Who Were The Original NFL Teams?

The National Football League (NFL) was founded in 1920, but the original teams date back even further. Here’s a look at the origins of the league’s teams.

The Original NFL Teams

There were eleven original NFL teams when the league was formed in 1920. These teams were the Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Chicago Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Horseshoes, Hammond Pros, Racine Cardinals, Rochester Jeffersons, Rock Island Independents, and the Decatur Staleys. Let’s take a more in-depth look at each of these teams.

The Chicago Cardinals

The Chicago Cardinals were one of the original NFL teams, founded in 1898. They are the oldest continuously run professional football team in the United States, and currently play in the NFC West division. The Cardinals have won two NFL championships, in 1925 and 1947.

The Decatur Staleys

The Decatur Staleys were one of the original teams in the National Football League (NFL), founded in 1920. They were based in Decatur, Illinois, and played their home games at Staley Field. The team was named after their owner and founder, A. E. Staley, a starch manufacturer who had sponsored the team since 1919 as a company football team known as the Decatur Staleys. The team was led by eventual Hall of Fame head coach George Halas, who also played for the team.

The Staleys won the NFL Championship in 1921, but due to financial problems, the team was sold and moved to Chicago prior to the 1922 season. They were renamed the Chicago Bears and have been in Chicago ever since. The Staleys/Bears are one of only two remaining franchises from the NFL’s founding (the other being the Arizona Cardinals).

The Racine Cardinals

The Racine Cardinals were a professional football team based in Racine, Wisconsin that played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1920 to 1921. The team was founded in 1919 as the Chicago Cardinals, a charter member of the NFL. In 1920, the team relocated to Racine and changed its name to the Racine Cardinals. The team played its home games at Horlick Athletic Field.

The Cardinals were one of the dominant teams of the early NFL, winning the league championship in 1925. The team’s glory was short-lived; it left Racine after the 1921 season and relocated twice more over the next decade before folding permanently after the 1929 season.

The Canton Bulldogs

The Canton Bulldogs were a professional American football team, based in Canton, Ohio. They played in the Ohio League from 1903 to 1906 and the first ever NFL season in 1920. The Bulldogs won the NFL championship four times (1922, 1923, 1924, 1925) before joining the NFL in 1950 as part of the merger between the NFL and the All-America Football Conference (AAFC).

The Bulldogs were one of 14 teams that competed in the 1920 NFL season, their only season in the league. The team finished with a 6-1-4 record, tied for third place with the Buffalo All-Americans. Their sole loss was to the Akron Pros, who were also undefeated at 8-0-3. In 1921, after going winless in their first five games, the Bulldogs won six straight games to finish their season 7-5.

In 1922 and 1923, under new head coach Guy Chamberlin, the Bulldogs dominated the league, winning back-to-back championships with records of 10-1 and 9-1 respectively. In 1924, despite having a 4-6 record at one point late in the season, they managed to finish 7-5 and make it to
the championship game for a third consecutive year. In 1925, they finished 12-0-1 to win their fourth consecutive championship; this remains an NFL record for most championships won by a team in a four-year span.

The NFL Today

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world. NFL teams are not selected by a draft, but instead sign contracts with individual players.

The Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the National Football League (NFL) and are currently the oldest team in the NFC West division, after the Seattle Seahawks. Based on winning percentage, they are the worst team in NFL history.

The Cardinals were founded as the Morgan Athletic Club in 1898, and are one of the oldest professional football teams in America. In 1920, the team became a charter member of the American Professional Football Association (later renamed the National Football League). The Cardinals began play in Chicago in 1921, but moved to St. Louis, Missouri after one season due to a lack of fan support. In 1960, they moved again, this time to Phoenix, where they have resided ever since.

The Cardinals have won two NFL championships (in 1925 and 1947), and have appeared in 19 playoff games (8-11 record). They have won six divisional titles (most recent: 2008) and three conference championships (2008, 2009, and 2015).

The Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Bears have won nine NFL Championships, including one Super Bowl, and hold the NFL record for the most victories in a single season. The franchise was founded in Decatur, Illinois, on September 17, 1920, and moved to Chicago in 1921. It is one of only two remaining franchises from the NFL’s founding. (The other is the Arizona Cardinals, who were originally based in Chicago.)

The Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the third-oldest franchise in the NFL, dating back to 1919, and is the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team in the United States. Home games have been played at Lambeau Field since 1957.

The Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the National Football League (NFL) as part of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The team plays its home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.

The Lions competed in the NFL’s first ever game against their eventual rivals, the Miami Dolphins, on August 20, 1920. The game was held in Bobby Marshall’s hometown of Minneapolis, with Marshall serving as Detroit’s captain and coach. The Lions lost 14-0.