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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.
Team |
Franchise Date |
Years of Operation |
| Akron Pros/Indians | 8/20/20 | 1920-22/1923-26 |
| Arizona Cardinals | ||
| Atlanta Falcons | 6/30/65 | 1966-present |
| Baltimore Colts | 12/28/46 (AAFC) | 1947-49 (AAFC), 1950 (NFL) |
| Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts | 1/23/53 | 1953-1983/1984-present |
| moved to Indianapolis, 3/28/84 | ||
| Baltimore Ravens | 2/9/96 | 1996-present |
| Boston Braves/Redskins/ Washington Redskins | 7/9/32 | 1932/1933-36/1937-present |
| Boston Bulldogs | (see Pottsville Maroons) | |
| Boston/New England Patriots | 11/22/59 (AFL) | 1960-69 (AFL), 1970 (NFL)/1971-present (NFL) |
| Boston Yanks | 6/19/43 | 1944-48 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers/Tigers | 7/12/30 (purchased Dayton Triangles franchise) |
1930-1943/1944 |
| merged with Boston Yanks, 1945 | ||
| Brooklyn Lions | 7/10/26 | 1926 |
| Buffalo All-Americans/Bisons/Rangers/Bisons | 8/20/20 | 1920-23/1924-25/1926/ 1927, 1929 |
| Buffalo Bills | 10/28/59 (AFL) | 1960-69 (AFL), 1970-present (NFL) |
| Canton Bulldogs | 8/20/20 | 1920-23, 1925-26 |
| Carolina Panthers | 10/26/93 | 1995-present |
| Chicago Bears | (see Decatur Staleys) | |
| Chicago Cardinals/St. Louis/ Phoenix/Arizona | 9/17/20 | 1920-1959/1960-1987/1988-1993/1994-present |
| Chicago Tigers | 1920 | 1920 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 5/23/67 (AFL) | 1968-69 (AFL), 1970-present (NFL) |
| Cincinnati Celts | 1921 | 1921 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 7/8/33 | 1933-34 |
| merged w/ St. Louis Gunners for the last half of 1934 | ||
| Cleveland Browns | 6/4/44 (AAFC) | 1946-49 (AAFC), 1950-present (NFL) |
| Inactive, 1996-1998 | ||
| Cleveland Tigers/Indians | 8/20/20 | 1920/1921 |
| Cleveland Indians/Bulldogs | 7/8/23 | 1923/1924-25, 1927 |
| Cleveland Indians | 7/12/31 | 1931 |
| Cleveland/Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams | 2/12/37 | 1937-42, 1944-45/1946-1994/ 1995-present |
| Columbus Panhandles/Tigers | 1920 | 1920-22/1923-26 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 1/28/60 | 1960-present |
| Dallas Texans | 1/24/52 | 1952 |
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franchise was awarded after Dallas purchased assets of NY Yanks from the NFL
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| Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs | 8/14/59 (AFL) | 1960-62/1963-69 (AFL), 1970-present (NFL) |
| Dayton Triangles | 8/20/20 | 1920-29 |
| 1930 Brooklyn purchased Dayton franchise | ||
| Denver Broncos | 8/14/59 (AFL) | 1960-69 (AFL), 1970-present (NFL) |
| Decatur Staleys/Chicago Staleys/Chicago Bears | 9/17/20 | 1920/1921/1922-present |
| Detroit Heralds | 1920 | 1920 |
| Detroit Lions | (see Portsmouth Spartans) | |
| Detroit Panthers | 8/1/25 | 1925-26 |
| Detroit Tigers | 6/18/21 | 1921 |
| Detroit Wolverines | 8/17/28 | 1928 |
| Duluth Kelleys/Eskimos | 7/28/23 | 1923-25/1926-27 |
| 7/27/29 - Duluth franchise was transferred to Orange | ||
| Evansville Crimson-Giants | 8/27/21 | 1921-22 |
| Frankford Yellowjackets | 7/25/24 | 1924-31 |
| Green Bay Packers | 8/27/21 | 1921-present |
| Hammond Pros | 8/20/20 | 1920-26 |
