There are plenty of teams that are facing a pretty terrible season in 2026. The Miami Dolphins look to be starting a rebuild after saying goodbye to Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle. The Cleveland Browns are once again near favorites for the first overall pick and the chance to make the first overall pick in a very lucrative quarterback draft. Las Vegas is still facing lowered expectations despite the arrival of Fernando Mendoza.
If any of those teams have a terrible season, the fanbase would deal with it. The expectations are low, and therefore, so is the disappointment. However, if the New England Patriots went 5-12 due to the Super Bowl loser’s curse, the fanbase would feel a high level of despair. If Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills falter with new head coach Joe Brady, there will be questions they need to answer.
That’s what we’re looking at here. We’re not looking for a franchise’s worst record this century. We want to assess when this team had fans questioning whether football was worth it. We want a level of disappointment and pain that leads to someone saying, “I root for my fantasy team.” Let’s start with a hard one.
2016 Arizona Cardinals
Final Record: 7-8-1
The Arizona Cardinals had plenty of terrible seasons this century, just like they’ve had in the 20th century. This is not a good franchise historically. However, for a quick decade there, the Cardinals were contenders. In fact, they made it to the Super Bowl and almost made it to another one. Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald brought a different level of expectations to the franchise, and many hoped they’d never look back.
Then, in 2016, they were humbled back to reality. They started the season with a blockbuster. They traded for New England Patriots pass rusher Chandler Jones, pushing their chips to the middle of the table. Add an offense that was built around Carson Palmer, David Johnson, and Fitzgerald, and many thought the Cards would be cooking with gas this season.
As with many disappointments, injuries ruined the momentum. Palmer and most of the offensive line got hurt. A 1-3 start put them on their back foot, and despite clawing back to 3-3, the lowest-scoring tie since the introduction of overtime (6-6 against the Seahawks) really took the air out of the balloon. They were middling for the rest of the season, and they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013. To make matters worse, with the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series that season, the Cardinals became the franchise with the longest championship drought in the four major sports.
2007 Atlanta Falcons
Final Record: 4-12
This might be the biggest disappointment of a year for any franchise on this list. This was the Michael Vick year. The one where rumors of a dog-fighting ring led to an arrest and two-year jail sentence for the Atlanta Falcons entire franchise. Their identity was built around Vick, who was the most electric player in the league at the time.
How does a team overcome losing a player as valuable as Vick? Quick answer: they don’t. The Falcons won just four games, and Joey Harrington was seriously considered as the future of the quarterback position. Remember Joey Harrington? The quarterback position went from someone to build around to a massive question mark. The team was in shambles, and it only got worse.
Bobby Petrino, who made his name in college football, walked away from the team in the middle of the season. He didn’t even address the team. He left them a note. A NOTE: TO A FOOTBALL TEAM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON. The Vick situation makes us forget how absolutely cringy Petrino’s exit from the NFL was, but it was awful, and the franchise and its fans deserved better.
2015 Baltimore Ravens
Final Record: 5-11
Once again, the Baltimore Ravens had a season thrown to the wolves because of injuries. We’ve had some recent examples where a Lamar Jackson injury ended a Super Bowl aspiration in its tracks, but there are some interesting examples during the Joe Flacco era. In 2015, everyone, including Flacco, got hurt. They finished the year with 22 players on season-ending injured reserve, including Terrell Suggs who tore his Achilles during the Week 1 game.
Flacco was on a long consecutive starts streak that was ended with a torn ACL. That really upended the rest of his career. After this, he didn’t make the playoffs again until he won Comeback Player of the Year with the Cleveland Browns in 2023. Flacco was a Super Bowl winner who made this a perennial contender. After the torn ACL, he was a shell.
On top of that, it was the first losing season since John Harbaugh took over as head coach. His pick for offensive coordinator, Marc Trestman, was not a good fit for the offense. It caused so many unnecessary losses. They made mistake after mistake late in games that just tanked the season.
2021 Buffalo Bills
Final Record: 13-3
Most of the time, the disappointing season is this long, 17-18-week process that is long and drawn out. It feels like a root canal that lasts for four months. The pain is long and sustained, and we look back at it and remember the pain it caused and the opportunity lost. Then, there’s the pain that comes with 13 seconds of total annihilation as a football fan. There is no loss as painful as the one the Bills suffered in 2021-22. Not the Minnesota Miracle. Not the “wide right” game. We understand the stakes, and what happened over 13 seconds still lives in Bills’ fans minds.
