Organizational conflict is a recurring issue in many workplaces due to numerous factors.[1] In theNational Football League (NFL) and many other professional sports organizations, internal drama between players, coaches, and executives may often be publicized by the national media.[2]
The1989 Buffalo Bills, who were later nicknamed the "Bickering Bills",1993 Houston Oilers, and2018 Pittsburgh Steelers, whose conflict was later called "Days of our Steelers" in reference to thesoap opera television seriesDays of Our Lives, became prominent examples of teams with widely known internal conflict. Aside from NFL teams, widely publicized scandals or conflicts involving league executives have also occurred.
This list of NFL seasons includes teams that were negatively affected by publicized scandals or organizational conflict between their members.
 |
| Year | Team | Notes | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Despite a 9–5 record and divisional title, several scandals emerged between players, coaches, ownerArt Rooney, and even members of opposing teams. This included numerous players being arrested for alleged cocaine possession, contract holdouts, and lawsuits, in addition to regressed play from the team's vaunted defense that led to a first-round playoff loss. TheSB Nation blogBehind the Steel Curtain comments that ifsocial media existed in 1977, this season would likely dwarf theSteelers' 2018 season in terms of controversy. | [3] |
| 1981 | Baltimore Colts | OwnerRobert Irsay and head coachMike McCormack constantly feuded with players, belittling them for the team's historically poor performance. A preseason injury to linebackerEd Simonini doomed the defense, which would hold records for defensive ineptitude for decades. Irsay and McCormack also argued amongst themselves; during a Week 11 loss to theEagles, Irsay took over play calling duties over McCormack's refusal to bench quarterbackBert Jones, only for Irsay to himself reinsert Jones later on in the same game. McCormack was fired after the season, where the team finished 2–14 but lost out on thefirst overall pick in thedraft due to a tiebreaker. Frustrated with the poor conditions atBaltimore Memorial Stadium and the city of Baltimore refusing to pay for upgrades, Irsaycontroversially moved the team toIndianapolis in 1984. | [4][5][6] |
| 1989 | Buffalo Bills | Nicknamed the "Bickering Bills" due to several conflicts and arguments between players includingJim Kelly,Thurman Thomas,Ronnie Harmon, andChris Burkett, the latter of whom was notably cut after arguing with Kelly during a game. Kelly in particular attracted media attention due to his public criticisms of his teammates. In addition, assistant coachesTom Bresnahan andNick Nicolau got into a fistfight while reviewing film. The Bills narrowly made the playoffs at 9–7 and lost in the first round but found success with the "K-Gun offense" in that game, which would propel them to four straight Super Bowl appearances afterwards. | [7][8] |
| 1990 | New England Patriots | Seeking to improve on a 5–11 season, the team fell into turmoil after playersZeke Mowatt,Bob Perryman, andMichael Timpson sexually harassed and exposed themselves toBoston Herald reporterLisa Olson the day after a Week 2 win against theIndianapolis Colts. The incident and the ensuing media firestorm proved to be major distractions for the team, who lost the next 14 games and finished the season 1–15. OwnerVictor Kiam made several crass comments about Olson, who was also harassed and received death threats from Patriots fans. TheHerald subsequently transferred Olson toAustralia, where she remained until 1998. After the season, Olson sued Kiam, general managerPatrick Sullivan, and the three players. Sullivan resigned, first-year head coachRod Rust was fired, and the three players were fined. Kiam sold the team in 1992. | [9][10][11] |
| 1993 | Houston Oilers | Coming off abitter playoff loss, the Oilers featured assistant coachesBuddy Ryan andKevin Gilbride feuding over clashing philosophies, culminating in the two getting into a fight during a game on national television. In addition, several players were involved with controversy and conflict, and one player,Jeff Alm, committed suicide after aDUI crash that killed his best friend. Though the Oilers finished 12–4 with a divisional title, their quick playoff loss and drama boiled over, and ownerBud Adams traded most of the team's star players in the offseason, eventually moving the team toNashville, Tennessee to become theTennessee Titans. | [12][13] |
| 1998 | San Diego Chargers | After going 4–12 the year prior, the Chargers used thesecond overall pick in thedraft to select quarterbackRyan Leaf. Hoping he would be the catalyst for a successful future, Leaf instead became the focus for many conflicts for the team, including yelling at reporters and getting into arguments with teammates during practice. Head coachKevin Gilbride was fired after a 2–4 start. The Chargers finished 5–11, with Leaf throwing just two touchdowns compared to 15 interceptions before being benched and is now considered one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history. | [14][15] |
