Timeline of the National Football League

This article is a timeline of the National Football League (NFL). It tracks the history of each of the league's 32 current franchises from the early days of the league, through its merger with the American Football League (AFL). The history of franchises that began as independent teams, or as members of the Ohio League, New York Pro Football League, and other defunct leagues are shown as well.

NFL timeline

# Note: The end date is the year after an NFL season. A team that played only in 1922 would be listed as 22-23. This shows up as a one-year bar for 1922.

DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:1100 height:auto barincrement:25
PlotArea = left:20 right:20 bottom:20 top:20

Period = from:1885 till:2022
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy

Colors =
id:majorGridColor value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9)
id:lineColor value:gray(0.5)
id:notpro value:gray(0.9)
id:ohio value:rgb(0.85,0.80,0.80)
id:nypro value:rgb(0.85,0.80,0.80)
id:inactive value:gray(0)
id:afli value:gray(0.75)
id:afl_iii value:gray(0.80)
id:nfl value:gray(0.5)

id:brown value:rgb(0.36,0.20,0.10)
id:green value:rgb( 0,0.51,0.28)
id:darkgreen value:rgb( 0,0.20, 0)
id:kellygreen value:rgb( 0,0.63, 0)
id:orange value:rgb( 1,0.39, 0)
id:redorange value:rgb( 1,0.20, 0)
id:maroon value:rgb(0.50, 0, 0)
id:red value:rgb(0.80,0.01,0.07)
id:red2 value:rgb(0.90,0.01,0.07)
id:darkred value:rgb(0.50, 0, 0)
id:iceblue value:rgb(0.20,0.60,0.80)
id:lgray value:gray(0.90)
id:grayblue value:rgb(0.00,0.13,0.26)
id:gray value:gray(0.25)
id:gray2 value:gray(0.5)

id:sand value:rgb(0.94,0.89,0.77)
id:navy value:rgb( 0, 0,0.30)
id:teal value:rgb( 0,0.65,0.65)
id:teal2 value:rgb( 0,0.45,0.45)
id:purpl value:rgb(0.16,0.01,0.32)

id:columbia_blue value:rgb(0.35,0.57,0.8)

id:49ers_lightgold value:rgb(0.85,0.62,0.46)
id:49ers_red value:rgb(0.58,0.0,0.16)
id:bengals_orange value:rgb(1,0.15,0.0)
id:black value:rgb(0.0,0.0,0.0)
id:black2 value:rgb(0.06,0.11,0.14)
id:browns_brown value:rgb(0.3,0.14,0.05)
id:buccaneers_tan value:rgb(0.4,0.36,0.31)
id:cardinals_gold value:rgb(1,0.77,0.05)
id:cardinals_red value:rgb(0.69,0.01,0.22)
id:celtsgold value:rgb(0.93,0.86,0.51)
id:chargers_blue value:rgb(0.02,0.09,0.23)
id:chargers_lightblue value:rgb(0.06,0.51,0.72)
id:chiefs_black value:rgb(0.0,0.0,0.0)
id:chiefs_red value:rgb(0.77,0.0,0.14)
id:colts_blue value:rgb(0.0,0.25,0.49)
id:darkblue value:rgb(0.0,0.07,0.25)
id:darkblue2 value:rgb(0.0,0.16,0.36)
id:darkblue3 value:rgb(0.0,0.18,0.3)
id:dolphins_orange value:rgb(1,0.39,0.16)
id:dolphins_teal value:rgb(0.0,0.42,0.47)
id:eagles_green value:rgb(0.0,0.18,0.19)
id:eagles_silver value:rgb(0.93,0.93,0.93)
id:falcons_red value:rgb(0.14,0.12,0.13)
id:giants_darkblue value:rgb(0.0,0.19,0.33)
id:gold value:rgb(1,0.75,0.0)
id:jaguars_teal value:rgb(0.0,0.51,0.61)
id:jets_green value:rgb(0.09,0.25,0.2)
id:lightblue value:rgb(0.0,0.5,0.75)
id:lions_black value:rgb(0.93,0.95,0.97)
id:lions_lightblue value:rgb(0.0,0.43,0.63)
id:lions_white value:rgb(0.96,0.96,0.96)
id:orange value:rgb(1,0.39,0.17)
id:packers_green value:rgb(0.16,0.26,0.22)
id:panthers_teal value:rgb(0.0,0.59,0.77)
id:patriots_silver value:rgb(0.78,0.79,0.8)
id:raiders_silver value:rgb(0.71,0.73,0.74)
id:rams_gold value:rgb(0.75,0.63,0.36)
id:ravens_gold value:rgb(0.96,0.64,0.16)
id:ravens_purple value:rgb(0.17,0.01,0.36)
id:red value:rgb(0.84,0.19,0.23)
id:red2 value:rgb(0.93,0.18,0.17)
id:redskins_darkred value:rgb(0.55,0.0,0.1)
id:saints_black value:rgb(0.0,0.04,0.09)
id:saints_light_gold value:rgb(0.77,0.66,0.46)
id:seahawks_darkblue value:rgb(0.01,0.06,0.12)
id:seahawks_green value:rgb(0.24,0.54,0.22)
id:seahawks_lime value:rgb(0.41,0.75,0.16)
id:silver value:rgb(0.63,0.65,0.67)
id:titans_dark_blue value:rgb(0.0,0.17,0.29)
id:vikings_gold value:rgb(1,0.67,0.17)
id:vikings_purple value:rgb(0.14,0.04,0.4)

ScaleMajor = start:1890 increment:10 gridcolor:majorGridColor

LineData =
at:1920 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66 #APFA (later NFL) forms
at:1932 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66 #NFL playoffs forms
#at:1946 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66 #AAFC forms
at:1960 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66 #AFL forms
at:1970 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66 #AFL–NFL merger