First, we must acknowledge that there are two distinct eras of Bills football. We seriously considered going with the 2003 Buffalo Bills. They had Drew Bledsoe coming off a Pro Bowl season. They added Lawyer Milloy, who helped them beat the Patriots 31-0 in Week 1. They ended up with a 6-10 record and ended the season on the wrong end of a 31-0 blowout at the hands of those same Patriots.
That was sure painful, but the 13-second game, especially knowing that they never truly recovered, has a different level of pain. For those who don’t remember, or for Bills fans who have blocked it out, the Bills scored a touchdown with less than two minutes left to take the lead, but that’s too much time for Patrick Mahomes. He hit Hill for a 64-yard touchdown with about a minute left. Now that’s too much time for Josh Allen. He hit Gabe Davis with 13 seconds left, and it finally felt like the Bills overcame their demons. Instead, Mahomes hit Hill and Travis Kelce for big gains, and the Chiefs hit a game-tying field goal before winning the game in overtime without Allen touching the ball again. Pain.
2023 Carolina Panthers
Final Record: 2-15
There are a few really “good” options for the Carolina Panthers here. Any seasons in the Matt Rhule era could make the list. Coming off a Super Bowl appearance with a 6-10 response is right up there with any Super Bowl loser. Going 2-14 to end the John Fox era hurt as well. However, there’s nothing like putting your chips on the table for a superstar player and it blowing up in your face.
The Panthers made the big move, trading a future first-round pick, the No. 9 overall pick in 2023, and the No. 61 pick that year, wide receiver DJ Moore, and a 2025 second-round pick. The package was massive, but it’s worth it if the Panthers get their quarterback of the future. There was still a conversation at the top of the 2023 NFL Draft. It could have been any of Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, or Anthony Richardson.
The Panthers went with Young, and he was not good. They used the 39th-overall pick to replace Moore with Jonathan Mingo, and he wasn’t good. They came out of the gate losing their first six games in a row. The Panthers actually got their first win after their bye against Stroud and the Texans, but six more losses came right after that. The offense was dreadful, and the Chicago Bears now owned the first overall pick in the 2024 draft. The Panthers had a terrible season, no offense to speak of, and nothing to show for it.
2014 Chicago Bears
Final Record: 5-11
The Chicago Bears are another team with many examples of failed expectations and terrible seasons, but 2014 stands out for a few reasons. The defense, once a stalwart of the franchise, was the worst in the league. They regularly got blown out, and this led to strife in the locker room. Things came to a head when their rivals, the Green Bay Packers, dominated them 55-14 on Sunday Night Football. In front of a national audience, the world was in bed by halftime.
Marc Trestman was supposed to take this team to the next level with his high-IQ offensive system, but he didn’t have a good hold of the locker room. He would ignore conflicts in the locker room, allowing them to spread and extend longer than they should have. His ignorance of the personalities in the room led to them ignoring him entirely. He lost the locker room almost immediately.
On top of the defense being terrible, the offense went in the wrong direction, too. Jay Cutler was a mess, throwing interceptions left and right. It led to offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer criticizing Cutler behind the guise of an anonymous source. When he was found out, he was forced to apologize. This was supposed to be a playoff team, but they ended up winning just five games.
2010 Cincinnati Bengals
Final Record: 4-12
The Joe Burrow era in Cincinnati has not gone as expected, and any of these past two seasons are great contenders for this list, but the 2010 Bengals are the coup de grâce for blown expectations. The 2009 Bengals won the AFC North, beating traditional powerhouses in the Steelers and Ravens. Carson Palmer had this team finally moving in the right direction.
And the Bengals were finally adding stars. They signed Terrell Owens to pair with Chad Johnson/Ochocinco. And the statistics looked good. Palmer threw for 4,000 yards, and Cedric Benson rushed for 1,100. Looking simply at the stats, one would expect this to be a contender again. So, what happened?
Well, within Palmer’s stats were a lot of issues, including increased turnovers. And those turnovers were devastating. The Bengals allowed eight touchdowns off turnovers and special teams. Once every other game, they allowed a touchdown while driving or resetting. They lost 10 straight games in September, often in terrible fashion. They blew a 17-point lead to Buffalo. It was a sign of great talent but bad chemistry. When the pressure was on, the Bengals folded. The season was so bad that Palmer demanded a trade and held out until October the next season.
2022 Cleveland Browns
Final Record: 7-10
The Cleveland Browns won seven games in 2022. There are 17 examples this century where they’ve lost more games, including going 0-16 in 2017. That came right after a one-win season in 2016. How Hue Jackson survived winning one game in two seasons we’ll never understand, but we digress. The 2022 season confirmed the level of insanity that was happening with the Browns, and they made decisions that isolated the fanbase and broke it in half.
