A recent study published by Betway is helping football fans answer one of the league’s most burning questions today – which teams are the most loved NFL teams of 2022? The results are quite shocking and you’ll never believe who ranked No. 1 – hint, hint, they have the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The report measured each team’s ‘likeability’ through social listening, which monitored and analyzed the amount of positive online sentiment surrounding each team over a 12-month period to determine the most loved NFL teams of 2022. The publication cited the use of Linkfluence social listening in their findings.
The tool utilizes data on social media mentions across the internet related to a certain topic – in this case, NFL teams. They were then ranked based on who’s talked about positively the most online. While there’s no definitive way to determine the most loved NFL teams, this report gives an interesting perspective.
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Ranking the Most Loved NFL Teams of 2022, According to Betway
It’s no secret that some NFL teams have a bigger presence on social media than others – just like the news, certain teams receive more exposure and are talked about more frequently than others. With that said, having a large presence on social media doesn’t always mean that presence is positive or uplifting.
For example, the Dallas Cowboys are the clear No. 1 in terms of sheer social media support – they boast more than 18 million followers across all social media accounts. Only three other teams have more than 10 million followers, yet none of them are ranked No. 1 among the most loved NFL teams of 2022.
The team that takes the cake is one you wouldn’t expect – they’re certainly a team with history in this league and they definitely have a loyal fanbase, but you wouldn’t think they’re the most loved team in the NFL. Without further ado, let’s see what Betway’s study taught us about NFL teams on social media.
32. Carolina Panthers
Team Likeability: 6.63%
Total Following: 7.9 million
The Carolina Panthers had a rough 2022. They were already uncertain about the QB position, but lost Sam Darnold and rookie Matt Corral to injuries in the preseason. After the Baker Mayfield experiment didn’t work, they released him and turned to Darnold – who led them to a 4-2-0 record in the final six games and finishing the season with a 7-10-0 record. To make matters worse, social media hates them.
31. Arizona Cardinals
Team Likeability: 6.76%
Total Following: 4.2 million
The Arizona Cardinals were hoping to do big things in 2022, but things quickly went sour – Kyler Murray only played in 11 games and the return of DeAndre Hopkins wasn’t enough to save the season. They finished 4-13-0 and only won one of their nine home games. As a result, they saw their best pass rusher J.J. Watt retire and watched their coach buy a one-way ticket to Thailand after being fired. Yikes!
30. Minnesota Vikings
Team Likeability: 6.80%
Total Following: 2.4 million
The NFL community wasn’t ready for what the Minnesota Vikings would do in 2022. Social media wasn’t necessarily on their side, but they didn’t need it. They finished the season 13-4-0, winning the NFC North and going 11-0-0 in one-score games – an all-time record in the NFL. Unfortunately, their luck ran out in the playoffs, losing to the New York Giants in the Wild Card Round just a few days ago. How tragic!
29. Jacksonville Jaguars
Team Likeability: 7.16%
Total Following: 2.4 million
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been the laughing stock of the NFL the past few seasons and their ranking on this list tells a bit of that story. It looked like 2022 was going to bring much of the same as the team went 2-6-0 in their first eight games, but they got the last laugh after winning their final five games and then completing a historic comeback in the Wild Card to advance to the Divisional Round.
28. Washington Commanders
Team Likeability: 7.85%
Total Following: 4.2 million
The Washington Commanders began the year with a new quarterback in Carson Wentz, but that didn’t go well after a 2-4-0 start to the season. The team stayed afloat most of the season, but fell apart later in the year. You’d think with all the drama surrounding owner Dan Snyder and the toxic work environment he created, the Commanders would rank last on this list – but No. 28 is fitting also. Hopefully they rebound!
27. Buffalo Bills
Team Likeability: 8.92%
Total Following: 4.2 million
The Buffalo Bills have one of the greatest and most loyal fanbases in all of sports. While they’re known for spreading kindness through donations made across the NFL, they also get a little rowdy at times and that might be why they land so low on this list. That doesn’t matter to the city of Buffalo, though – they’re the city of good neighbors and they’ll always have each other’s back, even if social media wants to hate!