# -- Text Positions
Define $Up = shift:(,1)

Define $Left = anchor:from align:right shift:(-1,)
Define $LeftIn = anchor:from align:right shift:(25,)
Define $LeftMargin = anchor:from align:left shift:(3,)

Define $UpLeft = anchor:from align:right shift:(-1,1)
Define $UpLeftIn = anchor:from align:left shift:(2,1)
Define $UpLeftMargin = anchor:from align:left shift:(1,1)

Define $Right = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,)
Define $RightMargin = anchor:till align:right shift:(-2,)
Define $RightIn = anchor:till align:right shift:(-25,)

Define $UpRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,1)
Define $UpRightMargin = anchor:till align:right shift:(-2,1)
Define $UpRightIn = anchor:till align:right shift:(-25,1)
Define $UpUpRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,10)

Define $AboveRightMargin = anchor:till align:right shift:(-2,12)

Define $Down = shift:(,-10)
Define $DownRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,-10)
Define $DownLeft = anchor:from align:right shift:(-2,-10)

Define $I = text:"(Ind)"
Define $NY = text:"(NY)"
Define $Ohio = text:"(Ohio)"
Define $Afliii = anchor:from align:right shift:(-1,) text:"(AFL)" textcolor:black
Define $White = textcolor:white

Define $champ = text:"•" textcolor:white fontsize:L shift:(5,-1)

TextData =
pos:(25,235)
textcolor:black
tabs:(60-left)
text:"•^won Super Bowl or NFL or AFL championship"
text:
text:"1920^formation of the APFA (later renamed NFL)"
text:"1960^formation of the AFL"
text:"1970^NFL-AFL merger"
text:
text:"Ind^independent team"
text:"Ohio^Ohio League, active 1903–1919"
text:"NY^New York Pro Football League, active 1908–1919"
text:"AFL I^American Football League, active 1926"
text:"Midwest^Midwest Football League, active 1935–1940"
text:"AAFC^All-America Football Conference, active 1946–1949"
text:"AFL^American Football League, active 1960–1969"

BarData =

# -- Original Teams
bar:Panhandles #Columbus Panhandles/Tigers
bar:Heralds #Detroit Heralds/Tigers
bar:Flyers #Muncie Flyers
bar:RockIsland #Rock Island Independents
bar:AkronPros #Akron Pros / Indians
bar:Jeffs #Rochester Jeffersons
bar:Canton #Canton Pros-Bulldogs
bar:Cardinals #Arizona Cardinals
bar:Triangles #Dayton Triangles/Brooklyn Dodgers
bar:Buff #Buffalo All Americans / Bisons / Rangers
bar:Bears #Chicago Bears
bar:ChiTigers #Chicago Tigers
bar:Hammond #Hammond Pros
bar:Cleveland #Cleveland Tigers

# -- 1921 additions
bar:Brecks #Louisville Breckenridges
bar:Kardex #Tonawanda Kardex
bar:Marines #Minneapolis Marines
bar:Packers #Green Bay Packers
bar:Celts #Cincinnati Celts
bar:Evansville #Evansville Crimson Giants
bar:Brickley #New York (Brickley) Giants
bar:Senators #Washington Senators

# -- 1922 additions
bar:Toledo #Toledo/Kenosha Maroons
bar:RacineLegion #Racine Legion
bar:Oorang #Oorang Indians
bar:Badgers #Milwaukee Badgers

# -- 1923
bar:CleBulldogs #Cleveland Indians/Bulldogs
bar:Duluth #Duluth Kelleys/Eskimos
bar:Allstars #St. Louis All-Stars

# -- 1924
bar:YellowJack #Frankford Yellow Jackets
bar:KCBlues #Kansas City Blues/Cowboys

# -- 1925
bar:Steam #Providence Steam Roller
bar:Pottsville #Pottsville Maroons/Boston Bulldogs
bar:NYGiants #New York Giants
bar:DetPanthers #Detroit Panthers

# -- 1926
bar:Blues #Hartford Blues
bar:LionHorse #Brooklyn Lions-Horsemen
bar:LABucs #Los Angeles Buccaneers

# -- 1927
bar:NYYankees #New York Yankees

# -- 28
bar:Wolverines #Detroit Wolverines

# -- 29
bar:Orange #Orange Tornadoes
bar:Stapes #Staten Island Stapletons
bar:RedJackets #Minneapolis Red Jackets

# -- 30
bar:DetLions #Detroit Lions

# -- 31
bar:CLE_IND #Cleveland Indians

# -- 32
bar:Redskins #Washington Rs

# -- 33
bar:PhillyEagles #Philadelphia Eagles
bar:Steelers #Pittsburgh Steelers
bar:Reds #Cincinnati Reds

# -- 34
bar:Gunners #St. Louis Gunners

# --37
bar:Rams #Cleveland/LA/St. Louis Rams

# -- 1947
bar:BostonYanks #Boston Yanks-Bulldogs

# -- 1950
bar:AAFCcolts #AAFC Baltimore Colts
bar:49ers #San Francisco 49ers
bar:Browns #Cleveland Browns

# -- 1952
bar:IndyColts #Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts
bar:DalCowboys #Dallas Cowboys
bar:Chiefs #Kansas City Chiefs
bar:Chargers # SD/LA Chargers
bar:Broncos #Denver Broncos
bar:NYJets #New York Jets
bar:Patriots #New England Patriots
bar:Raiders #Oakland Raiders
bar:TenTitans #Tennessee Titans
bar:Bills #Buffalo Bills
bar:Vikings #Minnesota Vikings
bar:Falcons #Atlanta Falcons
bar:Dolphins #Miami Dolphins
bar:Saints #New Orleans Saints
bar:Bengals #Cincinnati Bengals
bar:Seahawks #Seattle Seahawks
bar:Bucs #Tampa Bay Buccaneers
bar:CarPanthers #Carolina Panthers
bar:Jaguars #Jacksonville Jaguars
bar:Ravens #Baltimore Ravens
bar:HouTexans #Houston Texans

