NFL Owner Power Rankings

But it’s clear some owners are just better at running successful teams than others. Some find themselves embroiled in constant controversy, others stay hands-off but haven’t owned winning franchises in some time. If we assume the most important person in an organization is the one at the top, then it’s probably fair to judge an owner by how successful over time their team is.

For these rankings, I used winning Super Bowls, being a generally successful, winning franchise, and staying out of controversy as the three main criteria to construct the order. A few placements on the list surprised me, as I expected several owners to rank lower than they did, but that just goes to demonstrate how few good owners the league has.

Without further ado, here’s the ranking of every owner in the NFL:

1: Robert Kraft, New England Patriots

There shouldn’t be any surprise with the top choice. Kraft took ownership of the Patriots franchise in 1994 and built a modern dynasty, winning six Super Bowls between 2002 and 2019. The hiring of HC Bill Belichick will go down as one of the greatest hires in NFL history, and though stumbling into QB Tom Brady with a sixth-round pick is probably more luck than anything else, Kraft managing that relationship to last 20 years is impressive.

2: Clark Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs

Hunt inherited the Chiefs franchise in 2006 after the death of his father and has overseen their transformation into a perennial playoff team and arguably a dynasty. Kansas City has steadily improved as a team since Hunt took over, culminating in eight straight AFC West championships and three Super Bowl wins in the last five years. Hunt’s hire of HC Andy Reid has proved to be his best decision so far, as it was Reid who made the franchise-altering decision to trade up for QB Patrick Mahomes. Those two are already one of the best quarterback/head coach pairings in league history.

3: Steve Bisciotti, Baltimore Ravens

Bisciotti purchased a minority stake in the Ravens in 2000, with the NFL later approving his majority purchase in 2004. He immediately began work on overhauling Baltimore’s facilities and has invested a considerable amount of money into his franchise. Bisciotti surprised many by hiring longtime Eagles ST coordinator John Harbaugh as head coach in 2007, but Harbaugh has since won a Super Bowl and is considered one of the league’s top coaches. The Ravens are widely considered one of the best-run teams in football. 

4: Bryan Glazer, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Taking over in 1995, Glazer spearheaded the Buccaneers’ new stadium project and their franchise rebranding. Tampa Bay has won two Super Bowls under Glazer’s tenure, almost 20 years apart, and won the Brady free agency sweepstakes in 2020. Signing Brady led to their second Super Bowl victory, though the franchise has been in a bit of limbo since Brady’s retirement.

5: Terry & Kim Pegula, Buffalo Bills

Despite not yet winning a Super Bowl, the Pegulas have done a marvelous job in turning around the Bills after the team fell on hard times following a remarkable four-Super Bowl run in the 1990s. In the last 10 years, the Bills have surged to the top of the NFL, making their first playoff appearance in almost 20 years in 2017 before winning four straight division titles from 2020-2023. Under current HC Sean McDermott and featuring QB Josh Allen, the Bills have become perennial contenders.

6: Sheila Ford Hamp, Detroit Lions

Ford Hamp is one of the NFL’s newest owners, taking over for her mother in 2020. Despite this, she’s turned the Lions franchise around on a dime, with a few timely hires that took the Lions from a league laughingstock to a potential Super Bowl contender. Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell — the current general manager and head coach, respectively — have been a revelation in Detroit, and have the Lions poised to compete at the top of the league once again in 2024.

7: Packers Shareholders, Green Bay Packers

Yes, the team owned by its fans slots in at No. 7 on this list, which goes to show how low the bar is here for ownership, or how many bad owners there are out there. Team president Mark Murphy serves as the individual leader for the Packers, representing the team at owners meetings and casting votes on big decisions. Murphy will be replaced by Ed Policy next year after Murphy’s mandatory retirement at 70 years old, and Policy was appointed by the team board which also rotates members. The Packers have won several Super Bowls, so clearly the public ownership model works.

