5 NFL franchises in disarray we can be thankful aren't the Lions (anymore)

2. New York Giants

The choice to give quarterback Daniel Jones a long-term contract over running back Saquon Barkley was bound to turn out badly, and boy has it. Barkley looks revitalized this year with the division rival Philadelphia Eagles. Jones was benched so they could avoid triggering a big-money injury guarantee, then he unsurprisingly asked to be released.

In deference to having not shown enough patience with previous head coaching change a lot in recent years, owner John Mara gave dreaded votes of confidence to general manager Joe Schein and head coach Brian Daboll last month. But that was a few losses ago, and players are actively calling out coaches and the effort of other players after their 30-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12.

The Giants are a bleep-show right now, and they have been to some level since they last won a Super Bowl. But they aren't No. 1 on this list, or even the biggest bleep-show that plays in their home stadium.

1. New York Jets

The Jets sold their soul to Aaron Rodgers when they traded for him, committing themselves to his whims and wants for as long as he was going to be their quarterback. It was easy to see how it might go bad, because it's the Jets and dysfunctional franchises do dysfunctional things, but bad and in disarray to this level was hard to comfortably foresee.

Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles a few snaps into his Jets' debut last season, and this year he has mostly looked like a hollowed-out shell of what he once was as a quarterback (as an almost 41-year old quarterback coming off a major injury might). Head coach Robert Saleh was fired after a 2-3 start to the season, and they're 1-5 with a markedly worse defense under interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich as they come off their Week 12 bye. As the bye week got going, general manager Joe Douglas was fired too.

There have all kinds of reports and rumors regarding Rodgers' future, what the Jets wanted to or are going to do with him (shut him down to a myriad of injuries? did owner Woody Johnson want to bench him?) and if he wants to play in 2025/if he wants to play for the Jets if he does. He took a run at shutting down all that stuff during his Tuesday appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show", calling out the reports and saying he's not sure about next year, but if he does play the Jets are his top option.

All in all, the Jets have gotten what they asked for when they courted and acquired Rodgers. He's not the only problem for a franchise that has the longest active playoff drought in the NFL, he's just been an extra tentacle of headaches and an easy way to put a new spotlight on the dysfunction that has existed for a lot of Johnson's tenure as owner.