How many NFL teams are there?

The National Football League (NFL) has 32 teams spread across the United States, but it wasn’t always that way. The league was known as the American Professional Football Association when it was founded in 1920. It had 14 teams, mainly in the Midwest. Teams in today's NFL are located from Miami (Dolphins) in southern Florida to Seattle (Seahawks) along the Puget Sound in Washington.

How many NFL teams are there?

The NFL expanded from 16 teams in 1967 to 26 teams in 1970 and then 32 teams in 2002.

The NFL adopted its official name in 1922. The league faced stiff competition in its early days. By the mid-1960s, the American Football League (AFL) rivaled the NFL in prime-time television spots, and both leagues competed for college players. Under a 1966 agreement, the leagues merged, with the NFL absorbing the AFL’s teams and dividing into the National Football Conference (NFC) and American Football Conference (AFC). They competed on the field for the first time in 1970.

How many NFL teams are in each conference and division?

During the 17-week regular season, each NFL team plays 16 games, with one bye week. Twelve teams qualify for the playoffs. The winner of the AFC and NFC championship games play in the Super Bowl for the NFL title.

The National Football Conference

The NFC is divided into four divisions, each with four teams. The NFC’s 16 teams are divided as follows:

East

• Dallas Cowboys
• New York Giants
• Philadelphia Eagles
• Washington Redskins 

North

• Chicago Bears
• Detroit Lions
• Green Bay Packers
• Minnesota Vikings 

South

• Atlanta Falcons
• Carolina Panthers
• New Orleans Saints
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

West

• Arizona Cardinals
• Los Angeles Rams
• San Francisco 49ers
• Seattle Seahawks

The American Football Conference

The AFC’s 16 teams are divided into four divisions, with four teams in each:

East

• Buffalo Bills
• Miami Dolphins
• New England Patriots
• New York Jets 

North

• Baltimore Ravens
• Cincinnati Bengals
• Cleveland Browns
• Pittsburgh Steelers 

South

• Houston Texans
• Indianapolis Colts
• Jacksonville Jaguars
• Tennessee Titans 

West

• Denver Broncos
• Kansas City Chiefs
• Los Angeles Chargers
• Oakland Raiders