NFL Trade Rumors
Last week, I ranked every NFL general manager. Now, I’m ranking every team owner, specifically through an NFL lens. I looked at three main factors: team success, smart hires/organizational structure and a lack of controversy.
Team success speaks for itself, with Super Bowls and winning seasons being placed at a premium. For the second category, I mostly wanted to give credit to owners who are known for utilizing good strategies, making smart choices, and generally making their team environment a good one. Lastly, owners who end up in the news for the wrong reasons hurt their team, especially if they aren’t offsetting those headlines with wins.
Taking over in 1994, Kraft built the Patriots into a modern-day dynasty. Between 2002 and 2019, he won six Super Bowls, pairing HC Bill Belichick and QB Tom Brady to form the winningest such duo in league history. In the post-Brady years, New England has struggled to find its footing, moving on from Belichick last offseason and suffering a few losing seasons. Hiring HC Mike Vrabel to mentor second-year QB Drake Maye, however, has the franchise trending back up.
Inheriting the Chiefs from his father in 2006, Hunt has replaced Kraft’s Patriots as the dominant franchise in the NFL. A decade of winning without a Super Bowl to show for it has given way to a dynasty of their own, with nine straight AFC West titles and three Super Bowl wins during that span. Hiring HC Andy Reid proved to be a great move, and QB Patrick Mahomes has this team competitive year in and year out.
Kroenke was a Rams minority owner for a long time before purchasing the controlling share in 2010. Shortly thereafter, he moved the team from St. Louis back to Los Angeles, sparking a lawsuit from St. Louis against him and the NFL. The move was probably a smart one, as the Rams have a lot of fan support in Southern California, and since then, the Rams have been on the upswing as a franchise. Their recent success includes a Super Bowl win in 2022 and they are the favorites in the NFC West once again this year.
Gaining full ownership control in 2004, Bisciotti immediately set about investing in his new team. He’s done wonders to modernize the Ravens, with Baltimore routinely praised as one of the best-run organizations in the sport. The surprise hire of Eagles special teams coordinator John Harbaugh in 2007 already delivered one title to the city, and they are currently one of the top contenders to win another.
Acquiring the team in 1995, Glazer won two Super Bowls two decades apart in Tampa Bay. He built a new stadium for the Bucs and undertook a major rebranding initiative. Recently, shelling out for Brady delivered the second of those Super...
