NFL owners are among the most important individuals in the sport. Ownership groups control cash flows, make critical hires, and oversee organizations. Also, the NFL’s 32 owners set the strategy and direction of the league.
Unsurprisingly, the NFL’s owners are not exactly a diverse cadre, as most team owners are older, white men. Let’s run through the league’s owners and rank them from youngest to oldest.
A Look at the NFL Owners From Youngest to Oldest
Here are the NFL’s owners ranked from youngest to oldest. We’ve only listed 31 owners because the Green Bay Packers are publicly owned by more than 500,000 stockholders.
1) Clark Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs (59 years old)
2) Josh Harris, Washington Commanders (59)
3) Michael Bidwill, Arizona Cardinals (59)
4) Bryan Glazer, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (59)
5) Steve Bisciotti, Baltimore Ravens (64)
6) Jim Irsay, Indianapolis Colts (65)
7) Jody Allen, Seattle Seahawks (65)
8) David Tepper, Carolina Panthers (66)
9) Amy Adams Strunk, Tennessee Titans (68)
10) Mark Davis, Las Vegas Raiders (69)
11) John Mara, New York Giants (69)
12) Jimmy Haslam, Cleveland Browns (70)
13) Art Rooney II, Pittsburgh Steelers (71)
14) Terry Pegula, Buffalo Bills (73)
16) Jeffrey Lurie, Philadelphia Eagles (72)
17) Sheila Ford Hamp, Detroit Lions (72)
18) Zygi Wilf, Minnesota Vikings (74)
17) Dean Spanos, Detroit Lions (74)
19) Shad Khan, Jacksonville Jaguars (74)
20) Marie Denise DeBartolo York, San Francisco 49ers (73)
21) Woody Johnson, New York Jets (77)
22) Stan Kroenke, Los Angeles Rams (76)
23) Gayle Benson, New Orleans Saints (77)
24) Rob Walton, Denver Broncos (79)
25) Arthur Blank, Atlanta Falcons (81)
26) Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys (81)
27) Robert Kraft, New England Patriots (83)
28) Stephen Ross, Miami Dolphins (84)
29) Janice McNair, Houston Texans (87)
30) Mike Brown, Cincinnati Bengals (88)
31) Virginia Halas McCaskey, Chicago Bears (101)
Who Is the Oldest Owner of an NFL Team?
Chicago Bears owner Virginia Halas McCaskey is 101 years old, making her the oldest owner in the NFL. She’s held that title for nearly a decade since former Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson died in 2014.
In addition to being the NFL’s oldest owner, McCaskey is actually the oldest owner of a major sports franchise in the United States.
MORE: Who’s the Richest NFL Owner? Ranking All 32 Owners Based on Net Worth
She’s also the NFL’s longest-tenured owner, having earned that title following the death of former Arizona Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill in 2019.
McCaskey inherited the Bears from her father, team founder and NFL legend George Halas, upon his death in 1983. Halas originally planned to hand the club over to his son, George Jr., but the younger Halas died in 1979.
Who Is the Youngest Owner of an NFL Team?
There are four NFL owners who are 59 years old: Clark Hunt (Chiefs), Josh Harris (Commanders), Michael Bidwill (Cardinals), and Bryan Glazer (Buccaneers). Hunt is the youngest of the group by a few months.
The Hunt family has owned the Chiefs since 1959, when Clark’s father, Lamar Hunt, founded the franchise. Clark joined the organization in 2005 as the team’s chairman, and he has also served as the Chiefs’ CEO since 2010.
When Lamar passed away in 2006, his second wife, Norma, and his children, Clark, Sharron, Lamar Jr., and Daniel, all inherited ownership stakes in the team. Clark was appointed the “de facto owner,” which allows him to represent the team at all NFL owners’ meetings.
Since Clark became involved with the Chiefs in 2005, the team has been extraordinarily successful, winning three Super Bowls and making 12 playoff appearances.