Team Histories | NFL Football Operations (2024)

FAQs

How many NFL teams no longer exist? ›

The NFL has had a total of 49 franchises become defunct over its history; this includes ten of the league's twelve founding members, with only the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals surviving to the present day.

From the birth of the National Football League with its 14 members in 1920 to the current 32 teams today, here's a rundown of every franchise that has belonged to the NFL over the years. For more on the histories of the current 32 teams, please visit the team area of our History section.

One of only two charter members of the NFL still in existence, the Chicago Bears have played the most games (1,469) and recorded the most ties (42) in NFL regular season history. Their NFC North divisional rivals, the Green Bay Packers have recorded the most wins (799) in NFL history.

The tablets are provided to teams before the start of each game and are configured so teams cannot access the Internet or install anything that might give them a competitive advantage; they can only be used for coaching. The league collects the tablets as soon as the game ends, and they are stored until the next week.

The Arizona Cardinals are the oldest established team in the NFL. They were established in 1898 as an independent team and joined the NFL in its founding year of 1920.

The AFC's Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots have the most Super Bowl titles at six each. The Patriots also have the most Super Bowl appearances at 11.

NFL team ranking by all-time regular season wins 2024

At the start of the 2024 National Football League (NFL) season, the Green Bay Packers had won the most regular-season games in the history of the competition. The Packers had made five Super Bowl appearances and were crowned champions four times in total.

With advancements in safety technology and a shift in player preferences, extensive padding and extra protection are becoming less prevalent in football equipment. Players now prioritize lightweight gear that allows for maximum movement and agility.

What does the NFL do with used footballs? ›

After the week of play if the ball is lightly used or in good condition it is kept by the team and used as a practice ball. If the ball has significant wear from either the game or week of practice than it is usually either disposed of, donated, or auctioned off. The Super Bowl is the marquee sporting event of the USA.

Since the 2017-18 season, the NFL has collaborated with Zebra Technologies and Wilson Sporting Goods to implant RFID chips within footballs to monitor the football's position. Weighing only 3.3 grams, these inconspicuous chips are inserted between an inner air bladder and the outer leather shell of the football.

The league began play in 1920 and comprised five teams from Ohio (Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Tigers, Columbus Panhandlers, and Dayton Triangles), four teams from Illinois (Chicago Tigers, Decatur Staleys, Racine Cardinals [the Cardinals were based in Chicago but took the name of a local street], and Rock ...

The NFL consists of 32 clubs divided into two conferences of 16 teams each.

The 26-team league also began to use an eight-team playoff format, four from each conference, that included the three division winners and a wild card team, the second-place team with the best record.