8: Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys

Jones is perhaps the most difficult owner to rank, for a variety of reasons. A former standout college football player for the University of Arkansas, Jones bought the Cowboys in 1989 and made his mark on the franchise, installing himself as both president and general manager. He had great success with Hall-of-Fame HC Jimmy Johnson in the 90s, winning three Super Bowls before that relationship fractured and Johnson departed. Since then, the Cowboys have failed to reach even the NFC Championship and have been mired in mediocrity for several decades. Jones himself has been involved in a number of controversies, and his legacy will seemingly be a conflicted one.

9: Stan Kroenke, Los Angeles Rams

As a minority owner, Kroenke helped the Rams make their initial move to St. Louis in 1995. In 2010, he purchased the controlling share of the Rams franchise and moved them back to Southern California, resulting in a massive lawsuit from St. Louis against Kroenke and the NFL. As a team, however, the Rams have been quite successful since Kroenke took over, culminating in a 2022 Super Bowl victory.

10: Jed York, San Francisco 49ers

Denise DeBartolo York gifted control of the 49ers franchise to her son, Jed, in 2008. Since then, York’s tenure as controlling owner has been a bit rocky, though largely positive. He orchestrated the Jim Harbaugh hire, which led them within an inch of a Lombardi trophy, though he also fired Harbaugh controversially a few years later. After a couple misses, he landed on HC Kyle Shanahan who has proven to be a revelation, though it hasn’t led to any Super Bowl wins yet. The 49ers have been one of the best teams in the NFL over the last half-decade and look poised to keep knocking at the door. 

11: Jeffrey Lurie, Philadelphia Eagles

Lurie bought the Eagles in 1994 and has largely fielded a competitive football team over the last 30 years. The Eagles have played in three Super Bowls during this time, winning one in 2017. Although the team has gone through patches of turmoil, Lurie’s ownership has largely been marked by stability, including at quarterback with Donovan McNabb and now Jalen Hurts.

12: Jim Irsay, Indianapolis Colts

When I was first prepping this article, I assumed I’d have Irsay much lower than this. Taking over from his father in 1997, Irsay had previously served as the team’s general manager and has stayed involved with day-to-day operations ever since. Though the Colts haven’t been serious contenders in some time, they were one of the NFL’s most successful franchises during the 2000s. Drafting Peyton Manning was a huge win for the Colts, leading to a Super Bowl victory in 2007. Irsay’s tendency to get involved often backfires, as it did when he fired HC Frank Reich in 2022 and replaced him with his old friend and former Colts C Jeff Saturday, who had no coaching experience to speak of. Irsay’s personal struggles often overshadow his team, as well as odd statements he makes to the media.

13: Cal McNair, Houston Texans

McNair only recently took full control of the team, as his father was CEO until his death in 2018. Since then, McNair has overseen some impressive work. Navigating the situation with QB Deshaun Watson and rebuilding the team from scratch was not easy, but McNair eventually got the right people to get it done. McNair’s hiring of executive Jack Easterby received plenty of backlash for how it played out, though the team parted ways with Easterby in 2022.

14: Art Rooney II, Pittsburgh Steelers

One of the newer owners in the NFL, Rooney took over control of the Steelers when his father passed away in 2017. During his short stint as owner, Rooney has overseen the retirement of franchise legend Ben Roethlisberger and stuck by HC Mike Tomlin. The Steelers haven’t made much noise since 2017 but are widely considered one of the most stable and successfully run franchises.

15: Jody Allen, Seattle Seahawks

Another new owner, Allen inherited the Seahawks from her brother Paul Allen after his death in 2018. She had been one of the more behind-the-scenes owners for a while but made a huge move this offseason by making the call to part ways with Super Bowl-winning HC Pete Carroll. We’ll see if new HC Mike Macdonald can elevate Seattle back to the top of the NFC, somewhere they haven’t been in about a decade. 