| 2003 | Oakland Raiders | Tensions boiled the year following aSuper Bowl loss, starting in training camp whenBill Romanowski punched teammateMarcus Williams during a scrimmage, breaking his eye socket and forcing Williams to retire. Other players took out their frustrations on head coachBill Callahan, withCharles Woodson publicly accusing Callahan of trying to sabotage the team's season and saying the locker room was in a mutiny against him. Callahan further irked the team's aging veterans by stating that their salaries needed to be reduced to improve the team's future to get younger players. After a Week 13 loss to theDenver Broncos, Callahan publicly called his players "the dumbest team in America." A season-ending injury in Week 7 to reigning MVPRich Gannon further doomed the Raiders, who fell into a tailspin and ultimately finished the season 4–12. Callahan was fired after the season. The Raiders did not have another winning season or make the playoffs until2016. | [16][17][18] |
| 2005 | Philadelphia Eagles | After aSuper Bowl XXXIX appearance, the Eagles entered their 2005 season as the NFC favorite, aiming for their fifth consecutive NFC Championship game. However, trouble began after contract disputes betweenTerrell Owens andBrian Westbrook during the summer, which led to tension in the locker room. Despite a solid 3–1 start, the Eagles fell apart with injuries, and contract holdouts and arguments caused the team to finish at 6–10, missing the playoffs for the first time since1999. The tension reached a boiling point when Owens and team ambassadorHugh Douglas got into a fistfight after Douglas reportedly said there were players on the team "faking injuries". Two days after anESPN interview in which Owens made several comments perceived as verbal jabs at quarterbackDonovan McNabb and the team, the Eagles suspended Owens indefinitely for "conduct detrimental to the team." While Westbrook would receive a new contract, Owens was released in the offseason. The Eagles finished the year having being swept by all their divisional rivals despite having a sweep on them the season prior, becoming the first team in NFL history to suffer from this feat. | [19] |
| 2006 | Cincinnati Bengals | Questions arose in the offseason after quarterbackCarson Palmer made a faster than expected comeback from a potentially career-ending knee injury he received during theprevious year's playoffs. Some in the media questioned whether head coachMarvin Lewis was rushing Palmer back from his injury, although both Palmer and Lewis denied this. Nevertheless, the bigger problem was questions continuing about the team's culture and seemingly lax tolerance for character concerns, as nine players were arrested over the course of the season for charges includingdrug possession,domestic violence,driving under the influence, andburglary. Though the team remained in playoff contention until the final week of the regular season, the Bengals finished 8–8, resulting in the team having more players arrested than wins. Despite the questions about his early return, Palmer ultimately played all but one snap during the season. | [20][21] |
| 2007 | Atlanta Falcons | In the wake of quarterbackMichael Vick's indictment overillicit dogfighting activities, new head coachBobby Petrino did not get along with players throughout the Falcons' doomed 4–12 season. Multiple players openly questioned Petrino's coaching capabilities to the media. Petrino abruptly resigned his post the day after Vick's conviction and after just 13 games to take the head coach position forArkansas, only leaving behind a hand-written note to shocked players after previously assuring ownerArthur Blank he would stay. Vick was replaced byMatt Ryan in thefollowing draft. | [22][23][24] |
| 2009 | Oakland Raiders | Head coachTom Cable found himself embroiled in controversies throughout the season, starting in training camp after he punched assistant coachRandy Hanson, breaking Hanson's jaw. Hanson filed a lawsuit against Cable and the Raiders for the incident. In addition, both of Cable's ex-wives accused Cable of domestic violence while another ex-girlfriend filed a lawsuit against Cable for abuse. Cable settled the lawsuits with all parties. The Raiders ultimately finished 5–11, as formerfirst overall draft pickJaMarcus Russell struggled and finished last in most statistical categories. Russell, whose work ethic was questioned throughout his time in Oakland, was released in the following offseason. Cable would be fired after the2010 season. | [25][26][27] |
