NFL Teams are the center of their fans’ universe. The players, coaches, and storylines become part of their day-to-day lives, and they develop a soft spot for them. But outside of the city limits, there is always something about every team… yes… even yours! That makes everyone your NFL team.
Let’s take a look around the league and call out the real reason that everyone hates YOUR favorite NFL team.
What are the reasons why NFL teams are hated?
Arizona Cardinals: General Incompetence
Sometimes, it isn’t anything particularly malicious that makes folks hate a team… In the case of the Arizona Cardinals, it is just the complete frustration that has set in watching them operate. Whether it was the Josh Rosen debacle or the ridiculous back-and-forth with Kyler Murray over studying the playbook and playing video games – the Cardinals always seem to find new and exciting ways to make a mess of their organization.
Truthfully, they have been a roller-coaster team for years – with little stability. Fans and rivals alike find the team’s inability to maintain a consistent level of success frustrating because there is always this expectation that they are about to emerge as some dark horse contender, but the next thing you know is widespread disappointment, followed by disgust.
Atlanta Falcons: Wasting Star Players
While you might think it was the Falcons’ infamous Super Bowl LI collapse, where they blew a 28-3 lead against the Patriots, that has drawn the ire of opposing fans, truly, that is more mockery than anything else.
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Beyond the Falcons being a meme of a franchise, they have learned to madden and enrage fans around the league with their seemingly endless desire to let superstar talent waste away in terrible offensive schemes that don’t match their skill set. Cough cough… I’m looking at you, Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and now Bijan Robinson.
There is some hope emerging with a new coaching staff coming in, but considering it is the Falcons – I wouldn’t hold your breath.
Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson
Yes, the Ravens have a reputation for their hard-hitting, aggressive defense, which many opponents and their fans find intimidating and annoying. But… for some reason that is not fully known to anyone – people find their star quarterback, Lamar Jackson, to be EXTREMELY polarizing.
The dual-threat QB is a constant topic of discussion and always leaves opposing fans rattled and angered – regardless of whether they are on the winning or losing side of the coin.
Buffalo Bills: Overrated by the Media
Despite being a beloved underdog for oh so many years, the Buffalo Bills have since found themselves on a different side of the narrative. They are constantly put into primetime games and put among the league’s top NFL teams in media discussions but never end up delivering, which frustrates other fans – particularly around the AFC.
Carolina Panthers: David Tepper
As entertaining as it is to watch him flounder about in the early years of his team ownership, David Tepper is just about as hateable as it gets. So, while his misfortune, most of which is self-inflicted, definitely draws a chuckle from fans around the league, he also makes the Panthers extremely easy to root against.
Also Read: 10 Blockbuster Trades These NFL Teams Should Make To Become Super Bowl Contenders In 2024
Chicago Bears: Watching the Quarterback Carousel on Primetime
There is nothing worse than dealing with a stingy person… and it gets even worse when that stingy person also happens to have billions of dollars that, for whatever reason, he doesn’t seem to think should be invested in the NFL franchise that he is lucky enough to own.
Just ask T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who explained on The Herd that they didn’t even have any bottled water Gatorades in the facility during his rookie season. Yes, it has gotten marginally better, but still, it’s a tough scene.
Cincinnati Bengals: Cheap Ownership
There is nothing worse than dealing with a stingy person… and it gets even worse when that stingy person also happens to have billions of dollars that, for whatever reason, he doesn’t seem to think should be invested in the NFL franchise that he is lucky enough to own.
Just ask T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who explained on The Herd that they didn’t even have any bottled water Gatorades in the facility during his rookie season. Yes, it has gotten marginally better, but still—tough scene.
Cleveland Browns: Deshaun Watson Signing
The Browns are infamous for their endless cycle of rebuilding, so I can sympathize with them thinking that they needed to roll the dice a little bit to try and get a legitimate franchise QB, but they clearly went over the skis with the Deshaun Watson signing based on how much it ire it drew from the public.
The embattled former Texans star had dozens of sexual misconduct allegations against him from women, but Cleveland decided to back the Brinks truck up for him anyway—and guarantee all of the money for some crazy reason.
The experiment isn’t over yet, but it doesn’t look like it is going to pay dividends anytime soon either.
