How much does every NFL owner want to win? A team-by-team breakdown of their efforts

BigCowboysHomer

BigCowboysHomer

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The Athletic looked at all 32 teams and rated their owner's desire to win a championship based on actions, not just words.

Two of the biggest phases of the NFL offseason — the hiring cycle and the initial rush of free agency — are in the books. The draft looms in roughly a month. Soon after, coaches and players will begin the early steps of on-field preparation for their seasons.

But this truly is the stage where foundations are laid, and where NFL owners prove themselves as either committed and competent leaders, mere window-dressers or meddlesome self-saboteurs.

Every owner professes a desire to build a winning franchise, but not everyone truly cares about winning as much as they would have you believe. And very few understand what it actually takes.

Not all owners pull the strings and levers and push the buttons this time of year. Some of the best empower and trust their staffs to position their teams for success. Others, driven by egos, can’t stay out of the way and their teams suffer as a result. And somewhere in between, you’ll find owners who are content with just getting by.

If we were to construct a “Want to Win” meter, which category would team owners be in based on track record and the moves of this offseason? Contention mode? Willing to do what it takes to win? Content to compete? Trying to get it right? Or stuck in struggle mode?
Click to expand...

Contention Mode
  • Baltimore Ravens
  • Buffalo Bills
  • Detroit Lions
  • Kansas City Chiefs
  • Philadelphia Eagles
Willing to do what it takes to win
  • Green Bay Packers
  • Los Angeles Chargers
  • Los Angeles Rams
  • Miami Dolphins
  • Minnesota Vikings
  • San Francisco 49ers
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Washington Commanders
Content to compete
  • Arizona Cardinals
  • Cincinnati Bengals
  • New Orleans Saints
Trying to get it right
  • Carolina Panthers
  • Chicago Bears
  • Denver Broncos
  • Houston Texans
  • Las Vegas Raiders
  • New England Patriots
  • Seattle Seahawks
Stuck in struggle mode
  • Atlanta Falcons
  • Cleveland Browns
  • Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones loves to claim he wants to win another Super Bowl in the worst way. But above all, Jones loves being the center of attention and maintaining control. This causes him to hold onto coaches too long because he doesn't want to pay them not to work, or to pass on hiring the most talented coaches because they might want more power than he is willing to cede. Jones also tends to drag out player negotiations because he's determined to pay them on his timeline, even if it means costing himself more in the long run.​
  • Indianapolis Colts
  • Jacksonville Jaguars
  • New York Giants
  • New York Jets
  • Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Tennessee Titans
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6216519/2025/03/21/nfl-owners-free-agency-offseason/
 
Jerry is willing to do what it takes. I think the problem is he doesn't know what it takes. An owner doesn't sign a QB to that kind of contract or a LB to whatever Micah ends up getting because he doesn't care about winning. Problem is, those contracts handicap winning.
 
Every professional sports league has their historically elite teams.

The NBA has the Lakers and Celtics

Baseball has the Yankees, Red Sox and Cardinals

The NFL have the Packers, Steelers and 49ers.

These teams have one standard only and those are championships. Everything they do, every decisions they make are the means to that end. This is not a goal. This is legacy.

The Dallas Cowboys used to be one of those American icons. That has come to an end.

The great teams have great owners, GMs and coaches that are totally dedicated, 24-7, to that singular standard. They have made enormous sacrifices to their personal lives, their families and even to their health to be singularly focused on their team being the best.

Jimmy Johnson divorced his wife when he became the Cowboys HC because he knew that he would not be able to dedicate the time needed to do right by her.

Sometimes they sleep in their office. Sometimes they don't sleep. Managing and coaching isn't a job. It is a calling. That is what is sometimes takes to be better than everyone else.

This is an entirely foreign concept to Jerry Jones. Being the GM of the Dallas Cowboys might be the 3rd priority in his life. Being the GM is his part time job.
 
Man, I don't get all the reasons everyone comes up with for not liking Jerry. He is in the HOF. He played the game. Three SB's in his time?

Good looking family. You need to love Jerry, he is our fine GM washing the jocks and socks, and here we are.
 
big dog cowboy said:
Stuck in struggle mode?

No the Cowboys are stuck below ground in cemetery mode.
Click to expand...
The problem is GM Jethro thinks he is exactly where he needs to be. Jerry lives in and surrounds himself by yes men, who agree with his, fantasy land reality.

If he hired me and paid me enough, I would agree with him as well. At this point he has not, and he is 100% full of ****.
 
BigCowboysHomer said:
The Athletic looked at all 32 teams and rated their owner's desire to win a championship based on actions, not just words.