PlotData =
color:inactive
textcolor:black
width:20
fontsize:S
mark:(line,black)
anchor:middle # other options are anchor:from anchor:till
align:center # other options are align:left align:right
shift:(0,-5)

bar:49ers from:1946 till:1950 color:notpro $Left text:"(AAFC)"
bar:49ers from:1950 till:end color:49ers_lightgold textcolor:49ers_red $RightIn text:"San Francisco 49ers"

at:49ers at:1981 $champ mark:(line, 49ers_lightgold)
at:49ers at:1984 $champ mark:(line, 49ers_lightgold)
at:49ers at:1988 $champ mark:(line, 49ers_lightgold)
at:49ers at:1989 $champ mark:(line, 49ers_lightgold)
at:49ers at:1994 $champ mark:(line, 49ers_lightgold)

bar:AAFCcolts from:1946 till:1950 color:notpro $Left text:"(AAFC)"
bar:AAFCcolts from:1950 till:1951 color:kellygreen $Right text:"Baltimore Colts"

bar:AkronPros from:1908 till:1920 color:notpro text:"(Ohio L)"
bar:AkronPros from:1920 till:1927 color:blue $Right text:"Akron Pros"
bar:AkronPros at:1920 $champ mark:(line, blue) color:blue

bar:Bears from:1919 till:1920 color:notpro $Left text:"Decatur Staleys (Ind)"
bar:Bears from:1920 till:1921 color:darkblue textcolor:orange $Left
bar:Bears from:1921 till:1922 color:orange textcolor:white $UpRight text:"Chicago ~Staleys"
bar:Bears from:1922 till:end color:darkblue textcolor:orange $RightIn text:"Chicago Bears"

at:Bears at:1921 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)
at:Bears at:1932 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)
at:Bears at:1933 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)
at:Bears at:1940 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)
at:Bears at:1941 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)
at:Bears at:1943 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)
at:Bears at:1946 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)
at:Bears at:1963 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)
at:Bears at:1985 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)

bar:Bengals from:1968 till:1970 color:bengals_orange textcolor:black2 $Afliii
bar:Bengals from:1970 till:end color:bengals_orange textcolor:black2 $RightIn text:"Cincinnati Bengals"

bar:Bills from:1960 till:1970 color:darkblue textcolor:darkblue $Afliii
bar:Bills from:1970 till:end color:darkblue textcolor:red2 $RightIn text:"Buffalo Bills"
at:Bills at:1964 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)
at:Bills at:1965 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)

bar:BostonYanks from:1944 till:1949 color:kellygreen $UpLeft text:"Boston Yanks"
bar:BostonYanks from:1945 till:1946 color:gray2 $Down text:"The Yanks"
bar:BostonYanks from:1946 till:1949 color:kellygreen $Up
bar:BostonYanks from:1949 till:1950 color:blue $UpLeftMargin text:"New York Bulldogs / Yanks"
bar:BostonYanks from:1950 till:1952 color:silver
bar:BostonYanks from:1952 till:1953 color:darkblue3 $DownRight text:"Dallas Texans"

bar:LionHorse from:1926 till:1927 color:red $Left text:"Brooklyn Lions/Horsemen"

bar:Broncos from:1960 till:1970 color:darkblue3 textcolor:orange $Afliii
bar:Broncos from:1970 till:end color:darkblue3 textcolor:orange $RightIn text:"Denver Broncos"
at:Broncos at:1997 $champ mark:(line, darkblue3)
at:Broncos at:1998 $champ mark:(line, darkblue3)
at:Broncos at:2015 $champ mark:(line, darkblue3)

bar:Browns from:1946 till:1950 color:notpro $Left text:"(AAFC)"
bar:Browns from:1950 till:1996 color:browns_brown textcolor:orange text:"Cleveland Browns"
bar:Browns from:1999 till:end color:browns_brown textcolor:orange text:"Cleveland Browns"
at:Browns at:1950 $champ mark:(line, browns_brown)
at:Browns at:1954 $champ mark:(line, browns_brown)
at:Browns at:1955 $champ mark:(line, browns_brown)
at:Browns at:1964 $champ mark:(line, browns_brown)

bar:Ravens from:1996 till:end color:ravens_purple textcolor:ravens_gold $RightIn text:"Baltimore Ravens"
at:Ravens at:2000 $champ mark:(line, ravens_purple)
at:Ravens at:2012 $champ mark:(line, ravens_purple)

bar:Bucs from:1976 till:end color:red textcolor:white $RightIn text:"Tampa Bay Buccaneers"
at:Bucs at:2002 $champ mark:(line, red)
at:Bucs at:2020 $champ mark:(line, red)

bar:Buff from:1915 till:1920 color:notpro $Left text:"Buffalo All-Stars"
bar:Buff from:1918 till:1919 color:notpro #text:"Buffalo Niagaras"
bar:Buff from:1919 till:1920 color:notpro $NY #text:"B. Prospects"
bar:Buff from:1920 till:1924 color:orange #text:"B. All-Americans"
bar:Buff from:1924 till:1926 color:black #text:"B. Bisons" $Down
bar:Buff from:1926 till:1927 color:orange #text:"B. Rangers" $Up
bar:Buff from:1927 till:1928 color:black
bar:Buff from:1929 till:1930 color:orange textcolor:black $Right text:"Buffalo All Americans / Bisons / Rangers"

bar:Cleveland from:1919 till:1920 color:notpro textcolor:black $Left text:"Cleveland Tigers (Ind)"
bar:Cleveland from:1920 till:1921 color:black
bar:Cleveland from:1921 till:1922 color:orange textcolor:black $Right text:"Cleveland Indians"
bar:Canton from:1911 till:1918 color:notpro $Left text:"Canton Pros (Ohio L)"
bar:Canton from:1919 till:1920 color:notpro
bar:Canton from:1920 till:1927 color:maroon $Right text:"Canton Bulldogs"
at:Canton at:1922 $champ mark:(line, maroon)
at:Canton at:1923 $champ mark:(line, maroon)

