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NFL teams

  • New York JetsOn the 14th of August 1959, Harry Wismer stood before a group of league founders and declared that New York was ready for another professional football team.
  • Tennessee TitansHouston oil tycoon Bud Adams founded the Houston Oilers in 1959 as one of eight charter members of the American Football League.
  • Dallas CowboysIn 1959, oilman Clint Murchison Jr. stood at the center of a high-stakes negotiation that would reshape professional football in Texas.
  • New England PatriotsOn the 16th of November 1959, Boston business executive Billy Sullivan received the eighth and final franchise of the developing American Football League.
  • Buffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills began competitive play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League. Head coach Buster Ramsey led the team through its first…
  • Houston TexansOn the 6th of October 1999, the National Football League awarded its thirty-second franchise to Houston. This decision came after a complex process involving…
  • Indianapolis ColtsThe All America Football Conference began play in the 1946 season. In its second year, a franchise assigned to Miami moved to Baltimore and became the team…
  • Jacksonville JaguarsIn 1989, a group called Touchdown Jacksonville formed with the goal of bringing an NFL team to Florida. The National Football League announced plans in 1991…
  • Miami DolphinsIn 1965, attorney Joe Robbie and actor Danny Thomas secured an American Football League franchise for $7.5 million. The region had not hosted a professional…
  • Baltimore RavensOn the 6th of November 1995, Art Modell announced his intention to move the Cleveland Browns franchise to Baltimore. The announcement sent shockwaves through…
  • Pittsburgh SteelersOn the 20th of September 1933, the Pittsburgh Pirates lost their first game 23 to 2 against the New York Giants. Art Rooney owned the team that year and…
  • Las Vegas RaidersOn the 4th of April 1960, the Oakland Tribune announced that a local naming contest had selected "Oakland Señors" as the team's official name.
  • New Orleans SaintsOn the 1st of November 1966, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle announced that the city of New Orleans had been awarded an expansion franchise.
  • Minnesota VikingsOn the 27th of September 1960, Minnesota businessmen Bill Boyer, H. P. Skoglund, and Max Winter officially named their new franchise the Vikings.
  • Green Bay PackersOn the 11th of August 1919, Earl Curly Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun established a football team in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
  • Atlanta FalconsOn the 30th of June 1965, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle boarded a plane to Atlanta with one urgent mission. He needed to stop the American Football League…
  • Carolina PanthersOn the 15th of December 1987, entrepreneur Jerry Richardson announced his bid for an NFL expansion franchise in the Carolinas.
  • Chicago BearsThe Decatur Staleys began play on the 20th of September 1919, as a company team for the A. E. Staley food starch factory in Illinois.
  • Cincinnati BengalsPaul Brown began planning for the creation of the Bengals franchise in 1965. Cincinnati's city council approved the construction of Riverfront Stadium in…
  • Los Angeles ChargersThe Los Angeles Chargers were established in 1959 as one of eight charter members of the American Football League. Barron Hilton, son of the hotel magnate…
  • Los Angeles RamsOn the 11th of April 1936, Ohio attorney Homer Marshman and player-coach Damon Wetzel established the Cleveland Rams in Cleveland, Ohio.
  • San Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers began play in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference. They were the first major professional sports team…
  • Seattle SeahawksIn June 1974, the National Football League granted Seattle an expansion franchise. Lloyd W. Nordstrom signed the agreement on behalf of a consortium that…
  • Tampa Bay BuccaneersThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers joined the National Football League in 1976 as an expansion team alongside the Seattle Seahawks.
  • Washington CommandersThe city of Boston awarded a National Football League franchise to American businessman George Preston Marshall on the 9th of July 1932.
  • Cleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns began play in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference. Taxicab magnate Arthur B.
  • Philadelphia EaglesThe Frankford Athletic Association organized itself in May 1899 within the parlor of the Suburban Club. A single share cost ten dollars, while contributing…
  • Arizona CardinalsIn 1898, a neighborhood group gathered on the South Side of Chicago to play football. They called themselves the Morgan Athletic Club.
  • Denver BroncosOn the 14th of August 1959, minor league baseball owner Bob Howsam received an American Football League charter franchise for Denver.
  • Detroit LionsThe franchise began its life in Portsmouth, Ohio, as the Portsmouth Spartans in 1928. It joined the National Football League on the 12th of July 1930.
  • Kansas City ChiefsIn 1959, Lamar Hunt began talking with other businessmen about creating a professional football league to rival the National Football League.
  • New York GiantsOn the 1st of August 1925, Timothy Mara and Will Gibson secured a franchise for their new team in New York City. The cost of this entry into the National…