The NFL features significantly more parity than college football, and there’s subsequently a much smaller divide between the levels of talent boasted by the best and worst teams at the pro level. That’s the case on a season-to-season basis as well as the entire history of the league—a reality that’s highlighted when you take a look at all-time winning percentages.
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Winning percentage is one of the first stats most people would turn to while trying to make the case for the best NFL teams in the history of the league, and there’s a significantly narrower gap between the one at the top and the bottom compared to the sizeable one you’d find if you looked at the college level.
However, there are still some teams that stand out a bit from the pack, and here’s a look at the ones that have posted the best winning percentage since their inception.
13. New York Giants: .522
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Overall Record: 724-663-34
We’re kicking things off with the New York Giants, who have seen their overall winning percentage gradually decrease over the past decade or so but are still historically one of the NFL’s better teams.
12. Denver Broncos: .523
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Overall Record: 518-472-10
The Broncos have had a handful of very disappointing seasons where they were only able to get a handful of victories, but they’re firmly canceled out by the close to two dozen occasions where Denver has finished in double-digits in the win column.
11. Indianapolis Colts: .525
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Overall Record: 564-510-8
This is the only team on this list that originally played in another city, and these numbers account for the franchise’s time in Baltimore as well as Indianapolis.
The Colts actually posted a slightly higher winning percentage in their former home, as the 222-194-7 record they had when they were based in Baltimore put them at .533.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers: .538
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Overall Record: 630-526-16
The Steelers have finished at .500 or better in 60 of the 93 seasons that they’ve played to date. However, they’ve been dragged down a bit by some abysmal showings during the early years of the franchise where they were only able to salvage one or two wins (as well as a 0-10 campaign in 1944 that marks their only winless season).
9. San Francisco 49ers: .545
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Overall Record: 630-526-16
This one comes with a bit of an asterisk, as the NFL officially recognizes the wins and losses the 49ers had in their infancy as members of the All-America Football Conference.
If you take those out of the equation, the 49ers would be behind the Steelers at .535.
8. New England Patriots: .550
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Overall Record: 545-446-9
As you can probably guess, the Patriots got a big boost after Tom Brady arrived in Foxborough, as he posted a .786 winning percentage as a starter in the regular season by going 219-66 during his time in New England.
That obviously includes the 16-0 run in 2017 (these stats only account for the regular season), but as virtually every NFL fan knows, that didn’t result in a Super Bowl.
7. Minnesota Vikings: .551
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Overall Record: 537-438-11
The Vikings are still in search of their first Super Bowl victory, and they’re actually the only team on this list that hasn’t been able to check that box.
6. Miami Dolphins: .553
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Overall Record: 504-408-4
There are three teams that are basically neck and neck in the winning department category heading into the 2025 season, and the Dolphins are one of three teams that are sitting at .533 if you round things down to three numbers.
The Dolphins are also the only team to go undefeated in the regular season and win the Super Bowl to keep their record untarnished, and their impressive play in the 1970s is a major reason they’re as high as they are.
5. Chicago Bears: .553
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Overall Record: 798-646-42
As was the case with the Giants, the Bears haven’t done themselves many favors on the winning percentage front with their play over the past decade or so, but they’re still sitting on a pretty impressive foundation of success.
4. Kansas City Chiefs: .553
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Overall Record: 547-441-12
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Chiefs have firmly improved their standing here thanks to what’s transpired during the Patrick Mahomes Era, as he’s had a winning percentage of .795 in the regular season in Kansas City.
3. Green Bay Packers: .572
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Overall Record: 811-605-38
The Packers have reaped the benefit of boasting legendary NFL QBs in the form of Bart Starr, Brett Favre, and Aaron Rodgers, and those contributions are reflected in one of the best winning percentages any team has posted.
2. Dallas Cowboys: .573
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Overall Record: 569-423-6
It’s easy to mock the Cowboys for repeatedly coming up short in their quest for their first Super Bowl in three decades, but they do deserve some credit for being one of the best teams in the NFL over the years despite their current postseason issues.
1. Baltimore Ravens: .574
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Overall Record: 268-199-1
The Ravens are easily the biggest newcomers on this list, as every other team I’ve mentioned so far has played at least 900 games.
Many expansion teams take a while to get things clicking, but Baltimore is a pretty notable exception. The Ravens did need a few years to get their act together after debuting in 1996, but they won the Super Bowl in their fifth season of existence and have made the playoffs more often than not since then.