Yes, we’re talking about the Deshaun Watson trade. It goes down as likely the worst trade in the history of the league. Worse than the Hershel Walker trade. Worse than the Russell Wilson trade to the Broncos. Worse than the Saints trading essentially an entire draft for Ricky Williams. The Browns traded three first-round picks and three additional picks to the Houston Texans for Watson’s services.
While Watson was a superstar quarterback, he was facing serious sexual assault allegations. Many Browns fans were sickened by the thought of making this move while the situation was still going on. Even if charges weren’t going to be pressed on Watson, the league would do its own investigation, and the fanbase was forced to decide how they would root for a team with this guy as their QB. The league ended up suspending Watson for 11 games, throwing this season in a blender. Jacoby Brissett played well, but when Watson returned, he was awful. And he never recovered. The bad seasons of before at least led to something, but this one just set them back a decade or more.
2010 Dallas Cowboys
Final Record: 6-10
It was finally going to happen. A team was one of the favorites to play in the Super Bowl in their own stadium. The Dallas Cowboys were prepping for Super Bowl XLV in Jerry’s World, the massive new stadium built for big events like this. The Cowboys were as prepared to be a championship-level team as they had been since the 90s’ dynasty ended.
Then, the games started. What were we thinking? This team was terrible from the start, and it only got worse every week. Most of the starters of a top defense returned in 2010, but they went in reverse. The defense ranked 31st in points allowed, completely imploding under the expectations. They missed a ton of tackles and gave up big plays on most drives.
Tony Romo couldn’t get the troops going, and Wade Phillips was fired after a 45-7 embarrassment at the hands of the Packers. The offensive line lost its luster, and Romo ended up breaking his collarbone in Week 7. When the Cowboys started the season 1-5, the urgency only came off as pressure. That pressure didn’t create diamonds; it broke this team down into gravel.
2022 Denver Broncos
Final Record: 5-12
The Denver Broncos trading for Russell Wilson was one of the most disastrous decisions in franchise history. And they immediately reaped what they sowed in the 2022 season, while the Seahawks were able to build a Super Bowl contender as a result of the deal — but as for Denver, it took a couple years to climb out from under it.
Nathaniel Hackett was also very much the wrong coach for this team, or any team, for that matter. The offense was inconsistent and out of sorts, constantly getting delay-of-game penalties and executing at such a disappointing level. Wilson was unable to hit his receivers, even when they were wide open. He was taking sacks at such a high level, and unlike other teams, this looked to be solely Wilson’s fault. He was holding onto the ball too long and could no longer get himself out of trouble.
The draft capital made all of this so much worse. They got an elite cornerback (Devon Witherspoon), a starting left tackle (Charles Cross), a starting EDGE rusher (Boye Mafe), and a depth linebacker (Derick Hall). This isn’t the Watson trade, but it’s what built the foundation of the Seahawks’ Super Bowl championship roster. And now, Wilson has been on two other teams since the trade, and the Broncos just stopped paying his dead cap charge last season.
2008 Detroit Lions
Final Record: 0-16
There’s definitely an argument for the 2025 Detroit Lions to make this list. They were finally building a Super Bowl contender in the Motor City, but they ended up with a team that missed the playoffs. That was terrible, but it is too typical of the Lions to be the first team in league history since moving to a 16-game season to lose every single game.
Everything has to literally go wrong for a team to go 0-16. The defense was truly gross, giving up 517 points over the course of the season. They couldn’t pressure the quarterback, stop the run, or cover elite wide receivers. Honestly, that’s pretty much everything a defense can do to impact the game. The defense could not get off the field, and the offense wasn’t doing much to help despite having Calvin Johnson on the roster.
The Lions put out a three-headed monster of quarterbacks that season. Dan Orlovsky was the “QB of the future,” but he didn’t know where the endzone ended and actually walked out on his own during a play to give his team a safety against the Minnesota Vikings. Daunte Culpepper was still a big name at the position, but he was a shell of his former self due to injuries. Jon Kitna once brought a terrible franchise in the Bengals out of the doldrums, but lightning wasn’t striking twice. Head coach Rod Marinelli wasn’t bad on paper as a head coach, but his team always looked overwhelmed, and the confidence waned with every loss piling up. He was eventually a one-and-done coach who never got another full-time opportunity.
