What State Has The Most NFL Teams?

A breakdown of which states have the most NFL teams and how many teams each state has.

NFL Teams by State

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league. It was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL agreed to merge with the American Football League (AFL) in 1966. As part of the merger, the AFL was given the option of merging with either the NFL’s Cleveland Browns or Pittsburgh Steelers.

California

The most NFL teams in any state is five, and this is held by California. The state of California is home to the San Francisco 49ers, the Los Angeles Rams, the Los Angeles Chargers, the Oakland Raiders, and the San Diego Chargers. NFL teams are spread out pretty evenly across the United States, but some states have more than others. Here is a list of every state and how many NFL teams call it home.

-Alabama: 1 (Birmingham)
-Alaska: 0
-Arizona: 2 (Phoenix)
-Arkansas: 0
-California: 5 (San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, San Diego, Anaheim)
-Colorado: 2 (Denver)
-Connecticut: 0
-Delaware: 0
-Florida: 4 (Tampa Bay, Miami, Jacksonville, Orlando)
-Georgia: 2 (Atlanta)
-Hawaii: 0
-Idaho: 0
-Illinois: 1 (Chicago)
-Indiana: 1 (Indianapolis)
-Iowa: 0
-Kansas : 1 (Kansas City)
-Kentucky : 1 (Louisville )
-Louisiana : 2 (New Orleans , Baton Rouge )
-Maine : 0

Florida

The state of Florida is home to three NFL teams: the Miami Dolphins, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Illinois

NFL teams by state – (What State Has The Most NFL Teams?) Although professional football is obviously a national sport, Illinois boasts the most NFL teams of any state, with a total of four.

The Chicago Bears are the most well-known of these teams, and they play their home games at Soldier Field in Chicago. The Bears have a long and storied history, dating back to their establishment in 1919, and they are one of the original teams of the NFL. They have won nine NFL Championships, including one Super Bowl victory in 1985.

The other three NFL teams located in Illinois are the Chicago Bears, the Green Bay Packers, and the Detroit Lions. All four of these teams play their home games in different cities within the state.

Michigan

Michigan has the most NFL teams of any state, with a total of four. The Detroit Lions play in the NFC North, while the other three teams play in the AFC: the Detroit Pistons in the AFC North, the Michigan Panthers in the AFC South, and the Michigan Wolverines in the AFC West.

New Jersey

New Jersey is home to two NFL teams: the New York Giants and the New York Jets. Both teams play their home games in East Rutherford, New Jersey, at MetLife Stadium.

New York

New York is home to two NFL teams, the New York Giants and the New York Jets.

Ohio

With a total of four teams, Ohio is tied with Pennsylvania for the most NFL teams of any state in the U.S. The Bengals, Browns, Steelers, and Ravens all call Ohio home.

Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania state legislature is considering a bill that would give the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles a tax break if they agree to stay in the state.

The NFL currently has 32 teams, spread out over 26 states. Of those 26 states, Pennsylvania has the most NFL teams with three: the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Baltimore Ravens (who play in Pennsylvania but are based in Maryland).

If the bill passes, it would mean that Pennsylvania is investing in keeping its NFL teams happy and in the state. The bill would give each team a $15 million tax break each year for staying in Pennsylvania.

This is not the first time a state has given tax breaks to NFL teams. In 2015, New Jersey gave $20 million in tax breaks to keep the New York Giants and Jets happy. And in 2013, Illinois gave $30 million in tax breaks to keep the Chicago Bears from leaving.

With states competing for businesses and investment, it’s becoming more common for them to offer tax breaks and other incentives to keep companies from moving elsewhere. Whether or not this is good for taxpayers is up for debate.

Conclusion

After looking at the number of NFL teams in each state, it is clear that California has the most with a total of eight teams. This is followed by Florida with seven teams, then Texas with five teams.