# The amateur Morgan Athletic Club inspired the name of the pro Racine Cardinals, but there's no direct link
bar:Cardinals from:1913 till:1920 color:notpro $Left $I
bar:Cardinals from:1920 till:1922 color:black textcolor:black $UpLeft text:"Racine ~Cardinals"
bar:Cardinals from:1922 till:1944 color:cardinals_red textcolor:white
bar:Cardinals from:1944 till:1945 color:gray2 textcolor:white $Left text:"Card-Pitt"
bar:Cardinals from:1945 till:1960 color:cardinals_red text:"Chicago Cardinals" textcolor:white
bar:Cardinals from:1960 till:1988 color:black textcolor:white text:"St. Louis Cardinals"
bar:Cardinals from:1988 till:1994 color:cardinals_red textcolor:white $Up text:"Phoenix ~Cardinals"
bar:Cardinals from:1994 till:end color:cardinals_red textcolor:white $RightIn text:"Arizona Cardinals"
at:Cardinals at:1925 $champ mark:(line, cardinals_red)
at:Cardinals at:1947 $champ mark:(line, cardinals_red)

bar:CarPanthers from:1995 till:end color:panthers_teal textcolor:white $RightIn text:"Carolina Panthers"

bar:Chargers from:1960 till:1961 color:gold textcolor:chargers_blue $Left text:"Los Angeles Chargers (AFL)"
bar:Chargers from:1961 till:1970 color:chargers_blue textcolor:gold
bar:Chargers from:1970 till:2017 color:chargers_blue textcolor:gold text:"San Diego Chargers"
bar:Chargers from:2017 till:end color:gold textcolor:gold $Left text:"Los Angeles Chargers"
at:Chargers at:1963 $champ mark:(line, chargers_blue)

bar:ChiTigers from:1920 till:1921 color:orange $Right text:"Chicago Tigers"

bar:Chiefs from:1960 till:1963 color:chiefs_black textcolor:chiefs_black $Left text:"Dallas Texans (AFL)"
bar:Chiefs from:1963 till:1970 color:chiefs_red textcolor:chiefs_black
bar:Chiefs from:1963 till:end color:chiefs_red textcolor:chiefs_black $RightIn text:"Kansas City Chiefs"
at:Chiefs at:1962 $champ mark:(line, chiefs_black)
at:Chiefs at:1969 $champ mark:(line, chiefs_red)
at:Chiefs at:2019 $champ mark:(line, chiefs_red)

bar:Celts from:1921 till:1922 color:celtsgold text:"Cincinnati Celts" $Right
bar:Reds from:1933 till:1935 color:red $Left text:"Cincinnati Reds"
bar:CleBulldogs from:1923 till:1924 color:red $Left text:"Cleveland Indians"
bar:CleBulldogs from:1924 till:1928 color:maroon $Right text:"Cleveland Bulldogs"
at:CleBulldogs at:1924 $champ mark:(line, maroon)

bar:CLE_IND from:1931 till:1932 color:red $Left text:"Cleveland Indians"
bar:Panhandles from:1901 till:1920 color:notpro $I
bar:Panhandles from:1920 till:1927 color:gold $Left text:"Columbus Panhandles" $Right

bar:DalCowboys from:1960 till:end color:darkblue3 textcolor:white $RightIn text:"Dallas Cowboys"
at:DalCowboys at:1971 $champ mark:(line, darkblue3)
at:DalCowboys at:1977 $champ mark:(line, darkblue3)
at:DalCowboys at:1992 $champ mark:(line, darkblue3)
at:DalCowboys at:1993 $champ mark:(line, darkblue3)
at:DalCowboys at:1995 $champ mark:(line, darkblue3)

bar:Triangles from:1913 till:1916 color:notpro $Left text:"St. Mary's Cadets"
bar:Triangles from:1916 till:1920 color:notpro $LeftMargin text:"Dayton Triangles"
bar:Triangles from:1920 till:1930 color:orange
bar:Triangles from:1930 till:1944 color:blue $UpLeftIn text:"Brooklyn ~Dodgers" textcolor:white
bar:Triangles from:1944 till:1945 color:orange $UpLeft text:"Brooklyn ~Tigers" textcolor:white
bar:Triangles from:1945 till:1946 color:gray2 $UpRight text:"The Yanks"
bar:Triangles from:1946 till:1949 color:notpro $DownRight text:"New York Yankees (AAFC)"

bar:Heralds from:1905 till:1911 color:notpro $Left text:"Detroit Heralds (Ind)"
bar:Heralds from:1911 till:1920 color:notpro $Ohio
bar:Heralds from:1920 till:1921 color:black
bar:Heralds from:1921 till:1922 color:red $Right text:"Detroit Tigers"

bar:DetPanthers from:1925 till:1927 color:orange $Left text:"Detroit Panthers"
bar:Wolverines from:1928 till:1929 color:gold $Left text:"Detroit Wolverines"

bar:DetLions from:1930 till:1934 color:purple textcolor:black $Left text:"Portsmouth Spartans"
bar:DetLions from:1934 till:end color:lions_lightblue textcolor:lions_white $RightIn text:"Detroit Lions"
at:DetLions at:1935 $champ mark:(line, lions_lightblue)
at:DetLions at:1952 $champ mark:(line, lions_lightblue)
at:DetLions at:1953 $champ mark:(line, lions_lightblue)
at:DetLions at:1957 $champ mark:(line, lions_lightblue)

bar:Dolphins from:1966 till:1970 color:dolphins_orange textcolor:dolphins_teal $Afliii
bar:Dolphins from:1970 till:end color:dolphins_orange textcolor:dolphins_teal $RightIn text:"Miami Dolphins"
at:Dolphins at:1972 $champ mark:(line, dolphins_orange)
at:Dolphins at:1973 $champ mark:(line, dolphins_orange)

