The Evolution of the NFL
The NFL began life as the APFA, the American Professional Football Association in 1920, renamed the NFL in 1922. Of the fourteen teams to compete in 1920, only two remain, the Chicago Bears and the Arizona Cardinals. The Green Bay Packers joined the league in 1921, making them the league’s first expansion team. This is a list of the current franchises, the year they joined the league, and their city and team names. Chicago Bears: 1920 Decatur Staleys-Chicago Staleys-Chicago Bears
Arizona Cardinals: 1920 Chicago Cardinals-St. Louis Cardinals-Phoenix Cardinals-Arizona Cardinals
Green Bay Packers: 1922 Green Bay Acme Packers- Green Bay Packers
New York Giants: 1925
Detroit Lions: 1930 Portsmouth Spartans-Detroit Lions
Washington Commanders: 1932 Boston Braves-Boston Redskins- Washington Redskins- Washington Football Team-Washington Commanders
Philadelphia Eagles: 1933
Pittsburgh Steelers: 1933 Pittsburgh Pirates-Pittsburgh Steelers
Los Angeles Rams: 1937 Cleveland Rams-Los Angeles Rams-St. Louis Rams-Los Angeles Rams
Baltimore Ravens: 1950 Cleveland Browns-Baltimore Ravens*
San Francisco: 49ers 1950*
Indianapolis Colts: 1953 Baltimore Colts-Indianapolis Colts
Dallas Cowboys: 1960
Minnesota Vikings: 1961
Atlanta Falcons: 1966
New Orleans Saints: 1967
New England Patriots: 1960 1970** Boston Patriots-New England Patriots
Buffalo Bills: 1960 1970**
Cincinnati Bengals: 1968 1970**
Denver Broncos: 1960 1970**
Tennessee Titans: 1960 1970** Houston Oilers-Tennesee Oilers-Tennessee Titans
Kansas City Chiefs: 1960 1970** Dallas Texans-Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins: 1966 1970**
New York Jets: 1960 1970** New York Titans-New York Jets
Las Vegas Raiders: 1960 1970** Oakland Raiders-Los Angeles Raiders-Oakland Raiders-Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers: 1960 1970** Los Angeles Chargers-San Diego Chargers-Los Angeles Chargers
Seattle Seahawks: 1976
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 1976
Carolina Panthers: 1995
Jacksonville Jaguars: 1995
Cleveland Browns: 1999
Houston Texans: 2002 *In 1950 the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and the Baltimore Colts of the AAFC merged with the NFL, although the Colts soon folded, their players entered into the draft and a new Colts franchise awarded to Baltimore in 1953. ** The American Football League, AFL, merged with the NFL in 1970. The earlier date is the year the team joined the AFL.
