Although baseball might be considered to be the great pastime in the United States, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t prefer watching football just a little bit more. That’s not to say that baseball, or other sports, aren’t great and have just as much drama, it’s just that football brings a whole different element for fans, with hard-hitting action and exciting plays that, most, normal people can’t do. For that reason, it’s always interesting to see the value of each franchise in the NFL, wondering which owners have done a remarkable job at building a brand, and not just a franchise. So how much is your favorite team actually worth? I give you the answer below.
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32. St. Louis Rams – $930 million
There’s a reason why so many people are actually concerned that the St. Louis Rams may be the team that, once again, relocates back to Los Angeles in the next few years. With the lowest valuation of any team in the league and a stadium lease that expires soon, the Rams are the perfect candidate to take pro football back to Hollywood. For Rams fans, they hope the team improves and they can work out any problems in order to stay in the Midwest, though.
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31. Buffalo Bills – $935 million
With a new owner recently purchasing the team and promising to keep the Buffalo Bills in upstate New York, the Bills have a future that will, hopefully, be pretty bright for their fans. And while there may not be any major discussions about a new stadium in the works, one would think that the outdated Ralph Wilson Stadium will need to be replaced as the team’s home before the take the next step and really boost themselves up these rankings.
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30. Detroit Lions – $960 million
Although the team has been doing well on the field since players like Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and Ndamukong Suh have been drafted by the franchise, the Detroit Lions still find themselves with the second lowest valuation of any NFL team right now. With a new stadium opening in the past several years—which actually opened a Super Bowl, too—one would think that the team would be higher on this list. But it seems that it will take more in order to accomplish that.
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29. Jacksonville Jaguars – $965 million
The story of the Jacksonville Jaguars isn’t all that secret. Recently sold to a new owner Shahid Khan a few years ago, the team has struggled to maintain fans coming to the stadium each game, resorting to making some money by playing in London to help with finances. In addition to poor attendance, the team hasn’t been winning much. For those reasons, it’s surprising that they aren’t dead last in valuation, so good for them for powering through.
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28. Oakland Raiders – $970 million
Is it just me, or is this a serious win for the Oakland Raiders? After all, the team has been in a serious funk since making the Super Bowl back in 2003, proving to be, arguably, the most dysfunctional franchise in pro sports over that decade. And while the Raiders might not be worth over a billion dollars or high on these rankings, at least they still find themselves ahead of three other teams—which is rare to say.
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27. Cincinnati Bengals – $990 million
Showing the ability to build a solid team thanks to their playoff appearances in recent seasons, the Cincinnati Bengals have a family in the Brown’s that is finally beginning to change their old ways. Formerly associated with being a little bit on the cheap side, the front-office has handed out money to keep their stars and stayed consistent each year by keeping head coach Marvin Lewis around, who is the second longest tenured coach in the NFL behind only Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots.
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26. San Diego Chargers – $995 million
While San Diego seems like a great place to either live or vacation, when it comes to running a pro sports franchise, it just seems like a bad spot. Sure, $995 million is nothing to scoff at, but seeing how 25 other teams rank higher than them and their games are often forgotten about because of their West Coast start time, the San Diego Chargers don’t seem to get as much attention as they probably should.
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25. Arizona Cardinals – $1 billion
The team with the best record in the league thus far in 2014, the Arizona Cardinals are, somewhat surprisingly, not higher than 25th on this list. After opening a state-of-the-art stadium years ago and fielding a team that has had some success, I, personally, thought they would be worth a little bit more. Still, with a valuation of $1 billion, that’s not too shabby.
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24. Kansas City Chiefs – $1.10 billion
One of the oldest franchises in the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs might play in an older stadium and haven’t really won much in the past couple of decades, but they continue to turn a profit thanks to their rabid fanbase and incredible ownership, which has shown the ability to work deals that earn the team lots of money.