16: Dean Spanos, Los Angeles Chargers

Spanos took ownership from his father in 2015 and his tenure has been marked by transition. In the last decade, the team has moved from San Diego to Los Angeles, transitioned from longtime QB Philip Rivers to current QB Justin Herbert, and have hired four head coaches with Jim Harbaugh being the latest. The major knock on Spanos’s record is the number of coaches he’s cycled through in his short time as owner, but the hope is the Harbaugh hiring provides success and stability in the long term.

17: Gayle Benson, New Orleans Saints

When Benson’s husband passed away in 2018, the Saints franchise fell to her. Benson oversaw QB Drew Brees’ final years in the NFL and the retirement of longtime HC Sean Payton. Benson herself, as well as the Saints organization, was the target of a labor lawsuit after she took control of the team. Now, the franchise is at a bit of a crossroads, as another subpar year could lead to a longer rebuild.

18: Josh Harris, Washington Commanders

The NFL’s newest owner, Harris takes over for the ousted Dan Snyder. Harris has made waves since arriving, making some shrewd moves in an attempt to right the franchise after years of abysmal decision-making. He brings experience revitalizing franchises in other sports, so there’s hope he can do it in Washington, too.

19: Rob Walton, Denver Broncos

Walton took his Walmart fortune and bought the majority stake in the Broncos in 2022. His ownership group also consists of former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and he’s turned over the day-to-day duties of the owner to his son-in-law, Greg Penner. Walton is the league’s wealthiest owner by a significant margin, and like many new owners recently, he’s been throwing his money around, spending big to hire Payton as head coach after just one year with HC Nathaniel Hackett.

20: John Mara & Steve Tisch, New York Giants

Mara and Tisch took control from their respective families in 2005 and have won two Super Bowls since then. Though recent success has been hard to come by, the Giants were among the NFC’s most consistent teams throughout the 2000s and 2010s. Mara in particular has come under fire from Giants fans with a reputation for being too slow to make necessary changes.

21: Zygi Wilf, Minnesota Vikings

Wilf bought the team in 2005 and the Vikings have won very little in that time. Despite a racketeering charge in 2013, Wilf has largely managed to stay out of the news, something not all owners can do. Minnesota has cycled between several iterations of their team without sustained success and is entering another rebuilding period with a new quarterback.

22: Virginia Halas McCaskey, Chicago Bears

Daughter of team founder George Halas, McCaskey took ownership upon her father’s death in 1983. Two years later, the Bears won the 1985 Super Bowl, and that marked the high point in Bears franchise history. McCaskey has been fairly hands-off the last 20 years or so, allowing her children to be the primary decision-makers. The organization has yet to reach the same heights, though they made it back to the Super Bowl following the 2006 season. 

23: Amy Adams Strunk, Tennessee Titans

Strunk took over as controlling owner of the Titans in 2015 and has made quite an impression on the league. She’s on the NFL’s Hall of Fame committee and has overseen a few successful years for the Titans. Most recently, she shocked the NFL world by firing HC Mike Vrabel, one of the most respected coaches in the league.

24: Arthur Blank, Atlanta Falcons

The co-founder of Home Depot, Blank bought the Falcons in 2002 and hasn’t had much to show for it since. The 2016 season was the high-water mark for the Falcons under Blank, with QB Matt Ryan winning the MVP en route to a Super Bowl that the team infamously lost after being up 28-3 against the Patriots. Blank turns 82 next month and his urgency is palpable with the team hitting the reset button going from former HC Arthur Smith to new HC Raheem Morris in an effort to juice what they view as a competitive window.

25: Shad Khan, Jacksonville Jaguars

Khan bought the Jaguars in 2011 and has had very little on-field success in the decade-plus of his ownership. Aside from a surprise run to the 2017 AFC Championship game, the Jaguars have been one of the sport’s worst franchises, finishing with three wins or less in five of Khan’s 14 seasons. The recent hiring of HC Doug Pederson and the arrival of QB Trevor Lawrence as the No. 1 pick in 2021 has offered the franchise some hope, although even that partnership hasn’t led to the results many expected, at least not yet.

