Who Plays in the NFL Today?

Find out which NFL teams are playing today, and get all the latest news and information on your favorite players and teams.

The Teams

As of the 2020 season, there are a total of 32 teams in the National Football League (NFL). These teams are split evenly between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is the highest level of professional football in the United States.

AFC East: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets

The AFC East is a division of the National Football League’s American Football Conference. There are currently four teams in the division: the Buffalo Bills, the Miami Dolphins, the New England Patriots, and the New York Jets. All of these teams are in the Eastern Time Zone.

The AFC East began play in 1970 as part of the AFL-NFL merger. The division currently has more Super Bowl wins (26) than any other division in the NFL. The AFC East has produced two undefeated teams in the Super Bowl era: the 1972 Miami Dolphins and 2007 New England Patriots.

AFC North: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers

In the AFC North, the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers play. The AFC North is a division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL).

AFC South: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans

The AFC South is home to some of the most competitive teams in the NFL. The Houston Texans have been one of the most dominant teams in the division for years, but the other three teams are always striving to close the gap. The Indianapolis Colts have one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Andrew Luck, and they always seem to be in contention for a playoff spot. The Jacksonville Jaguars have one of the best defenses in the league, and they are always a tough team to beat. The Tennessee Titans have a young quarterback in Marcus Mariota who is starting to make a name for himself, and they are a team on the rise.

AFC West: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers

In the AFC West, the four teams are the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, and Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers used to be in San Diego, but they moved to Los Angeles in 2017.

The AFC West is a very tough division. The Broncos have won the division 8 times since it was created in 2002. The Raiders have won it 3 times, and the Chiefs and Chargers have each won it 2 times.

The Broncos are currently in first place, with a record of 4-1. They are followed by the Chiefs (3-2), Raiders (2-3), and Chargers (1-4).

NFC East: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins

The NFC East is home to some of the most storied franchises in NFL history. The Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Redskins have combined for 33 league championships and 27 Super Bowl appearances.

The Cowboys are the most successful team in the division, having won 20 division titles and 5 Super Bowls. The Giants have won 11 NFL championships, including 4 Super Bowls. The Eagles have won 13 NFL championships, including 3 Super Bowls. The Redskins have won 5 NFL championships and 3 Super Bowls.

All four teams have been dominant at times, but there has also been plenty of parity in the NFC East over the years. Each team has had its share of ups and downs, but all four teams have remained competitive year in and year out.

The NFC East is one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL, and it is always one of the most enjoyable divisions to watch each season.

NFC North: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings

The NFC North is a division of the National Football League’s National Football Conference. It currently has four teams: the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings. All four teams have won at least one NFL championship.

The Bears have the most appearances in the NFL playoffs (31) and have also won the most games (710). The Packers have the most NFL championships (13), while the Lions have the second-most appearances in the playoffs (25) and the Vikings have the third-most playoff wins (14). As of 2019, all four teams have appeared in the NFC Championship Game at least once.

NFC South: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The NFC South is a division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams. The NFC South currently has four member clubs: the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

NFC West: Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks

The National Football League (NFL) is made up of 32 teams, divided into two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Each conference is then further divided into four divisions: North, South, East, and West.

The NFC West is made up of the Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Seattle Seahawks.

The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the NFC West division of the National Football Conference (NFC). The Cardinals were founded as the Morgan Athletic Club in 1898, and are the oldest continuously run professional football team in the United States.

The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team that play in the National Football League (NFL). They are based in Inglewood, California, and compete in the NFC West division. The Rams franchise was founded in 1936 as the Cleveland Rams in Ohio. The franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1946, making it the first NFL team to play its home games west of Chicago.

The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team located in Santa Clara, California. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and joined the NFL Sever years later when both leagues merged.

The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Seahawks joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team along with their AFC counterpart Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The League’s History

The National Football League (NFL) began in 1920 with eleven teams. The league has expanded and contracted numerous times since then, and now comprises thirty-two teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC).

The Early Years (1920-1930)

In the early years of the National Football League, there were numerous rival leagues vying for players and fans. The most successful of these was the American Football Association, which began play in 1926. The AFA had teams in larger cities than the NFL, and it soon became clear that the two leagues would have to merge if they wanted to survive.

The first attempt at a merger came in 1927, when the NFL agreed to absorb four of the AFA’s teams. But the AFA wasn’t ready to give up yet, and it continued to operate as a separate league for two more years.

