The NFL is the most popular sports league in the U.S., but which teams resonate the most around the country and the world? Take a closer look

The NFL is king in the United States, and it’s making waves overseas, as well. With regular season games now played in Brazil, England, Germany and Mexico (and Spain soon to follow), the league is expanding its reach internationally like never before, giving fans around the globe exposure to the teams they’ve grown accustomed to supporting from afar.

Meanwhile, back at home, no sports league in the U.S. brings out the kind of passion, fandom and tribalism that the NFL does, but there are a number of teams for which that fervent backing is taken to the next level.

Here, we’ll walk you through the most popular teams in the NFL, their rich histories, their iconic and generational stars and how they came to hit their lofty statuses. 

Whether you’re a new fan seeking info to decide which team you want to root for or a more time-tested fan and fantasy football manager who is curious how team popularity could impact how certain players are viewed — or maybe you just want to be ready for Trivia Night — read along as we go behind The Shield and delve into the NFL’s most popular franchises.

The NFL’s Most Famous Teams, Ranked

Using a number of criteria to create a more comprehensive judgment, we’ve listed the most famous and popular NFL teams in reverse order. This is an exercise of both subjectivity and objectivity, but it’s one that’s able to be conducted when assessing title success, history as a franchise, fan attendance, social media and global following and just how much the team resonates when considering the NFL landscape as a whole. 

These rankings may be controversial, so if you'd like to tell us as much, hit us up on X or Instagram with your hottest takes.

Starting at the bottom:

32. Arizona Cardinals

Sorry, Arizona. Someone had to be last. The Cardinals had a nice heyday in the Larry Fitzgerald years and came close to landing a first Super Bowl title in their only appearance in 2009. There have been far more lean years than successful ones, though, and they’re just a remarkably unremarkable franchise in the modern era despite having an extensive and lengthy history.

Fun Fact: The original Cardinals franchise debuted in 1898 (though not in Arizona), making it technically the oldest football team in the NFL.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jags are an overseas staple, with consecutive games played in the U.K. in 2023 and ‘24, but on U.S. soil they’re largely an afterthought. They have more than double the amount of last-place division finishes (nine) as they do firsts (four) and desperately need QB Trevor Lawrence to develop into the can’t-miss star he was touted to be.

30. Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers left a city where they were adored (San Diego) to become the second-choice team in a city that doesn’t really know what to do with them. They’re a tenant in a stadium that isn’t theirs (albeit a beautiful venue, SoFi Stadium) and a team plagued by misfortune. The powder-blue unis rock, though.

29. Tennessee Titans

The franchise, which used to be the Houston Oilers, has given us the Music City Miracle, Eddie George, the late Air McNair and one of the most exciting Super Bowl finishes ever (Super Bowl XXXIV), but they’re far from a mainstream darling.

28. Detroit Lions

The Lions may be on the up, but it’s going to take more than one great season to erase the trauma of a winless 16-game season (2008) and being the team known for its two greatest players retiring early (Barry Sanders, Calvin Johnson). At least they’ve got the Thanksgiving game tradition and solid brand recognition.

27. Cleveland Browns

It’s never good to be synonymous with failure, but when you’ve had 38 different starting QBs in a 25-year span like the Browns have, mixed in with a winless season (2017), it’s kind of hard to spin it any other way.

26. Carolina Panthers

Carolina is regularly in the top 10 in average home attendance despite an on-field mark that would suggest it deserves otherwise. The Panthers have reached two Super Bowls but haven’t won a playoff game since the NFC Championship in January 2016.

25. Houston Texans

With a potentially All-Pro QB at the helm in C.J. Stroud, Houston could find itself on the rise, but with just nine winning seasons out of its first 22 as a franchise, it’s been largely tough sledding. The great J.J. Watt and Andre Johnson brought national attention to the team in their day.

24. Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta has hosted more Super Bowls (three) than it has participated in (two), and both of the latter went poorly. The most recent one ended with the greatest collapse in Super Bowl history, in which the Falcons blew a 28-3 lead to the Patriots in February 2017. 

23. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts were among the NFL’s best during Peyton Manning’s run, but they’ve struggled for relevancy ever since. Andrew Luck retiring early abruptly halted the succession plan at QB, but there are glimmers that Anthony Richardson could bring back the excitement.

