Football is the thing that can easily make us frustrated but also turn a regular day into a holiday. Regardless of whether your team is winning, losing, going or not going to the playoffs, there is always something to look forward to on “game day”.
Even if your team is not playing, as a sports fan, you can catch the enthusiasm and cheer against your biggest rival. The NFL has managed to create many strong athletes over the years and blend the hard-hitting structure of the game with the glamor of Hollywood and the entertainment world. Every game is like an event that needs to be followed and remembered.
The league has teams from every state. From Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there are plenty of superstars and many history-rich teams.
How many NFL teams are there? What’s the total count, and how are the divisions divided?
In our article, we will break down every team and discuss the best ones that left a mark on the league’s history.
How Many NFL Teams Are There?
The NFL is divided into two divisions. But how many NFL teams are there in total? The NFL consists of 32 teams in total. With headquarters in New York City, the league was founded in 1920 and, for more than 100 years, has managed to entertain every football fan out there.
From a total of 50 states in America, there are teams in the NFL from 23 states. Florida and California have the most teams in the National Football League, three from each state. Also, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey have more than one team in the NFL.
NFL has changed over the years
For every sports fan, an NFL game can be the day’s highlight. The league has been entertaining us for over 100 years, and there are bound to be some changes in such a long period.
Many football teams have relocated to different cities and changed their states. For instance, the Rams were from St. Louis, Missouri, but after 21 years, they returned to Los Angeles in 2016.
Now they have superstars like Oddell Beckham JR and were the Super Bowl champions of 2022. By transitioning in cities, the Rams added a team to California while taking one away from Missouri.
In 2020, the Oakland Raiders transferred to Las Vegas, giving Nevada the first team in the NFL. Also, the team’s home stadium is determined by the location, except for the Jets and Giants. Both teams play their home games in New Jersey while being considered teams from New York.
You have probably noticed how all the changes are recent. That’s because the league’s popularity is through the roof, and more people worldwide have never followed the NFL.
American Football was usually, well, an American thing. Still, after the New England Patriots and Tom Brady as their main star, every sports fan around the globe showed interest in the sport.
NFL Teams Divided By State
How many NFL teams are there? Unless you play Madden, you will always be uncertain of the number. However, that’s why we are here to give you a full list of teams divided by state so that you always know which teams are from the same state and which states have no luck when it comes to picking a team.
Since it was established back in August of 1920, the NFL has quickly become one of the largest sporting organizations in Amica. Keeping the same core, sportsmanship, and competitive fire, the NFL today has 32 NFL teams. The 32 teams are divided into two conferences:
- NFC National Football Conference
- American Football Conference.
Each division has 16 teams that battle against each other throughout the entire season. Each team plays 16 matches across 17 weeks. The progress and the winning streak determine whether or not a team will enter the playoffs and fight for the Vince Lombardi trophy. Without further ado, here is a full list of NFL teams.
National Football Conference
| Division | NFC East | NFC East | NFC East | NFC East |
| Team | Dallas Cowboys | New York Giants | Philadelphia Eagles | Washington Commanders |
| Division | NFC North | NFC North | NFC North | NFC North |
| Team | Chicago Bears | Detroit Lions | Green Bay Packers | Minnesota Vikings |
| Division | NFC South | NFC South | NFC South | NFC South |
| Team | Atlanta Falcons | Carolina Panthers | New Orleans Saints | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Division | NFC West | NFC West | NFC West | NFC West |
| Team | Arizona Cardinals | Los Angeles Rams | San Francisco 49ers | Seattle Seahawks |
America Football Conference
| Division | AFC East | AFC East | AFC East | AFC East |
| Team | Buffalo Bills | Miami Dolphins | New England Patriots | New York Jets |
| Division | AFC North | AFC North | AFC North | AFC North |
| Team | Baltimore Ravens | Cincinnati Bengals | Cleveland Browns | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Division | AFC South | AFC South | AFC South | AFC South |
| Team | Houston Texans | Indianapolis Colts | Jacksonville Jaguars | Tennessee Titans |
| Division | AFC West | AFC West | AFC West | AFC West |
| Team | Denver Broncos | Kansas City Chiefs | Las Vegas Raiders | Los Angeles Chargers |
The Merge of American and National Football Leagues
Now that you have a list of all 32 teams in the NFL broken down by decision, you have a better understanding of how the playoffs work. Also, the teams in the same division face each other more than twice during the season.
