With no NFL franchise playing in Iowa, football fans in this state have to look elsewhere to find a team to support.
This means that support across Iowa is divided across several teams, with the following the most popular among them. Which NFL team has the biggest fan base in Iowa?
Top 5 NFL Teams in Iowa
It’s fairly clear that the most popular NFL team in central Iowa is the Minnesota Vikings. Wondering what other NFL teams Iowans cheer for? Check out our comprehensive list of the most popular NFL teams in Iowa.
1. The Minnesota Vikings
In fact, Iowa has one of the most complex supporter bases in the country. There are pockets of support for different franchises appearing across the state. However, one thing that most people agree on is that the Minnesota Vikings is the most-supported NFL team in Iowa.
Clearly, the fact that it’s close to Iowa helps. In the past, for many people, Minneapolis was their nearest big city when they wanted to travel and do some shopping or further their career. The Vikings also gathered a lot of support across the country, with North Dakota and South Dakota a couple of their other strongholds.
The Vikings play at the U.S. Bank Stadium, which is located in the Downtown East part of Minneapolis. We need to go back to the early 1960s to find the Purple and Gold playing their first games in the Twin Cities area.
They’ve never won a Super Bowl in all that time, although the Vikings have made it to this stage of the season four times. Each of these occasions came in the 1970s, which was when they had their strongest team, historically.
A rough night for the road team.
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 20, 2022
Current Form
Plus, the Vikings have the best regular season winning record of any team to have not won the Super Bowl. 2022 has seen Kevin O’Connell take over as head coach, with Lewis Cine joining in the first round of the draft and Andrew Booth Jr in the second round.
This followed a disappointing 2021 season in which a loss to the Green Bay Packers in week 17 saw Minnesota drop out of the running for a playoff spot. Coach Mike Zimmer was sacked once the season ended, along with general manager Rick Spielman
Among the main predictions for this new season, it’s been suggested that quarterback Kirk Cousins will lead the attack more aggressively. Cousins has one of the best passing rates in NFL history but is often accused of being too risk-averse to make the most of his skills.
In defense, the Fangio-style defense will see them use a couple of deep safeties to try and limit big plays. Overall, analysts expect the Vikings to win 11 or maybe 12 games in the 2022 season.
There are plenty of new faces in the #Vikings organization in 2022!
Learn more about how they’re working together to bring home the ultimate prize in this segment of One Team, One Lens presented by @SleepNumber. pic.twitter.com/86Tkw8ZJif
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 22, 2022
2. The Chicago Bears
Another easy choice for Iowans looking for a nearby football team, the Chicago Bears is one of the longest-standing franchises in the league with a history going back to 1919. Playing out of Soldier Field next to Lake Michigan, the Bears have long been a favorite among fans in Iowa.
Their long history includes some memorable feats, such as the fact that no NFL has completed more victories than them and how they have more players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame than any other franchise.
Their one Super Bowl win came in 1985 when they beat the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX. They’ve made 28 playoff appearances in total and also won eight NFL Championship back in the pre-merger days of pro football.
A number of Chicago Bears players have come from Iowa, like Mike Reilly. Bore in Dubuque in 1942, Mike played college football for the University of Iowa and then joined the Bears in the fourth round of the 1964 draft. After six seasons in Chicago, Mike joined the Minnesota Vikings and played with them in Super Bowl IV, which they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Jay Hilgenberg is another name that links Iowa to the Chicago Bears. He was born in Iowa City in 1959, the son of University of Iowa star Jerry Hilgenberg.
He also attended the University of Iowa before carving out a pro career in the NFL with the Bears, the Cleveland Browns, and the New Orleans Saints. Jay was part of the Bears team that won Super Bowl XX.
Keepin' it classic #WallpaperWednesday pic.twitter.com/3MclWNPuxi
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 21, 2022
3. The Green Bay Packers
Wisconsin is another neighboring state that has an NFL team Iowans love to follow. The Green Bay Packers is one of the oldest franchises in the league, and the last remaining small team town. Based in Green Bay, they play at Lambeau Field and over 81,000 spectators can fit in here.
They’ve won 13 championships and four Super Bowls, making them one of the most successful football teams around.
The fact that they’ve got long-standing rivalries with the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears means that there’s some extra interest for those fans in Iowa who have friends or family members who support those other teams.
