The Five Least Valuable Franchises in the NFL

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While it’s the objective of every company to make money, sometimes it’s a lot harder than owners and CEOs think it will be. And although sports isn’t your typical business, teams still hope to bring in a profit and build their brand even bigger through large media contracts and other partnerships. Not all franchises are successful at doing it, though, with these being the ones who could use some help since they’re the least valuable teams in the NFL.

5. Detroit Lions ($900 Million)

The Lions are one of the few teams to have never even appeared in a Super Bowl—yet have been around since 1929. What’s even more depressing than that is the fact that the Lions are the only team in the league to lose money a few seasons ago, meaning they really need to reorganize some things before getting back in the black. They have star players like Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and Ndamukong Suh, but they need to make a Super Bowl run to find themselves amongst the biggest moneymakers in the NFL.

4. St. Louis Rams ($875 Million)

The problem with the St. Louis Rams is that they have struggled with consistency and are embattled in a dispute over a new stadium. No offense to Edward Jones and the dome that bares his name, but the place isn’t exactly the prettiest place to watch a game. Sure, the team seems to be on the upswing and has a few players it continues to build around, but the value of the organization won’t increase dramatically until they move into new digs.

3. Buffalo Bills ($870 Million)

In a sad bit of news, the founder and owner of the Buffalo Bills passed away just a few days ago, leaving behind one of the most successful owners in NFL history. Still, as great as Ralph Wilson’s reign was—especially during the ’90s when the team went to four-straight Super Bowls—since 2000, the team hasn’t been much to talk about. Combining the factors of a small market, a bad team and an unappealing destination for big-named free agents, it’s no wonder the Bills find themselves on this list.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars ($840 Million)

Honestly, have you ever seen anyone wearing a Jacksonville Jaguars jersey before? Probably not. But besides not making money on any jersey sales, this team also has trouble getting people through the turnstiles, constantly blacking out games because there aren’t enough people in attendance—which has to be embarrassing. With yet another top-3 pick in this year’s draft, this small market team better hope it lands a star to pique interest and help get the value of the organization higher.

1. Oakland Raiders ($825 Million)

When a team lacks leadership and stability—as the Oakland Raiders regularly do—there are always going to be problems in turning a profit. While the team is often looked at as one of the most historically successful teams in the league by winning three Super Bowls total, they have zero star players, and reside in a dump of a stadium that is way too big to house the amount of fans that come to see them play.

Photo by Marsaili McGrath/Getty Images

Written by Nick Dimengo

Graduate of the University of Kentucky. Cleveland sports fan. Frustrated respecter of LeBron James. Influencer of bad ideas. In addition to Worthly/Housely, I'm a regular contributor to Bleacher Report, Scout, Esquire and Maxim, and run or bike way too much for my own good when not writing. The day a Cleveland sports team wins a title is the day I can officially say my life is complete.