2005 Green Bay Packers
Final Record: 4-12
The early 2000s Green Bay Packers were always at the top of the SportsCenter rundown. Famously, Brett Favre’s retirement teases became the stuff of headlines, yet, he always returned. Eventually, the Packers got sick of waiting, and so did Aaron Rodgers. The former Cal standout fell to the Packers in the draft, and they jumped at the chance to get Favre’s successor. Unfortunately, taking Rodgers where they did took away a chance at getting an impact player for a team looking to contend for a Super Bowl.
Favre, of course, returned in 2005 (and 2006 and 2007 before forcing a trade to the Jets). He led the league with 607 pass attempts. Unfortunately, more Favre wasn’t the answer that season. He led the league with 29 interceptions, and he threw a touchdown on just 3.3% of his passes. It was 5.6% just the season prior.
Favre was trying to overcome an offense that was devastated by injuries. Javon Walker tore his ACL in Week 1. Ahman Green was dealing with injuries all season. Samkon Gado ended up leading the team in rushing yards. They finished below the lowly Lions for last in the NFC North, and the Packers contention window seemed to be over with Favre under center. At least the Rodgers pick worked out.
2013 Houston Texans
Final Record: 2-14
There are many bad seasons for the Houston Texans, but this one stands out. In 2011, the Texans finally felt like something more than just another expansion team. They made the playoffs for the first time and even won their division. Then, they repeated that success, winning 12 games un 2012. It seemed like years of top draft picks and finally getting the right combination of quality front office staff and decent head coach (along with J.J. Watt’s dominance on defense) led to a winning team.
Then, the Texans lost 14 games in 2013. After winning the first two games of the season, the Texans could not muster another win. Matt Schaub regressed HEAVILY, and the offense was running in place. Things started to look bad when they blew a 20-6 halftime lead over the Seahawks. Schaub threw an interception to Richard Sherman in the second half that he returned for a touchdown, tying the game at 20. The Seahawks won in OT.
Their statistics weren’t even terrible. They were 11th in total offense and 7th in total defense in the NFL. Schaub was throwing touchdowns to the other team seemingly every week, and the Texans could not recover. Luckily, this was a blip on the Texans' contention radar, but it showed that Schaub was not the long-term answer like they thought he was.
2022 Indianapolis Colts
Final Record: 4-12-1
We really considered putting the season where Peyton Manning had his neck injury, which went from making him questionable for Week 1 to ending his season. Out of nowhere, a contending Indianapolis Colts team was one of the worst in the league. However, that got them a generational quarterback prospect in Andrew Luck. Speaking of Luck, let’s talk about 2022.
The Colts went from one superstar quarterback to another, but Luck unexpectedly retired as he entered his prime prior to the 2019 season. In 2022, the Colts were still feeling the effects fo this. After trying Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers, and Carson Wentz, the Colts had not learned their lesson and went for another older veteran QB to save the franchise. This time, they traded for Matt Ryan. In his first game with the Colts, he tied the Texans. It was a sign of how “mid” this era would be for Colts football.
Remember when we all talked ourselves into Jeff Saturday as a quality coaching option for the Colts after Frank Reich was fired? Yeah, we regret that as well. He came in and said all the right things, then did all the wrong things. He had no real coaching experience at any level, only spending a short time coaching high school football in Georgia. He “helped” the Colts finish the season 1-7, and to this day, the Colts are still hoping to find their long-term QB, giving Daniel Jones minus one Achilles tendon a massive contract.
2018 Jacksonville Jaguars
Final Record: 5-11
How long does it take to get over heartbreak? That’s a legitimate question we need to ask about the 2018 Jacksonville Jaguars. The season prior, they should have been in the Super Bowl for the first time as a franchise. They were handling Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, and Myles Jack had recovered what looked like a fumble and was on his way unimpeded to score a touchdown, but the play was whistled dead. The Patriots got another lifeline from the referees, and they went on to another AFC Championship.
Sacksonville really only lasted one season, as the team's defense fell back to the pack in 2018. They didn’t have the red zone dominance that defined their 2017 run, and the turnovers weren’t coming as easily. Their pass rush was just above average instead of elite, and that, along with a terrible quarterback, brought the Jaguars fans, and frankly, their locker room, back down to Earth.
2025 Kansas City Chiefs
Final Record: 6-11
Did the sheer amount of football the Kansas City Chiefs had been playing get the best of them, or are curses real? The Chiefs made three straight Super Bowls, but they lost their last one, making them eligible for the Super Bowl loser’s curse. And boy, did that hit them hard. The Chiefs were basically playing on their back foot from the start of the season, losing back-to-back games to the Chargers and Eagles to start the season. After winning five of six games to get back on track, the wheels came off in the middle of the season.