bar:Duluth from:1923 till:1926 color:red $Left text:"Duluth Kelleys"
bar:Duluth from:1926 till:1928 color:darkblue3 $Right text:"Duluth Eskimos" $Right
bar:Evansville from:1921 till:1923 color:chiefs_red text:"Evansville Crimson Giants" $Right

bar:Falcons from:1966 till:end color:falcons_red textcolor:white $RightIn text:"Atlanta Falcons"

bar:YellowJack from:1909 till:1924 color:notpro $I
bar:YellowJack from:1924 till:1932 color:vikings_gold $Right text:"Frankford Yellow Jackets"
at:YellowJack at:1926 $champ mark:(line, vikings_gold)

bar:Hammond from:1920 till:1927 color:vikings_purple text:"Hammond Pros" $Right
bar:Blues from:1924 till:1926 color:notpro $UpLeft text:"Waterbury Blues~(Ind)"
bar:Blues from:1926 till:1927 color:iceblue $UpLeftMargin text:"Hartford Blues"
bar:Blues from:1927 till:1928 color:notpro $DownRight text:"Hartford Giants"

bar:HouTexans from:2002 till:end color:red textcolor:darkblue text:"Houston Texans"

bar:IndyColts from:1953 till:1984 color:colts_blue textcolor:white text:"Baltimore Colts"
bar:IndyColts from:1984 till:end color:lgray $RightIn text:"Indianapolis Colts" textcolor:colts_blue
at:IndyColts at:1958 $champ mark:(line, colts_blue)
at:IndyColts at:1959 $champ mark:(line, colts_blue)
at:IndyColts at:1970 $champ mark:(line, colts_blue)
at:IndyColts at:2006 $champ textcolor: colts_blue mark:(line, lgray)

bar:Jaguars from:1995 till:end color:jaguars_teal textcolor:white $RightIn text:"Jacksonville Jaguars"

bar:Kardex from:1916 till:1920 color:notpro $Left $NY
bar:Kardex from:1920 till:1921 color:notpro $RightMargin $I
bar:Kardex from:1921 till:1922 color:darkblue2 $Right text:"Tonawanda Kardex"
bar:KCBlues from:1924 till:1925 color:blue $Left text:"Kansas City Blues"
bar:KCBlues from:1925 till:1927 color:black $Right text:"Kansas City Cowboys"
bar:LABucs from:1926 till:1927 color:orange $Left text:"Los Angeles Buccaneers" textcolor:black
bar:Brecks from:1899 till:1921 color:notpro $I
bar:Brecks from:1921 till:1924 color:red $UpRight text:"Louisville Breckenridges"
bar:Brecks from:1926 till:1927 color:red $DownRight text:"Louisville Colonels"
bar:Badgers from:1922 till:1927 color:orange text:"Milwaukee Badgers" $Right
bar:Marines from:1905 till:1921 color:notpro $I
bar:Marines from:1921 till:1925 color:blue $Right text:"Minneapolis Marines"
bar:RedJackets from:1929 till:1931 color:red $Left text:"Minneapolis Red Jackets"

bar:Flyers from:1905 till:1920 color:notpro $I $Left
bar:Flyers from:1920 till:1922 color:red $Left text:"Muncie Flyers"
bar:Flyers from:1923 till:1926 color:notpro $I

bar:Brickley from:1921 till:1922 color:gold $Right text:"New York Brickley Giants"

bar:NYYankees from:1926 till:1929 color:blue $Left text:"New York Yankees"

bar:NYGiants from:1925 till:end color:giants_darkblue textcolor:white text:"New York Giants" $RightIn
at:NYGiants at:1927 $champ mark:(line, giants_darkblue)
at:NYGiants at:1934 $champ mark:(line, giants_darkblue)
at:NYGiants at:1938 $champ mark:(line, giants_darkblue)
at:NYGiants at:1956 $champ mark:(line, giants_darkblue)
at:NYGiants at:1986 $champ mark:(line, giants_darkblue)
at:NYGiants at:1990 $champ mark:(line, giants_darkblue)
at:NYGiants at:2007 $champ mark:(line, giants_darkblue)
at:NYGiants at:2011 $champ mark:(line, giants_darkblue)

bar:NYJets from:1960 till:1963 color:lgray textcolor:jets_green $Left text:"Titans of New York (AFL)"
bar:NYJets from:1963 till:1970 color:jets_green textcolor:white
bar:NYJets from:1970 till:end color:jets_green textcolor:white $RightIn text:"New York Jets"
at:NYJets at:1968 $champ mark:(line, jets_green)

bar:Oorang from:1922 till:1924 color:gold $Left text:"Oorang Indians" $Right
bar:Orange from:1887 till:1929 color:notpro $I
bar:Orange from:1929 till:1930 color:redorange $UpLeft text:"Orange Tornadoes"
bar:Orange from:1930 till:1931 color:black $UpRight text:"Newark Tornadoes"
bar:Orange from:1931 till:1936 color:notpro $Down text:"(Ind.)"
bar:Orange from:1936 till:1947 color:notpro $Down text:"(American Association)"
bar:Orange from:1963 till:1965 color:notpro $UpLeft text:"(Atlantic Coast FL)"
bar:Orange from:1965 till:1970 color:notpro $Down text:"(Continental FL)"
bar:Orange from:1970 till:1972 color:notpro $UpLeftIn text:"(Atlantic Coast FL)"

