NFC FANBASE MISERY INDEX

Aug 27

By: Will Aimette

Every NFL fanbase claims to know suffering, but true football misery lies with some teams more than others. While franchises like the Eagles and Seahawks have a winning past and a promising future, others (like the Packers and Panthers) are stuck in a cycle of constant mediocrity. So, in this article, I rank each fanbase’s misery based on their past and potential future success.

(Note: The rankings go from least miserable to most miserable)

1. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks have been to the Super Bowl three times in the last twelve years. That means ¼ of the time, the Seahawks are league champions. And after winning the most recent Super Bowl, Seattle doesn’t look to be stopping anytime soon. They have a very talented young roster that includes the best wide receiver in the NFL (Jaxon Smith-Njigba) and one of the top cornerbacks in the game (Devon Witherspoon). Their defense is terrifying; they have veteran presence yet LOADS of youthful energy. It’s obvious that Seahawks fans are living their best life.

2. Philadelphia eagles

Speaking of teams that dominate year after year, the Eagles seem to find themselves deep in the playoffs every year. And it makes sense. The Eagles won the most total games since 2022. With Saquon, Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, and a young Makai Lemon, their offense is deadly. The only problem is that those guys on offense are aging. It’s a very slight issue, but they have a tighter window to win than other teams. As for defense, they’re good for years. Cooper deJean and Quinyon Mitchell are some of the best cornerbacks in the game, and they are only 23 and 22 years old. Their linebacker core is extremely young and talented too; as long as their offense holds on for a few more years, this franchise should be golden.

3. Los angeles rams

The Rams have put together a superteam, one not seen since the 2007 Patriots. Those Patriots went 16-0. With Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, and Davante Adams, their offense is potent. But they were missing one thing last year, something that led to their demise against the Seahawks. And that missing piece was a great cornerback. This offseason, they traded for one of the best corners in the league, fellow Pro-Bowler Trent McDuffie. And the Rams didn’t stop there, as a few weeks later they acquired the best pass rusher in NFL history: Myles Garrett. They’ve also had recent success including a Super Bowl win in 2022, mostly due to Aaron Donald. And now he’s back. This team will be so fun to watch, I almost pity the fool who would ever turn a Rams game off. So it’s safe to say it is a great time to be a Rams fan.

4. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

The 49ers have gone quiet since their two recent Super Bowl losses against the Chiefs (in 2020 and 2024). At this point it almost seems like Brock Purdy has a bet on Mahomes to surpass Brady. But they have made deep playoff runs. With an aging Christian McCaffery. Mike Evans, and offensive tackle Trent Williams, San Francisco is about to lose some longtime stars. But it’s not too late. They have a window of about two more seasons, where they have to put together a good showing. And why else would I put the 49ers this high up if I didn’t think they would? I can see a Super Bowl appearance in the near future, I just don’t know if it could make up for all the losses in the close past.

5. Chicago Bears

The Bears, in recent memory, have been a very, very bad team. Some years they were simply okay, others they were a complete disaster. But Caleb Williams quickly turned this franchise around. After a few incredibly successful drafts, including the arrival of pass-catchers Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland, this offense is a powerhouse. They move down the field with such efficiency, and now that DJ Moore is gone, Luther Burden will get his chance to be the primary playmaker. I see such a bright future for this team, I had to put them in my top five on this list. This offense feels like it could develop into a dynasty, one that wins multiple championships.

6. Washington commanders

You may be asking why the Washington Commanders are this low on the misery index, over more successful teams like the Cowboys, Lions, Buccaneers, or even Packers. And it’s because their fans can finally relax and have a fun season. Now it’s not the type of relaxing the Cardinals can do, and it’s also not quite the type of relaxing the Rams can do, but it’s simply the art of watching a young team grow. Especially a young, promising quarterback such as Jayden Daniels. I think he could lead Washington to the playoffs this year, just like he did in 2024. Although they’ve been miserable in the past decade, it’s an exciting time for the franchise, probably one of the most exciting times in recent memory (although that’s not saying much). So Commanders fans can relax knowing they will be competitive in future years, and can watch their team grow (plus, they might shock the world as a bonus).

7. Tampa bay buccaneers

Tom Brady was the best thing that ever happened to Tampa Bay football. After the Bucs’ Super Bowl win in 2021, the franchise has only gone up. Baker Mayfield is above a league-average QB, Bucky Irving is a great young running back, and Emeka Egbuka is one of the most promising receivers in the NFL. This year they drafted EDGE rusher Reuben Bain Jr, a steal in the middle of the first round, and they have elite defensive talent alongside him. So the Bucs already got a first taste of winning with Brady, and they could certainly get some more with the caliber of talent in Tampa.

8. Detroit lions

Roster-wise, the Lions are the second best team in the NFL. Jared Goff is a high-caliber playcaller, Amon-Ra is one of the best receivers in the game, they have a great offensive line, and the best running back in the NFL. Their defense is stacked from head to toe, with the best safety duo along with a great front seven headline by Aidan Hutchinson. So why are they so far down the list? Because they can’t win! They don’t have a winning history, not in the slightest, and they still can’t seem to make it much further than the divisional round. And that’s with one of the best rosters in the NFL! Their coaching isn’t the problem, in fact, Dan Campbell is one of the Lions’ greatest strengths. So it’s not terrible to be a Lions fan by any measure, it just isn’t great. At least until they win.

