By Jeff Howe, Mike Sando, Mike Jones and Dianna Russini
For a league bound by parity, the NFL is ruled by the organizations with the most stability.
That all starts up top. A stable owner and a trustworthy front office are non-negotiable ingredients to sustained success on the field. The best front offices not only identify talent, they share a vision with each department of the organization and don’t allow office politics to interfere with the priority of winning games.
Or, as one high-ranking executive surveyed for this project said: “It is the balance and interconnectivity of all the different departments and decision-making that goes into the product on the field and the plan for the future. How you balance each of those is the challenge of a good front office.”
The Athletic polled 40 league insiders, including 35 high-ranking executives and five coaches, to compile the NFL Front Office Rankings. Respondents, who were granted anonymity for both their votes and conversations discussing them in exchange for their candor, were asked to submit their top-five front offices, in rank order, based on each franchise’s football operations side. (Respondents were not allowed to vote for their own team.)
The results favored stability, with eight of the top 10 teams featuring general managers who have been in place for at least five years. Four of the top six teams, including the top two, promoted their GMs from within.
“Ultimately, it’s about results,” the high-ranking exec added, “but how you operate day to day is about your process. (Do) you have a sound process in the draft, free agency (and with) contract structure? Are you matching your aggressive roster building with maybe the life cycle of your team? All of those things go into what (makes) the best front offices.”
The scoring system: First-place votes were worth 10 points, second-place seven, third-place five, fourth-place three and fifth-place one. (One respondent split his fifth-place vote among two teams.)
Total points: 259 (15 first-place votes, appeared on 36 ballots)
Owner: Steve Bisciotti
General manager: Eric DeCosta
Head coach: John Harbaugh
It’s been more than five years since Ozzie Newsome stepped down as Baltimore’s GM. His disciples have kept the Ravens in contention nearly every year since.
DeCosta, who was a player personnel intern for the Ravens’ inaugural season in 1996 and has been with the organization ever since, took the reins from Newsome in 2019, and Baltimore’s 56 victories over his first five seasons were tied for the third-most in the league.
DeCosta handled quarterback Lamar Jackson’s complicated contract situation, working past a trade request to execute a five-year, $260 million extension in 2023. Jackson then won his second MVP award last season.
From a talent acquisition standpoint, DeCosta has steered the Ravens toward the trade for linebacker Roquan Smith, has a strong track record in the first (safety Kyle Hamilton, wide receiver Zay Flowers) and middle rounds (defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, tight end Isaiah Likely), landed a priority free agent in running back Derrick Henry and created an environment where a veteran like linebacker Kyle Van Noy can thrive. Of course, those are just a handful of examples.
DeCosta also got out in front of the potential loss of receiver Hollywood Brown, flipping him and a third-rounder to the Arizona Cardinals for a first-round pick that netted center Tyler Linderbaum.
“Consistency,” an NFC executive said of the Ravens’ front office. “They know what a Raven is and understand how to win with those guys.”
That’s a common refrain when discussing DeCosta and his staff. They recognize the types of players and people who will be successful in their program, and they’re certainly aided by the fact that head coach John Harbaugh has manned the sidelines since 2008. All involved know what to expect from one another.
The Ravens’ influence can be felt in many buildings across the NFL. Current general managers Joe Hortiz (Los Angeles Chargers) and Joe Douglas (New York Jets) have experience under Newsome, the architect of Baltimore’s two Super Bowl winners and someone commonly referred to as the best GM in history. Chicago Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham, considered a likely future GM, also worked for Newsome.
Total points: 174 (13 first-place votes, appeared on 25 ballots)
Owner: Clark Hunt
General manager: Brett Veach
Head coach: Andy Reid
Reid and Veach are a formidable 1-2 punch for the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. Veach, who began his career as a coaching intern under Reid with Philadelphia in 2004, followed his mentor to Kansas City. Veach played a significant role in the decision to draft Patrick Mahomes in 2017 (under then-GM John Dorsey, who he succeeded weeks after that draft). Veach rebuilt the offensive line and armed defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo with a talented young defense that ranked among the top 10 in scoring defense four of the past five years.
