Best all-time NFL records

[RedinTexas]

****Updated through 2023-24 season****

The NFL began in 1920 and there are only 2 teams that remain from the original league, the Bears and the Cardinals. There have been 49 NFL teams that folded and all existing teams started in widely varying years. Because of that, teams have played wildly different quality of opponents and widely varying numbers of games. However, given all of that, here are the top 10 teams in all-time winning percentage:

1) Dallas Cowboys - 562-413-6 .576 (up .002 from last year)

2) Green Bay Packers - 799-598-38 .570 (down .001 from last year)

3) Baltimore Ravens - 256-194-1 .569 (up .008 from last year)

4) New England Patriots - 541-433-9 .555 (down .006 from last year)

5) Chicago Bears - 793-634-42 .556 (down .002 from last year)

6) Miami Dolphins - 496-399-4 .554 (up .002 from last year)

7) Kansas City Chiefs - 532-439-12 .547 (up .001 from last year and up one spot in these standings)

8) Minnesota Vikings - 523-435-11 .545 (down .007 from last year and down one spot in these standings)

9) San Francisco 49ers - 586-501-14 .539 (up .003 from last year)

10) Pittsburgh Steelers - 671-578-22 .537 (up .001 from last year)

The Bears and Packers both benefited from playing a lot of bad teams that folded shortly after founding. The Ravens were established in 1996, but were actually the Cleveland Browns, so they were a fully formed franchise from the very start and did not suffer the pains of an expansion team.

[I removed the speculation here about where we might finish in the next season. I'll come back and address that sometime before next season starts.]

I also broke down the numbers into the NFL divisions and found the following winning percentages:

1) NFC North .532 (unchanged)

2) AFC West .521 (down .001 from last year)

3) NFC East .520 (unchanged)

4) AFC East .508 (unchanged)

5) AFC North .508 (up .002 from last year)

6) NFC West .490 (up .001 from last year)

7) AFC South .484 (unchanged)

8) NFC South .442 (down .001 from last year)

The AFC West is also the only division in which every team is over .500. The NFC South is the only division in which every team is under .500.

Finally, I don't know whether this last comparison is meaningful, but in all-time records:

1) AFC .507 (unchanged)

2) NFC .502 (down .001 from last year)

[Direckshun]

This is outstanding information.

[wazu]

What I see is the Chiefs are the winningest team in the toughest division in the best conference.

[RedinTexas]

I should have included in the all-time wins rankings:

13) Denver Broncos - 500-456-10 .523

14) Oakland Raiders - 497-458-11 .520

17) Los Angeles Chargers - 478-477-11 .501

[MarkDavis'Haircut]

Good stuff, Red.

Just one quibble. There were many defunct teams from the 1920s. But remember many a good team from that era shut down due to financial issues. It would be interesting to separate the Bears and Packers' records against the good and bad defunct teams.

[FloridaMan88]

Minnesota the only team in that top 10 list to have zero Super Bowl trophies… they really are a cursed franchise.

[notorious]

Originally Posted by RedinTexas

I should have included in the all-time wins rankings:

13) Denver Broncos - 500-456-10 .523

14) Oakland Raiders - 497-458-11 .520

17) Los Angeles Chargers - 478-477-11 .501

The last 20 years have been HARD on the Raid.

[Mile High Mania]

Originally Posted by notorious

The last 20 years have been HARD on the Raid.

Hell, over the last 30 years... 24 of their seasons have been .500 or less. That's insane to think about with them still being over .500 in all-time wins.

[MarkDavis'Haircut]

Originally Posted by notorious

The last 20 years have been HARD on the Raid.

But good for the wallet. No expensive playoff tickets.

[MarkDavis'Haircut]

Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88

Minnesota the only team in that top 10 list to have zero Super Bowl trophies… they really are a cursed franchise.

And they ensure that every decade they find some heartbreaking way to shatter their fans.

It is quite remarkable. That is the real curse; getting close but falling short.

[scho63]

If the Chiefs and Mahomes go another 5 years with a minimum of 12 wins, they will be in the Top 3.

[SHOWTIME]

there is no reason why the chiefs shouldn’t be number 1 on this list by the time Mahomes and Reid are done..,

[RedinTexas]

Originally Posted by scho63

If the Chiefs and Mahomes go another 5 years with a minimum of 12 wins, they will be in the Top 3.

10 wins in a season is a break-even point. For all the teams I listed at the top, a record of 10-7 would mean virtually no change in winning percentage. For the Chiefs who have played very nearly 1000 games, each additional win over 10 will mean an increase of .001 in winning percentage.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by MarkDavis'Haircut

But good for the wallet. No expensive playoff tickets.

Just wait for the first playoff home game prices in that 6 billion dollar Roomba......

[tyecopeland]

Originally Posted by Bowser

Just wait for the first playoff home game prices in that 6 billion dollar Roomba......

Just don't hold your breath for it.

Or do, nobody would mind one less raider fan.