9. Dallas cowboys

The Cowboys are in a similar situation as the Lions, just with a slightly worse roster and slightly less time. Dak Prescott has only one or two good seasons left in him. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are a great duo, yet Lamb needs a season to prove himself and Pickens leaves after a year. The Cowboys just lost Micah Parsons, and although they got one of the best players in this recent draft, it feels a little too late for them to be building a young core. Especially after they made it clear that they’re trying to win this season. The Cowboys have always been pretty good in the last ten years, they just weren’t good enough by the end of the season to make a deep run. And I don’t see that changing.

10. NEW YORK GIANTS

Now the Giants are really building something here. It might not be an immediate 12-5 season like fans are expecting, but they are getting A LOT better. If a team stays bad for long enough they are destined to be great at some point: that’s simply the law of sports. This is due to the high-caliber draft picks they receive. And after years of terrible selections, the Giants finally pieced together a few good drafts in a row. Jaxson Dart, Abdul Carter, Arvell Reese, Cam Skattebo, and Francis Mauigoa are not a bad haul over the last two years. But injuries remain a risk for this team, as long as they can stay healthy they could earn a spot in the playoffs. Granted, I don’t think they will, but the fact remains that they could. The only reason I don’t place this team higher in my list, is simply the fact that the Giants have been such a painful franchise to watch over the last eight or so years, that I just couldn’t stand being a fan of this team.

11. Green BAY PACKers

The Packers are stuck in an awful cycle of mediocrity. Maybe they’re slightly better, which in a way is slightly worse. Jordan Love is just league-average. Josh Jacobs is slightly better. Their receiving core is below league-average. Their defense, led by Micah Parsons, is better. That leads to a first-round exit type of playoff team, meaning they don’t get anywhere in the playoffs or their draft pick. It’s a brutal time to be a fan of the Packers, because I really don’t see them going places any time soon. This division is fully closed, with the Bears and Lions dominating. I see a slight downward trend for the Packers, similar to that of a slow and painful death (maybe a little, or in this case a lot less dramatic though).

12. Atlanta falcons

Again, the Falcons are in a place similar to the Packers, but they’re slightly worse, which is better. Their QB situation is very odd, with Michael Penix Jr and Tua Tagovailoa crowding up the room. But their running back and WR1 is elite, in Bijan Robinson and Drake London. Outside of that, there’s just a bunch of draft busts and role players. Sure, their defense is young, but I don’t really think the Falcons are building anything too special. Fans in Atlanta should expect another average, miserable season from their team.

13. New orleans saints

Now the Saints are possibly the most intriguing team in the NFC, simply because we don’t actually know what they might be. They could be, like the Packers, entering a cycle of mediocrity, they could be a playoff-caliber team (due to their awful division), or they could be a steaming pile of garbage. And that’s how it’s been with the Saints since Drew Brees: they were great, then terrible, and now… who knows? It’ll come down to Tyler Shough, either he’ll be exposed or he’ll be the next franchise QB. The Saints have been doing their best to build their offense around Shough, adding Travis Etienne from the Jags, and receiver Jordyn Tyson in the draft, but this whole offense looks questionable. As does their defense, with gaping holes in the cornerback and defensive tackle positions. But it’s the Saints, and as a Saints fan myself, we’re used to questionable teams. Which is exactly why I put this fan base at this spot.

14. Minnesota vikings

Speaking of questionable teams, queue Kyler Murray walking in with a Vikings uniform! This is an absolute disaster waiting to happen. I’ve already played it out in my head multiple times, and it’s gone the same way almost every time: Kyler Murray stinks it up for the first few weeks, he gets benched for J.J. McCarthy’s second chance, where he also stinks. Justin Jefferson wants to leave and the whole organization goes down with him. So if I really think that’s going to happen, why would I not put the Vikings last? As miserable as it has been to be a Vikings fan last year, they have had success in the past. They recently pulled off a 14-3 season, with pretty much the same talent as they have today. So they could make the playoffs, with the slight chance that Kyler Murray decides to play like he did in his first few years in the NFL. So although this team might be sinking, all hope is not lost.

15. Carolina panthers

The Panthers confuse me. After drafting Bryce Young, it seemed as if this organization was fixed, just for Young to be benched to Andy Dalton in parts of his first two seasons. While it needed to happen, that really slowed down his development, and after playing a bit better, Young is entering his fourth season in the NFL. If he wants to prove he belongs, the time is now. He’s got the rookie of the year to throw to (Tetairoa McMillan), a decent offensive line, and a defense with a couple good weapons. After putting up a great fight against the Rams in the Wild Card, this team is rapidly improving. But they need more. They need a better running back to carry them down the stretch. Their defense is a long way off in being a complete unit. They still desperately need a second solid wide receiver. And by the time they fix these holes, who knows where Bryce Young will be? Their team is unstable, their whole franchise has been ever since Cam Newton and Christian McCaffery left. Although they went to the playoffs last year, they seem a long way out before they can actually compete for a championship.

16. ARIZONA CARDINALS

When the Cardinals drafted Jeremiyah Love, I knew there was something terribly wrong with this franchise. Teams can never build around a running back. Never. They have too many holes. In their offensive line, in receiver, in quarterback, in their front seven, really everywhere. The only really good players they have are at tight end (Trey McBride), running back (Jeremiyah Love), and strong safety (Budda Baker). Talk about useless. These pieces should be role players, not pieces that should be depended on to build a strong foundation. So Cardinals fans are in big trouble, for probably a long amount of time, which is exactly why their fans should be the most miserable in the entire NFC.

Will Aimette