“Veach grew up around Andy, so I think there is a very clear vision on what types of players they’re looking for and what works in their system,” an executive said. “Along with the winning comes continuity, and I think that staff as a whole has a very strong understanding of what works there. I think Veach and (assistant general manager Mike) Borgonzi are good evaluators. They have an eye for talent along with an understanding of what plays in the league.”
While Mahomes’ deal could be reworked in the not-so-distant future, he’s currently the greatest bargain on the planet because the Chiefs were savvy enough to take care of him before the QB market boom. Mahomes, for his part, sought a long-term partnership that would help the team put together an elite roster around him. The 12 quarterbacks currently ahead of Mahomes in average annual salary have combined to win zero Super Bowls and have 19 playoff wins to his 15.
Said one general manager who voted Kansas City as the top front office: “They have the stability of that head coach along with a guy who is comfortable in that second chair.”
So while Mahomes and Reid have become the faces of the franchise, Veach has been quietly fortifying a roster that’s helped them win three of the past five Super Bowls.
Total points: 151 (3 first-place votes, appeared on 26 ballots)
CEO: Jed York
General manager: John Lynch
Head coach: Kyle Shanahan
The 49ers, like the Chiefs, have a power coach who was instrumental in selecting the GM.
Shanahan and Lynch, after enduring a 10-22 start to their tenure, have reached two Super Bowls and four NFC Championship Games over the past five years. Their 62 regular-season and playoff wins from 2019-23 were the third most in the NFL.
Three former members of the Shanahan/Lynch front office have landed GM jobs elsewhere: Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Vikings), Ran Carthon (Titans) and Adam Peters (Commanders).
“From the top on down, they’re on the same page, share the vision on how to build a team,” an AFC talent evaluator said. “They hit on late picks, and those guys contribute. They’ve got the best roster (with) seven All-Pros.”
The Niners’ upper-echelon talent rivals any team in the league. They have extended many of their key pieces, even if negotiations have gotten contentious at times with Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams.
“The issues they had,” said a general manager, referring to this summer’s Aiyuk and Williams holdouts, “were because they have so many good football players.”
The 49ers invested three first-round picks in the ill-fated 2021 draft trade up for quarterback Trey Lance, but the development of Brock Purdy from Mr. Irrelevant into a potential long-term franchise QB made up for Lance’s failure to launch in San Francisco. If they pay Purdy near the top of the market, the challenge then becomes balancing out the roster with those new cap constraints.
4. Philadelphia Eagles
Total points: 140 (5 first-place votes, appeared on 23 ballots)
Owner: Jeffrey Lurie
General manager: Howie Roseman
Head coach: Nick Sirianni
Voters praised Roseman for his analytical and forward-thinking approach to roster-building, which has helped keep Eagles in the playoff conversation for the majority of his tenure, including a Super Bowl LII victory and another NFC title in 2022.
Since Roseman’s promotion to GM in 2010 — with a few gap years when his title and role evolved during the Chip Kelly years — the Eagles have reached the playoffs eight times. They’ve had a winning record in six of their last seven seasons.
“Howie is really aggressive,” an executive said. “That really stands out about the way they do things. They go for it. He’s not afraid to take risks on players. I think that’s a really good quality when you get into that role, and he’s quick to move on when something isn’t working. Those are attractive traits in a general manager. They’ve also always had guys in Philly who are good evaluators.”
Among the Eagles’ best attributes: cultivating front-office talent. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach, Jets GM Joe Douglas and Browns GM Andrew Berry all worked for Roseman. Ditto for Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham. Current Bucs general manager Jason Licht worked alongside Roseman in Philly from 2003-07. Current Eagles assistant general manager Alec Halaby has interviewed for GM jobs elsewhere.
“The resources they have in Philly, the access that you get to all departments, you can learn a lot,” another executive said.
Under Roseman’s watch, the Eagles pulled off the rare feat of drafting a second-round quarterback and then developing him to the point that they awarded him a top-of-the-market second contract. Of the 20 quarterbacks averaging $25 million or more annually on their current deals, only Hurts and Dak Prescott got their contracts from the team that drafted them outside the first round. Hurts has been protected by an elite offensive line, while the Eagles had enough flexibility to trade for A.J. Brown and draft DeVonta Smith in the first round, and still took care of both star receivers with second contracts.