Fun Fact: As the Baltimore Colts, the team won the 1958 NFL Championship — before the Super Bowl era — in what’s often hailed as the “Greatest Game Ever Played.” Led by the legendary Johnny Unitas, the Colts secured an iconic overtime victory against the New York Giants, helping to catapult football into the mainstream of American sports culture.

22. Cincinnati Bengals

Formerly referred to as the “Bungles,” things have changed in Cincy since the arrival of QB Joe Burrow and WR Ja’Marr Chase, with the team even making a run to the Super Bowl in 2022.

Fun Fact: The Bengals have made it to the Super Bowl three times — in 1982, 1989, and 2022 — but lost each time to a team from California (the 49ers twice, the Rams once).

21. Miami Dolphins

From the Dan Marino-led juggernaut to the present-day speed demons, South Beach has provided plenty of entertainment throughout the years. Don Shula’s 1972 team also remains the only team ever to go undefeated in a regular season (14-0) and win a Super Bowl (3-0 in playoffs).

20. Washington Commanders

After going through a name change and ownership change, Washington is desperate for a return to prominence. It won three Super Bowls between 1983 and 1992 but has been mired in mediocrity and controversy since. All eyes turn to new QB Jayden Daniels to electrify the nation’s capital and restore the glory.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski brought their New England mojo to Tampa for one final Super Bowl run, but the Bucs are back to being Just Another Franchise. Still, that jolt provided a significant boost to the team’s following; it has over 1.3 million followers on each of X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

18. New York Jets

Second-fiddle in their own city, the Jets always find ways to keep it interesting, for better or worse. With an aging Aaron Rodgers at QB and a young and precocious defense, there’s reason to believe they can shake their reputation and truly compete.

Fun Fact: The Jets won Super Bowl III in 1968 but haven't been back to the big game since. As of 2024, the Jets have the longest active playoff drought of any team in the league.

17. Los Angeles Rams

From the Greatest Show on Turf while the franchise was in St. Louis to Sean McVay’s Super Bowl winners in L.A., the Rams have produced multiple iterations of entertaining teams and served as a safe haven for fantasy football managers given all the stud skill players to suit up for them.

16. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens have featured Hall-of-Fame talents (especially on defense in Ray Lewis and Ed Reed) and are one of the better-run organizations in the league, having won two Super Bowls. Their following is more provincial than widespread, but QB Lamar Jackson is must-see TV every time he plays.

15. Chicago Bears

The Bears’ history is elite, though its recent play leaves much to be desired. Nevertheless, one of the NFL originals now has an exciting young QB in Caleb Williams and has one of the top followings in the league — fans who have stuck around through thick and thin (and lately it’s been a lot of thin).

14. Las Vegas Raiders

The Silver and Black’s diehard fans are as rabid as they come, although the moves from Oakland, to L.A., back to Oakland and now to Las Vegas haven’t been the most fan-friendly. Regardless, the brand is strong for the three-time Super Bowl winners.

13. New Orleans Saints

The Drew Brees-led Saints were a must-watch bunch, and there’s nothing quite like the gameday scene down by Bourbon Street. The city absolutely loves its team, a bond that became unbreakable after the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Who dat?

12. Buffalo Bills

If you’ve ever seen footage of a Bills tailgate, you know how impassioned their fans are. They crave a Super Bowl title, especially after four straight losses in the big game from 1991-1994. In QB Josh Allen, they have one of the marquee players in the league.

11. Minnesota Vikings

Like Buffalo, Minnesota has a dedicated fanbase that is craving success after four Super Bowl defeats. Those all came in the 1970s, though, and it’s been a long time since the Vikings truly contended. With electric WR Justin Jefferson, they at least have a premier building block.

10. Seattle Seahawks

Buoyed by the 12s, Seattle’s home support and resonance in its home market are hard to beat — the Seahawks have sold out every home game for 20 years, beginning in 2003. 

The team won a Super Bowl on the back of former QB Russell Wilson and the Legion of Boom defense and could have won a second straight, if not for an infamous goal-line interception against the Patriots with the game on the line in February 2015.

All-time Seahawks greats include: Wilson; running backs Marshawn Lynch and Shaun Alexander; defensive backs Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor; linebacker Bobby Wagner; wide receiver Steve Largent; offensive tackle Walter Jones; and defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy.

9. Denver Broncos

Denver won back-to-back Super Bowls with John Elway and then another later on with Peyton Manning. Even though they’ve lacked the star power to compete ever since, they were still a top-five franchise in average home attendance in 2023 and regularly pack their home stadium a mile high from sea level to the point that every home game since 1970 has been sold out.