It feels like the Patriots are either playing the Dolphins or the Jets during the regular season. True fans of the sport follow each game, and they enjoy even the ones with field goal highlights.
It’s 2023, and the NFL has never been more popular. A big contributor to that is the American and National Football Leagues merger. Since the league began and Vince Lombardi won the first Super Bowl, many leagues have tried to take over the NFL.
Because of financial reasons, that always seemed impossible. In 1960, the world got introduced to the AFL. You had teams from Houston, Dallas, Oakland, Los Angeles, Buffalo, Boston, and New York. Some cities already shared markets with NFL teams, but the league still decided to add an expansion and merge the two leagues.
This was a good choice for the NFL and the fans. There was a lot more traffic in the stadiums, and the audience was getting so big that most teams had to reconstruct their field.
What happened after the AFC and NFC joined forces?
In 1970, the AFL and NFL became one, which meant a lot of hassle for the teams and the players. But it was all for the better; the fans got a lot more action, and the players got a chance to turn their idols into rivals. Bigger salaries were also a huge motivation for the players to move to different cities and get a fresh start on their football careers.
In 1982, the Oakland Raiders were the first team to change location. The Raiders moved to Los Angeles, but in 1995, they returned to Oakland. Like in the NBA, it’s all about the business, and it’s never personal when a team needs to relocate or end a player’s contract.
Was there any backlash?
The St. Louis Rams are considered one of the worst teams in the history of the NFL, but in 2016, they got to Los Angeles and won the Super Bowl last year. A team that stuck with its hometown is the Colts. Starting with the Baltimore Colts, once they moved back to Indianapolis, nobody looked back.
Truthfully, the legacy that Peyton Manning left in that city is remarkable, and the fans were devastated when Andrew Luck couldn’t carry the winning torch and had to retire.
Even though there was a lot of chaos, that period paved the way for the league to become the NFL we all love today. There is still a lot of rivalry in the divisions, and new talented players appear every season.
Best NFL Teams of All Time
Every NFL fan is amazed by the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era, but that was not always the case. In fact, looking at the history of the league, despite the Patriots being 5-time champions, they don’t even rank in the top 10 teams.
Historically speaking, the teams with the most accomplishments in the NFL, from Pro Bowls to Super Bowls, and overall winning records are the Chicago Bears and the Miami Dolphins.
Chicago Bears
The Bears were last in the Super Bowl in 1986, and they won. It’s hard to talk about the best team in the league, especially now with so many great teams carried by tough quarterbacks, but we have to give credit when credit is due.
The Bears left a mark on the league’s history, especially when their offensive side had Walter Payton and Jim McMahon. They are also considered the best defensive team of all time. There was a period where their opponents could not score more than 12 points.
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins in 1972 were the only undefeated team in the league. This has happened only once in the history of the NFL. Maybe the Dolphins are not consistent in scoring and winning, but they can always surprise their opponents.
Just remember how they passed the ball against New England and made history again with only 0,04 seconds to go. You should be Google-ing it if you haven’t seen that play.
In the 70s, the Dolphins dominated the field and had an electric offense that scored 28 points per game on average. The 1973 offensive line had more than 26 touchdowns and nearly 3,000 yards.
Washington Redskins
Now known as the Commanders, Washington was an unbeatable team at the beginning of the 1900s. They scored an average of 30 points per game and won the Super Bowl.
In this period, the team was coached by Joe Gibbs, one of the greatest coaches of all time.
San Francisco 49ers
A team that may come close to Washington’s legacy is the San Francisco 49ers. They were the only ones that could go toe to toe with the Redskins and give them a tough time on the field. In the 90s, Joe Montana was in his prime and averaged 29 points per game.
Conclusion
How many NFL teams are there? Which are the best teams in the history of the NFL? In our article, we have presented all 32 teams in the league and divided them by division. We have also discussed the history of the NFL and its merger with the AFL.
Every team was once a strong competitor and is part of the NFL legacy. Some have appeared in the Super Bowl many times, and some are still trying to rise through the ranks and beat Tom Brady.