The Chiefs went into the bye with a loss to the Buffalo Bills, putting their playoff hopes in serious question. However, because this was the Chiefs, everyone expected them to get back on track and make the postseason. Then, they lost to the Broncos. And the Cowboys. And the Texans. And the Chargers again, until the losses became too much and the season was over.
In that Chargers loss with the season on the line, Patrick Mahomes finally collapsed under the pressure of carrying this team. Literally. He tore his ACL late in the game, trying to resurrect this offense for a miracle. If the season wasn’t over before then, this was the proof it was time to look towards next year. But what does next year have in store? If this team is really built to immediately bounce back? Time will only tell if this was the end of the dynasty or just a bad season in the middle of it.
2003 Oakland Raiders
Final Record: 4-12
It’s hard to remember the last time the Raiders, whether of Oakland or Las Vegas address, were actually Super Bowl contenders. As much as we think the Tuck Rule ruined their franchise, they actually made the Super Bowl that next season. Of course, it was one of the most embarrassing performances we’ve seen this century. The Raiders got dominated by their former head coach Jon Gruden, and that was the end of that dominant Raiders era.
Going into 2003, many thought the Raiders still had the core of a champion. Rich Gannon was coming off an MVP season. He injured his shoulder in the middle of the 2004 season, and he never looked the same. He still had future Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Tim Brown on the roster, but they appeared older than they had in years prior. They had four total touchdowns combined on the season.
The biggest issue for the 2003 Raiders was the head coach. Bill Callahan clearly made the Super Bowl on the back of a once-in-a-lifetime performance from Gannon. Once players started to get injured, the wheels fell off, and Callahan was fired after the season. This kicked off a stretch of 13 seasons where the Raiders missed the playoffs, often finishing near the top of the draft. Speaking of draft, the Raiders had a chance to draft Philip Rivers or Ben Roethlisberger in 2004, but they instead took notable bust Robert Gallery.
2000 San Diego Chargers
Final Record: 1-15
It might sound insane that a team led by Ryan Leaf ever had expectations, but the Chargers were coming off an 8-8 season, and many thought they had an elite quarterback in the making under center. Leaf didn’t even play in 1999 due to a shoulder tear, but his return and a new attitude towards football could rejuvenate this franchise.
Unfortunately, he did not have a new attitude. Leaf was still fighting with his coaches and teammates. He looked considerably worse coming off the labrum tear from ‘99. Reports came out that he told people he was already considering retirement. His heart wasn’t in the game, and that couldn’t be more clear with how he was playing on the field. By Week 3, head coach Mike Riley was planning on starting backup Moses Moreno, but he got hurt and Leaf was back in.
Leaf said that he expected the Chargers would release him after the season. He said that to reporters. The Chargers started the season 0-11, with nothing but drama ahead of them with Leaf on the roster. It was clear the Chargers made a devastating mistake in choosing Leaf. It also made the Chargers a laughing stock, which may be one of the reasons Eli Manning refused to play for them after he was drafted in 2004.
2022 Los Angeles Rams
Final Record: 5-11
There are two very clear options for this distinction, and they have very similar stories. In 2002, the then-St. Louis Rams were still the Greatest Show on Turf, coming off a surprising Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots. They were looking to become that star franchise again, but they won just seven games and missed the playoffs.
However, it’s not the absolute disaster that was the 2022 Los Angeles Rams. Coming off a Super Bowl victory, the Rams won five games. Injuries devastated them, especially on the offensive line. They started 11 different offensive line combinations in their first 11 games, a first since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970.
The injuries continued with superstars like Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald going down. Many thought Donald would retire after the Super Bowl win, but he was convinced to return for an attempt at a repeat. It clearly didn’t work out, and we lost an iconic moment where he could have gone out on top. The Rams have obviously recovered from this disaster, but their Super Bowl window lost a clear opportunity due to a severe level of injuries in 2022.
2007 Miami Dolphins
Final Record: 1-15
The Miami Dolphins have one playoff win since we all survived Y2K, so there was a lot to choose from here. From the devastating failure that was the Nick Saban era to the confusion of the Adam Gase era, there are too many examples to list here. However, it was the one-season appearance of Cam Cameron that has to take the cake.
Coming off that Saban disaster, the Dolphins were reeling and looking for direction. That direction was apparently a Bravo-level drama series. Dan Wilkinson was traded to the Broncos, but he ghosted both franchises, voiding the trade and forcing the Dolphins to cut him months later. Joey Porter signed that offseason to bring a veteran presence, but then he reportedly got into a fight with another NFL player at a casino, bringing unnecessary headlines. Fred Evans was arrested after allegedly biting a police officer. Kelly Campbell was arrested on drug charges, and Chris Chambers was arrested for DUI.