bar:Packers from:1919 till:1921 color:notpro
bar:Packers from:1921 till:end color:packers_green textcolor:gold $RightIn text:"Green Bay Packers"
at:Packers at:1929 $champ mark:(line, packers_green)
at:Packers at:1930 $champ mark:(line, packers_green)
at:Packers at:1931 $champ mark:(line, packers_green)
at:Packers at:1936 $champ mark:(line, packers_green)
at:Packers at:1939 $champ mark:(line, packers_green)
at:Packers at:1944 $champ mark:(line, packers_green)
at:Packers at:1961 $champ mark:(line, packers_green)
at:Packers at:1962 $champ mark:(line, packers_green)
at:Packers at:1965 $champ mark:(line, packers_green)
at:Packers at:1966 $champ mark:(line, packers_green)
at:Packers at:1967 $champ mark:(line, packers_green)
at:Packers at:1996 $champ mark:(line, packers_green)
at:Packers at:2010 $champ mark:(line, packers_green)

bar:Patriots from:1960 till:1970 color:darkblue2 textcolor:red2 $Afliii
bar:Patriots from:1970 till:1971 color:darkblue2 textcolor:red2 $Left text:"Boston Patriots"
bar:Patriots from:1971 till:end color:red2 textcolor:darkblue2 $RightIn text:"New England Patriots"
at:Patriots at:2001 $champ mark:(line, red2)
at:Patriots at:2003 $champ mark:(line, red2)
at:Patriots at:2004 $champ mark:(line, red2)
at:Patriots at:2014 $champ mark:(line, red2)
at:Patriots at:2016 $champ mark:(line, red2)
at:Patriots at:2018 $champ mark:(line, red2)

bar:PhillyEagles from:1933 till:1943 color:eagles_green textcolor:eagles_silver
bar:PhillyEagles from:1943 till:1944 color:gray2 textcolor:white $UpLeft text:"Phil-Pitt ~Steagles"
bar:PhillyEagles from:1944 till:end color:eagles_green textcolor:eagles_silver $RightIn text:"Philadelphia Eagles"
at:PhillyEagles at:1948 $champ mark:(line, eagles_green)
at:PhillyEagles at:1949 $champ mark:(line, eagles_green)
at:PhillyEagles at:1960 $champ mark:(line, eagles_green)
at:PhillyEagles at:2017 $champ mark:(line, eagles_green)

bar:Pottsville from:1920 till:1925 color:notpro $Left text:"Pottsville Maroons (Ind)"
bar:Pottsville from:1925 till:1929 color:maroon
bar:Pottsville from:1929 till:1930 color:gold $Right text:"Boston Bulldogs"
bar:Steam from:1916 till:1925 color:notpro $I
bar:Steam from:1925 till:1933 color:brown $Right text:"Providence Steam Roller"
at:Steam at:1928 $champ mark:(line, brown)

bar:RacineLegion from:1915 till:1918 color:notpro $Left $I
bar:RacineLegion from:1919 till:1922 color:notpro
bar:RacineLegion from:1922 till:1925 color:chiefs_red $Up text:"Racine ~Legion"
bar:RacineLegion from:1926 till:1927 color:chiefs_red $DownRight text:"Racine Tornadoes"

bar:Raiders from:1960 till:1970 color:raiders_silver textcolor:black $Afliii
bar:Raiders from:1970 till:1981 $LeftIn color:raiders_silver text:"Oakland Raiders" textcolor:black
bar:Raiders from:1981 till:1994 color:black textcolor:raiders_silver $Up text:"Los Angeles ~Raiders"
bar:Raiders from:1994 till:2020 color:raiders_silver $UpLeftIn text:"Oakland Raiders"
bar:Raiders from:2020 till:end color:black textcolor:black $RightIn text:"Las Vegas Raiders"
at:Raiders at:1976 $champ mark:(line, raiders_silver)
at:Raiders at:1980 $champ mark:(line, raiders_silver)
at:Raiders at:1983 $champ mark:(line, black)

bar:Rams from:1936 till:1943 textcolor:darkblue2 color:rams_gold $Left text:"Cleveland Rams"
bar:Rams from:1944 till:1946 textcolor:darkblue2 color:rams_gold
bar:Rams from:1946 till:1995 textcolor:rams_gold color:darkblue2 text:"Los Angeles Rams"
bar:Rams from:1995 till:2016 textcolor:darkblue2 color:rams_gold $RightIn text:"St. Louis Rams"
bar:Rams from:2016 till:end textcolor:rams_gold color:darkblue2 $AboveRightMargin text:"Los Angeles Rams"
at:Rams at:1945 $champ mark:(line, rams_gold)
at:Rams at:1951 $champ mark:(line, darkblue2)
at:Rams at:1999 $champ mark:(line, rams_gold)
at:Rams at:2021 $champ mark:(line, darkblue2)

bar:Redskins from:1932 till:1933 color:gold textcolor:black $Left text:"Boston Braves"
bar:Redskins from:1933 till:1937 color:redskins_darkred textcolor:black $UpRight text:"Boston ~Redskins"
bar:Redskins from:1937 till:2020 color:gold textcolor:redskins_darkred text:"Washington Redskins"
bar:Redskins from:2020 till:2021 color:redskins_darkred textcolor:redskins_darkred $Left text:"Washington Football Team"
bar:Redskins from:2021 till:end color:gold textcolor:redskins_darkred $AboveRightMargin text:"Washington Commanders"

at:Redskins at:1937 $champ mark:(line, gold)
at:Redskins at:1942 $champ mark:(line, gold)
at:Redskins at:1982 $champ mark:(line, gold)
at:Redskins at:1987 $champ mark:(line, gold)
at:Redskins at:1991 $champ mark:(line, gold)

bar:RockIsland from:1907 till:1920 color:notpro $I
bar:RockIsland from:1920 till:1926 color:green
bar:RockIsland from:1926 till:1927 color:afli
bar:RockIsland from:1927 till:1928 color:notpro $Right text:"Rock Island Independents"
bar:Jeffs from:1908 till:1920 color:notpro $I
bar:Jeffs from:1920 till:1926 color:red $Right text:"Rochester Jeffersons"

bar:Saints from:1967 till:end color:saints_light_gold textcolor:saints_black $RightIn text:"New Orleans Saints"
at:Saints at:2009 $champ mark:(line, saints_light_gold)

