X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Sell The Team! Ranking The NFL's Five Worst Owners

Daniel Snyder - NFL Owner Washington Commanders

Which NFL owners should sell their teams? RotoBaller ranks the NFL's five worst owners who consistently alienate fans, and hurt their franchises on and off the field. Most hated NFL owners.

A bad NFL owner is typically characterized by a combination of factors that hinder the success and stability of the franchise they oversee. In this article, we will take a closer look at the NFL's five worst owners.

A good owner can provide stability, vision, and resources to build a successful team, while a bad owner can create chaos and dysfunction with poor decision-making or a too-frugal financial approach. The five owners on this list have been identified as some of the worst in the NFL, due to their poor track record of running their respective franchises.

From meddling in personnel decisions to failing to invest in their teams financially, the owners on this list have routinely made missteps that have negatively impacted their franchises on and off the field. Some have simply struggled to build a winning culture, while others have alienated their fanbases with their behavior and comments. In this ranking of the five worst owners in the NFL, we will take a closer look at each of these five owners in more detail, and explore their - largely negative - impact on their teams and the league as a whole.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

#5. Jimmy Haslam III, Cleveland Browns

Jimmy Haslam promised change for the long down-trodden Browns when he bought the team from Randy Lerner in 2012. However, it's been more of the same for the struggling Cleveland franchise during Haslam's tenure, as the organization has gone a woeful 59-118-1 in his 11 years at the head of the table.

Haslam's ownership tenure has been marked by losing on the field and bad decisions off it. The Browns have hired five head coaches during Haslam's time owning the team, four of whom were fired and have subsequently never been NFL head coaches again. The fifth - current Cleveland HC Kevin Stefanski - has squeaked out a winning record (26-24) at the helm of the Browns, though he's now suffered two consecutive losing seasons since going 11-5 during the 2020 COVID campaign.

While the coaches put in position by Haslam have been largely underqualified to run a team, they haven't had much help from the organization's player personnel decisions. The team's draft picks and trades have been largely disastrous, and include a litany of disappointing players selected in the first round, including Johnny Manziel, Baker Mayfield, and Justin Gilbert.

As if the horrible coaching hires and terrible draft choices weren't enough, Haslam most recently led the charge to bring disgraced and controversial quarterback Deshaun Watson to Cleveland in a package that included sending three first-round draft picks to the Houston Texans and inking Watson to a contract with $230 million full guaranteed.

 

#4. Dean Spanos, Los Angeles Chargers

Nepotism seems to be a recurring theme when talking about some of the NFL's worst owners and that's the case with Dean Spanos, who inherited the Chargers franchise from his father, Alex Spanos.

Owners that move their teams are always the target of hate from hometown fans and Spanos has certainly drawn the ire of the San Diego faithful for moving the Chargers to Los Angeles in 2017. San Diego was the Chargers' home since 1961, but Spanos relocated the franchise when attempts at building a new, tax-payer-funded stadium in San Diego repeatedly fell through.

Instead of working for a resolution in their home base of nearly six decades, or simply putting up the financing for a stadium himself, the notoriously-thrifty Spanos opted for the financial benefits of sharing a stadium with the Rams in L.A., where visiting fans routinely take over the Chargers' "home" games.

In addition to spurning an entire community, the Spanos-led Bolts have routinely put a mediocre product on the field, despite having the services of players such as Phillip Rivers, LaDanian Tomlinson, and Antonio Gates for extended periods of time. That legacy of underachieving has now extended to a current Chargers core that includes Justin Herbert and Keenan Allen.

 

#3. Stephen Ross, Miami Dolphins

Not only have the Miami Dolphins only made two playoff appearances during Stephen Ross' 14 years as the owner of the beloved franchise, but his tenure as the Chairman and Managing Partner of the 'Fins has been marked by controversy, questionable practices, and ineptitude of epic proportions.

