New Study Reveals The “Cheapest” NFL Owners, And You Won’t Believe Who’s At The Top

NFL owners may have billions of dollars in their bank accounts, but it doesn’t mean they’re all willing to spend whatever it takes to win.

In their most recent NFL valuations, Forbes listed the Cincinnati Bengals as the least valuable franchise. The AFC North club is still worth a whopping $5.25 billion. And yet, Bengals owner Mike Brown has been notoriously cheap when it comes to free agency and handling player extensions (see: superstar defensive end Trey Hendrickson):

The Action Network recently put together a study to determine who the “cheapest” and “stingiest” NFL owners are. The website factored in “team facilities, off-field perks like food, and ownership opinion from the 2025 NFL Player Report Card,” the franchise’s value and salary commitments.

Claiming the top spot for the “cheapest” owner was Michael Bidwill of the Arizona Cardinals. He had D− grades in food and ownership, and an F− for the locker room. Oh, and the Cardinals have $77.994 million in unused cap space. Bidwill’s score on the “cheapness index” (from 0 to 100) was 100.

One major surprise was the No. 2 spot, occupied by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. A six-time Super Bowl winner, Kraft is one of, if not the greatest, NFL owners of all time. Here’s what The Action Network said:

“Kraft lands as the second-cheapest owner in the NFL. Team travel is where his frugality really shows its face. Road trips for Patriots players feel like a throwback. The team plane is outdated, with no Wi-Fi and ashtrays in the seats. Other teams land feeling rested and taken care of thanks to their travel setups, while The Patriots just land and get on with it.”

Well, the Patriots are one win away from returning to the Super Bowl. Maybe the team plane isn’t as luxurious as others’, but winning solves everything in the NFL.

Other Surprises From The “Cheapest” NFL Owners List

Even though Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has a reputation as one of the league’s worst, he was actually ranked as the least cheap. The study cited his A+ grades for food/dining, the locker room and ownership. The Dolphins also have just $3.482 million in unused money.

The Atlanta Falcons own the second-longest playoff drought in the NFL. But Falcons fans can’t complain about owner Arthur Blank’s spending. He just hired former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski as his new HC.

Blank was ranked as the second least cheap owner on the list, with an A for food/dining and A+ in the other two categories. The Falcons also have just $5.772 million in unused money.