bar:Seahawks from:1976 till:end color:seahawks_lime textcolor:navy $RightIn text:"Seattle Seahawks"
at:Seahawks at:2013 $champ mark:(line, seahawks_lime)

bar:Stapes from:1915 till:1922 color:notpro $Left text:"Stapleton Football Club (Ind)"
bar:Stapes from:1922 till:1929 color:notpro
bar:Stapes from:1929 till:1932 color:darkblue $UpLeft text:"Staten Island ~Stapletons"
bar:Stapes from:1932 till:1936 color:yellow $Right text:"Staten Island Stapes"

bar:Steelers from:1933 till:1940 color:gold textcolor:black $Left text:"Pittsburgh Pirates"
bar:Steelers from:1940 till:1943 color:black
bar:Steelers from:1943 till:1944 color:gray2 textcolor:white $UpLeft text:"Phil-Pitt ~Steagles"
bar:Steelers from:1944 till:1945 color:gray2 textcolor:white $Right text:"Card-Pitt"
bar:Steelers from:1945 till:end color:black textcolor:gold $RightIn text:"Pittsburgh Steelers"
at:Steelers at:1974 $champ mark:(line, black)
at:Steelers at:1975 $champ mark:(line, black)
at:Steelers at:1978 $champ mark:(line, black)
at:Steelers at:1979 $champ mark:(line, black)
at:Steelers at:2005 $champ mark:(line, black)
at:Steelers at:2008 $champ mark:(line, black)

bar:Allstars from:1923 till:1924 color:blue text:"St. Louis All-Stars" $Right
bar:Gunners from:1931 till:1934 color:notpro $Left $I
bar:Gunners from:1934 till:1935 color:blue $Up text:"St. Louis ~Gunners"
bar:Gunners from:1935 till:1940 color:notpro $Right text:"(Midwest)"

bar:TenTitans from:1960 till:1970 color:red textcolor:red $Afliii
bar:TenTitans from:1970 till:1997 color:red textcolor:white text:"Houston Oilers"
bar:TenTitans from:1997 till:1999 color:columbia_blue textcolor:white $Up text:"Tennessee ~Oilers"
bar:TenTitans from:1999 till:end color:lightblue textcolor:titans_dark_blue $RightIn text:"Tennessee Titans"
at:TenTitans at:1960 $champ mark:(line, red)
at:TenTitans at:1961 $champ mark:(line, red)

bar:Toledo from:1902 till:1922 color:notpro $Left $Ohio
bar:Toledo from:1922 till:1924 color:maroon $Left text:"Toledo Maroons"
bar:Toledo from:1924 till:1925 color:gold $Right text:"Kenosha Maroons"

bar:Vikings from:1961 till:end color:vikings_purple textcolor:vikings_gold $RightIn text:"Minnesota Vikings"

bar:Senators from:1921 till:1923 color:blue $Left text:"Washington Senators"
bar:Senators from:1923 till:1941 color:notpro $I

1920–1931: The Birth of the NFL

1920

The American Professional Football Association is formed. The fourteen teams were mainly drawn from the Ohio League, Chicago Circuit, New York Pro Football League and other teams from the lower midwest. A $100 membership fee was charged. The Chicago Tigers folded after the season.

1921

Number of teams increased to 21. Four teams lasted only one season. Tonawanda Kardex in particular only lasted one game, making it the shortest running NFL franchise to date. Three other franchises folded.

1922

The APFA was renamed the National Football League. Four new franchises awarded.

1923

A new and distinct Cleveland Indians franchise was formed. Two other teams joined the NFL, the Duluth Kelleys and the St. Louis All Stars. The St. Louis team folded after one season.

1924

Before the season, the owner of the Cleveland Indians bought the Canton Bulldogs and "mothballed" it, taking the team's nickname and players to Cleveland for the season. The Canton Bulldogs had won the NFL championship in 1923, and won it again as the Cleveland Bulldogs in 1924.

1925

The Canton Bulldogs were reactivated. Four other franchises were awarded. This was the final season for the Rochester Jeffersons.

1926

The league grew to 22 teams, a figure that would not be equaled in professional football until 1961, adding the Brooklyn Lions, the Hartford Blues, the Los Angeles Buccaneers, and the Louisville Colonels, with Racine Tornadoes re-entering.

1927

Prior to the season, the league decided to eliminate the financially weaker teams. As a result, the league dropped from 22 to 12 teams, and a majority of the remaining teams were centered around the East Coast instead of the Midwest, where the NFL had started. The New York Yankees were added from the American Football League and the Cleveland Bulldogs returned.

1928

The NFL drops to ten teams. Two teams had folded, the Buffalo Bisons sat out the season and the Cleveland Bulldogs moved and played as the Detroit Wolverines.

1929

The league increased back to 12 teams with the addition of two franchises, the Staten Island Stapletons, and the Orange Tornadoes. Two mothballed teams activated for the season. Minneapolis re-entered as the Red Jackets and the re-entry of the Buffalo Bisons.

1930

Prior to the season, Brooklyn businessmen William B. Dwyer and John C. Depler bought the Dayton Triangles, moved it, and renamed it the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Orange Tornadoes relocated to Newark. The Portsmouth Spartans entered as a new team.

1931

The league decreased to 10 teams due to financial hardships caused by the Great Depression. While the Cleveland Indians joined as an expansion team, the league lost the Minneapolis Red Jackets and the Newark Tornadoes, and the Frankford Yellow Jackets folded midway through the season.

The Championships Starts

1932

The Boston Braves enfranchised.

1933

*Three new teams enfranchised:
**Cincinnati Reds
**Philadelphia Eagles
**Pittsburgh Pirates
*League split into Eastern and Western Divisions
*First season in history of the league no team folds or suspends operations

1934

* Portsmouth Spartans moved to Detroit; renamed the Lions
* Cincinnati Reds cease operations during season, and are replaced by the St Louis Gunners for the final 3 games.