| 2012 | New York Jets | The team was coming off a season in which they not only failed to defend their two consecutive AFC championship game appearances, but collapsing after an 8-5 start to miss the playoffs overall. The Jets came into 2012 as a playoff favorite, even with the sudden trade forTim Tebow. A quarterback controversy ensued as the season went on, with starterMark Sanchez having notably regressed. Sanchez and the team’s low-point was in front of a prime-time audience in the humiliatingButt Fumble play during aThanksgiving game against thePatriots. In addition, questionable moves by head coachRex Ryan and sloppy play from the team overall led to the media describing the 2012 Jets as a "circus". The team stumbled to a 6–10 finish, a far cry from consecutiveAFC Championship Game appearances in2009 and2010, and, as of 2025, have been the most recent team of the big four North American sporting leagues to suffer the longest drought in making the postseason, having last made it in their 2010 season. | [28][29][30] |
| 2013 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Considerable tension between head coachGreg Schiano and the team's players and fans marred the season. Schiano did not get along with quarterbackJosh Freeman, and benched him following a poor start. Freeman was released during the bye week. The team also experienced an outbreak ofMRSA and two infected players,Carl Nicks andLawrence Tynes, ended up retiring prematurely due to the effects of their infections. As the team started off 0–8 and finished 4–12, many fans called for Schiano's firing, and one radio station erected a billboard with the message "Fire Schiano." Schiano was fired after the season. | [31][32][33] |
| 2016 | San Francisco 49ers | After finishing 5–11 the year before, ownerJed York hiredChip Kelly to be the head coach. Kelly, the team's third head coach in three seasons, frequently clashed with general managerTrent Baalke over roster construction. Following a 1–4 start, Kelly benched quarterbackBlaine Gabbert for backupColin Kaepernick, whosekneeling during the national anthem received considerable media attention. Kaepernick played poorly and the team went 1–11 with him as the starter, ultimately finishing 2–14. Both Kelly and Baalke were fired after the season. | [34][35][36][37] |
| 2017 | New York Giants | Coming off an 11–5 season and a playoff appearance in 2016, the Giants hoped to continue their success in 2017 under second-year head coachBen McAdoo, where many thought the team would be NFC East champions, let alone winning the NFC overall. Instead, the Giants began the season 0–5 en route to a poor 3–13 record. The season was marred by numerous injuries as well as conflicts between McAdoo and several of his players. McAdoo suspended cornerbacksDominique Rodgers-Cromartie andJanoris Jenkins after each violated team rules, which caused outrage among multiple Giants players, some of whom anonymously spoke to the media and criticized McAdoo for losing the locker room and not caring when some players appeared to give up on the team. McAdoo also benched 14-year veteran quarterbackEli Manning before a game against theOakland Raiders, thus ending Manning's consecutive start streak at 210 games. The move was heavily criticized by players, commentators, and fans, and following the team's loss to the Raiders, the Giants fired McAdoo. | [38][39] |
| 2018 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Despite three straight playoff appearances and a 7–2–1 start, the Steelers failed to make the playoffs, as head coachMike Tomlin was criticized for several controversial in-game decisions and his inability to control the actions of his players.Ben Roethlisberger publicly criticized several teammates (including rookies) for their play, resulting in him being criticized in the media as well.Le'Veon Bell engaged in a contract hold-out in the offseason that eventually escalated into him sitting out for the entire season.Antonio Brown frequently made headlines due to his behavior both on and off the field, ultimately leaving the team before the final regular season game after not receiving a team award. Both Bell and Brown departed Steelers' roster in the offseason. The team's drama was chronicled throughout the season by Pittsburgh-basedYouTuber UrinatingTree, who made weekly videos in his series "Days of Our Steelers." | [40][41][42] |
| 2019 | Washington Redskins | After head coachJay Gruden was fired, numerous controversies regarding team presidentBruce Allen and ownerDaniel Snyder surfaced, including the team's treatment of itscheerleaders and players,toxic team culture, sexual assault allegations, and refusal to change the team'scontroversial name. Allen himself and other team executives were fired after the team's dismal 3–13 finish, and Washington dropped the "Redskins" moniker thefollowing season and rebranded as the Commanders in 2022. | [43][44] |