Dallas Cowboys: Jerry Jones
The self-proclaimed “America’s Team” moniker has made the Cowboys one of the most polarizing teams in sports – largely because of the man who proclaimed it – Jerry Jones.
The Cowboys’ outspoken owner always finds a way to overshadow the team’s performance on the field and make the story all about him with his cartoonishly large ego and personality. When he isn’t meddling with the roster, Jones can often be found in front of a camera making wild public statements that remind everyone why they hate the Cowboys so much.
Denver Broncos: Sean Payton
Let’s face it… While Sean Payton had a nice run of success in New Orleans with Drew Brees, the early indicators in Denver have not been great – yet the national media continues to act like he is one of the top coaches in the league.
The overblown hype in the Mile High City, especially about a coach who has a reputation for being a jerk, understandably rubs a lot of people the wrong way.
Detroit Lions: Ruining Thanksgiving
So… We might need to update our files on this one a little bit now that Dan Campbell has seemingly turned the Lions around and into a legitimate contender… But he still has a lot of ruined Thanksgivings to make up for, as the NFL team subjected a captive national audience to their mediocrity for decades.
Green Bay Packers: The Fans Act Like They Actually Own the Team
In many ways, part of being a sports fan is suspending disbelief … I get that…
But Packers fans take it to another level with the way that they waltz around, boastfully acting like the “shares” they receive for purchasing season tickets actually makes them legitimate owners of the team.
It is crazy… With the way that they behave, it isn’t out of the question that they believe they were the ones drafting Aaron Rodgers and now Jordan Love.
Houston Texans: Failed Deshaun Watson Cover-Up
While the Cleveland Browns have caught a lot of flack for signing Deshaun Watson, it is really the Texans that should be catching the bulk of the criticism.
Houston kept the entire situation with Watson very quiet until he wanted out of town, and then all of a sudden, the floodgates opened, and the allegations came pouring out. It is almost like they knew all along and didn’t care to do anything about it while he was still playing football for them.
Indianapolis Colts: Ruining Andrew Luck’s Career
Former No. 1 overall pick, Andrew Luck, was one of the best quarterbacks in the game during his all too brief NFL career – and he did so in spite of the fact that the Colts apparently had no interest in building or developing an effective offensive line around him.
This bad decision-making by the front office made Luck a regular on the Injury Report and the long term effects of all those injuries pushed him towards an early retirement, depriving NFL fans of one of the game’s best players to watch.
Jacksonville Jaguars: London
This one definitely irritates their own fans more than everyone else, but the Jaguars’ continued flirtation with relocating to London and their frequent games there have rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.
It is American Football, after all… There is no need to have it across the pond.
And the idea of actually having an NFL team permanently based out of London doesn’t appeal to anyone.
Kansas City Chiefs: They are the new Patriots
As objectively fun as it is to watch Patrick Mahomes play football, he and the Chiefs’ recent dominance has sparked envy and frustration among other fans around the league.
And with good reason… Not only does it look like the Chiefs are going to be on a fast track to the AFC Championship Game every year for the next decade, but they also complain to the referees incessantly and seem to get all the calls in the process.
Las Vegas Raiders: The Move from Oakland
It wasn’t just the Bay Area Faithful that hated the Raiders for moving the team from Oakland to Las Vegas… The decision alienated and upset a lot of long-time NFL fans, who saw the move as a betrayal of one of the league’s most passionate and historic fan bases.
Los Angeles Chargers: Jim Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh is one of those guys that you either love or hate. He hasn’t been in L.A. long, but he is already drawing attention and disdain from other fans around the league for his—let’s say—“particular” way of doing things and acting.
It is just a little too much for some of us.
Los Angeles Rams: Stan Kroenke
Sean McVay and Matt Stafford are two of the more likable guys out there. The Rams owner Stan Kroenke? Not so much.
Beyond his moving the Rams from St. Louis back to Los Angeles, which left a bitter taste for many fans, he is generally known to be one of the most cutthroat and generally unpleasant execs in the league.
Miami Dolphins: Stephen Ross
Despite having a rather mediocre NFL team on the field, the Dolphins have managed to stay in the headlines the last few years – in no small part thanks to their controversial owner Stephen Ross, who has gained national attention for his suspect political contributions, as well as violated NFL rules with alleged tampering and unfair hiring practices.
