaged that team in recent years has been horrendous.
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Between selling low as they possibly could on Brian Burns—and to a lesser degree, Christian McCaffrey—and thrusting Bryce Young into an unwinnable situation, this organization has the makings of an eternal bottom dweller.
Best – Chicago Bears
While the Chicago Bears haven’t exactly been a shining model of competence in recent years, it does look like Ryan Poles and his crew are righting the ship in a big way. The Bears have done a great job of parting ways with expensive veterans and building a core of talent that they can slot Caleb Williams, who they are widely expected to take first overall in this year’s draft, into.
Not only have they bolstered their offensive line, but they’ve also brought in some bonafide talent at wide receiver to help facilitate Williams’s growth. This approach is miles apart from what the previous regime did with—and, frankly, to Justin Fields. Under Poles’s leadership the Bears are rapidly trending upwards.
Worst – New York Jets
Year in and year out, the New York Jets always find new and exciting ways to botch the offseason. One of the primary criticisms of the Jets’ front office is its track record in the NFL Draft, particularly when it comes to drafting quarterback… a la Zach Wilson and to a lesser degree, Mark Sanchez. The Jets also have the toxic trait of regularly overpaying for aging veteran stars.
They’ve taken another swing for the fences with the Aaron Rodgers acquisition. Only time will tell how it plays out, but regardless, the sentiment remains that there is a troubling lack of vision in the Jets front office.
Best – Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers’ front office has consistently been recognized as one of the best in the NFL—and for good reason. The group regularly displays strategic foresight, adept decision-making, and commitment to a stable organizational culture. These attributes have been put on full display as the team gracefully managed two extremely challenging succession plans, moving from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers, then Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love.
If there is one criticism of this group, occasionally they tend to be too oriented towards the future, when they should’ve been trying to capitalize on the championship window they had… But it is hard to find too much fault when you look at their track record over the years.
Worst – New York Giants
While the New York Giants front office has escaped much of the criticism that plagues the neighboring Jets, there is no denying that this bunch has been a mess over the past couple of years. The acquisition of Brian Burns from Carolina is promising, but considering the way that the team has mismanaged its talent over the past couple of years, for example, paying Daniel Jones—points to a dysfunctional operation.
Best – Houston Texans
The fact that the Houston Texans were able to go 10 and 7 last year and win a playoff game last season is a testament to the hard work of the front office in Houston. It all started with the decision to bring in DeMeco Ryans as the head coach, then they nailed it in the draft, making a heck of a move snagging C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson at the top of the previous year’s draft, but they managed to piece together the right mix of veterans around them to facilitate a strong team culture.
And now that they have a legitimate contending roster, they have nicely pivoted their strategy, bringing in difference makers like Danielle Hunter and Denico Autry to bolster their defensive line.
Worst – Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders front office has faced significant criticism over the years, most of which, is highly warranted considering the volatile nature of the organization and the lack of success that they have had over the past two decades.
Yet, the Raiders continue to try and make high-risk acquisitions, like when they tried to bring a disgruntled Antonio Brown into Sin City or signing an egomaniac like Josh Mcdaniels to be their head coach.
It is no surprise that year in and year out the Raiders are consistently towards the bottom of the AFC West standings.
Best – Los Angeles Rams
Ever since the Rams went all in ahead of the 2021 season with the Matt Stafford trade and managed to win a Super Bowl, they simply have to be mentioned amongst the best front offices in the NFL. This started with bringing Sean McVay in to reset the offensive system, as well as the culture of the organization, then they managed to pull in all of the right pieces to chase and achieve Super Bowl glory.
The Rams have been one of the most versatile groups that we have seen too. They have done well to capitalize on their draft picks by taking quality players and doling out their picks to other teams! Every year, without fail, the Rams manage their cap with the best of them and make sure they are able to put a competitive team out on the field.
Worst – Tennessee Titans
There is no denying that the Tennessee Titans made a good decision bringing Mike Vrabel down to the Music City to be their head coach a few years back, but unfortunately, that is kind of where the positivity starts and stops—and it is looking like things are really trending in the wrong direction there. Especially now that they have decided to part ways with Vrabel, despite him being widely regarded as one of the top coaches in the game. This is a perfect example of how this front office loves to mettle with the football operations rather than focus on improving its own processes and making sure that it doesn’t continue to whiff in the draft like it did with Treylon Burks—and to an even greater degree, Isiah Wilson, who played just three snaps for the team.
Yes, there were wins along the way like drafting Derrick Henry, but keep in mind, they were platooning him with guys like Dion Lewis before finally giving him the reigns! The group of suits in the front office in Nashville always seem to miss the mark!