The Eagles have had more turnover at head coach than the teams ranked ahead of them, but Roseman’s consistent approach has kept their identity intact.
Total points: 62 (appeared on 20 ballots)
Owner: Sheila Ford Hamp
General manager: Brad Holmes
Head coach: Dan Campbell
Holmes, who took over in 2021, helped guide the Lions to one of the best seasons in franchise history last year.
As one general manager put it: “If you asked: Who is the No. 1 GM in the league right now, this minute? It might be him. I love the demeanor, love what he stands for.”
Holmes and Campbell see things through the same lens, which has helped the GM acquire the types of players who will fare well for Campbell. They’ve built a roster that appears tough, selfless and talented.
“Detroit has done a great job of figuring out their style and getting guys who fit that in the draft and free agency” an NFC executive said.
Holmes’ first-round picks include right tackle Penei Sewell, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, wideout Jameson Williams, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, linebacker Jack Campbell and cornerback Terrion Arnold. The Lions have built one of the best offensive lines in the league and have revitalized quarterback Jared Goff by building around him.
This was hardly a small-scale rebuild for an organization that had one playoff victory in the Super Bowl era before the new regime’s arrival, and Holmes brought a turnaround in a remarkably short time. When building out the roster, Campbell has said he wants players who would have been great teammates during his playing career, and Holmes has delivered.
“Detroit has done a nice job building it in their own image, which is unique to everybody else,” an executive said.
Total points: 54 (appeared on 16 ballots)
Team president: Mark Murphy
General manager: Brian Gutekunst
Head coach: Matt LaFleur
The Packers’ stability at quarterback over the decades mirrors their stability in the front office, as Gutekunst, like his predecessor, Ted Thompson, worked under Hall of Fame Packers GM Ron Wolf in the Green Bay front office two-plus decades ago. It’s that tradition as a scouting organization that helped Green Bay land so high on this list.
Led by an influx of young home-grown talent, including quarterback Jordan Love, the team reached the playoffs last season while carrying $65 million in dead money, most of it from the Aaron Rodgers trade. Reaching the playoffs and blowing out Dallas in the wild-card round signaled that the Packers were two years ahead of schedule on their rebuild. They have another $51 million in dead money this season, but could be back in the playoffs if Love, who could return from a sprained knee this week, and his young supporting cast continue to develop.
Gutekunst identified Love as Rodgers’ successor with a polarizing first-round pick in 2020, part of a plan to navigate one of the most complicated quarterback transitions in recent memory.
“Gutekunst’s humility and authenticity and being a smart football guy really shows up,” an executive said. “He’s very process-driven. There’s no panic there. They’ve made good decisions in free agency. They know their roster. They know their head coach. It’s more of a methodical, process-driven deal where they don’t rush to make a quick fix. They trust their process.”
Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur could have the Packers back in championship contention even before 2025, when the books are cleared of all that dead money.
Total points: 52.5 (1 first-place vote, appeared on 11 ballots)
Chair: Jody Allen
General manager: John Schneider
Head coach: Mike Macdonald
Schneider’s 14-year partnership with former coach Pete Carroll produced 10 playoff appearances, two conference championships and a victory over Denver in Super Bowl XLVIII. Schneider, who helped Carroll build a historic defense in the early 2010s, was instrumental in identifying Russell Wilson as a franchise quarterback.
This is now a franchise in transition after the 2022 trade sending Wilson to Denver and Carroll’s departure following last season. But many of Schneider’s top lieutenants have been with the team for more than a decade and remain in place.
“Everybody just loves to work there,” a GM said. “They have a great front office vibe between coaching and personnel (staff). John Schneider is one of those collaborators. They draft well. Even with Pete leaving, the transition seemed very smooth.”
The Seahawks haven’t won a playoff game since 2019, but are 3-0 in Macdonald’s first season and are coming off back-to-back 9-8 seasons with a resurrected Geno Smith taking over for Wilson. The decisions to draft Wilson and later trade him reflected what voters saw as a willingness to make decisions without regard for potential backlash. The trade sending Wilson to Denver became one of the league’s most fruitful deals of the past few years.
