Now Jerry Richardson Has His Own Statue, Which NFL Owners Are Next?

One sign you’ve succeeded at life? Not only is a statue raised in your honor but said statue is flanked by a pair of sculptures of bad-ass-looking panthers. 

That’s exactly how the Carolina Panthers organization honored owner Jerry Richardson recently. Richardson turned 80 on July 11, so the team celebrated the occasion by unveiling a 13-foot statue just steps from the entrance to Bank of America Stadium. 

#Panthers partners unveil statue in honor of Jerry Richardson, who turns 80 today » https://t.co/L4NSkdilHj pic.twitter.com/uExGLpXO4b

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) July 18, 2016

Richardson isn’t the first owner with a statue—in fact, a statue had already been raised in his honor at the Panthers’ training camp at Wofford College in South Carolina, and statues have been raised in Denver for Pat Bowlen, in Buffalo for Ralph Wilson and in Pittsburgh for Art Rooney—but it is rare for living owners to be commemorated in such a way. 

If Bowlen and Richardson are indeed setting a trend, here’s a ranking of the rest of the owners of NFL teams from most to least likely to have a statue commissioned in their honor. 

    

1. Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys

Because ego. And in Jerry Jones’ defense, the Dallas Cowboys did when three Super Bowls early in his tenure. Still, if that’s the rationale, fans would probably prefer to see statues honoring Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and even Jimmy Johnson. 

    

2. Dan Rooney, Pittsburgh Steelers

It might not happen overnight, but it’s probably only a matter of time before the extremely well-respected and accomplished Dan Rooney has a statue alongside the one honoring his late father, Art, outside Heinz Field. He’s overseen three decades of team success as chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers, immeasurable contributions off the field and don’t forget about the Rooney Rule.

    

3. Bob McNair, Houston Texans

I think this happens because Bob McNair is in a similar position to that of Richardson. He brought professional football back to Houston and should one day be honored for it—preferably in statue form.

    

4. Robert Kraft, New England Patriots

He’s had an incredible two decades running the New England Patriots and has become one of the league’s most influential owners. There’ll undoubtedly be a Bob Kraft statue one day, but it’s not New England’s style to rush that, and Kraft could have to wait for Bill Belichick’s and Tom Brady’s to be sculpted.

    

5. Bill Bidwill, Arizona Cardinals

He’s served as principal owner both in St. Louis and Arizona over the course of the last 44 years. Sure, the Arizona Cardinals haven’t experienced much success during that time, but Bidwill brought pro football to the Grand Canyon State, and he and his son, Michael, were in charge when the franchise experienced a rejuvenation at its new stadium a decade ago. One day, you could see a Bidwill statue landing outside the University of Phoenix Stadium. 

    

6. Paul Allen, Seattle Seahawks

This might seem odd because Paul Allen has not an overly active owner, and he didn’t found the Seattle Seahawks, but he has overseen their best days. And there haven’t been a whole lot of big stars on the field, so when they decide to raise a statue, Allen could be the guy immortalized.

    

7. Tom Benson, New Orleans Saints

Tom Benson ultimately helped provide the city of New Orleans with some much needed emotional relief after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and he ran the New Orleans Saints when they won their only Super Bowl, in February 2010. So one day, a statue might be in order. But last we heard from Benson, he was accusing his daughter and …

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