| Hartford Blues | 7/10/26 | 1926 |
| Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Tennessee Titans | 8/14/59 (AFL) | 1960-69 (AFL), 1970-1996 (NFL)/1997-1998/1999-present |
| Houston Texans | 10/6/99 | 2002-present |
| Indianapolis Colts | (see Baltimore Colts) | |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 11/30/93 | 1995-present |
| Kansas City Blues/Cowboys | 1/27/24 | 1924/1925-26 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | (see Dallas Texans) | |
| Kenosha Maroons | 1924 | 1924 |
| Los Angeles Buccaneers | 7/11/26 | 1926 |
| Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers | 8/14/59 (AFL) | 1960/1961-69 (AFL), 1970-present (NFL) |
| Los Angeles Raiders | (see Oakland Raiders) | |
| Los Angeles Rams | (see Cleveland Rams) | |
| Louisville Brecks/Colonels | 1921 | 1921-23/1926 |
| Miami Dolphins | 8/16/65 (AFL) | 1966-69 (AFL), 1970-present (NFL) |
| Milwaukee Badgers | 6/24/22 | 1922-26 |
| Minneapolis Marines/Redjackets | 8/27/21 | 1921-24/1929-30 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 1/28/60 | 1961-present |
| Muncie Flyers | 9/17/20 | 1920-21 |
| New England Patriots | (see Boston Patriots) | |
| Newark Tornadoes | (see Orange Tornadoes) | |
| New Orleans Saints | 11/1/66 | 1967-present |
| New York Bulldogs/Yanks | 1/21/49 | 1949/1950-51 |
| New York Giants | 1921 | 1921 |
| New York Giants | 8/1/25 | 1925-present |
| New York Jets | (see New York Titans) | |
| New York Yankees | 9/4/27 | 1927-28 |
| New York Titans/Jets | 8/14/59 (AFL) | 1960-62/1963-69 (AFL), 1970-present |
| Oakland/Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders | 1/30/60 (AFL) | 1960-69 (AFL), 1970-1981/1982-1994/1995- Present (NFL) |
| Oorang Indians | 6/24/22 | 1922-23 |
| Orange/Newark Tornadoes | 7/27/29 | 1929/1930 |
| the Duluth franchise sold and transferred to Orange and one year later to Newark | ||
| Philadelphia Eagles | 7/8/33 | 1933-present |
| Pittsburgh Pirates/Steelers | 7/8/33 | 1933-39/1940-present |
| Portsmouth Spartans/Detroit Lions | 7/12/30 | 1930-33/1934-present |
| 6/30/34 - the Portsmouth franchise was sold and moved to Detroit | ||
| Pottsville Maroons/Boston Bulldogs | 8/1/25 | 1925-28/1929 |
| 7/28/29 - the Pottsville team relocated to Boston | ||
| Providence Steam Roller | 8/1/25 | 1925-31 |
| Racine Legion/Tornadoes | 6/24/22 | 1922-24/1926 |
| Rochester Jeffersons | 8/20/20 | 1920-25 |
| Rock Island Independents | 9/17/20 | 1920-25 |
| St. Louis All-Stars | 7/28/23 | 1923 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | ||
| St. Louis Gunners | 11/6/34 | 1934 (partial season) |
| purchased Cincinnati franchise | ||
| St. Louis Rams | (see Cleveland Rams) | |
| San Diego Chargers | (see Los Angeles Chargers) | |
| San Francisco 49ers | 6/4/44 (AAFC) | 1946-49 (AAFC), 1950-present (NFL) |
| Seattle Seahawks | 6/4/74 | 1976-present |
| Staten Island Stapletons/Stapes | 7/27/29 | 1929-30/1931-32 |
| the Brooklyn franchise was transferred to Staten Island | ||
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4/24/74 | 1976-present |
| Tennessee Oilers | (see Houston Oilers) | |
| Tennessee Titans | (see Houston Oilers) | |
| Toledo Maroons | 8/20/22 | 1922-23 |
| Tonawanda Kardex | 8/27/21 | 1921 |
| Washington Senators | 1921 | 1921 |
| Washington Redskins | (see Boston Braves) | |