Study says Detroit Lions among ‘most depressing teams’ -- here’s where they rank

Ahead of Blue Monday, a new study reveals the NFL’s most depressing teams, with the Detroit Lions in third.

As so‑called “Blue Monday” – often labelled the most depressing day of the year – approaches on January 19, new research has revealed the NFL teams that are toughest on their fans’ emotions.

According to research from Pickswise, the Lions rank as the third most depressing franchise to support.

The sports picks and online casino comparison site used the following factors:

• the number of years since a team’s last Super Bowl appearance
• total Super Bowl appearances, wins and losses on the sport’s biggest stage
• regular season and playoff win percentages
• average monthly Google searches for tickets in each team’s home state
• the number of online fan posts referencing depression or heartbreak on Reddit.

Along with the Detroit Lions, the Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals complete the top five.

The Lions’ position is driven by a combination of long-term postseason frustration and digital fan sentiment:

• No Super Bowl appearances: Detroit is the only NFL franchise to have existed throughout the entire Super Bowl era (since 1967) without reaching the big game even once.
• Playoff struggles: While the Lions have posted a 46% regular season win rate, their playoff win percentage stands at just 38%, the joint-worst mark in the league.
• Recent disappointment: Detroit finished the 2025 regular season with a 9–8 record, placing fourth in the NFC North. The team missed the postseason for the fifth time in seven years, extending a pattern of late-season heartbreak.

Here are the top 10 most depressing NFL teams to support:

1. Minnesota Vikings
2. Houston Texans
3. Detroit Lions
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Arizona Cardinals
6. Cincinnati Bengals
7. Jacksonville Jaguars
8. Cleveland Browns
9. Buffalo Bills
10. New York Jets