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23. New Orleans Saints – $1.11 billion
With one of the top quarterbacks in the league, Drew Brees, the New Orleans Saints have shown to be one of the most consistent winning teams in the league, even winning a Super Bowl back in 2010. And even after the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina back in 2006, the team rebounded nicely and has remained with a valuation about $1 billion, which, in itself, is a win for the ownership.
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22. Cleveland Browns – $1.12 billion
My hometown Cleveland Browns have been one of the most consistently poor franchises in the league—OK, maybe all of sports—since their rebirth in 1999, but even with bad personnel decisions, they remain to be somewhat solid in their partnerships. As new owner Jimmy Haslam came in a few years ago, his first order of business was earning money fast, as he sold the naming rights to the stadium in order to turn a big profit.
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21. Atlanta Falcons – $1.125 billion
One thing that owner Arthur Blank has proven is that he’s OK with spending money to help his Atlanta Falcons remain competitive, as he locked-up franchise quarterback Matt Ryan with a huge extension a couple of years ago. It’s a good thing he has the money to do it, too, with the organization working with both local and national brands to have a valuation of $1.125 billion.
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20. Minnesota Vikings – $1.15 billion
With a new stadium on the horizon and a great history, the Minnesota Vikings look like they’re in position to really move up these rankings in the coming years, as new facilities typically brings about new opportunities for marketing and partnerships. And with a young quarterback like Teddy Bridgewater showing some progress as the starter in recent weeks, they may give themselves a chance to compete in the NFC, too.
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19. Tennessee Titans – $1.16 billion
Having lived in Nashville, it’s a bit surprising to see the Titans worth as much as they are, but the city does rally around the team and often packs the stadium each and every home game. And with partnerships from big-time media and entertainment companies thanks to the culture in Music City, ownership has done a good job maintaining a high value.
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18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $1.225 billion
Thanks to the Glazer family as owners—who, say what you want to about them—know how to make money, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have turned quite the profit even in the years that they haven’t been too great on the gridiron. Playing in a warm weather city like Tampa, the good news is that fans typically come out to games since the weather is typically nice year-round, which helps the bottom line, too.
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17. Carolina Panthers – $1.25 billion
After choosing Cam Newton at quarterback a few years ago and seeing the development of linebacker Luke Kuechly in the past couple seasons, the Carolina Panthers have proven that they know how to build a solid roster, but, as they’ve shown in 2014, they still need more consistency on the field. Thanks to great business decisions, though, at least the owner is making money, as they’ve been valued at $1.25 billion.
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16. Miami Dolphins – $1.3 billion
Like others on this list, seeing the Miami Dolphins at No. 16 was a little surprising to me. Sure, the team is recognizable and all, but they haven’t had great success in awhile and play in a stadium that is way too big for their needs. Still, ownership has remained to turn a serious profit, as they work strategically with the right companies that will help them earn money eeach season.
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15. Seattle Seahawks – $1.33 billion
Last year’s Super Bowl champions might be going through the struggles of defending a championship in 2014, but with Paul Allen as their owner, the team has done a great job in recognizing what brands are the most ideal to partner with to help bring in money. And with a valuation of $1.33 billion, the Hawks seem like they’ve been making the right decisions no matter which companies that seems to be.
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14. Pittsburgh Steelers – $1.35 billion
Like a few others on this list, the Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the first-class organizations in all of sports. With six Super Bowl titles to their credit and the Rooney family as owners, the Steelers appear to be in good hands moving forward, with influential decisions both for the franchise and the league.
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13. Green Bay Packers – $1.375 billion
One of the flagship franchises in the league and, really, all of sports, the Green Bay Packers have shown the ability to still make millions each season even in a small town like Green Bay. It helps having a team that is exciting to watch, as does the fact that they make good business decisions in helping them earn partnerships.
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12. Indianapolis Colts – $1.4 billion
Although they lost former quarterback Peyton Manning a few years ago, the Indianapolis Colts have rebounded nicely thanks to the drafting and development of new signal-caller Andrew Luck. With two-straight playoff appearances and a new stadium opening in the past few seasons, the Colts have built themselves into one of the top franchises in the NFL.