Ross has reached a level of infamy among NFL owners for his sleazy tactics. An allegation from former Miami head coach Brian Flores - who overachieved with a pitiful Dolphins roster - that Ross offered him a bribe to tank games in 2019 in order to land a high draft pick, led to Flores filing a racial discrimination lawsuit against the league.

In an investigation stemming from that lawsuit, it was discovered that Ross had impermissible communications with both Tom Brady and Sean Payton, which led to a $1.5 million fine and six-month suspension for Ross, as well as the loss of a 2023 first-round draft pick for his team. Ross' poor decision-making and willingness to bend or even outright break the rules have led to legal ramifications for the NFL, while also putting the Dolphins at a competitive disadvantage on the field.

 

#2. Cal McNair, Houston Texans

Another bumbling buffoon that's running an NFL franchise simply thanks to his DNA, D. Cal McNair doesn't technically own the Houston Texans yet - his mother Janice McNair still owns the team - but Cal has been running the day-to-day of the organization since his father Bob McNair passed away in 2018. The results haven't been pretty.

While it's not fair to pin the incredibly disturbing off-field behavior of former franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson on McNair, we can safely lay the blame for numerous other bone-headed decisions at the feet of the 61-year-old Texans CEO, including giving former head coach Bill O'Brien free reign in what amounted to a dual-role as HC and GM.

Under McNair's watch, O'Brien made one of the worst trades in NFL history, sending franchise cornerstone DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for injury-riddled running back David Johnson and a second-round pick. It was just one of multiple egregious trades made by O'Brien who often spent numerous draft picks on veteran players, seemingly without care for Houston's future.

When McNair and the Texans finally did rid themselves of O'Brien, it kickstarted a coaching carousel on the sidelines, a power vacuum in the front office, and horrible play on the field. Houston has gone a combined 11-38-1 since 2020 and is set to have their fifth head coach in four years with DeMeco Ryans in 2023.

 

#1. Daniel Snyder, Washington Commanders

Daniel Snyder not only earns the top spot on this list of the NFL's worst current owners but there's a legitimate argument that he's one of the most awful sports franchise owners of all time. Thankfully for Washington fans, it appears as though his 23-year reign of terror at the helm of one of the NFL's most iconic teams is about to come to an end, as Snyder is reportedly close to selling the franchise, in a move that many speculate was a way for him to avoid being pushed out of the league altogether.

You name it and Snyder has done it, well, except if the "it" is winning. After buying the successful franchise from Jack Kent Cooke in 1999, Snyder proceeded to run the once-proud Washington club in the ground with a carousel of coaching changes, ill-fated free-agent signings, and curious draft picks that's led to just two playoff game wins since he purchased the team.

Snyder routinely made himself the target of fan hatred by coming up with ridiculous schemes that have included suing season-ticket holders, being the first NFL owner to charge an admission price to watch training camp practices, refusing to maintain one of the NFL's worst stadiums and playing surfaces, while literally, allowing fans to be doused by what was believed to be raw sewage. You can't make this stuff up.

While many of the billionaire's greed-driven schemes have rightfully drawn the ire of the Washington faithful, there's also been a more sinister side to his tenure at the helm of the organization.

Snyder fought for years to keep Washington's longtime nickname, which had been considered a cultural relic that was both offensive and hurtful to Native Americans. He has also been alleged to have created and participated in a toxic workplace culture within his organization, which has allegedly included sexual harassment of team cheerleaders and female employees who have worked for the franchise.

Numerous investigations into Snyder's alleged organizational financial and cultural misconduct led to an honest-to-goodness federal inquiry, as well as a $10 million fine from the NFL. The much-maligned Washington owner is reportedly actively searching for a buyer and accepting bids for the Commanders as of this writing. The only downside to the team's eventual sale is that the slimey Snyder will make billions in profit on his initial $800 million purchase of the franchise.

UPDATE: Snyder has reportedly finalized a deal to sell the Washington franchise to a group led by Josh Harris for $6.05 billion.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Jalen Thompson

Heading into Last Year With Cardinals?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Najee Harris

Suffers Eye Injury in Fireworks Mishap
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF