From the Green Bay Packers (founded 1919) to the Houston Texans (2002), here is every franchise in the National Football League — organized by conference and division, with a history snapshot for each.
An AFL charter member, the Bills are one of the most passionate fan bases in football — "Bills Mafia" is known for table-crashing tailgate traditions. The 1990s Bills became the only team in NFL history to reach four consecutive Super Bowls (XXVI–XXIX) and the only team to lose four in a row. Those heartbreaks built a loyalty that still resonates decades later. Josh Allen has reinvented the franchise as a modern passing powerhouse and perennial playoff contender.
The Don Shula Dolphins won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1973 and 1974, and the 1972 squad went 17–0 — still the only perfect season in NFL history. Every year the last undefeated team in the league loses, the surviving members of that '72 team reportedly celebrate. Dan Marino (1984–1999) never won a Super Bowl despite setting passing records that stood for decades. Miami's "perfect season" legend is the franchise's defining piece of identity.
No team in NFL history has sustained dominance like the Belichick-Brady Patriots. Six Super Bowl championships (2002, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2017, 2019), nine appearances, 17 consecutive playoff seasons — it is the greatest dynasty in pro football history and arguably in all of American professional sports. Brady left after the 2019 season; Belichick departed after 2023. New England is rebuilding, but the expectation of excellence remains baked into the franchise's DNA.
Broadway Joe Namath guaranteed victory in Super Bowl III and delivered — winning 16–7 over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in one of the most consequential upsets in sports history. It validated the AFL and proved professional football belonged on a national stage. Since that January 1969 triumph, the Jets have not returned to the Super Bowl — a drought that has tested the patience of one of the NFL's most vocal and emotionally invested fan bases.
Art Modell's controversial relocation of the Cleveland Browns in 1996 created one of the most successful expansion-era franchises in NFL history. Two Super Bowls (2001, 2013), built on defensive excellence. The 2000 defense — Ray Lewis, Peter Boulware, Rod Woodson, Jamie Sharper — allowed the fewest points in NFL history at the time. Lamar Jackson's MVP seasons have shifted the franchise identity toward offensive dominance without losing the physical toughness that defines Baltimore football.
Legendary coach Paul Brown founded the Bengals after being forced out of Cleveland. The franchise made back-to-back Super Bowls in 1981 and 1988, losing both to San Francisco. The Joe Burrow-Ja'Marr Chase era has revitalized a long-dormant franchise — Cincinnati's Super Bowl LVI appearance was their best run in decades, ending in a 23–20 loss to the Rams. The Who Dey faithful have finally had something to celebrate after long, painful stretches of mediocrity.
The original Cleveland Browns dominated the All-America Football Conference and then the NFL in the 1950s, winning four AAFC titles and three NFL championships. Otto Graham, Jim Brown, Paul Brown — legends all. Art Modell's relocation to Baltimore in 1996 is still resented by a fan base that suffered through three years without football. The expansion Browns returned in 1999 and have not appeared in a Super Bowl. The franchise's legacy and its current reality remain difficult to reconcile.
Six Super Bowl championships — more than any franchise in NFL history. The 1970s Steel Curtain (Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Mel Blount, Jack Ham) defined an era of defensive dominance. Terry Bradshaw quarterbacked four Super Bowl wins in six seasons. Ben Roethlisberger extended the winning tradition with two more (2006, 2009). The Terrible Towel, invented by broadcaster Myron Cope in 1975, is the most recognized rally symbol in professional football.
The NFL's most recently created franchise, the Texans filled the gap left when the Oilers departed for Tennessee. Owner Bob McNair brought professional football back to the nation's fourth-largest city. The J.J. Watt era (2011–2020) produced three Defensive Player of the Year awards and made Houston relevant. C.J. Stroud's rapid development has elevated the franchise to legitimate AFC contender faster than anyone anticipated for such a young team.
The franchise's identity splits across two eras and two cities. The Baltimore Colts won Super Bowl V in 1971 with Johnny Unitas and were the star of the 1958 "Greatest Game Ever Played." Owner Robert Irsay infamously moved the team to Indianapolis overnight in March 1984 using Mayflower moving trucks. Peyton Manning (1998–2011) won Super Bowl XLI in 2007 and cemented Indianapolis's place in modern football. The franchise continues hunting for a generational quarterback to succeed him.
An expansion team that reached the AFC Championship Game in just its second season (1996) — one of the best expansion runs in NFL history. Tom Coughlin's defensive-minded Jaguars beat the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos before losing to New England. Mark Brunell, Fred Taylor, Jimmy Smith — that mid-1990s core built a legitimate winner almost instantly. The franchise has since rebuilt multiple times, with Trevor Lawrence's arrival offering the most promising long-term foundation since the expansion era.
Founded as the Houston Oilers — an AFL charter member known for the "Luv Ya Blue" era with Earl Campbell and later the run-and-shoot offense with Warren Moon. Bud Adams moved the franchise to Tennessee in 1997, eventually renaming them the Titans. Super Bowl XXXIV in January 2000 ended with Kevin Dyson tackled one yard short of a tying touchdown as time expired — one of the most agonizing finishes in championship history. Tennessee won the AFC that year but not the Lombardi.
Three Super Bowls. John Elway — arguably the most complete quarterback of the 1980s and early 1990s — lost three Super Bowls before winning back-to-back with Mike Shanahan in 1998 and 1999. Then Peyton Manning arrived in 2012 and, in his final NFL season, rode one of the greatest defenses in modern NFL history to a 24–10 Super Bowl 50 victory over Carolina. Elway as GM and Broncos Country remain one of the sport's most invested constituencies.
Lamar Hunt's Kansas City Chiefs (originally Dallas Texans) played in the first Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes' arrival in 2018 launched the most sustained dynasty of the 2020s. Multiple Super Bowl wins, multiple appearances — Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and Mahomes have constructed what may be the most efficient franchise in the salary cap era. Travis Kelce became the most decorated tight end in league history in this era. Arrowhead Stadium is among the loudest venues in all of professional sports.
The Oakland Raiders were built on the "Just Win, Baby" ethos of owner Al Davis — an outlaw franchise that celebrated rule-bending, intimidation, and the controversial. Three Super Bowls (1977, 1981, 1984) with a distinctive silver-and-black aesthetic that became one of the most copied looks in all of sports. The Raiders moved to Las Vegas in 2020, playing in the stunning Allegiant Stadium. Al Davis passed in 2011; son Mark Davis continues the franchise.
Founded in Los Angeles, moved to San Diego in 1961, and moved back to LA in 2017 — the Chargers are perpetually a franchise in transition. Dan Fouts' Air Coryell offense in the late 1970s and early 1980s was a decade ahead of its time. LaDainian Tomlinson set the NFL single-season touchdown record (28) in 2006. Philip Rivers played 16 seasons without reaching a Super Bowl. Justin Herbert's arm talent gives the franchise its most exciting quarterback since Fouts.
"America's Team" — a nickname given by NFL Films in 1978 that the franchise has embraced ever since. Five Super Bowls. Roger Staubach's Cowboys of the 1970s won twice. Then Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones built the 1990s dynasty (three Super Bowls in four years) with Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin — the "Triplets." The Cowboys are the most valuable sports franchise in the world, valued at over $9 billion. They have not reached the Super Bowl since 1996, making their recent playoff failures a recurring national sports conversation.
One of the NFL's founding franchises with four Super Bowl championships. Lawrence Taylor redefined what an edge rusher could do in the 1980s — many consider him the greatest defensive player in NFL history. Eli Manning's two Super Bowl victories (XLII and XLVI) over the New England Patriots remain among the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history. Phil Simms, Michael Strahan, Tiki Barber — a franchise with authentic greatness spread across multiple eras.
One Super Bowl (LII, 2018) won in memorable fashion — backup quarterback Nick Foles executing the "Philly Special" trick play for a touchdown on 4th and goal before the half, then delivering a masterful second half to beat New England 41–33. The Eagles fan base is known as among the most passionate, brutal, and honest in the NFL — Santa Claus was once booed at Veterans Stadium. Eagles fans have high standards and low patience, which is part of what makes their championship moments so cathartic.
Three Super Bowls under coach Joe Gibbs (1983, 1988, 1992) — each won with a different starting quarterback (Joe Theismann, Doug Williams, Mark Rypien). Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl in XXII. The franchise operated as the Washington Redskins for decades before renaming to the Washington Football Team (2020) and then the Commanders (2022) amid pressure from sponsors, the NFL, and the public. New ownership and management represent a genuine culture reset.
George Halas founded the franchise as the Decatur Staleys in 1919, moved to Chicago in 1921, and coached them for 40 years — winning six NFL championships. The 1985 Bears (15–1) are one of the most celebrated single-season teams in NFL history: the "46 Defense" under coordinator Buddy Ryan, running back Walter Payton, and the "Super Bowl Shuffle." They crushed New England 46–10 in Super Bowl XX. One Super Bowl in the modern era, but a franchise defined by history, tradition, and a passionate midwestern fan base.
Four NFL championships (1935, 1952, 1953, 1957) — all before the Super Bowl era. Zero Super Bowl appearances. Barry Sanders (1989–1998) was one of the most electrifying running backs in NFL history, retiring without a Super Bowl despite statistical excellence that put him among the all-time greats. For decades, Lions fans absorbed loss as a civic obligation. Dan Campbell's arrival as head coach has rebuilt the culture and competitive expectation in Detroit — the Lions are finally taken seriously again.
The NFL's most storied franchise. The only community-owned, not-for-profit team in major American professional sports. Thirteen total championships — the most of any franchise. Vince Lombardi (1959–1967) won five NFL titles including the first two Super Bowls; the Super Bowl trophy is named for him. Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke, Paul Hornung. Brett Favre's iron man streak (321 consecutive starts) and three MVPs. Aaron Rodgers' four MVP awards. Now Jordon Love carries the tradition. Lambeau Field is the most sacred ground in professional football.
Four Super Bowl appearances — all losses. The 1969 Vikings (12–2) with Fran Tarkenton and Carl Eller were favored over Kansas City but fell 23–7. Three more appearances in the 1970s, three more defeats. The 1998 Vikings (15–1), with Randall Cunningham and Randy Moss, are widely considered one of the greatest teams never to win a Super Bowl. Adrian Peterson's 2,097-yard season (2012) and the recent Justin Jefferson era keep Viking fans believing — and occasionally heartbroken by the Minneapolis Miracle or the Stefon Diggs catch.
Two Super Bowl appearances — zero wins. Super Bowl XXXIII (2009) — Michael Vick's coming-out party franchise lost to Denver. Super Bowl LI (2017) is the one everyone remembers: a 28–3 lead in the third quarter, then the most stunning comeback in Super Bowl history. New England won in overtime. The collapse burned into the franchise's identity so deeply that "28–3" is now shorthand for a historic choke in any sport. The Falcons continue rebuilding around young talent, still chasing that elusive first championship.
An expansion team that reached the Super Bowl in just its second season of existence (1995) — losing to Pittsburgh 27–17 in Super Bowl XXIX... wait, that was the 49ers. Carolina appeared in Super Bowl XXXVIII (2004, losing to New England 32–29 in a classic) and Super Bowl 50 (2016, when a 15–1 Cam Newton MVP team was shut down by Denver's defense 24–10). Cam Newton's dual-threat style made him the most exciting player in football during his peak years.
One championship — Super Bowl XLIV (2010) — but the meaning behind it is what set this franchise apart. Coming five years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and brought the franchise's future into question, the Saints' championship was one of the most emotionally resonant in NFL history. Drew Brees became the most beloved figure in Saints history, breaking Dan Marino's all-time passing yardage record. "Who Dat" is more than a cheer — it's a statement of identity for a city that uses its NFL team as a symbol of resilience.
Two Super Bowl wins. The 2002 Buccaneers had one of the most dominant defenses of the salary cap era — Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, Ronde Barber — winning Super Bowl XXXVII 48–21 over Oakland. Then came Tom Brady in 2020. At age 43, Brady relocated from New England and delivered Tampa Bay its second championship in Super Bowl LV, 31–9 over Kansas City. It was a statement: the greatest player in NFL history could win without Bill Belichick.
The oldest continuously operating professional football franchise in the United States — founded as the Morgan Athletic Club in Chicago in 1898. Multiple relocations (Chicago → St. Louis → Arizona in 1988). Won the 1947 NFL championship. In the Super Bowl era, appeared in Super Bowl XLIII (2009) losing to Pittsburgh 27–23 on a last-minute Santonio Holmes touchdown catch. The "Greatest Show on Turf" era's Kurt Warner-Larry Fitzgerald combination was spectacular — Fitzgerald's touchdown catch and Warner's eventual strip remain the most dramatic final three minutes in Super Bowl history.
Three championships: 1945 (as Cleveland Rams), 2000 (Kurt Warner's "Greatest Show on Turf" — 526 passing yards from Warner in Super Bowl XXXIV), and 2022 (Super Bowl LVI on their home field, the first time a team won the Super Bowl in their home stadium). The franchise has moved more than almost any other — Cleveland, Los Angeles, St. Louis, then back to Los Angeles in 2016. The new SoFi Stadium represents the league's most expensive facility ever built, and finally gave the Rams a true home.
Five Super Bowl championships — all of them won. Bill Walsh's West Coast offense changed how the game is played at every level. Joe Montana (four Super Bowl MVP awards, zero interceptions in Super Bowl play) is the most decorated player in the game's biggest moments. Jerry Rice is the greatest wide receiver in NFL history. Steve Young extended the dynasty. Kyle Shanahan's modern 49ers — built on pre-snap motion and misdirection — are spiritually connected to the Walsh lineage while being entirely modern. The 49ers are the gold standard for offensive innovation.
Two Super Bowl appearances, one championship. Super Bowl XLVIII (2014) — the "Legion of Boom" defense destroyed Peyton Manning's record-setting Broncos 43–8 in the most dominant Super Bowl performance since the 49ers over the Chargers in XXIX. Then Super Bowl XLIX (2015) — the controversial goal-line interception by Malcolm Butler denied the Seahawks a repeat with Marshawn Lynch at the 1-yard line. That call remains the most debated coaching decision in Super Bowl history. Lumen Field is consistently rated the loudest stadium in the NFL.
These 32 franchises build their rosters primarily through the NFL Draft. With the 2026 draft days away, learn how the draft works and what every team needs this year.