The worst part of the offseason was trading Wes Welker to the Patriots, helping them win 16 games during the regular season. They also traded for Trent Green, but he was clearly past his prime. The Dolphins started the season by losing 13 games in a row. This includes the first-ever regular-season game in London.
2010 Minnesota Vikings
Final Record: 6-10
The Minnesota Vikings are another team that could be on the list for 2025. This past season was a disaster, and it lays at the feet of J.J. McCarthy. They literally had Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones in house, plus Aaron Rodgers wanted to sign there. Instead, they went with the sophomore who missed his entire rookie season, and he was bad. However, 2010 was even worse for the expectations laid on this team and their ensuing reaction to them.
This was, of course, the final year of Brett Favre’s career. After throwing an interception that probably cost the Vikings their first and only Super Bowl in the previous year’s NFC Championship Game, Minnesota fans were hoping to get back there. Unfortunately, Favre lost his fastball, but he still had a gunslinger’s mentality. That led to so many interceptions. And, for the first time in his career, he missed a game with an injury.
Head coach Brad Childress was fired in the middle of the season after 10 games and just three wins. They traded for Randy Moss in the middle of the season at the peak of his annoyance with the Patriots, bringing back a franchise legend who was more problem than solution. He was released a few weeks later. On top of everything, they couldn’t even play in the Metrodome in December because the roof collapsed after a snowstorm. It was a sign of the collapse of the season.
2023 New England Patriots
Final Record: 4-12
It was clear that the New England Patriots' dynasty was over by 2023, but they were still holding onto some of the pieces. Bill Belichick was still the head coach, and the “Patriot Way” was still apparently intact. However, they had to make moves to purge the roster of mistakes, including JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jonnu Smith, Nelson Agholor, and Isaiah Wynn. The end of the Belichick era was mired in bad draft picks and free agent signings.
And the top of the list for issues was that the Patriots did not have the right quarterback. At least the first year post-Tom Brady had a fun Cam Newton season. This Mac Jones season was not fun. It was very much a disaster.
The Patriots were supposed to be a team in the middle of the pack. They were expected to at least battle for one of the Wild Card spots, especially after signing running back Ezekiel Elliott. Instead, they started the season 1-5 with their only win coming against the Jets. This included a 34-0 embarrassment at the hands of the Saints. The Patriots finished as the worst team in the AFC, and it was clear that major changes were needed. They fired Belichick and moved on to Jerod Mayo, which went just as badly as the end of the Patriot Way.
2012 New Orleans Saints
Final Record: 7-9
Of course, there are worse overall seasons with lower win totals for the New Orleans Saints, but for a team that had such a long championship window and only one Super Bowl, we had to look at a year when the expectations were highest. And this was the year of the Bountygate disaster. If you somehow don’t know about this, the Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was reportedly giving out bonuses to players who injured their opponents. A slush fund was used from 2009 to 2012, when the Saints got caught and punished.
Sean Payton was forced to sit out the entire season due to the suspension, and the Saints were already missing pieces from previous moves. They didn’t have a first-round pick because they sent it to the Patriots for the rights to Mark Ingram. The Patriots used that pick to trade up for Chandler Jones.
Still, despite not having Payton, this team still had Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham, Marques Colston, Darren Sproles, and Ingram. Their offense would keep them in games, right? Unfortunately, the coaching situation made that impossible. Joe Vitt was named the interim head coach, but he was suspended for six games due to the scandal. The Saints were essentially on their fourth pick for head coach for almost half of the season. It ended with a lost season and a derailment of what they were building, as most teams no longer considered this a destination until Payton returned and got them back on track.
2017 New York Giants
Final Record: 3-13
For a team that won two Super Bowls this century, there is sure a lot of embarrassment for the New York Giants in the 21st century. There was a lot to choose from, but the Ben McAdoo season has to be at the top of the list. At first, Giants fans were on board with McAdoo, but that quickly changed. It was clear he just didn’t know how to be a boss. Maybe he had some good ideas for an offense, and he led them to 11 wins one season before, but it was all smoke and mirrors.
The second things started to unravel, McAdoo basically set the whole thing on fire. Once defenses adjusted to what he was doing in Year 2, he didn’t have an answer. He kept trying to do the same thing with Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. despite it no longer working.