26. Tennessee Titans
Team Likeability: 9.37%
Total Following: 3.5 million
The Tennessee Titans fell back to Earth in 2022 after finishing last season as the No. 1 seed in the AFC. They started the season 0-2-0 and while they won 7 of their next 8 games, they lost the final 7 games of the season to end the year 7-10-0. They’re obviously not that well-liked across the league, but they might be losing some of their own fans after the embarrassing end to the season they just had.
25. Los Angeles Chargers
Team Likeability: 9.41%
Total Following: 4.2 million
The Los Angeles Chargers are still trying to build a loyal fanbase after making the move to LA from St. Louis. They have some well-liked players – such as Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, Keenan Williams, and several others on defense – and made their return to the playoffs this year, but it’ll be a while before they build a good rapport with the community. Of course, their recent playoff loss won’t do much to help.
24. Los Angeles Rams
Team Likeability: 9.42%
Total Following: 4.8 million
Don’t worry Chargers’ fans, the Los Angeles Rams aren’t much better off than you – according to Betway’s recent report, the Rams are only 0.01% more liked than their LA counterparts. Despite little love coming from social medai, the Rams won the 2022 Super Bowl. Unfortunately, that success didn’t last very long as they went just 5-12 to put up one of the worst cases of Super Bowl hangovers of all-time.
23. Indianapolis Colts
Team Likeability: 9.99%
Total Following: 4.9 million
The Indianapolis Colts have teased their fans over the past few seasons – bringing in veteran QBs in hopes of leading them to the promised land, just to have them stink and underperform (this year, it was Matt Ryan). As you can see, this hasn’t led to a lot of positive talk about the team on social media and it’ll only get worse after a 4-12-1 season. They lost their final seven games and lost 10 of their last 11 games.
22. Cleveland Browns
Team Likeability: 10.30%
Total Following: 5.0 million
The Cleveland Browns could easily find themselves lower on this list, considering all the drama they caused when they traded for Deshaun Watson and signed him to a mega contract amid the dozens of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior allegations made against him at the time. Nonetheless, he made his debut with the team in Week 13 and led them to a 3-3 record to close out the season.
21. Atlanta Falcons
Team Likeability: 10.5o%
Total Following: 6.4 million
The Atlanta Falcons traded away their franchise quarterback, Matt Ryan, early in the 2022 offseason, so you can’t expect a lot of positive comments from fans – that might be why they’re ranked so low here. To be honest, everyone is likely still making fun of this team for their Super Bowl blunder five years ago. They managed to finish this season 7-10-0, which is the same record they had with Ryan under center in 2021.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Team Likeability: 10.70%
Total Following: 4.7 million
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a roster full of talent and are one of the most-talked about teams in the media due to ESPN and other outlets excessively covering Tom Brady. That said, it’s understandable they might receive a little more hate than other teams on social media – most people are just sick and tired of hearing about them. Don’t worry, they finished the year just 8-9-0 and got blown out in the Wild Card.
19. Detroit Lions
Team Likeability: 10.70%
Total Following: 5.4 million
The Detroit Lions haven’t been a very successful team on the field over the past 22 years – they only have three playoff appearances since 2000 and their last playoff win came in 1991. They’re an easy team to make fun of, which is probably why they’re ranked in the bottom half in terms of team likeability. Still, they have a talented team full of competitors, making them a fun team to watch and easy team to respect.
18. Houston Texans
Team Likeability: 11.10%
Total Following: 5.4 million
The Houston Texans are the new Detroit Lions – the laughing stock of the NFL. They haven’t had a good quarterback since Deshaun Watson left ( we all know how that went) and weren’t even that good when they had him. Of course, they also saw their best receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, leave several years ago too. They now have just 11 wins over the past three seasons, so there’s not a lot to celebrate these days.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers
Team Likeability: 11.30%
Total Following: 8.4 million
The Pittsburgh Steelers might not rank very high here, but they’re one of the most respected franchises of all-time. They’ve always been a well-coached team and it’s a large reason why they remained relevant (somewhat) in 2022-23, despite seeing their franchise QB, Ben Roethlisberger, retire at the end of last season. You’d think social media would give the Steelers a break, but that wasn’t really the case last year.