Minnesota Vikings: Missed Opportunities
It is tough to really hate the Vikings for this, but they have historically been a pretty darned frustrating team to watch. The Vikes have a history of coming close but never quite winning it all, with four Super Bowl losses and several stunningly heartbreaking playoff defeats, which has turned the franchise into a painful running joke around the league.
New England Patriots: Cheating Scandals
There is no shortage of reasons to dislike the Patriots, but I think that the reason most fans stand on—besides, of course, all of the winning—was the cheating scandals like Spygate and Deflategate.
The team would’ve been hateable, as it were if all that was winning was above board, but once cheating gets involved, the levels of disdain skyrocket.
New Orleans Saints: Bountygate
It was many moons ago at this point, but the Saints’ Bountygate scandal has loomed over the franchise ever since. New Orleans allegedly paid its players to injure opponents, which understandably drew the ire of other fans around the league, much of which lingers to this day.
New York Giants: The “Mara Way”
Giants fans act like the Mara Family, who have owned the franchise since its inception, and they are like the Rooneys of New York. But the reality is that they run like a mom-and-pop shop, and their professionalism is vastly overrated.
New York Jets: Aaron Rodgers
The Jets, much to their own detriment, are one of those NFL teams that always seem to remain in the news cycle regardless of how good they are actually playing on the field.
Part of that equation is Aaron Rodgers, the Jets star quarterback. The man evokes serious emotion from fans across the league with his scalding hot takes on sports, politics, and medicine and makes it even easier to hate the Jets.
Philadelphia Eagles: Dangerous Fans
Eagles fans are known for their intense passion, yes, but there is a line… a line that they often manage to cross with their aggressive and unruly behavior. Think booing Santa Claus, applauding injuries, fighting, and even throwing batteries! All valid reasons to hate on the team as far as we are concerned.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Constant Success
This one is pretty much just jealousy… but NFL fans are sick and tired of the Steelers for their ability to remain so consistent through the years. Even when they are having a down season, they still manage to fight to at least .500 and sneak into the playoffs… it is crazy!
San Francisco 49ers: Bandwagon Fans
The 49ers are one of those NFL teams that have had a few different periods of sustained success, like back in the ’80s and ’90s under Joe Montana and Steve Young – and now under the Kyle Shanahan regime.
And every time the team enters one of these stretches, all of a sudden, there is miraculously a whole new crop of fans that pop up out of nowhere.
Seattle Seahawks: The 12th Man
The Seahawks’ fan base, known as the “12th Man,” prides itself on being loud and disruptive. And… credit to them. They are – and this does create a great home-field advantage, but the fans as a collective have a borderline pathologic need to toot their own horns about what great fans they are…
Give it a rest, Seattle; we get it; you make a lot of noise.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Arrogant Fans (thanks to Tom Brady)
The Buccaneers’ fortunes changed dramatically with the stunning acquisition of Tom Brady ahead of the 2020 season, which ultimately led to a Super Bowl win – and, unfortunately, a whole crop of Bucs fans that think way too highly of their franchise and themselves.
Let’s face it… The Bucs were pretty much irrelevant prior to Brady, and in all likelihood, they will continue to be now that he’s retired. Baker Mayfield had a nice resurgence last season, but this looks like a team destined for mediocrity at best.
Tennessee Titans: Ruining Vince Young
This one may come as a surprise to some of our younger fans who never got a chance to see Vince Young play in college or during his Rookie of the Year first season in the NFL, but there was a time when he was one of the most electrifying quarterbacks in the game. Unfortunately, he landed with the Tennessee Titans, and the executives who brought him into the fold stood idly by while Jeff Fischer tanked his career, depriving NFL fans of an extremely entertaining player to watch.
Washington Commanders: Team Name Controversy
Obviously, the Washington football franchise was reviled for a long time thanks to its former owner, Dan Snyder… But in recent years, most of the fuel over the fire has been the constant noise around the team’s name and its continued changes.
Yes, they had a controversy over the team’s former name, the Redskins, and at a certain point had to change it. But now they have done it twice, and it appears a third may be looming… Just gratuitous!
Also Read: Power Ranking All 32 NFL Teams (Pre-Training Camp Edition!)