Speaking of Manning, the most embarrassing thing about the season was his benching. The Giants had lost control of the season, and McAdoo was looking for a spark. In the past, coaches would look to the young guy to bring that. If it goes wrong, at least he could develop and gain valuable experience. Unfortunately for the Giants, their backup was Geno Smith. He was not the future of the franchise, and it was essentially a waste of Manning’s games-played streak. The organization tried to take the bullet for McAdoo, but it was clear he was the leader of a mishandled situation.
2023 New York Jets
Final Record: 7-10
The New York Jets have as many, if not more, embarrassments as the New York Giants, just without the success. In 2023, it was all supposed to change. In 2022, the Jets were considered one of the most complete depth charts in the NFL. They had dominant pieces on both sides of the ball. They just didn’t have the quarterback. Zack Wilson did not develop into the superstar we all suspected, and that halted the Jets success. So, they traded for one of the most successful quarterbacks in NFL history: Aaron Rodgers.
We all know what happened next. Aaron Rodgers carried the American flag onto the field for their Week 1 game against the Bills, and that was the biggest contribution he made to the Jets that season. Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon in the middle of the first drive, and that was the end of that. The Zack Wilson era continues. What’s crazy is the Jets actually won that game in overtime, but the feeling of hopelessness is all Jets fans could feel.
Wilson regressed as the season continued, and he was eventually benched for Tim Boyle in Week 11. He did return to the lineup with a big Week 14 game that earned him the AFC Offensive Player of the Week, but he followed it up by getting shut out by the Dolphins. This season led to the Jets completely fumbling this amazing roster, as they are back to being one of the worst teams in the league just three seasons later.
2012 Philadelphia Eagles
Final Record: 4-12
The Andy Reid era in Philadelphia flew by and felt like forever at the same time. This season, Reid will match his career seasons in Kansas City with those in Philadelphia (14 years). However, in 2012, it was clear that everyone needed to move on. Reid wasn’t able to get the most out of this franchise. Their offense was dreadful, and their defense wasn’t much better.
This was the last year of the Michael Vick era, as well. While he continued to play in 2013, 2012 showed that his dominance was essentially over. He threw for just 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while rushing for just 332 yards. His yards per attempt plummeted to 5.4, which might sound like a lot compared to running backs, but his career average was over seven yards per carry, and he had 7.8 yards per carry the season prior.
On top of everything, an elite offensive line was losing pieces every month. Jason Peters tore his Achilles prior to the season. Jason Kelce missed most of the year. There was almost no protection, and the Eagles were asking Vick to get them out of trouble every week. Eventually, he got injured, and it put the season on stilts. Turnovers mixed in, so even when they were getting sustained drives, they’d blow it in the red zone.
2018 Pittsburgh Steelers
Final Record: 9-6-1
With Mike Tomlin going at or above .500 every season, there aren’t going to be any disasters for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but this season stands out as one that brought so much unnecessary drama and unraveled what was looking like a special offense. Le’Veon Bell, who was considered the best running back in the NFL at the time, held out for the entire season in a contract dispute. It’s one of the most famous contract disputes in league history, and it’s one where everyone came out as a loser. The Steelers lost their star, and Bell never looked the same after the holdout. He also only got $12 million from the Jets, which he would have made fivefold if he had just played through.
Then, there was Antonio Brown. Today, we understand just how insane this person is, but it was still relatively quiet in 2018. He was just one of the best statistical wide receivers of all time. He was the cover athlete for Madden NFL 19, and he was poised to break the dreaded curse. Unfortunately, a dirty hit by Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict changed the trajectory of his season. After that, he was getting into fights with Ben Roethlisberger, and he started skipping practice. He was even suspended for Week 17, which was a win-and-in scenario for the Steelers.
The drama ruined the season, as Pittsburgh started off 7-2-1 and finished with just nine wins.
2004 San Francisco 49ers
Final Record: 2-14
Many of the teams on this list here are an example of failed expectations from one point or another, but the 2004 San Francisco 49ers were an example of a franchise losing its reputation. The 49ers were one of the most dominant franchises in the 1980s and 1990s, with superstar quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young taking them to the promised land. By the time we got to the turn of the century, things were different.
The team straight up cut Jeff Garcia in a cap-cutting move. The former Pro Bowler was replaced by Tim Rattay and Ken Dorsey, who were not nearly enough to keep this team afloat. Neither could run an offense consistently, and the 49ers’ gamble led to a full-blown rebuild. It might have been heading that way anyway after they let Terrell Owens go and Garrison Hearst was right behind him, but this was an iconic franchise that had fallen on very hard times.