Eyes on Tampa Bay 👀@Shopko_Optical | #GoPackGo
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 21, 2022
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The 2021 season saw the Packers play their 101st season in the pro league, and they were hugely impressive in the regular season before the wheels came off the postseason. A shock loss to the San Francisco 49ers ended their hopes of another Super Bowl triumph, with many onlookers putting the blame on their special teams.
Bryan Bulaga is from Illinois but he went to college at the University of Iowa before joining the Packers in the 2010 draft. He spent almost a decade in Green Bay and was a Super Bowl champion in the XLV game. Mike Daniels is another former Hawkeye who joined the Packers this time in the 2012 NFL draft, with Micah Hyde taking the same route the following year.
Allen Lazard was born in Des Moines and played his college football at Iowa State before joining the Green Bay franchise. This wide receiver is Iowa State’s leader in terms of receiving yards and reception. Following his switch to pro football in 2018, he had his most impressive season in 2021, where he got five touchdowns in the final games to reach a career-high total of eight.
A look at the importance of the running game ahead of Sunday's clash in Tampa Bay.
Packers Daily ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/bEAsTVODpY
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 21, 2022
4. The Kansas City Chiefs
Based in Kansas City, Missouri, the Chiefs began life as the Dallas Texans before moving across the country. They’ve ended their playoff hoodoo in recent years, winning Super Bowl LIV but losing Super Bowl LV. Will their fans in Iowa see them succeed again this season?
Des Moines-born Ben Niemann joined the Chief from the Iowa Hawkeyes, but he left for the Arizona Cardinals earlier this year. Ike Boettger is another player from Iowa with a link to the Chiefs. Ike was born in Cedar Falls and he played his college games in Iowa before joining the NFL, with spells at the Buffalo Bills and the Chiefs. Anthony Hitchens is another former Chief who studied in Iowa.
Left 'em on red. pic.twitter.com/45T8s9R4Si
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 20, 2022
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Their 2021 season started fairly slowly, but the Chiefs managed to turn a 3-4 start into a 12-5 winning record in the regular season. They claimed their four conference championship in a row, but the Cincinnati Bengals beat them 27-24 to end their hopes of another Super Bowl. Will the 2022 season see them get back to winning ways?
Their long-term wide receiver Tyreek Hill is among the player to have left, while in the 2022 draft Kansas City picked up cornerback Trent McDuffie and defensive end George Karlaftis in the first round.
Among the predictions for this season, some analysts expect to see them reach their third Super Bowl in four seasons. The loss of Hill didn’t appear to affect QB Patrick Mahomes in the preseason, but it remains to be seen if they miss him over the season.
Improvements in defense and in running the ball are among the main areas the Chiefs should be looking for. If they manage this, it could be another memorable season for them and their fans in Iowa. It certainly shouldn’t be a dull season for them.
According to ClutchBuzz sportsbook, the Chiefs are third in the odds for outright winner, priced at +700.
This sidearm throw by Patrick 😱 pic.twitter.com/bli42xbRGf
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 20, 2022
5. The Denver Broncos
Playing at Empower Field at Mile High, this team from Colorado gives football fans in Iowa another great option. The franchise began life in 1960 and it took them until 1973 to record a winning season. Since then, their record of three Super Bowl wins and eight AFC Championships makes them one of the top-performing teams in the NFL.
Josey Jewell from Decorah currently plays as a linebacker for Denver. After attending Decorah High School, Josey went to the University of Iowa and then joined the Broncos in the fourth round of the 2018 draft. He signed a two-year contract extension earlier in 2022.
Long snapper Casey Kreiter from DeWitt had a similar path, playing college football at the University of Iowa after going to Central High School. The draft took him to the Dallas Cowboys before he spent time with Denver and then joined the New York Giants. Iowa City-born James Ferentz and Shaun Beyer from Shellsburg are among the other players from Iowa to have played in the colors of the Broncos.
Week 3️⃣, let's get it. 💪#SFvsDEN 📸's » https://t.co/JkbwRsZi3x pic.twitter.com/BdGpL2hfD4
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 22, 2022
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Their 2021 season started promisingly but then went downhill. It ended with their fifth losing season in a row. Many blamed their offense, which failed to live up to the numbers posted by the defense. Can they beat that 7-10 record in 2022?
The move to sign quarterback Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks should help, but there’s no doubt they need more from their offense this time around.
"Don't meet me there, beat me there!"@astronaut had the 🎤 for #HOUvsDEN: pic.twitter.com/4IIVPTwpS6
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 21, 2022
Credits on Featured Image: Image by master1305 on Freepik
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