16. Seattle Seahawks
Team Likeability: 11.70%
Total Following: 9.9 million
The Seattle Seahawks boast one of the most loyal fanbases in the entire league – they’re known for getting loud in the stadium, but apparently not so much on social media. They were initially mocked for their handling of the Russell Wilson trade, which might be part of the reason why they aren’t ranked higher, but that trade looks a lot better after their new starting QB more than played the part this season.
15. Dallas Cowboys
Team Likeability: 11.70%
Total Following: 17.9 million
That brings us into the top-half of this list, which starts with the Dallas Cowboys. Also known as ‘America’s Team,’ the Cowboys are a team you either really love or absolutely hate. They’re the NFL’s most-followed team across all social media platforms, which can be both a blessing and a curse. Nonetheless, the team finished 12-5-0 this season and will now advance to the Divisional Round.
14. Kansas City Chiefs
Team Likeability: 12.10%
Total Following: 8.2 million
The Kansas City Chiefs are the team to beat in the NFL and it’s been that way for a few years now. And while you’d think the ‘big, bad bully’ in the league would be hated on social media, they find themselves in the top-half with a 12.10% likeability rating. They once again played spoiler in 2022-23, finishing the season with a 14-3-0 record and entering the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
13. Cincinnati Bengals
Team Likeability: 12.80%
Total Following: 4.7 million
The Cincinnati Bengals won the hearts of many last year with their spectacular and clutch play in the 2021-22 playoffs. Despite having just a 10-7-0 record, Joe Burrow led his team to a 7-point win vs. the Raiders, 3-point win over the Titans, and 3-point overtime win vs. the Chiefs to earn a spot in the Super Bowl. While they lost to the Rams, it was a tight 3-point game that came down to the closing moments.
12. Las Vegas Raiders
Team Likeability: 13.30%
Total Following: 7.2 million
I’m not too sure what to think about seeing the Las Vegas Raiders rank just outside the top-10. I don’t want to say this team is hated across the league, but they’re certainly not liked and are more likely to be mocked than anything. This is a player that saw their head coach step away mid-season, had a player arrested for making threats with a gun, and had a player charged with a DUI that resulted in a death. And it didn’t get much better this season, finishing just 6-11.
11. Denver Broncos
Team Likeability: 13.40%
Total Following: 8.5 million
The Denver Broncos might rank fairly high on this list, but things might look a little different if the rankings were updated today. They entered the 2022-23 season as a Super Bowl hopeful, but finished the year just 5-12-0. Their starting quarterback, Russell Wilson, looked like a deer in headlights for most of the season and struggled to rally his team together. He’ll have to win back Broncos’ fans this offseason.
10. San Francisco 49ers
Team Likeability: 13.80%
Total Following: 9.4 million
Alright, we’ve made it to the top-ten. The San Francisco 49ers have always been a well-liked team and, while they have a lot of fans across the nation, they also seem to be a lot of people’s second favorite team (behind their No. 1 favorite team). And things are only getting better in 2022-23 – they finally have a real QB competition, their defense is one of the best in the NFL, and they have Christian McCaffrey now.
9. Philadelphia Eagles
Team Likeability: 13.90%
Total Following: 10.3 million
The Philadelphia Eagles have been in everyone’s best wishes ever since they defeated the Patriots in Super Bowl LII five years ago. They’ve made the playoffs in four of the five years since, including this season – where they entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. With a 14-3-0 record, they were tied with the Chiefs for the best record in the league and remain Super Bowl contenders moving forward.
8. Miami Dolphins
Team Likeability: 13.90%
Total Following: 5.3 million
The Miami Dolphins used to be one of the most feared teams in the league in the 1990s – making the playoffs in 9 of 12 seasons between 1990 and 2001. Unfortunately, they’ve only made the playoffs three times since (that’s over a 21-year period) and haven’t won a playoff game since 2000. And while they narrowly made the playoffs this season, they wound up packing their bags after a loss to the Bills.