The 49ers fanbase was not used to this level of incompetence. There were high school kids who only knew of a winning franchise, yet, this season only brought two wins. Head coach Dennis Erickson was not the right guy for the job. The long-term direction was inconclusive. Their only two wins came against the Arizona Cardinals. It was an overall bust of a season.
2021 Seattle Seahawks
Final Record: 7-10
What led the Seattle Seahawks to close to dynasty form? It wasn’t Russell Wilson or Marshawn Lynch, although they helped. No, it was the Legion of Boom and that incredible defense that had them winning the division and going to the Super Bowl on multiple occasions. In 2021, the defense fell off a cliff. They allowed 2,254 yards… in the first five games. They finished the season as one of the worst units in the NFL.
After the defensive woes had Seattle sitting at 2-3, Russell Wilson sufference an injury to his throwing hand after hitting Rams star pass rusher Aaron Donald on a follow-through. Despite their record, Wilson was playing very well, and the offense gave Seahawks fans hope to turn it around and be a contender again. Without Wilson, the Seahawks relied on Geno Smith, who was almost out of the league at this point. He honestly wasn’t terrible, but he wasn’t Wilson, and the Seahawks lost five of their next six games.
After wins against the 49ers and Texans, it was almost like an unnecessary tease. They went into a matchup with the Rams, the opponent who put them in this position, with outside hopes to make a run to the playoffs with a 9-8 record. Instead, the Rams defense held Wilson’s offense to just 10 points, and the season was over. Essentially, this also ended the Wilson era in Seattle.
2022 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Final Record: 8-9
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got Tom Brady to come back for one more season, despite announcing his retirement just 40 days earlier. The GOAT couldn’t quit football, and many believe it might have cost him his marriage to supermodel Gisele Bundchen. He really did all that just to come back and finish with a losing record. That’s how the Brady era of the NFL is going to end?
The Bucs made a flurry of moves to coincide with Brady’s return. One person not returning was Bruce Arians. The head coach said that Brady reneging on his retirement led to him finalizing the decision and giving the team to Todd Bowles, his defensive coordinator.
The season was not a good one for Tampa, with losses to the Packers and Chiefs putting pressure on Brady and Co. to respond. Then, they lost three in a row to end October 3-5. That included an embarrassing loss to the Carolina Panthers, where the offense only scored three points. Thanks to an overtime win against the Cardinals and a one-score win over the Panthers late in the season, the Buccaneers snuck into the playoffs with a losing record. They got trounced by the Dallas Cowboys, of all teams. Brady should have stayed on the beach.
2022 Tennessee Titans
Final Record: 7-10
There are definitely worse seasons than the Titans’ 2022 season, but this was the season where it all fell apart and led to an era of futility. The Titans of the 2000s are a team that was winning without stars for most seasons. Good coaching and clutch play led to seasons where they were winning with the likes of Kerry Collins and Ryan Tannehill at quarterback. In 2022, they went 7-3 to start the season, and Mike Vrabel’s team looked to be on its way to another impressive start.
Then, they lost seven games to end the season. They went from contender to missing the playoffs entirely. Injuries played a major factor. The Titans were forced to use 80 players during the season. This caused both sides of the ball to collapse, but the offensive collapse was the most prevalent. Despite having Derrick Henry in the backfield, offensive coordinator Todd Downing was fired after the season. Tannehill missed time with an ankle injury.
Oh, and they traded A.J. Brown before the season. The Titans were really trying to swim upstream after that move. The Titans then used the pick on a wide receiver who became a bust. Treylon Burks was not nearly NFL-ready, and the offense struggled to find an identity outside of Henry. Since everyone knew the run was the only advantage this team had, it was pretty simple to stop them by midseason.
2000 Washington Football Team
Final Record: 8-8
The Washington franchise had so many issues this century, largely due to ownership. Dan Snyder was the worst owner in the sport, and he might have been the worst owner in all of sports. He was genuinely bad at every aspect, and it was proven right off the bat here.
Snyder demanding Washington’s front office spend aggressively, which led to major stars coming to the nation’s capital. This includes Deion Sanders, Bruce Smith, and Jeff George. At the same time, they drafted future star LaVar Arrington. They wanted to be instant contenders with the money spent, but money doesn’t buy happiness, and it apparently doesn’t buy wins in the NFL.
Brad Johnson was showing positive development, but the arrival of George made an instant quarterback controversy that wasn’t necessary. It was a distraction all season. Add onto that injuries across the offense, and that’s how a talented team scores just 17 points per game. After starting 7-2, Washington lost four games in a row. Snyder fired head coach Norv Turner despite the team still being in the playoffs. That was the final nail in the coffin, and it was a terrible start to an awful ownership tenure.
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