Examining the NFL’s Underperforming Teams of the Year

As the NFL regular season approaches its conclusion, and the top-performing sides prepare for the playoffs and dream of a spot at Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on February 9, we spare a thought for those whose campaigns will end early.

Of course, the consolation for these sides is that they have lucrative early picks in the 2025 NFL Draft—giving them the chance to add some much-needed firepower to their rosters ahead of next season.

With that said, read on as we examine some of the worst teams in the NFL this year and how they might seek to improve their offensive or defensive lines in the draft—hoping to become more favourable in NFL betting next season.

Las Vegas Raiders

You know things are bad when their own head coach admits to the press that his side are the worst team in the NFL.

But that’s exactly what Antonio Pearce claimed ahead of the Las Vegas Raiders’ Thanksgiving meeting with their old rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, last month.

In fairness, Pearce arguably isn’t wrong. The Raiders are well on course for the No.1 overall NFL Draft pick next year, with a dire record of 2-11 at the time of writing.

Las Vegas are desperate for a new quarterback, and new minority owner Tom Brady is set to have a big say on who could be drafted in with his expert eye.

New York Giants

The New York Giants’ current record is the same as the Raiders (2-12), and things have been pretty bleak for them this season.

That’s particularly true for the Giants’ loyal home support, who are yet to see a victory at the MetLife Stadium this stadium.

The Giants terminated Daniel Jones’ contract last month, just over one year after awarding him a $160m contract extension, and will now also be on the hunt for a new QB next season.

With some difficult games still to come this season, including playoff hopefuls the Philadelphia Eagles, the Giants could endure more pain.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Guaranteed their first losing season since infamously going 1-15 in 2020, the Jacksonville Jaguars have been one of the biggest underperformers this campaign.

The Jags are 3-11 at the time of writing, largely struggling on the road with a disappointing record of 1-6 away from their Florida base.

Jacksonville will be without Trevor Lawrence for the rest of the season, but will likely keep faith in their four-year QB.

With a prominent position likely in the draft, the Jags appear likely to gun for Heisman winner Travis Hunter out of the Colorado Buffaloes—who can interestingly play cornerback and wide receiver.

New York Jets

The New York Jets went into this season with high hopes, as Aaron Rodgers returned from an Achilles injury that he picked up on his first game for the franchise at the start of last season.

However, the veteran QB has been unable to steer the Jets in the right direction, as they’re 4-10 at the time of writing.

The Jets even tried to give Rodgers more firepower by bringing in Mike Williams in the offseason and trading for Davante Adams in October, but both have largely failed to bolster their offence.