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This timeline of the National Football League (NFL) tracks the history of each of the league's 32 current franchises from the early days of the league, through its merger with the American Football League (AFL). The history of franchises that began as independent teams, or as members of the Ohio League, New York Pro Football League, and other defunct leagues are shown as well.
The American Professional Football Association was formed on September 17, 1920, at Canton, Ohio, with Jim Thorpe elected president.[1] The fourteen teams were mainly drawn from the Ohio League, Chicago Circuit, New York Pro Football League and other teams from the lower midwest. A $100 membership fee was charged. The Chicago Tigers folded after the season.[2]
The Massillon Tigers were represented at the September 17 meeting by Ralph Hay, but they never played in the league. As such, they are considered a charter member on a technicality.[3]
The American Professional Football Association was reorganized in Akron, Ohio on April 30, 1921, with Joe F. Carr elected as new league president.[1] With the low entry barrier of a $100 membership fee, the number of teams ballooned to 21.[1] Four of these franchises would last only one season, with Tonawanda Kardex only making it through a single game. Three other franchises folded mid-season. The Decatur Staleys moved to Chicago.
The APFA was renamed the National Football League on June 24, 1922.[4] Four new franchises were awarded.
A new and distinct Cleveland Indians franchise was formed. Two other teams joined the NFL, the Duluth Kelleys and the St. Louis All Stars. The St. Louis team folded after one season.
Before the season, the owner of the Cleveland Indians bought the Canton Bulldogs and "mothballed" it, taking the team's nickname and players to Cleveland for the season. The Canton Bulldogs had won the NFL championship in 1923, and won it again as the Cleveland Bulldogs in 1924.
The Canton Bulldogs were reactivated. Four other franchises were awarded, including most notably a New York City franchise awarded to Timothy J. Mara and Will Gibson for a $2,500 membership fee, the New York Giants.[1] This was the final season for the Rochester Jeffersons.
The league grew to 22 teams, a figure that would not be equaled in professional football until 1961, adding the Brooklyn Lions, the Hartford Blues, the Los Angeles Buccaneers, and the Louisville Colonels, with Racine Tornadoes re-entering.
At a league meeting held February 7, 1926, each franchise's roster was limited to a maximum of 18 players, with a minimum of 15.[4]
Prior to the season, the league decided to eliminate the financially weaker teams. As a result, the league dropped from 22 to 12 teams, and a majority of the remaining teams were centered around the East Coast instead of the Midwest, where the NFL had started. The New York Yankees were added from the American Football League (AFL I) and the Cleveland Bulldogs returned.
The league dropped to 10 teams, the Buffalo Bisons sat out the season and the Duluth Eskimos folded. The Cleveland Bulldogs moved and played as the Detroit Wolverines.
The league increased back to 12 teams with the addition of two franchises, the Staten Island Stapletons and the Orange Tornadoes. Two mothballed teams activated for the season. Minneapolis re-entered as the Red Jackets along with the re-entry of the Buffalo Bisons.
Prior to the season, Brooklyn businessmen William B. Dwyer and John C. Depler bought the Dayton Triangles, moved it, and renamed it the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Orange Tornadoes relocated to Newark. The Portsmouth Spartans entered as a new team, bringing the total to 11 teams.
The league roster limit was expanded to a maximum of 20 players, with a minimum of 16 required.[4]
The league decreased to 10 teams due to financial hardships caused by the Great Depression. While the Cleveland Indians joined as an expansion team, the league lost the Minneapolis Red Jackets and the Newark Tornadoes, and the Frankford Yellow Jackets folded midway through the season.
The Boston Braves enfranchised bringing the total to 8 teams.
The barrier to entry was raised again with the July 8 decision to increase the league membership fee to $10,000.[1] Despite the fee increase, three new teams were added — the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Eagles, and Pittsburgh Pirates.
The NFL raised its roster limit to 24 players effective with the 1935 season and again to 25 players for 1936.[7]
The league raised the roster limit to 30 players per team effective with the 1938 season.[4]
The NFL raised the maximum number of players allowed on a league roster from 30 to 33 players effective with the 1940 season.[4]
As America became more deeply embroiled in World War II, the Cleveland Rams suspend operations for the 1943 season due to a major loss of players. The Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers were able to work around the player shortage by merging to form the "Phil-Pitt Steagles."
The size of the active roster reduced from 33 to 28 players per team.[7] Intent of this reduction was to appease the Office of Defense Transportation by reducing the impact of travel by road teams.[8] Additionally, teams primarily used day coaches rather than sleeper cars, a more efficient, albeit less comfortable mode of travel.[8] This continued through the 1944 season.
The Active player limit was returned to its pre-war size of 33 players.[7]
Effective with the 1948 season, the NFL again raised its roster limit for member teams, increasing the maximum from 33 to 35 players.[4]
The size of the active roster was reduced to 32 players.[7]
The NFL increased the maximum size of team rosters from 32 to 33 players effective with the 1951 season. This would remain in effect through 1956.[7]
Effective with the 1957 season, the NFL raised its roster limit from 33 to 35 players per team.[4] The roster limit was raised again for the 1959 season, this time to 36 players per team.[9]
The roster limit was raised to 38 players per team for the 1960 season.[9]
The league also reduced the roster limit from 38 back to 36 players during these two years.[7]
In the NFL, the roster limit was raised in 1963 to 37 players and in 1964 to 40 players — a number which remained constant until the end of the 1973 season.[7]
In 1974 the size of the active player roster was increased from 40 to 47 players before being lowered to 43 the following season.[7]
In 1978 the size of the active roster was increased from 43 to 45 players, where it would remain through the 1981 season.[7]
After the first two games of the 1982 season the size of the active roster was increased from 45 to 49 players, where it would remain through the end of the 1984 season.[7]
In 1985 size of the active roster was reduced again from 49 to 45 — where it would remain through the end of the 1990 season.[7]
In 1991 the league allowed teams to add a third "emergency" quarterback to their active 45 man rosters—a system that would remain in effect through the end of the 2010 season.[7]
In 2011 the active roster limit was shifted from 45 + 1 emergency quarterback to an undifferentiated 46 players. This would remain in effect through the end of the 2019 season.[7]
The size of the active roster was increased to 47 players — 48 if there were 8 offensive linemen activated.[7]
In 2023 the 47 man active roster was expanded to allow a third "emergency" quarterback.[7]