The National Football League widely known by its acronym, NFL, is the most popular professional sports league in the United States. The NFL comprises 32 teams divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC).
Although mostly watched in the USA and Canada only, the NFL is the wealthiest professional sports league in the world in terms of revenue. Moreover, it is the sports league with the most valuable teams with each of the 32 teams having a valuation of at least $3.5 Billion.
The NFL also ranks on the top of the list of the highest average attendance of any professional sports league.
NFL Establishment and History
The NFL was established on September 17, 1920, as the American Professional Football Association (APFA). The league was renamed to the National Football League in 1922. The league initially comprised 14 teams, mostly from the Midwest.
The NFL couldn’t gain popularity in the early years since college football was a very popular sport back then. However, following World War II, it started to gain widespread popularity.
The biggest turning point in the league’s history is the NFL Championship game of 1958, which is also known as “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” The match attracted nationwide attention and significantly boosted the league’s popularity.
The National Football League’s merger with the American Football League (AFL) in 1970 was another pivotal moment in the NFL’s history.
Teams
The NFL consists of 32 teams divided into two conferences of 16 teams each. Each team can have a maximum of 55 players on its roster from which only 48 are eligible to play on game days. The teams can also have a separate 16-men practice squad.
| Conference | Division | Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | First Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC | East | Buffalo Bills | Orchard Park, NY | Highmark Stadium | 71,608 | 1960 (AFL) 1970 (NFL) |
| Miami Dolphins | Miami Gardens, FL | Hard Rock Stadium | 64,767 | 1966 (AFL) 1970 (NFL) |
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| New England Patriots | Foxborough, MA | Gillette Stadium | 65,878 | 1960 (AFL) 1970 (NFL) |
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| New York Jets | East Rutherford, NJ | MetLife Stadium | 82,500 | 1960 (AFL) 1970 (NFL) |
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| North | Baltimore Ravens | Baltimore, MD | M&T Bank Stadium | 71,008 | 1996 | |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Cincinnati, OH | Paycor Stadium | 65,515 | 1968 (AFL) 1970 (NFL) |
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| Cleveland Browns | Cleveland, OH | Cleveland Browns Stadium | 67,895 | 1946 (AAFC) 1950 (NFL) |
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| Pittsburgh Steelers | Pittsburgh, PA | Acrisure Stadium | 68,400 | 1933 | ||
| South | Houston Texans | Houston, TX | NRG Stadium | 71,995 | 2002 | |
| Indianapolis Colts | Indianapolis, IN | Lucas Oil Stadium | 63,000 | 1953 | ||
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Jacksonville, FL | EverBank Stadium | 67,814 | 1995 | ||
| Tennessee Titans | Nashville, TN | Nissan Stadium | 69,143 | 1960 (AFL) 1970 (NFL) |
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| West | Denver Broncos | Denver, CO | Empower Field at Mile High | 76,125 | 1960 (AFL) 1970 (NFL) |
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| Kansas City Chiefs | Kansas City, MO | GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium | 76,416 | 1960 (AFL) 1970 (NFL) |
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| Las Vegas Raiders | Paradise, NV | Allegiant Stadium | 65,000 | 1960 (AFL) 1970 (NFL) |
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| Los Angeles Chargers | Inglewood, CA | SoFi Stadium | 70,240 | 1960 (AFL) 1970 (NFL) |
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| NFC | East | Dallas Cowboys | Arlington, TX | AT&T Stadium | 80,000 | 1960 |
| New York Giants | East Rutherford, NJ | MetLife Stadium | 82,500 | 1925 | ||
| Philadelphia Eagles | Philadelphia, PA | Lincoln Financial Field | 69,176 | 1933 | ||
| Washington Commanders | Landover, MD | FedExField | 62,000 | 1932 | ||
| North | Chicago Bears | Chicago, IL | Soldier Field | 61,500 | 1920 | |
| Detroit Lions | Detroit, MI | Ford Field | 65,000 | 1930 | ||
| Green Bay Packers | Green Bay, WI | Lambeau Field | 81,441 | 1921 | ||
| Minnesota Vikings | Minneapolis, MN | U.S. Bank Stadium | 66,860 | 1961 | ||
| South | Atlanta Falcons | Atlanta, GA | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 71,000 | 1966 | |
| Carolina Panthers | Charlotte, NC | Bank of America Stadium | 75,523 | 1995 | ||
| New Orleans Saints | New Orleans, LA | Caesars Superdome | 73,208 | 1967 | ||
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Tampa, FL | Raymond James Stadium | 65,618 | 1976 | ||
| West | Arizona Cardinals | Glendale, AZ | State Farm Stadium | 63,400 | 1920 | |
| Los Angeles Rams | Inglewood, CA | SoFi Stadium | 70,240 | 1936 (AFL) 1937 (NFL) |
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| San Francisco 49ers | Santa Clara, CA | Levi’s Stadium | 68,500 | 1946 (AAFC) 1950 (NFL) |
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| Seattle Seahawks | Seattle, WA | Lumen Field | 69,000 | 1976 |
Format
NFL is divided into three main segments; the preseason, the regular season, and the postseason.
Preseason
The NFL preseason takes place in August and serves as a warm-up period. The games played in the preseason are more exhibition games and they do not contribute to the regular season standings. However, the matches are essential for team management as they help in the evaluation of players, team development, and roster decisions.
Regular Season
The regular season is the main event of the NFL season that runs from September to December. The regular season runs through 18 weeks which comprises 17 game weeks and one bye week.
The 32 teams are split into two conferences; the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC) which are further divided into four divisions each. The match schedules are set in such a way that each team plays a mix of games within their division, conference, and against the teams of the other conference.
The NFL governing body ensures that each team plays against all other 31 teams at least once in a four year.
Postseason and Super Bowl
The NFL postseason is an exhilarating single-elimination tournament. It starts with the Wild Card round in January and ends with the Super Bowl in February.
Seven teams from each conference; four division winners and three wild card teams make it to the postseason. The playoffs consist of the Wild Card round, the Divisional round, the Conference Championships, and the Super Bowl.
Wild Card Round
In each conference, four division winners are ranked from 1 to 4 based on their regular season records. The three wild card teams are seeded from 5 to 7. The #1 seeded team in each conference receives a bye i.e., these two teams don’t have to play in the Wild Card round and are directly advanced to the Divisional Round.
The remaining six teams in a conference will participate in this round. The number 2 seed team will play against the number 7 seed team, #3 plays #6, and #4 plays #5. The team having a higher seed will host the game.
Divisional Round
The winners of the Wild Card round games advance to the Divisional round. The number 1 seed team, which received a bye in the Wild Card Round, will play the lowest-seeded team remaining. The remaining two teams will play each other. Like in the Wild Card round, the higher-seeded team will host the game.
Conference Championships
The winners of the Divisional Round will play in the Conference Championship which will determine the best team in each conference. The championship games will be hosted by the higher-seeded team like in the previous rounds.
The winner of this round receive their conference’s championship trophy and advance to the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the climax of the NFL season. In the Super Bowl, the AFC and NFC champions face off. The venue for the final game of the season is chosen several years in advance. The Super Bowl is one of the most-watched sports events globally.
The winner of the match is declared the NFL champion of the season and receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The trophy is named after the late legendary Green Bay Packers coach.
