If you’re a regular Complex Sports reader, you’re well aware of our annual tradition of ranking the NFL teams’ Twitter accounts from best to worst (you can check out our most recent list, from 2020, here). With Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald, and the Los Angeles Rams locking up the Vince Lombardi Trophy, it’s time for the 2022 iteration.
Since NFL franchises started leveraging social media to generate more interaction with their fans over a decade ago, some of the teams have really stepped up their game. While we still see most of these timelines as lagging behind those in the more savvy, entertaining digital NBA space, some of the NFL teams have invested heavily in churning out memorable content on their social media handles.
As usual, we’ve conducted a thorough survey of the 32 NFL teams’ Twitter accounts, postulating our ranking based on creativity, originality, and humor. Though some teams have been great since the start and others have leveled up their content, others still tweet like their handlers are geriatric.
Do you agree with where we placed your favorite team? Want to tell us how idiotic we are? You know where to hit us up—on Twitter, of course.
2020 Rank: 19
Followers: 1.9 million
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Despite the Texans limping through this season with Deshaun Watson off the field for “non-injury related reasons,” Houston brought some flair on their Twitter account during their rare victorious moments. Their social media manager might not have much to work with, but they make the most of what they’ve got.
2020 Rank: 7
Followers: 1.9 million
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The Bears’ play on the field was weak, winning only six games, failing to make the playoffs, and struggling with Andy Dalton, Nick Foles, and Justin Fields playing QB. Though the Windy City fans are clamoring for better, they at least can take solace in the Twitter team’s continued excellence. With high-quality in-game content—such as behind-the-scenes clips and iconic photos—their page is worthy of applause. Now we just want to see those superhero illustrations return.
2020 Rank: 30
Followers: 1.4 million
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The run of disappointments continued for the Lions in 2021, with the team enduring a 15-game winless run. After trading their long-term quarterback, Matthew Stafford, for Jared Goff last year, the team continued to struggle. However, with goofy tweets popping up occasionally, and good in-game clips, the Lions’ Twitter page is definitely better than its on-field play. Detroit’s got a coach people like in Dan Campbell—and some good dance moves, too.
2020 Rank: 13
Followers: 1.4 million
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The Vikings improved their record by one win this year, but they were still far off from where they wanted to be. Missing playoffs for the second time in a row, the team fired coach Mike Zimmer. Despite their ho-hum season, the Vikings had a strong trash talk game. With all the talent on the roster, this is not a team to be slept on. Now it’s just time to find the right coach…and maybe a new QB, too.
2020 Rank: 5
Followers: 3.5 million
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Philly is in a weird position. Is Jalen Hurts the QB of the future? No one seems to know. Nonetheless, the team overachieved this year, making it back to the playoffs (for a brief moment). The team’s Twitter manager knew how to keep fans fired up despite the ups and downs. We also liked how they got in on trends.
2020 Rank: 12
Followers: 4.1 million
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The Cowboys were banged up, so it was natural to expect them to fall off and fail to live up to the hype. But Big D was great this season. Doubling their number of wins from 2020, they finished atop their division for the first time since 2018. Though their playoff run was short-lived—c’mon, Dak; c’mon, ref—their manager did well hyping up the talent (especially rookie wonder Micah Parsons) during the season. But for a solid season, we needed to see more voice creativity behind one of the biggest brands in all of sports.
2020 Rank: 25
Followers: 1.1 million
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The Dolphins ended the season on a bit of a high note, with fans hoping to replicate their end-of-the-year run in the new season. But then the Dolphins shockingly canned Brian Flores. We still can’t believe it. The Dolphins enjoyed some good moments in 2021, and the squad’s Twitter manager made sure to gas up their players during that streak. This is a solid account. We just want to see more of the good vibes in 2022.
2020 Rank: 28
Followers: 1.8 million
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Big Blue fans will definitely want to forget the 2021 season after the squad regressed, Daniel Jones continued to struggle, and NYG fired head coach Joe Judge. Nonetheless, this team is running its Twitter timeline with a bit more jovial spirit than before. An easy win: posting plenty of clips from Giants legend Eli Manning’s talk show. While game highlights provide the Giants’ main content—and Lord knows the on-field highlights have been limited—at least the team tries to bring fans some laughter.
2020 Rank: 24
Followers: 2.4 million
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With MVP Aaron Rodgers powering the Packers through the 2021 season, Green Bay became the first team in NFL history to finish three consecutive seasons with 13 or more wins. Quite an accomplishment. While Green Bay’s play on the field has been top-quality, the Twitter game needs to get on Rodgers’ level. Apart from a few bangers here and there, their Twitter page feels like too much of a news channel. Loosen up.