1935–1936

* Neither Cincinnati Reds nor St. Louis Gunners return for 1935 season.

1937–1939

* Cleveland Rams enfranchised
* Boston Redskins move to Washington, D.C.

The 1940s: World War II mergers

1940–1942

1943

* Philadelphia and Pittsburgh merge to form "Phil-Pitt"

1944

* Boston Yanks enfranchised.
* Cleveland Rams resume operations.
* Steagles end merger, Eagles resume operations
* Steelers merge with Cardinals to form "Card-Pitt"

1945

* Card-Pitt splits into Chicago Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers
* Brooklyn Tigers merge with Boston Yanks, named simply "The Yanks"

1946–1948

* Brooklyn Tigers cease operations
* Boston Yanks resume normal operations
* Cleveland Rams move to Los Angeles

1949

* Boston Yanks cease operations
* New York Bulldogs enfranchised from the remains of the Boston Yanks

The 1950s: AAFC merger

1950

*Eastern Division renamed to American Conference
*Western Division renamed to National Conference
* San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, and the first Baltimore Colts all enfranchised from now-defunct All-America Football Conference. The Colts fold after the 1950 season.
* New York Bulldogs change name to New York Yanks, move to National Conference
* Chicago Cardinals move to American Conference

1951

* The New York Yanks fold after the 1951 season.

1952

* Dallas Texans enfranchised with the remains of the now-defunct New York Yanks, but fold after one season and to date last NFL team to fold.

1953–1959

* American Conference renamed the Eastern Conference
* National Conference renamed the Western Conference
* A second and distinct Baltimore Colts team enfranchised from the remains of the Dallas Texans

The 1960s: NFL and AFL

1960

* American Football League (AFL) begins operations with eight teams as a rival to the NFL.
* Dallas Cowboys enfranchised by NFL
* Chicago Cardinals move to St. Louis

1961–1962

* NFL enfranchises the Minnesota Vikings
* Los Angeles Chargers move to San Diego
* Dallas Cowboys move to Eastern Division

1963–1965

* Dallas Texans move to Kansas City; renamed the Chiefs
* Titans of New York renamed New York Jets

1966

* Atlanta Falcons enfranchised by NFL
* Miami Dolphins enfranchised by AFL
*First AFL-NFL championship game played.

1967

*NFL Eastern Conference divided into Capitol and Century Divisions
*NFL Western Conference divided into Coastal and Central Divisions
*New Orleans Saints enfranchised by NFL
*Atlanta Falcons move to Western Conference

1968

*Cincinnati Bengals are enfranchised by AFL
*New York Giants move to Capitol Division
*New Orleans Saints move to Century Division

1969

* New York Giants move back to Century Division
* New Orleans moves back to Capitol Division

The 1970s: AFL–NFL merger

1970

* AFL and NFL merge
** AFL Eastern and Western Divisions become AFC East and AFC West, respectively
** AFC Central formed.
** NFL Century Division teams split up between AFC Central and NFC East
** NFL Capitol Division becomes nucleus of NFC East
** NFL Central Division becomes NFC Central
** NFL Coastal Division becomes nucleus of NFC West
* Houston moves from AFL East to AFC Central
* Cincinnati moves from AFL West to AFC Central
* New Orleans moves from NFL Capitol to NFC West
* Cleveland moves from NFL Century to AFC Central
* New York Giants move from NFL Century to NFC East
* Pittsburgh moves from NFL Century to AFC Central
* St. Louis moves from NFL Century to NFC East
* Baltimore moves from NFL Coastal to AFC East

1971–1975

* Boston Patriots are renamed New England Patriots.

1976

* Seattle Seahawks are enfranchised
* Tampa Bay Buccaneers are enfranchised

1977–1981

* Seattle moves from NFC West to AFC West
* Tampa Bay moves from AFC West to NFC Central

The 1980s and 1990s

1982–1983

* Oakland Raiders move to Los Angeles.

1984–1987

* Baltimore Colts move to Indianapolis

1988–1993

* St. Louis Cardinals move to Phoenix

1994

* Phoenix Cardinals renamed Arizona Cardinals

1995

* Carolina Panthers enfranchised
* Jacksonville Jaguars enfranchised
* Los Angeles Raiders move back to Oakland
* Los Angeles Rams move to St. Louis

1996

* Cleveland Browns franchise deactivated
* Baltimore Ravens enfranchised with remains of deactivated Cleveland Browns

1997–1998

* Houston Oilers announce that they will move to Nashville and are renamed the Tennessee Oilers. They play the 1997 season in Memphis and the 1998 season at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville while a new stadium is built in Nashville.

1999–2001

* Cleveland Browns franchise reinstated
* Tennessee Oilers renamed Tennessee Titans

The 2000s: Realignment

2002–2015

* The NFL realigns to create four divisions with four teams each in both conferences.
** Arizona (NFC East) and Seattle (AFC West) join the NFC West
** NFC Central renamed NFC North
** AFC Central renamed AFC North
** NFC South created
*** Tampa Bay moves from the old NFC Central
*** New Orleans, Atlanta, and Carolina move from the NFC West
** AFC South created
*** Jacksonville and Tennessee move from the old AFC Central
*** Indianapolis moves from the AFC East
** Houston Texans enfranchised

2016

* St. Louis Rams return to Los Angeles after 21 seasons.

2017–2019

* San Diego Chargers return to Los Angeles after 56 seasons.

2020–2021

* Oakland Raiders move to Las Vegas.
* Washington Redskins adopt the temporary name of Washington Football Team in response to controversy over their previous name.

2022–present

* Washington Football Team renamed Washington Commanders.

See also

* History of the National Football League
* NFL franchise moves and mergers
* Defunct NFL franchises
* Timeline of Major League Baseball
* Timeline of the National Basketball Association
* History of organizational changes in the NHL

References

{{Defunct NFL teams, state=collapsed

National Football League lists
National Football League