Contention Mode
  • Baltimore Ravens
  • Buffalo Bills
  • Detroit Lions
  • Kansas City Chiefs
  • Philadelphia Eagles
Willing to do what it takes to win
  • Green Bay Packers
  • Los Angeles Chargers
  • Los Angeles Rams
  • Miami Dolphins
  • Minnesota Vikings
  • San Francisco 49ers
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Washington Commanders
Content to compete
  • Arizona Cardinals
  • Cincinnati Bengals
  • New Orleans Saints
Trying to get it right
  • Carolina Panthers
  • Chicago Bears
  • Denver Broncos
  • Houston Texans
  • Las Vegas Raiders
  • New England Patriots
  • Seattle Seahawks
Stuck in struggle mode
  • Atlanta Falcons
  • Cleveland Browns
  • Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones loves to claim he wants to win another Super Bowl in the worst way. But above all, Jones loves being the center of attention and maintaining control. This causes him to hold onto coaches too long because he doesn't want to pay them not to work, or to pass on hiring the most talented coaches because they might want more power than he is willing to cede. Jones also tends to drag out player negotiations because he's determined to pay them on his timeline, even if it means costing himself more in the long run.​
  • Indianapolis Colts
  • Jacksonville Jaguars
  • New York Giants
  • New York Jets
  • Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Tennessee Titans
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6216519/2025/03/21/nfl-owners-free-agency-offseason/
Click to expand...
Where is the just staying relevant mode?
 
BigCowboysHomer said:
The Athletic looked at all 32 teams and rated their owner's desire to win a championship based on actions, not just words.



Contention Mode
  • Baltimore Ravens
  • Buffalo Bills
  • Detroit Lions
  • Kansas City Chiefs
  • Philadelphia Eagles
Willing to do what it takes to win
  • Green Bay Packers
  • Los Angeles Chargers
  • Los Angeles Rams
  • Miami Dolphins
  • Minnesota Vikings
  • San Francisco 49ers
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Washington Commanders
Content to compete
  • Arizona Cardinals
  • Cincinnati Bengals
  • New Orleans Saints
Trying to get it right
  • Carolina Panthers
  • Chicago Bears
  • Denver Broncos
  • Houston Texans
  • Las Vegas Raiders
  • New England Patriots
  • Seattle Seahawks
Stuck in struggle mode
  • Atlanta Falcons
  • Cleveland Browns
  • Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones loves to claim he wants to win another Super Bowl in the worst way. But above all, Jones loves being the center of attention and maintaining control. This causes him to hold onto coaches too long because he doesn't want to pay them not to work, or to pass on hiring the most talented coaches because they might want more power than he is willing to cede. Jones also tends to drag out player negotiations because he's determined to pay them on his timeline, even if it means costing himself more in the long run.​
  • Indianapolis Colts
  • Jacksonville Jaguars
  • New York Giants
  • New York Jets
  • Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Tennessee Titans
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6216519/2025/03/21/nfl-owners-free-agency-offseason/
Click to expand...
I think Jerry’s biggest issue is he can’t admit what he doesn’t know. He’s a successful business man in the business he knows but a great business man knows what he doesn’t know. That’s why Jerry can’t be a great GM because he won’t admit he doesn’t know how
 
This seems to be a combination of how much an owner wants to win, and success of the team. For example, just because the Jets and Giants are crap, doesn't mean the owner doesn't put in the effort. They're just bad at it.

You can do more harm to a team with bad moves, than you can by doing nothing.
 
I read this a few days ago.....it's a poorlu written article IMO. ( shared with the writer ). Remember the question how bad certain owners want to win. Although I agree with his assessment of Jerry/Cowboys but not so much Falcons, Colts, Steelers, Gaints and Jags. These owners IMOP care just as about winning, if not more the some choosen ahead them.
 
Hawkeye0202 said:
I read this a few days ago.....it's a poorlu written article IMO. ( shared with the writer ). Remember the question how bad certain owners want to win. Although I agree with his assessment of Jerry/Cowboys but not so much Falcons, Colts, Steelers, Gaints and Jags. These owners IMOP care just as about winning, if not more the some choosen ahead them.
Click to expand...
Spot on. Go by their actions, not by how things turned out. After Jimmy left, Jerry was almost maniacal trying to win a championship. He made some good, but a lot of bad moves. Leading him to his current standard operating procedure. Which is a 5 out of 10 in trying to win a championship. I don't know what category you want that to be in. Tepid?
 
BigCowboysHomer said:
Jones also tends to drag out player negotiations because he's determined to pay them on his timeline, even if it means costing himself more in the long run.
Click to expand...
I think this is the back breaker for me. Why does he do this. Is he this much of a control freak that he’s willing to damage the team AND pay more money? Why? Why can’t he just be normal?

This is why I think “struggling to get it right” is too generous. He fits in the category of “sabotaging his team for his toxic control issues”. Or “willing to hurt team for ego” mode.
 
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