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11. Denver Broncos – $1.45 billion
Anytime a team has Peyton Manning under center, they’re typically going to be pretty solid. And in the case of the Denver Broncos, that’s exactly what they’re enjoying, right now. Three-straight playoff appearances since Manning took over the quarterback role, Denver might just be the most intriguing team in the league, with fans wondering when and if the great Peyton can win another title before his career ends.
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10. Baltimore Ravens – $1.5 billion
It has been nearly 20 years since the Baltimore Ravens relocated from Cleveland as the former Browns, and, in that time, the team has done a great job at building themselves into one of the top franchises in the league. With two Super Bowl titles in that timeframe, the Ravens continue to profit from solid partnerships and fan support.
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9. San Francisco 49ers – $1.6 billion
With three-straight NFC title games, the San Francisco 49ers have shown to have the talent to compete for a Super Bowl since head coach Jim Harbaugh took over the reins to the franchise. And with a new stadium opening this year, you can bet that the interest in the Niners will remain to be high, only adding to the team’s value in the upcoming seasons.
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8. Chicago Bears – $1.7 billion
Playing in the third biggest media market in the country, the Chicago Bears have benefitted from extra attention and other opportunities that have brought big-time sponsors in the fold. And while the team hasn’t won a Super Bowl since the beatdown of the New England Patriots in 1986, they still remain to be one of the most talked about franchises in the league.
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7. Philadelphia Eagles – $1.75 billion
After hiring former Oregon head coach Chip Kelly as their leader of the sideline before the 2013 season, the Philadelphia Eagles may just be the most exciting team in the league. In addition to the high-octane offense, though, the team has also built a new stadium in the past decade or so and continue to work with some big-time sponsors to maintain a high valuation.
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6. New York Jets – $1.8 billion
One of the oldest and most recognized franchises in all of sports, the New York Jets might share the still new MetLife Stadium with the New York Giants, but that doesn’t mean that they’re cheap. In fact, with a valuation of $1.8 billion, it’s actually the quite opposite. The Jets haven’t looked good on the field this season, but the fans remain loyal—and impatient—meaning the team continues to make solid money each year.
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5. Houston Texans – $1.85 billion
Of all the teams that fell into the top-10, seeing the Houston Texans at No. 5 might be the most surprising since they’ve only been around since 2002. Still, in those 12 years, owner Bob McNair has seen a team that has performed quite well on the field, and remains to have one of the best atmospheres in the league thanks to a gigantic stadium. Everything is bigger in Texas and McNair doesn’t hold back on that philosophy.
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4. New York Giants – $2.1 billion
With two Super Bowl victories in the past eight seasons, the New York Giants have remained to be both relevant and, somewhat, successful. Playing in the largest media market on the planet doesn’t hurt either, though, nor does a billion dollar-plus stadium that opened in the past few years. With a steady ownership that has been run by the same family from the beginning, the Giants seem to stay first-class and grow their business.
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3. Washington Redskins – $2.4 billion
The product on the field might not be all that great, but the Washington Redskins are still proving that they make some pretty good business decisions. Even playing in an older stadium that doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that other teams have, the Skins have managed to be successful in building a gigantic brand—which is probably one reason why they refuse to change their name—but that’s a conversation for another day.
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2. New England Patriots – $2.6 billion
With arguably the best quarterback-head coach duo in all of sports over the past 15 years, is it any wonder that the New England Patriots are this high on the most valuable NFL teams? They’ve been successful with five Super Bowl appearances since Tom Brady took over the signal-calling duties and have been smart in their partnerships.
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1. Dallas Cowboys – $3.2 billion
Say what you want to about the team’s decisions over the past 15 years or so, but one thing that owner Jerry Jones knows how to do is put on a show. While the team is still searching for its first Super Bowl appearance (and win) since 1996, the Cowboys have still maintained their standing as the most valuable franchise in the NFL. It’s no wonder they’re called “America’s Team.”
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