2020 Rank: 26
Followers: 1.4 million
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In our last ranking, we mentioned we believed in the Browns’ potential to activate their star power. Well, anytime now, guys…maybe next season. In 2021, the Browns said goodbye to OBJ and missed the playoffs. Adding insult to injury, the team’s Twitter content was mostly forgettable. There were occasional exceptions, like when they highlighted the team’s humanitarian efforts.
2020 Rank: 16
Followers: 1.1 million
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The Colts’ season went downhill fast, somehow negating the miraculous play of Jonathan Taylor. In the transition from Philip Rivers to Carson Wentz, Indy’s record went from 11-5 to 9-8. Despite their talent—that O-line, though!—the Colts didn’t even get to play a single postseason game. Frank Reich has some thinking to do this offseason. Despite the disappointing season, their content tilts toward the positive and uplifting. Bonus points for alliteration.
2020 Rank: 21
Followers: 1.1 million
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The past two years have held some good times for Bucs fans, though their consecutive Super Bowl dreams were cut short by a Stafford-to-Kupp bomb. As we all know, TB12 has called it quits, and Tampa will all but certainly take a step back on the field. In terms of Twitter content, the Bucs were another team that knew how to deliver on gameday just the way we like it. Sometimes, however, they got burned for it.
2020 Rank: 15
Followers: 4.6 million
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After struggling with Cam Newton under center in 2020, the Patriots entered 2021 focused on cementing the quarterback position in the post-Tom-Brady era. They definitely improved both on the field and on Twitter. Team captain David Andrews played a key role in charging up his teammates. The Pats’ social media manager kept up with Andrews’ energy, bringing passion to the Boston fans. Imagine what we’ll see from this squad on Twitter if their on-field play continues to improve. Lots of opportunity to highlight Mac Jones, who has an underrated personality.
2020 Rank: 20
Followers: 2.6 million
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The Broncos lost a franchise legend in December, making a difficult season all the more challenging. Understandably, their Twitter content has consistently paid homage to Demaryius Thomas—and they’ve done a great job saluting his legacy, producing content that’s creative but respectful, reflecting the gravity of the matter. His teammates have also used Twitter to mourn. Rest in peace, DT.
2020 Rank: 30
Followers: 1.2 million
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The Jets won a few more games in 2021 (improving from 2-14 to 4-13), yet they were the clear bottom-feeders in the AFC East and missed the postseason for the 11th consecutive season. The team’s Twitter content wasn’t marginally better than its performance, with the typical tweets revolving around players’ charity work, in-game highlights, and players turning up to the facility. But it’s made some strides since our last round of rankings.
2020 Rank: 17
Followers: 744,000
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The Jaguars came into the 2021 season with excitement after the additions of Urban Meyer, Trevor Lawrence, and Travis Etienne. This team’s fortunes, however, didn’t change much. They fired Meyer midway through the year. Given the disappointment, one would have expected them to go mellow with their Twitter content. That was not so. Instead, they showed some of the most personality in the league whenever afforded the chance.
2020 Rank: 18
Followers: 949,000
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The Titans have lived up to their name on the field in recent years. After winning their division yet again, they were unlucky to have their playoff run cut short after a classic battle with the Cincinnati Bengals. Tennessee’s approach to Twitter is confident, reflecting the aura of the roster and coach Mike Vrabel. Posting clips of the boys getting gametime mode is always a win. Good work, Tennessee.
2020 Rank: 10
Followers: 2.5 million
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Given the abysmal results of this season, we were not surprised to see the Seahawks’ Twitter page leaving us wanting more. With their first losing effort since 2011, the social squad struggled to figure out how to hype this team. Reasons for excitement were sparse. Apart from celebrations when they won and some occasional fun moments, the page is bereft of good vibes. While we still respect the effort, please come back stronger in 2022, Seahawks. We know you can.
2020 Rank: 11
Followers: 1.2 million
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What a season for the Bills—up and down, culminating in a devastating loss to the Chiefs in the divisional round. Though the Bills Mafia didn’t make it back to the AFC Championship, fans still must feel great about the team’s turn of fortunes (especially given the play of Josh Allen down the stretch). Given that Bills didn’t even need to hit top gear to win their division, it’s only right that they flaunted it in our faces. They showed love to the one-of-a-kind fan base, too. One area for potential improvement: more trash talk, please.
2020 Rank: 6
Followers: 1.5 million
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Given the departure of Drew Brees, we all expected a drop off—and we got it. Fans in the Big Easy watched their team descend after 12 wins in 2020. In 2021, the Saints struggled badly toward the end of the season, going on a five-game losing streak. Their Twitter swagger, however, has been retained. Their captions and in-game commentary show a certain confidence. Their content is just likable.
2020 Rank: 31
Followers: 1.3 million
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One could argue that the name transition was the best thing to happen to the franchise last year. While the team continued to struggle on the field, its Twitter feed offered a level of pettiness we appreciate at times (see above). Their Christmas content was the most wonderful time of the year for the Commanders’ followers.