26: Stephen Ross, Miami Dolphins

Ross purchased the Dolphins franchise in 2009 and, like many others in this part of the rankings, hasn’t won much since then. He’s faced some allegations during his time as owner, including a major tampering violation in 2022 that cost his team their first-round pick for meeting with Brady and Payton on his yacht while they were both under contract with other teams. Right now, the Dolphins are on a bit of an upswing however, with an exciting offensive core and one of the league’s most innovative head coaches in Mike McDaniel.

27: Mark Davis, Las Vegas Raiders

The winner of worst haircut in sports, Davis oversaw the Raiders’ move from Oakland to Las Vegas. Inheriting the team from his father, NFL icon Al Davis, in 2011, Davis’ time as owner has been marred with a series of poor hires and controversies. Not including interim coaches, Davis has cycled through six head coaching hires,  most of which have blown up in his face, whether it was Jon Gruden being forced to resign after racist emails he sent were leaked or Josh McDaniels getting canned after less than two seasons for being, well, Josh McDaniels. There’s been significant turmoil on the business side as well, with persistent rumors that Davis is the most cash-poor owner in the league. 

28: Jimmy & Dee Haslam, Cleveland Browns

The Haslams bought the Browns in 2012 and have since overseen one of the worst franchises in the league. Cleveland went winless in 2016, earned back-to-back top overall picks and has just one playoff win since the Haslams took ownership. They also raised significant controversy when signing current QB Deshaun Watson to a massive, fully guaranteed deal. Watson was embroiled in nearly two dozen sexual assault lawsuits at the time, and the fully guaranteed nature of his contract angered other NFL owners. Watson has struggled since arriving in Cleveland and his future beyond this season is in question. That said, the Haslam’s hire of HC Kevin Stefanski has led to two playoff appearances in four years after a 17-year drought. 

29: Woody Johnson, New York Jets

Johnson purchased the Jets in 2000, and the New York franchise has been among the league’s worst in the last 24 years. He has a reputation for clashing with players, specifically with his outspoken political stances and donations, and has been publicly outspoken against several player-led efforts.

30: Michael Bidwill, Arizona Cardinals

Bidwill didn’t become the principal owner of the Cardinals until his father’s death in 2019, but he has been embedded within that organization for much longer. Though he’s been praised for some of his decisions with the franchise, he’s perhaps best known for his controversies, including using official team outlets to support his preferred political candidates, a toxic workplace investigation and a burner phone scandal to circumvent a suspension of former GM Steve Keim. Bidwill has been slow to make organizational changes, usually sticking by his friends and hires, regardless of the results.

31: Mike Brown, Cincinnati Bengals

Brown inherited the team from his father in 1991, and despite the Bengals’ recent run of success, he’s developed a negative reputation during his time as owner. Lack of investment in football resources, a penny-pinching contract approach and continual culture issues are hallmarks of Brown’s tenure. In terms of on-field results, Brown set records for the fewest wins and most losses under a single owner over a variety of timespans. On the positive side, QB Joe Burrow has injected new life into the franchise and Brown’s daughter Katie Blackburn has slowly started to modernize other aspects of the team.

32: Dave Tepper, Carolina Panthers

Given how bad Bidwill and Brown have been as owners, it takes a special someone to rank even lower. Tepper bought the Panthers in 2018 and doesn’t seem to have fully grasped that it takes more than just money to win in the NFL. He went viral last season for throwing a drink on an opposing fan during a loss to the Jaguars, resulting in a small fine from the league. Tepper’s run as owner has been characterized by emotional, impulsive decision-making and a penchant for splash over substance. Perhaps one day he’ll learn to get out of his own way.