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.
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 season.
Number of teams increased to 21. Four teams lasted only one season. Three other franchises folded.
The APFA was renamed the National Football League. Four new franchises awarded.
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.
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.
The Canton Bulldogs were reactivated. Four other franchises were awarded. This was the final season for the Rochester Jeffersons.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. Even the Frankford Yellow Jackets had to fold midway through the season.
The Boston Braves (now Washington Redskins) enfranchised.
Three new teams enfranchised:
Cincinnati Reds
Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Pirates (now Pittsburgh Steelers)
League split into Eastern and Western Divisions
First season in history of the league no team folds or suspends operations
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.
Neither Cincinnati Reds nor St. Louis Gunners return for 1935 season.
Cleveland Rams (now Los Angeles Rams) enfranchised
Boston Redskins move to Washington, D.C.
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh merge to form "Phil-Pitt"
Boston Yanks enfranchised.
Cleveland Rams resume operations.
Steagles end merger, Eagles resume operations
Steelers merge with Cardinals to form "Card-Pitt"
Card-Pitt splits into Chicago Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers
Brooklyn Tigers merge with Boston Yanks, named simply "The Yanks"
Brooklyn Tigers cease operations
Boston Yanks resume normal operations
Cleveland Rams move to Los Angeles
Boston Yanks cease operations
New York Bulldogs enfranchised from the remains of the Boston Yanks
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
The New York Yanks fold after the 1951 season.
Dallas Texans enfranchised with the remains of the now-defunct New York Yanks, but fold after one season.
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
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
NFL enfranchises the Minnesota Vikings
Los Angeles Chargers move to San Diego
Dallas Cowboys move to Eastern Division
Dallas Texans move to Kansas City; renamed the Chiefs
Titans of New York renamed New York Jets
Atlanta Falcons enfranchised by NFL
Miami Dolphins enfranchised by AFL
First AFL-NFL championship game played.
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
Cincinnati Bengals are enfranchised
New York Giants move to Capitol Division
New Orleans Saints move to Century Division
New York Giants move to Century Division
New Orleans moves to Capitol Division
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
Boston Patriots are renamed New England Patriots.
Seattle Seahawks are enfranchised
Tampa Bay Buccaneers are enfranchised
Seattle moves from NFC West to AFC West
Tampa Bay moves from AFC West to NFC Central
Oakland Raiders move to Los Angeles.
Baltimore Colts move to Indianapolis
St. Louis Cardinals move to Phoenix
Phoenix Cardinals renamed Arizona Cardinals
Carolina Panthers enfranchised
Jacksonville Jaguars enfranchised
Los Angeles Raiders move back to Oakland
Los Angeles Rams move to St. Louis
Cleveland Browns franchise deactivated
Baltimore Ravens enfranchised with remains of deactivated Cleveland Browns
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.
Cleveland Browns franchise reinstated
Tennessee Oilers renamed Tennessee Titans
The NFL realigns to create four divisions with four teams each in both conferences.
Arizona and Seattle 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
St. Louis Rams return to Los Angeles after 21 seasons.
San Diego Chargers return to Los Angeles after 56 seasons.
The Raiders plan to move from Oakland to Las Vegas beginning this season.
