The Dallas Cowboys have a dedicated fan base, and they showed out to watch the team wherever it was during the 2023 season. The Cowboys have extended their highest total attendance streak to 15 years.
Considering the national reach of the Cowboys, it's probably no surprise that they lead the way in total attendance. No matter where they go, there will always be swaths of fans wanting to watch them play. This year, the Cowboys posted a total attendance of over 1.3 million. They were nearly 100,000 fans ahead of the second-place team, the New York Jets.
The Jets and Giants slotted in at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Despite their poor performance on the field, that makes sense given that MetLife Stadium has the largest capacity of any NFL stadium. Much like the Cowboys, the Jets and Giants also have fans located throughout the country.
Interestingly enough, only five of the top 10 teams in total attendance made the playoffs, which suggests that an unsuccessful season may not be a deal-breaker for some fans. Of course, it does help that many of those underachieving teams play in newer or larger stadiums.
Here is the full top 10 list of the NFL leaders in total attendance from the 2023 season, according to ESPN's numbers:
1. Dallas Cowboys | 1,378,743
2. New York Jets | 1,285,956
3. New York Giants | 1,262,352
4. Green Bay Packers | 1,242,403
5. Los Angeles Rams | 1,235,049
6. Denver Broncos | 1,226,985
7. Philadelphia Eagles | 1,223,743
8. Kansas City Chiefs | 1,205,547
9. Seattle Seahawks | 1,193,230
10. Los Angeles Chargers | 1,190,939
At the other end of the spectrum, there were a handful of teams that just didn't draw big crowds in 2023. Four of the bottom five didn't make the playoffs, but it was surprising to see a big market like Chicago on that list even if Soldier Field is the second smallest NFL stadium. Of the bottom five teams, only the Cleveland Browns went to the postseason.
28. Arizona Cardinals | 1,113,568
29. Chicago Bears | 1,111,491
30. Las Vegas Raiders | 1,111,041
31. Cleveland Browns | 1,102,946
32. Indianapolis Colts | 1,048,177
It will be interesting to see how this list changes in 2024. Will the return of Aaron Rodgers push the Jets over the Cowboys? Would a quarterback change in Chicago create more interest, both at home and on the road? And will the quest for a three-peat launch Kansas City into the top five?