When it comes to social media, the number of combined followers on X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok hovers around nine million.

All-time Broncos greats include: Quarterbacks Elway and Manning; running back Terrell Davis; wide receivers Ed McCaffrey and Rod Smith; tight end Shannon Sharpe; defensive backs Champ Bailey and Steve Atwater; and linebackers Von Miller and Bill Romanowski.

8. Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles fans may be notoriously harsh on opponents — and notoriously even harsher on their own players … and Santa Claus — but such is how deep the passion runs in the City of Brotherly Love. 

The Super Bowl title to cap the 2017 season was the franchise’s first and endeared the team to the city even more, considering it came with the unheralded Nick Foles at the helm as QB. The impassioned following translates into social media, where nearly 15 million followers across the major platforms are plugged in to all things E-A-G-L-E-S. 

All-time Eagles greats include: Quarterbacks Randall Cunningham and Donovan McNabb; running backs Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy; offensive linemen Jason Peters and Jason Kelce; defensive linemen Reggie White and Fletcher Cox; linebacker Chuck Bednarik; and safety Brian Dawkins.

7. New York Giants

The G-Men have won four Super Bowls and completely own New York when things are going well. That the last two titles came at the expense of the Patriots (and one ruined a chance at New England’s immaculate 19-0 season) at the height of their powers only ingratiated the team to the general public even more.

The Giants’ social media following on the four tentpole platforms is pushing 10 million, and home attendance is regularly in the top five of the league, if not the top two.

All-time Giants greats include: Linebackers Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson; quarterbacks Phil Simms and Eli Manning; defensive end Michael Strahan; and versatile great Frank Gifford. 

6. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are the “It” team now, with the three Super Bowl titles won under quarterback Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid catapulting the team into the limelight. It doesn’t hurt from a global following standpoint that the Swifties are on their side, too.

All of those factors have ensured that the Chiefs’ popularity has soared over the last five years and continues to stay on an upward trajectory.

All-time Chiefs greats include: Quarterbacks Mahomes and Len Dawson; running backs Christian Okoye and Priest Holmes; wide receiver Tyreek Hill; tight ends Travis Kelce and Tony Gonzalez; offensive guards Will Shields and Brian Waters; and linebackers Bobby Bell, Willie Lanier and Derrick Thomas.

5. San Francisco 49ers

The five-time Super Bowl champions gave us quarterbacking greats in Joe Montana and Steve Young, a wide receiver legend in Jerry Rice and a coaching dynamo in Bill Walsh, whose tree has spawned generations of management and still impacts the NFL to this day.

The team by the bay has historical clout but remains one of the most consistent contenders, although it has lost in each of its three Super Bowl appearances since 2013 (including two to the Chiefs in a five-year span). With over 12 million followers across the four major social media platforms, its reach remains strong.

All-time 49ers greats include: Quarterbacks Montana and Young; running backs Frank Gore, Roger Craig, Ricky Watters and Christian McCaffrey; wide receivers Rice, Terrell Owens and Dwight Clark; offensive lineman Joe Staley; defensive linemen Leo Nomellini and Bryant Young; linebackers Patrick Willis, Dave Wilcox and Charles Haley; and safety Ronnie Lott. 

4. New England Patriots

Tom Brady’s 20-year run, which included two separate three-Super-Bowl dynasties, put the Patriots on the map and turned a woeful franchise into an all-time legendary one — beginning with one of the more improbable Super Bowl victories of all time against the Rams in February 2002. 

Since Brady’s departure, the Pats have been eating some humble pie, but their following remains steadfast and massive, and the history is part of the fabric of the league. What Brady and coach Bill Belichick were able to accomplish together, considering the constraints of the modern era, will go down in NFL lore, having laid the bedrock for the Patriots to dominate sports fandom in a competitive New England landscape.

All-time Patriots greats include: Quarterbacks Brady and Drew Bledsoe; running backs Kevin Faulk and Sam Cunningham; wide receivers Julian Edelman, Wes Welker, Troy Brown, Stanley Morgan, Gino Cappelletti and Randy Moss; tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Ben Coates; offensive linemen John Hannah, Bruce Armstrong and Matt Light; defensive linemen Richard Seymour and Vince Wilfork; linebackers Nick Buoniconti, Dont’a Hightower and Willie McGinest; defensive backs Ty Law and Rodney Harrison; and kicker Adam Vinatieri.

