Let’s face it — being an NFL fan is basically signing up for heartbreak with occasional highs. But some teams make it a true art form.
Here are the 15 most frustrating franchises to root for, ranked from mildly maddening to soul-crushing.
15. Seattle Seahawks
They’re good just often enough to keep your hopes up, but not good enough to actually go anywhere. It’s a yearly cycle of “maybe this is our year” followed by a weird December collapse.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Tomlin refuses to have a losing season, which is both impressive and infuriating. The team is perpetually stuck in 9-8 purgatory with fans dreaming of 2008.
13. Los Angeles Chargers
This team finds new, creative ways to lose every week, like it’s a competition. Justin Herbert is a human highlight reel trapped in a haunted house.
12. Chicago Bears
The Bears have somehow never figured out the forward pass. Their fans live in a constant state of “maybe this rookie QB is the one.”
11. Dallas Cowboys
They win the offseason Super Bowl every year and flame out spectacularly when it counts. The drama is elite, but the playoff success is nonexistent.
10. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings exist to get your hopes up and then break your heart in overtime. They are both good and cursed at the same time.
9. New York Jets
Hope always arrives in August and is usually gone by Halloween. Every quarterback since Joe Namath feels like a social experiment gone wrong.
8. Cleveland Browns
A team that lives in permanent rebuild mode even when they’re supposed to be contenders. It’s never just about football with the Browns — it’s always something.
7. New Orleans Saints
The post-Brees era is just vibes and mediocrity. You never know which version of the team you’re getting from week to week.
6. Miami Dolphins
So much talent, so little to show for it. They’ll win five in a row, then lose to a team starting a backup punter at quarterback.
5. Detroit Lions
Things are finally looking up, which is terrifying for fans trained to expect disaster. Decades of sadness don’t disappear overnight, even with a lovable head coach.
4. Arizona Cardinals
They peak in October and disappear by December like clockwork. Watching them is like binging a show that always gets canceled before the finale.
3. Atlanta Falcons
They are still haunted by 28-3, and honestly, so are we. Every lead feels like a ticking time bomb in Atlanta.
Read More: 15 NFL Teams Desperate for a Super Bowl
2. Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders live for chaos — random coaching changes, wild draft picks, and fourth-quarter meltdowns. Every season feels like a soap opera with shoulder pads.
Read More: Ranking Every NFL Head Coach From Least to Most Likeable
1. Buffalo Bills
Bills Mafia deserves better than constant playoff pain and “13 seconds” nightmares. It’s the hope that kills you, and Buffalo is the master of making fans believe right before everything unravels.
Read More: Ranking the Greatest Dallas Cowboys Players of All Time
