Let’s be honest—every NFL team wants to win a Super Bowl, but some teams would mortgage their entire future (and probably some historic landmarks) just to hoist that Lombardi Trophy. We’re talking about the teams that would throw caution, salary cap concerns, and common sense out the window if it meant buying a championship.
Some franchises have tastefully built rosters through the draft, while others have thrown cash at free agents like a drunk guy at an auction. Today, we’re ranking all 32 teams based on who would be willing to pay the most for a championship—whether it be through absurd contracts, reckless spending, or flat-out desperation. Let’s get into it.
32. Green Bay Packers
Green Bay operates like a dad who refuses to hire a plumber and insists he can fix the leaky pipe himself. They believe in developing talent (gross), and you’ll never see them throwing ridiculous contracts around. They draft, they develop, and they stay frugal. The most reckless move they’ve made in decades was not calling Aaron Rodgers back.
31. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers don’t chase rings—they expect them to arrive in the mail like a subscription service. This franchise builds through the draft and doesn’t do splashy spending. If they paid for a title, it would probably be with Monopoly money.
30. Baltimore Ravens
Sure, the Ravens have spent big on a few guys (cough Roquan Smith, cough Lamar Jackson), but this is still a team that loves its homegrown talent. They’d rather get their hands dirty than open their wallets. Unless your name is Derrick Henry, of course.
29. Cincinnati Bengals
Historically one of the cheapest teams in the NFL, the Bengals have started spending recently, but only because Joe Burrow forced their hand. They’re not in the business of making it rain—more like a light drizzle.
28. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs have mastered the art of spending wisely. They keep the checkbook open but never let it get out of control. They pay Mahomes, and the rest of the roster is built around him with guys who play like their mortgage is on the line.
27. Detroit Lions
If Dan Campbell could, he’d probably trade cash for kneecaps. The Lions are actually in a great place—drafting well, spending enough to stay competitive, and not going full “LA Rams” mode. But give them a few more years of almost winning, and they might get reckless.
26. Seattle Seahawks
Seattle could pay for a championship, but Pete Carroll left behind a “be reasonable” financial policy. They’ll spend when needed, but they’re not out here making billionaire-level bad decisions.
25. Indianapolis Colts
Jim Irsay wants to be that guy who overspends on a championship, but the Colts are still recovering from the Carson Wentz Experience. They’ll throw money around eventually, just not smartly.
24. San Francisco 49ers
The Niners are strategic. They pay big for core pieces, but they also don’t chase after washed-up stars just because they were good in 2017. Smart spending > reckless spending.
23. Carolina Panthers
New ownership is clearly eager to win, but after seeing the Panthers pay for Bryce Young by mortgaging their future, they need to chill before they sell Bank of America Stadium to make another deal.
22. Buffalo Bills
The Bills are willing to spend, but they haven’t gone full “no regard for human life” mode with their checkbook yet. They’re more about smart contracts than reckless desperation.
21. Tennessee Titans
Tennessee is caught in football purgatory, handing out weird contracts but never fully going all-in. They’re like a guy who spends big at the casino but never quite makes it to the high rollers’ table.
20. Houston Texans
With new life under C.J. Stroud, the Texans are feeling frisky. They’re a few years away from making insane financial decisions, but don’t be shocked if they start overpaying for guys soon.
19. Philadelphia Eagles
Howie Roseman has no problem throwing cash at free agents. The Eagles don’t need to buy a championship (they just won, afterall), but they will do whatever it takes to keep winning.
18. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings already paid Kirk Cousins a fortune for vibes (and look how that turned out). They’ve been known to spend, but not always wisely. They’re like a guy who buys a Ferrari but keeps it parked in the garage.
17. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are that team that wants to pay for a championship but ends up throwing money at the wrong people. DeAndre Hopkins? Cool. Kyler Murray’s extension? Uh… let’s just say it was ambitious.
16. Chicago Bears
The Bears have cash, but they don’t always spend it wisely (see: 2023 offseason). If they get desperate, they’ll throw bags of money at anyone who could help them win.
15. New Orleans Saints
The Saints have been treating the salary cap like a suggestion for years. They’ve been dodging financial ruin with creative accounting, but they’ll absolutely empty the vault for a championship.
14. New York Giants
The Giants paid Daniel Jones $160 million. That tells you all you need to know. Sorry, Giants fans.
13. Washington Commanders
New owner, new era, and a ton of money to burn. Washington is one step away from handing out blank checks, especially now that they have Jayden Daniels.
12. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags have proven they’ll throw ridiculous money at free agents (hello, Christian Kirk). With Trevor Lawrence at QB, don’t be surprised if they start throwing even bigger bags around.
11. New England Patriots
Bill Belichick kept things reasonable. Without him? The Patriots might be one desperate offseason away from backing up a Brink’s truck for any big-name free agent.
10. Las Vegas Raiders
Vegas, baby. The Raiders love to spend—smartly or not. If there were a pay-to-win button, Mark Davis would have hit it yesterday.
9. Atlanta Falcons
Arthur Blank would absolutely buy a championship if it were legal. They’re constantly one offseason away from handing out a $200M deal to someone who doesn’t deserve it.
8. Denver Broncos
They gave Russell Wilson $245M and then benched him. Denver is willing to pay—it just doesn’t always work.
7. New York Jets
They literally tried to buy a championship with Aaron Rodgers. If that doesn’t scream desperation, what does?
6. Miami Dolphins
They spent like maniacs in recent years and will continue to do so until they either win or run out of money. Which will happen first? Guess we just have to wait and find out!
5. Los Angeles Chargers
They threw the biggest contracts at their stars and haven’t won anything. The Bolts are fully in “throw money at the problem” mode, and if you told their ownership that they could buy a Lombardi Trophy for $500 million, they’d probably Venmo you on the spot.
4. Dallas Cowboys
Let’s be real—if the NFL came out tomorrow and said teams could bid on a guaranteed Super Bowl title, Jerry Jones would pull a Dr. Evil and offer $1 billion before Roger Goodell even finished his sentence. Heck, he would legally adopt Patrick Mahomes if it meant a championship!
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs threw a boatload of money at Tom Brady, stacked the roster with high-priced veterans and immediately cashed out with a Super Bowl win in 2021. Now? They’re still paying for that all-in approach, stuck in cap hell and hoping Baker Mayfield can keep them semi-relevant.
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2. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams didn’t just pay for a championship—they sold their souls for one. And you know what? It worked. But the hangover came fast—injuries, retirements, and salary cap nightmares hit them like a freight train. Do they regret it? Absolutely not. If they had to do it all over again, they’d probably take out a second mortgage on SoFi Stadium to get another ring.
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1. Cleveland Browns
No team in NFL history has more desperately tried to buy their way into relevance than the Cleveland Browns. This is a franchise that handed a fully guaranteed $230 million contract to Deshaun Watson while he was still facing lawsuits. It was an all-time “we don’t care about anything but winning” move—except they haven’t actually won anything.
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