| 2020 | Houston Texans | Controversial transactions by head coach/general managerBill O'Brien, in addition to declining team play, resulted in O'Brien's firing after an 0–4 start. In addition, star players with large contracts such asJ. J. Watt andDeshaun Watson became disgruntled by the team's decisions and direction, with both players requesting trades in the offseason. Watson was later accused ofsexual assault following the season and was deactivated as a result. With Watson and Watt either being traded or inactive, the Texans were put in a precarious situation thefollowing season. | [45][46][47][48] |
| 2021 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Newly hired head coachUrban Meyer was constantly in the headlines due to several incidents on and off the field, which included kicking placekickerJosh Lambo in the thigh, skipping a team flight after a game to party at his restaurant inOhio, and arguing with assistant coaches, receiverMarvin Jones, and running backJames Robinson. He was fired after only 13 games due to his controversial behavior throughout the season and strained relations with players and staff. | [49][50][51] |
| 2021 | Las Vegas Raiders | A troubled season that saw head coachJon Gruden resign due to emails with racist, misogynistic, homophobic and vulgar language from the past being leaked, as well as the mysterious resignations of several team executives in the offseason. Several players were arrested or released for player misconduct, withHenry Ruggs andNate Hobbs being arrested fordriving under the influence whileDamon Arnette was released after he brandished firearms and made death threats in a video he uploaded toInstagram. Ruggs' incident resulted in the death of another driver and also resulted in his release. Despite the chaos, the Raiders made the playoffs at 10–7 but lost in the first round. | [52][53] |
| 2022 | Arizona Cardinals | Multiple Cardinals players and coaches got into trouble for off-field incidents before and during the season.DeAndre Hopkins got suspended for six games for failing a drug test,Marquise Brown was arrested during the offseason for speeding, and assistant coachSean Kugler was fired by the team after he allegedly groped a woman inMexico City before aninternational game against theSan Francisco 49ers. Additionally, quarterbackKyler Murray and the Cardinals organization engaged in a lengthy contract dispute during the offseason. When they finally agreed to an extension, the Cardinals included a clause within the contract that required Murray to study film for four hours a week, which was harshly criticized and perceived asstereotypical towards black quarterbacks. As the season progressed, the relationship between Murray and head coachKliff Kingsbury crumbled. The off-field noise and injuries to key players, including Murray, were too much to overcome and the Cardinals cratered to a ghastly 4-13 record after making the playoffs in2021. Several former Cardinals criticized the team culture under Kingsbury, general managerSteve Keim, and team ownerMichael Bidwill. Following the season, Kingsbury was fired and Keim stepped down due to health concerns. | [54][55][56][57][58] |
| 2023 | Buffalo Bills | Fresh off an"emotionally draining" season, pressure was mounting on head coachSean McDermott to get the Bills to a Super Bowl with an aging and costly roster, and receiverStefon Diggs was reportedly disgruntled towards the team and quarterbackJosh Allen. The Bills started the season off strong, but struggles on offense and injuries to key defensive starters led to a 2–4 slump that resulted in offensive coordinatorKen Dorsey getting fired mid-season. Despite further drama such as pass rusherVon Miller being arrested for alleged domestic violence and McDermott having past controversial comments on theSeptember 11 attacks revealed in anexposé article, the team rallied to win six of their final seven games to clinch their fourth straight division title, only to lose in the divisional round for the third season in a row after kickerTyler Bass missed a potential game-tying field goal. Following the season, Buffalo cut several veterans includingTre'Davious White andJordan Poyer to meet thesalary cap and traded Diggs to theHouston Texans. | [59][60][61][62][63] |
| 2024 | New York Jets | Despite high preseason expectations after the return of quarterbackAaron Rodgers from a ruptured Achilles tendon in Week 1 of theprevious season and a mid-season trade for his longtimeGreen Bay Packers teammateDavante Adams, the Jets' season went off the rails due to a decline in defensive play and alleged tension between Rodgers, teammates, and head coachRobert Saleh, who was fired after week 5 by ownerWoody Johnson despite Rodgers denying having anything to do with the firing. General managerJoe Douglas was also fired before the end of a 5–12 campaign that extended the Jets' playoff drought, the longest active drought in North American professional sports, and reports of Johnson's sons meddling with team operations and influencing player transactions based on the players'Madden NFL ratings also surfaced. Rodgers and Adams were both jettisoned from the team in the offseason. | [64][65][66] |
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