3. Green Bay Packers

Green Bay is synonymous with the Packers, and that’s the biggest compliment a city’s team could possibly have. There’s something supremely special about <Chris Berman voice activated> The Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field, and seeing a sea of cheeseheads packing an outdoor stadium in the thick of a Wisconsin winter just feels right.

The fact the club is owned by its fans adds another layer to the legend of the franchise that gave us Lombardi, Starr, Favre, Rodgers and a host of other who’s-who names in NFL history. In all, the Packers have won four Super Bowls, but the bulk of their success predates the modern-day NFL. 

All-time Packers greats include: Quarterbacks Bart Starr, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers; running backs Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung; wide receivers Sterling Sharpe, Don Hutson, James Lofton, Davante Adams and Donald Driver; offensive linemen Forrest Gregg, Cal Hubbard, Jerry Kramer and David Bakhtiari; linebackers Ray Nitschke and Clay Matthews; and defensive backs Herb Adderley, Willie Woods and Charles Woodson.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers

It’s hard to find a fanbase that travels better than those waving the Terrible Towels, and that makes their home-field setting all the more daunting. With 433 straight home sellouts entering 2024, Steelers fans love their past (record-tying six Super Bowl titles) and are hoping for a more fruitful present and future. 

Impressively, Pittsburgh has managed to stay at or above .500 in 17 straight seasons under coach Mike Tomlin and typically finds its way into the playoff discussion. Despite its old-school nature, the team resonates in new-school ways, amassing a social media following of over 15 million across the major four platforms.

All-time Steelers greats include: Quarterbacks Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger; running backs Jerome Bettis and Franco Harris; wide receivers Lynn Swann, John Stallworth and Hines Ward; offensive linemen Mike Webster and Alan Faneca; defensive linemen Kevin Greene and Joe Greene; linebackers Jack Lambert and James Harrison; and defensive backs Rod Woodson and Troy Polamalu.

1. Dallas Cowboys

How ‘bout them Cowboys?! 

It’s no surprise that Dallas tops the list. It’s America’s Team, for cryin’ out loud. It doesn’t matter that its most recent Super Bowl title (and appearance) came in 1996. There’s just something about Jerry Jones’ franchise and brand that continues to resonate locally, nationally and globally.

At their peak, the Cowboys won three Super Bowls in a four-year period in the mid-90s and were propped up by legends like QB Troy Aikman, RB Emmitt Smith and WR Michael Irvin. They’re a long way from there competitively, but in the fandom realm, they’re still second to none. The Cowboys are a Thanksgiving Day staple, they dominate the NFL’s social media space, get big TV ratings and their results are always fodder at the top of The Hot Take Shows, win or lose.

All-time Cowboys greats include: QBs Aikman, Roger Staubach and Tony Romo; running backs Smith, Tony Dorsett and Ezekiel Elliott; fullback Daryl “Moose” Johnston; wide receivers Irvin, Drew Pearson, Bob Hayes and Dez Bryant; tight end Jason Witten; offensive linemen Larry Allen, Rayfield Wright, Tyron Smith; defensive linemen Bob Lilly, Randy White; linebackers DeMarcus Ware and Chuck Howley; and defensive backs Deion Sanders and Darren Woodson. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the oldest NFL teams? 

The Cardinals and Bears were among the NFL’s charter members in 1920 (the Cardinals were actually founded in Chicago in 1898 before eventually leaving town).

Which NFL team has the most fans? 

This one’s a bit hard to fully quantify. Social media following doesn’t fully translate into fandom, nor do TV ratings or home attendance. They’re all ever-changing elements of a complex puzzle, but it’s hard to argue against the Cowboys when it comes to piecing it all together.

Dallas is frequently a national TV draw, and in 2023 it was far and away the leader in home attendance, averaging 93,594 fans at AT&T Stadium. That’s over 14,000 more fans on average than the second-highest home attendance that year, which belonged to the Giants.

On social (as of the start of the 2024 season), Dallas has 4.9 million Instagram followers, 4.4 million X followers, over 8 million Facebook followers and another 2.5 million followers on TikTok.

Which NFL team has the most championships?

In the Super Bowl era (1967 and beyond), the Patriots and Steelers both have a league-high six championships. The 49ers and Cowboys are next with five apiece. 

Counting the pre-AFL/NFL merger and pre-Super Bowl days, the Packers are the most successful football franchise, with 13 NFL championships. Four of those came in the Super Bowl era — including the first two Super Bowls ever.

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