7. New York Jets
Team Likeability: 16.10%
Total Following: 4.3 million
The New York Jets started to enjoy some success at the turn of the century, making the playoffs in 6 of 10 seasons between 2001 and 2010. Unfortunately, they haven’t made the playoffs since and have struggled to find a quality QB to lead them to victory. They spent a No. 3 pick on Sam Darnold in 2018 and a No. 2 pick on Zach Wilson in 2021, yet Darnold is no longer in town and Wilson was benched this season.
6. New York Giants
Team Likeability: 16.10%
Total Following: 8.6 million
The New York Giants are in a similar position as the Philadelphia Eagles – a large reason the Giants rank so high is because people are still reeling over Eli Manning beating Tom Brady and the Patriots in the Super Bowl twice (2008, 2012), one of which ended Brady’s perfect season. And while the Giants haven’t been very good since, they went 9-7-1 this season and earned their first playoff win since their Super Bowl win in 2012.
5. New Orleans Saints
Team Likeability: 16.20%
Total Following: 8.1 million
The New Orleans Saints have come a long way from seeing fans wear bags over their heads out of sheer embarrassment in the 1980s. They were consistently one of the worst teams in the league for a while, but eventually dug themselves out of the trenches and have finished with double-digit victories on 10 occasions since 2000 – including a Super Bowl win in 2010. Unfortunately, they were just 7-10-0 this year.
4. New England Patriots
Team Likeability: 16.30%
Total Following: 16.9 million
I’m surprised the New England Patriots are ranked so high on this list. The only people that seem like them are Patriots’ fans – everyone else just wants to see them lose every week. And while Tom Brady is no longer in town, he’s mostly to blame for the hate they receive – after all, fans hate getting beat by the same person over and over again. Of course, Bill Belichick doesn’t make this team very easy to like, either.
3. Green Bay Packers
Team Likeability: 16.40%
Total Following: 10.6 million
The Green Bay Packers have one of the most loyal fanbases in the entire NFL – they show out in any weather conditions, no matter what month it is. Like the Patriots, they’ve been spoiled with quality QB play for nearly 20 years and have the wins to show for it. Unfortunately, the team slipped this season with an 8-9 record – the team’s worst record since 2018 – and Aaron Rodgers might’ve played his last game with Green Bay.
2. Baltimore Ravens
Team Likeability: 18.20%
Total Following: 6.7 million
As you can see by their ranking on this list, the Baltimore Ravens are well-respected across the league. They’re one of the few teams that you’re either a fan of or neutral of – the only people that seem to hate the Ravens are rivals, which is understandable. Lamar Jackson is easy to like, head coach John Harbaugh is easy to like, and they win a majority of their games with their defense – which is respectable.
1. Chicago Bears
Team Likeability: 19.70%
Total Following: 7.9 million
I don’t know about everyone else, but this one surprised me. The Chicago Bears have never been hated and are one of the more recognizable franchises in the league, but I would never expect them to be the most loved team in the NFL. They don’t play very well on the field and have just 9 wins in the past two seasons. They will, however, receive some positive press this offseason with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Oh, and Justin Fields is exciting to watch.
Most Loved Teams Across All Major US Sports
Betway didn’t stop at the NFL when analyzing the likeability of certain sports teams on social media. In fact, they included a study for each of the three other major professional sports in the US – the MLB, NBA, and NHL. Again, some of the findings might surprise you, but that’s the nature of social media.
The Chicago Bulls (20.8%) and Golden State Warriors (19.1%) were the most loved NBA teams in 2022, while the Vegas Golden Knights (30.5%) and Chicago Blackhawks (22.4%) were the most loved NHL teams. As for the MLB, it was the Chicago Cubs (22.3%) and Baltimore Orioles (20.2%) at the top.
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The report also determined that Charlotte FC was the most loved MLS team, while FC Cincinnati and Austin FC were tied for second. And just in case you were wondering, the NBA was crowned the most loved sports league – followed by the NFL, the MLB, the NHL, and the MLS coming in fifth place.
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