Every fan likes to think their fanbase is the best. That is especially true in the NFL. Fans of all 32 teams often claim the title of best NFL fanbase. And the breadth of the NFL landscape features plenty of passionate and genuine fans. From the football heartlands of Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin to expanded outposts in Florida and California, the NFL features some of the best fans in world sport. But who are the best fanbases in the NFL? Here is DAZN's list of the best fans in the NFL.
Buffalo Bills - Bills Mafia
In such a large country, a small town in Western New York would need something spectacular to stand out. For Buffalo, the Bills Mafia does that. A two-sport town, Buffalo locals are passionate about their Bills, and the Mafia leads the charge. Every other Sunday, 71,000 Bills fans brave the cold and file into Highmark Stadium to support their team. It is arguably the most significant home-field advantage in the NFL. Away fans rarely travel to Buffalo; home games are a sea of Buffalo blue.
Notorious for their rowdy tailgates and their relentless traveling support, Buffalo fans are fiercely loyal. When the Bills traveled to Tottenham for a week four London game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Bills fans outnumbered the Jaguars fans considerably. Add that to their huge donations to players' charities; this fanbase is as loyal as any. Buffalo went over 20 years between AFC East titles, yet their fans still showed up every week to support their team. It is an unwavering amount of support.
Seattle Seahawks - The 12s
When a team retires a number due to the ferocity of its 12th-fan advantage, you know the fans are exceptional. The Pacific Northwest is home to the Seahawks and their tremor-inducing fans. In 2013, the 12s set a then-decibel record of 137.6 decibels in a Monday Night Football Game against the New Orleans Saints. The noise registered on seismographs. Seahawks fans have set Guinness World Records for decibels in a stadium twice. Whenever the Seahawks run out of the tunnel at Lumen Field, one player will run out with a giant flag plastered with a big number 12. Seattle is a shaking cauldron of noise on gameday.
Green Bay Packers - Cheeseheads
Since 1960, the Green Bay Packers have sold out every season ticket. Their historic home of Lambeau Field holds 81,441 fans, and it is flush with green and gold every game. Such is the demand for Packers season tickets; over 140,000 fans are on the season ticket waiting list. Some fans have had to wait nearly 50 years for their turn to purchase a season ticket. Families in Green Bay enroll children as young as a few months onto the season ticket waitlist. Game day is a pilgrimage for Packers fans. This chilly outpost on the southern arm of Lake Michigan is home to the most storied and successful NFL team. And their fans make it feel like a home Super Bowl in every home game.
Kansas City Chiefs - Chiefs Nation
When Kansas City Chiefs sing 'Home of the CHIEFS,' at the end of the national anthem, the roar often drowns out the jets that fly over the stadium. These fans turn up hours before every game and make every game feel like an enormous event. The high-sided sea of red intimidates many teams, and night games take on a different level with their relentless chanting, singing, and rattling. The new decibel record of 142.2 now belongs to the Chiefs. When the Detroit Lions played in week one of the 2023 season, Lions players commented that they had to communicate silently with one another, such was the din inside the stadium.
New Orleans Saints - Who Dat Nation
New Orleans Saints fans used to turn up wearing brown bags over their heads due to the team's long, losing spell. However, Saints fans always turned up and made an awful racket. The dome contains all the noise, and it bounces off the walls. Press boxes are known to have shaken when Saints fans have cheered. Commentators are routinely drowned out, and referees, even with a microphone, often find it challenging to make themselves heard. The Caesars Superdome offered refuge to New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, and since their return to the stadium in 2006, they have created a formidable home-field advantage.