“They have a clear vision of what they want to be,” an executive said. “(Schneider) had Pete (Carroll) for 13 years, and they had great communication and shared a vision. (It’s a) very stable organization. John is a very humble guy and has great relationships throughout the league and in the media. He is plugged in and knows what is going on.
“Even though they have had great continuity, he never settles and is always looking for what is next and asking, ‘What am I missing?’ Never thinks he is the smartest guy in the room and listens. Great leader and respected by everyone because he is so genuine.”
Total points: 48.5 (1 first-place vote, appeared on 13 ballots)
Owner: Stan Kroenke
General manager: Les Snead
Head coach: Sean McVay
McVay’s hiring in 2017 became a line of demarcation for a front office featuring president Kevin Demoff (with the team since 2009) and Snead (hired in 2012). Those three have combined to form a front office willing to take home-run swings, most notably the 2021 trade acquisition of quarterback Matthew Stafford.
The franchise found a new identity, and achieved a level of success it hadn’t experienced since the turn of the century, including a victory over Cincinnati in Super Bowl LVI. Snead famously ushered in a “F— them picks” era of roster-building, flipping first-round choices for veteran stars at a time when conventional wisdom held that, with the rookie-wage scale in place after the 2011 CBA, draft capital was king. The Rams didn’t use a first-round pick from 2017 to ’23, but ranked sixth in winning percentage (.609) and third in playoff victories over that span.
The aggressive strategy seemed to catch up to the Rams in 2022, when injuries ravaged a veteran roster that also lacked depth. But McVay led them back to the postseason in 2023.
“I think it’s pretty cool how they sold out to win a Super Bowl,” a head coach said, “and then they refurbished pretty quickly.”
Total points: 33 (appeared on 9 ballots)
Owners: Terry and Kim Pegula
General manager: Brandon Beane
Head coach: Sean McDermott
Beane arrived from the Carolina Panthers in 2017 and, with McDermott, has morphed the Bills into a perennial contender. He traded up to draft quarterback Josh Allen in 2018, built up the roster around him and gave Allen the resources and time to develop from an unpolished QB into one of the league’s best players.
“Beane is the best GM in the NFL,” one executive said, adding he “understands people and culture.”
After three consecutive losses in the divisional round, Beane and the Bills traded wide receiver Stephon Diggs and moved on from aging, expensive defensive stalwarts. The early returns appear positive for the 3-0 Bills.
“I think Beane is a top-five GM,” said a general manager. “He is super smart, number one. It’s never about him. If you look at the drafting and free agents they have signed, how patient they have been with the head coach, got the quarterback right — that was a 50/50 deal. I’m a big fan of him. I’m a big fan of his coach. He’s got all the right stuff, in a tough market, by the way. This is not a place free agents are clamoring to go to.”
Total points: 19 (1 first-place vote, appeared on 4 ballots)
Owner: Art Rooney II
General manager: Omar Khan
Head coach: Mike Tomlin
The Steelers’ 2022 transition from longtime GM Kevin Colbert to Khan, who has been with the franchise since 2001, marks the most significant recent change for one of the NFL’s most stable organizations.
Mike Tomlin is the longest-tenured coach in the league and one of only three Steelers head coaches since 1969. He’s never had a losing season.
“They are old-school,” an executive said. “They have been in the same defensive system forever, and they are really good at finding players who fit it.”
If there’s a critique, the Steelers have been searching for a long-term quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger began to decline. But with a top-10 scoring defense four times in five years since Roethlisberger retired, they’ve managed to stay in the AFC North race annually despite uncertainty under center.
Others receiving votes
Only two other teams — the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns — received multiple top-five votes from our panelists. The Dallas Cowboys appeared on one ballot, receiving a first-place vote. Six other teams received a single vote.
(Top illustration of Howie Roseman, John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan, Brett Veach: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Mitchell Leff, Michael Zagaris / San Francisco 49ers, David Eulitt / Getty Images)
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5777310/2024/09/26/nfl-front-office-rankings/
