The Most Disappointing NFL Teams This Season

For some teams, the ending of the NFL regular season brings an air of excitement for the coming playoff stretch. For others, it brings relief from agony. Before the season started, certain teams were viewed as surefire contenders or playoff hopefuls. The teams included on this list failed miserably to live up to their preseason expectations. Here are the most disappointing NFL teams this season:

Atlanta Falcons

Back in March, the Falcons signed former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins to a massive four-year, $180M contract. Initially, Cousins was seen as the final puzzle piece that would make the Falcons’ offense one of the most explosive in the league. Despite concerns about defensive depth, Atlanta was viewed as a lock to win the NFC South by most fans and experts. Some even predicted a Super Bowl run. Instead, the Kirk Cousins experiment has been a complete failure. Cousins was benched midway through the season after failing to find success in Atlanta’s offense. While the Falcons still have a chance at making the playoffs on the final day of the season, it’s been a frustrating year for their fans.

New York Jets

The New York Jets added veteran talent with reckless abandon this offseason in hopes of supporting Aaron Rodgers. With signings like Mike Williams, Tyron Smith, and Haason Reddick, New York was set up to return to the playoffs. Instead, the Jets have been one of the most disappointing NFL teams in recent history. Rodgers has been unable to conduct a functional offense. New York’s defense has taken a major step back after the Robert Saleh firing. This organization is in crisis.

San Francisco 49ers

After a crushing loss in the Super Bowl, the 49ers were expected to at least contend to return. Most of the key players on this team were back, with a couple of important additions. Due to injury and a slight drop in efficiency, San Francisco fell out of playoff contention near the middle of the season. With Brock Purdy in need of an extension, this may be the last time we see this version of the 49ers together. San Francisco will have some difficult decisions to make this offseason.

Chicago Bears

The discourse around the Chicago Bears before the start of the season was nearly all positive. Caleb Williams was said to be in one of the best situations that any first-overall pick had ever been in. The inexperience and lack of quality of the Bears’ offensive line were severely overlooked. Caleb Williams has been sacked 68 times this season. That’s the most in the NFL by a wide margin. The Bears will need to nail their next coaching hire and fix their offensive line to put Williams’ career back on the right trajectory.

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