2020 Rank: 14
Followers: 1.8 million
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After three years on the wrong side of things, the Raiders finally got back on winning terms this season. They managed to overcome some incredibly challenging circumstances. They thrived on Twitter, too. Their use of creative artwork offered a fresh form of branding we rarely see on a pro sports team’s feed. Leveraging the fans’ favorite chant—“How ’bout them Raiders?”—their manager knew just how to hype up the Las Vegas fans and keep them invested despite the weird season.
2020 Rank: 23
Followers: 1 million
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The Rams have definitely improved their game since our last ranking—both on and off the field. When a team adds talent (hello, Matthew Stafford, OBJ, and Von Miller), everything gets better…and sometimes it’s enough talent to transform a middling team into the Super Bowl champs. One feature we particularly enjoyed about the Rams’ feed: their extensive live commentary during games. Take note, NFL teams.
2020 Rank: 1
Followers: 1.7 million
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The Ravens struggled this year, losing their final six games and finishing last in the AFC North. It wasn’t the outcome expected for a team with Lamar Jackson under center. But the Twitter content continued to be excellent, with hilarious videos, the obligatory LJ hype, and incredibly creative illustrations.
2020 Rank: 4
Followers: 1.5 million
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The Chiefs just bring it every year. Although the Bucs stopped them in their tracks at last year’s Super Bowl and then KC faltered late against Cincy in the AFC Championship, these fans have nothing to complain about. With one of the most engaging rosters in the NFL, KC also has one of the most energetic social media teams. It is no surprise that the Chiefs have consistently ranked highly on this list. They just know how to ramp up the energy. You’ll find lots of cap lock around here. It can’t hurt your social media team when the product is good enough to win the division six times in a row. Nonetheless, this Twitter team deserves some credit, with KC’s follower count increasing by 400,000 this year.
2020 Rank: 9
Followers: 2.3 million
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While the Falcons improved this year, they still missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. Their Twitter account was better than the play on the field, with some of their posts garnering millions of views. Their light-hearted jab at Sean Payton is evidence of the engaging personality you’ll find around here.
2020 Rank: 32
Followers: 1 million
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Though Cardinals fans are obviously disappointed by the team’s terrible run to end the season, they did enjoy some swell times on Twitter when the team was on a winning streak. This one post really stood out.
2020 Rank: 27
Followers: 1.1 million
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What a time to be a Bengals fan. Given that Cincy won the AFC North and made its first Super Bowl appearance since 1988, it is only right that the Bengals’ Twitter following increased. The social media manager tapped into that franchise pride with a consistent rallying cry: WHO DEY? The chants definitely rubbed off on fans; for example, Kay Adams suggested Cincy fans’ support has been a major catalyst in their success. This team’s players, such as CJ Uzomah, have personalities that lend themselves to strong content.
2020 Rank: 22
Followers: 3.5 million
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With Big Ben back slinging the pigskin and the Steelers hanging with the big dogs of the AFC, there was enough fodder for this squad to bring all the big talk we associate with Pittsburgh. This squad embraced the opportunity, particularly gassing up the unstoppable TJ Watt. Though Big Ben is hanging them up and it’s unclear what the future holds for the Black and Yellow, we hope to see continued smoke from the Steelers’ social squad.
2020 Rank: 3
Followers: 2.2 million
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San Francisco was tremendous on the field late in the year, with Deebo Samuel and Kyle Shanahan deserving a lion’s share of the credit. This Twitter page celebrated the team’s success but also consistently paid tribute to the franchise’s storied history, highlighting legends like Steve Young. There’s a good mix of new-school and old-school around here. The Niners know what works for them in the Twitter space.
2020 Rank: 8
Followers: 3 million
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While the Panthers matched their five-game win total from last season, they lost one more game due to the season’s extension to 17 games. Though their on-field performance wasn’t great, their Twitter account did all the talking for this team. With Cam Newton back to lead the hype parade, the social media team took full advantage of Cam’s one-of-a-kind personality, consistently focusing their clips around the former Patriot. Carolina excels at leveraging video in particular.
2020 Rank: 2
Followers: 993,000
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The Chargers are another team that was up and down all year. At some points, they looked like the class of the AFC…yet they managed to miss the playoffs due to some shenanigans at the very end of the regular-season. Fans have to be encouraged, however, by the progress this season. With Justin Herbert at the helm, the future is bright. Likewise, this franchise seems to have a Digital Justin Herbert manning the keyboard and mouse. This social media team keeps up with trends, churning out memorable content. They obviously are not afraid of stirring up some fun (or anger), evidenced in their chirp of the Raiders and jab at ESPN. Too many teams are afraid of making noise on Twitter. Stay loud, Chargers.
