The 14 NFL Teams With The Worst Winning Percentages Of All Time

No sports fan wants to root for a team that’s known for having a history of losing, but there are a number of NFL franchises that can’t avoid those allegations based on the winning percentage they’re burdened with.

As things currently stand, there are 14 NFL teams that have posted a record that puts them under the .500 mark when it comes to their winning percentage in the regular season since their inception.

Here’s a look at all of them from the “best” to the worst.

14. Los Angeles Chargers: .499

Overall Record: 494-495-11

The Chargers have been about as close to the definition of average as you can get since playing their first game all the way back in 1960, but there’s reason to believe they can get back over .500 based on how Jim Harbaugh fared during his first season in Los Angeles.

13. Washington Commanders: .497

Overall Record: 641-648-29

The Commanders had an all-time winning percentage of. 532 when Dan Snyder purchased the team in 1999, but they found themselves significantly lower after the team went 164-220-2 during his tenure.

12. Buffalo Bills: .490

Overall Record: 486-505-8

The Bills have made some solid strides on this front during the Josh Allen Era, but they still have some work to do if they want to get back to the right side of .500.

11. Tennessee Titans: .482

Overall Record: 479-515-6

This number accounts for the years where the franchise was known as the Houston Oilers, and the Titans have improved in the wake of the relocation when you consider the team had a winning percentage of .464 (251-291-6) prior to heading to Nashville.

With that said, the Titans have firmly been heading in the wrong direction over the past few seasons.

10. New Orleans Saints: .465

Overall Record: 417-480-5

These woes can be traced back to the early days of a franchise that got off to an abysmal start, as the Saints went two full decades without a playoff appearance after playing their inaugural season in 1967.

9. Detroit Lions: .461

Overall Record: 606-709-34

Dan Campbell has done a fantastic job turning things around in Detroit, and while it seems like there’s a solid chance he’ll end up leading the Lions to their first Super Bowl appearance, the fact that they’ve never checked that box is somewhat reflected in their underwhelming winning percentage.

8. Cincinnati Bengals: .457

Overall Record: 403-479-5

As was the case with the Bills, the Bengals have gotten back on the right track thanks to a talented quarterback in the form of Joe Burrow, but the franchise still needs to make up for plenty of years of mediocrity and downright awfulness.

7. Carolina Panthers: .454

Overall Record: 219-264-1

The Panthers are one of the youngest franchises on this list, and the team that played its first game in 1995 has shown some flashes of brilliance that have otherwise been overshadowed by disappointment.

6. Atlanta Falcons: .438

Overall Record: 398-512-6

The Falcons didn’t struggle to get off the ground as mightily as the Saints, but Atlanta did miss the playoffs during its first 12 seasons before finally snapping the drought in 1978.

5. Houston Texans: .437

Overall Record: 162-209-1

The Texans are another team that got off to a rocky start. They had a nine-year postseason drought following their debut in 2002, and they’ve either finished in first place in the AFC South or missed the playoffs entirely since then.

4. New York Jets: .437

Overall Record: 433-559-8

There aren’t many NFL franchises that are more closely associated with misery than the Jets, and the fact that they’re as high up on this list as they are really sums up why that’s the case.

3. Arizona Cardinals: .422

Overall Record: 593-812-43

The Cardinals have the dubious distinction of holding the record for the most losses any NFL team has racked up, as Arizona currently has 812—which gives them the resounding lead over a Lions team that comes in second at 709.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars: .417

Overall Record: 202-282

The Jaguars missed the playoffs during their first season in 1995 before punching their ticket four years in a row. However, it’s been a largely painful existence for fans since the start of the millennium.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: .410

Overall Record: 318-457-1

There is currently not a single NFL team that has posted a worse record over time than the Buccaneers. They’ve turned things around and are currently riding a five-year playoff streak, but Tampa Bay still has to make some progress to get out of the basement.