The NFL season is well underway, with fans enjoying the unrelenting action-packed drama and excitement every game week continues to offer. But which stadium-bound supporters are the most (and least) likely to leave a game early – and what are the most common reasons?

Surveying 1,250 football fans across the US of all ages and genders, Betway sought to reveal which franchises are perceived to have the earliest leavers. Based on the findings:

  • The Miami Dolphins rank 14th for the league’s earliest leavers with 8% fans leaving a game while avoiding traffic is the most common reason at 55%
  • The Chicago Bears have the league’s earliest leavers, with 17% of football fans identifying Bears supporters as the most likely to dash for the exit doors before the final whistle.
  • Following in 2nd were the New York Jets (16%), followed by local rivals, the New York Giants (15%)

The NFL teams with the most fans leaving games early are as follows:

Rank Team Percentage (%) No. of votes
1 Chicago Bears 17% 212
2 New York Jets 16% 200
3 New York Giants 15% 183
4 Cleveland Browns 13% 163
5 Dallas Cowboys 12% 153
6 Washington Commanders 11% 143
7 Detroit Lions 10% 128
8 Denver Broncos 9% 116
9 Los Angeles Rams 9% 116
10 Los Angeles Chargers 9% 113
11 Las Vegas Raiders 9% 109
12 Houston Texans 8% 105
13 Carolina Panthers 8% 104
14 Miami Dolphins 8% 104
15 Arizona Cardinals 8% 96
16 New England Patriots 7% 88
17 Jacksonville Jaguars 7% 86
18 Atlanta Falcons 7% 84
19 Buffalo Bills 6% 78
20 Philadelphia Eagles 6% 77
21 San Francisco 49ers 6% 74
22 Green Bay Packers 6% 72
23 Cincinnati Bengals 6% 70
24 Minnesota Vikings 5% 65
25 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5% 65
26 Tennessee Titans 5% 63
27 Indianapolis Colts 5% 62
28 Pittsburgh Steelers 5% 61
29 New Orleans Saints 5% 60
30 Baltimore Ravens 5% 59
31 Seattle Seahawks 4% 51
32 Kansas City Chiefs 4% 47
Total 100 1250

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Why do fans leave early? 

There are several variables that determine why a fan leaves before the final whistle. But which are the most common and frequent among supporters of the NFL?

Naturally, the most common reason for leaving a game early was to avoid traffic (55%), though exiting because of a blowout score trailed by only four fewer votes.

Meanwhile, other reasons include beating the rush (47%), poor weather conditions (45%), a lack of excitement (28%), and partaking in a protest (10%).

The most common reasons for leaving an NFL match early are as follows:

Reasons for leaving early Percentage (%) No. of votes
Avoiding traffic 55% 259
Blowout score – the other team is dominating by a significant margin 54% 255
Beating the rush 47% 223
Poor weather conditions 45% 210
Game lacks excitement 28% 132
Leaving in protest 10% 48