1946 NFL season
Elmer Layden resigned as NFL Commissioner before the 1946 season began. Bert Bell, co-founder of the Philadelphia Eagles, took over the role immediately after Layden stepped down. This leadership change occurred during a period when the league faced significant external threats from new competitors. The transition marked a shift in how the organization would handle its growing challenges. Bell brought experience from running his own team to the national office. His appointment signaled a desire for stability within the league structure.
The Los Angeles Rams moved from Cleveland, Ohio, to Los Angeles, California, becoming the first NFL team on the West Coast. They played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum instead of Cleveland's League Park. This relocation happened alongside the formation of the All-America Football Conference, which aimed to rival the existing league. A regular season game between New York and Boston took place on Tuesday, October 1, marking the last such occurrence until the 2010 season. The geographic shift expanded the league's reach but also intensified competition for players and fans across different regions.
The 1946 NFL draft took place on the 14th of January 1946, inside New York City's Commodore Hotel. The Boston Yanks used the first pick to select quarterback Frank Dancewicz from the University of Notre Dame. New regulations changed how forward passes interacted with goal posts after an incident involving Sammy Baugh and George Preston Marshall. In the previous year's Championship Game, Baugh hit the goal posts while attempting a pass from his own end zone, resulting in a safety that decided the outcome. The rule change stated that any forward strike against the posts would be ruled incomplete. Substitution rules were also revised, limiting teams to no more than three players entering or leaving the field simultaneously. Receiving teams gained permission to return punts and missed field goals from behind their own goal line.
In Week Seven of the eleven-week season, the Giants, Eagles, and Steelers all held 4-2 records within the Eastern Division. The Bears' 10, 7 victory over the Packers on November 3 placed them one game ahead of the Rams in the Western Division. Week Eight saw the Giants defeat the Eagles 45, 17 while the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to Detroit 17, 7. The Bears beat the Rams 27, 21 during that same week to widen their lead further. A tie between the Giants and Boston ended Week Nine at 28, 28, giving New York a 5, 2, 1 record. The final week featured the 6, 3, 1 Giants hosting the 5, 4, 1 Redskins before a crowd of 60,337 spectators at the Polo Grounds. That attendance figure exceeded the 58,346 who attended the Championship Game just one week later.
The Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants with a score of 24 to 14 at the Polo Grounds in New York City on the 15th of December 1946. Sid Luckman led the league in passing yards with 1826 total for the Bears. Bill Dudley from Pittsburgh topped rushing statistics with 604 yards and won the Joe F. Carr Trophy as Most Valuable Player. Jim Benton of Los Angeles finished first in receiving yards with 981. The game concluded the season after a series of tight divisional races that had kept multiple teams in contention until the final weeks. The victory secured the championship title for Chicago while ending the Giants' playoff hopes.
George Halas returned to coach the Chicago Bears after serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos had served as co-coaches since the middle of the 1942 season. Phil Handler was replaced by Jimmy Conzelman as head coach of the Chicago Cardinals. Jim Leonard stepped down as leader of the Pittsburgh Steelers, making way for Jock Sutherland. Washington Redskins saw Dudley DeGroot replaced by Turk Edwards. These transitions reflected the broader return of military personnel to civilian life and professional sports following the end of global conflict. Many franchises adjusted their leadership structures to accommodate returning veterans and new management styles.
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Common questions
Who became NFL Commissioner after Elmer Layden resigned before the 1946 season?
Bert Bell took over as NFL Commissioner immediately after Elmer Layden stepped down. Bell was the co-founder of the Philadelphia Eagles and brought experience from running his own team to the national office.
When did the Los Angeles Rams move from Cleveland to California in 1946?
The Los Angeles Rams moved from Cleveland, Ohio, to Los Angeles, California, during the 1946 season. They played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum instead of Cleveland's League Park.
What date did the 1946 NFL draft take place inside New York City's Commodore Hotel?
The 1946 NFL draft took place on the 14th of January 1946 inside New York City's Commodore Hotel. The Boston Yanks used the first pick to select quarterback Frank Dancewicz from the University of Notre Dame.
Which team won the 1946 NFL Championship Game against the New York Giants on December 15?
The Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants with a score of 24 to 14 at the Polo Grounds in New York City on the 15th of December 1946. This victory secured the championship title for Chicago while ending the Giants' playoff hopes.
Who won the Joe F. Carr Trophy as Most Valuable Player in the 1946 NFL season?
Bill Dudley from Pittsburgh topped rushing statistics with 604 yards and won the Joe F. Carr Trophy as Most Valuable Player. Sid Luckman led the league in passing yards with 1826 total for the Bears.