Finally, in 1930, the two leagues reached an agreement to fully merge. The NFL was renamed the National-American Football League, and a new era in professional football had begun.

The Golden Age of Pro Football (1931-1959)

The professional game flowered in the 1920s, with an increase in scoring and crowds flocking to see teams led by famous players such as Red Grange of the Chicago Bears and Ernie Nevers of the Duluth Eskimos. However, it wasn’t until after the stock market crash of 1929 and the start of the Great Depression that professional football really took off. In 1931, a new league, the National Football League (NFL), was formed to replace the ailing American Professional Football Association (APFA).

During its first three decades, the NFL grew from a regional to a national sport. New franchises were founded in such cities as Philadelphia (1933), Pittsburgh (1933), Detroit (1934), and Green Bay (1935). NFL teams began playing games in New York City’s Polo Grounds and Yankee Stadium, as well as in Chicago’s Wrigley Field and Soldier Field. The league began holding an annual championship game in 1932; it was initially called the NFL Championship game but was renamed the Super Bowl in 1967. In 1960, another major step was taken when an American Football League (AFL) was established to compete with the NFL. The AFL eventually merged with the NFL in 1970.

During what is considered pro football’s Golden Age—from 1931 to 1959—several stars emerged who would come to be seen as legends of the game: Bronko Nagurski and Red Grange of the Bears, Sammy Baugh of the Washington Redskins, Dick “Night Train” Lane of the Los Angeles Rams, Don Hutson and Curly Lambeau of the Packers, Marion Motley and Lou Groza of the Cleveland Browns, Ernie Nevers of both Cardinals franchises, Johnny Unitas of the Colts, Ernie Stautner of the Steelers ,and Emlen Tunnell of both Giants franchises. These players helped make pro football into America’s favorite spectator sport.

The Modern Era (1960-present)

The American Football League (AFL) was founded in 1960 and began play in 1961. In 1966, the NFL and AFL completed a merger that resulted in the creation of the Super Bowl, which has become the biggest annual professional sporting event in the United States. The following year, the first ever common NFL draft was held, and it has been held every year since. In 1970, the AFL-NFL merged completely, creating one league with two conferences — the AFC (American Football Conference) and NFC (National Football Conference).

The League Today

As the National Football League enters its one-hundredth season, big changes are afoot. Not only has the league expanded to thirty-two teams, but new playing rules and safety initiatives have been put in place in an effort to make the game safer and more exciting than ever before. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest changes in the NFL today.

The Structure of the League

In the National Football League, teams are divided into two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Each conference contains four divisions of four teams each. The AFC has the East, West, North, and South divisions while the NFC has its own version of those divisions.

During the regular season, which begins in September and ends in December, each team plays 16 games. They play those games over a 17-week span. Out of those 16 games, a team will have one bye week where they do not play.

The NFL structure is such that teams mostly play other teams within their own conference. Each team plays all four teams in their division twice during the season- once at home and once on the road. They also play six other games. Four of those are intraconference matchups against teams in two other divisions that rotated on a yearly basis. The final two games are interconference matchups where teams from the AFC play teams from the NFC.

The Business of the NFL

In any given year, the NFL brings in about $9 billion in revenue. That number has been steadily increasing over the past few years, and it’s not hard to see why.

The league has a TV contract with CBS, NBC, FOX, and ESPN that is worth $27 billion. That’s just for the right to broadcast games. Then there are ticket sales, concessions, merchandise, and licensing fees. The NFL also brings in a lot of money from corporate sponsorships.

All that money is divided up among the 32 teams in the league. Each team gets an equal share of the “national” revenue, which comes from things like TV contracts and sponsorships. Then there is “local” revenue, which is money each team generates on its own through things like ticket sales and concessions.

The NFL also has a salary cap, which is the total amount of money each team can spend on player salaries in a given year. The salary cap for the 2020 season is $198 million. That may seem like a lot of money, but it goes quickly when you consider that the average player salary in the NFL is $2 million per year.

The Fans of the NFL

### die-hard fans

The NFL today boasts die-hard fans from all across the globe, with an ever-growing international presence. Though the vast majority of fans still reside in the United States, the league’s games and merchandise are now enjoyed by people in countries all over the world. In recent years, the NFL has made a concerted effort to grow its fan base internationally through various initiatives, such as holding regular season games in London and Mexico City. As a result of these efforts, the NFL today enjoys a truly global fanbase.