NFL History Crash Course
The NFL was founded as the American Professional Football Association in 1920; it renamed itself the National Football League two years later. Two of its 10 charter teams still exist: the Decatur Staleys (now the Chicago Bears) and Racine Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals).
In 1969, the NFL and AFL merged. The eight AFL charter teams joined the NFL and all still exist:
- New York Titans (now the New York Jets)
- Boston Patriots (now the New England Patriots)
- Buffalo Bills
- Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans)
- Los Angeles Chargers (the San Diego Chargers from 1961 to 2016)
- Denver Broncos
- Oakland Raiders (the Los Angeles Raiders from 1982 to 1993)
- Dallas Texans (now the Kansas City Chiefs)
The roots of some NFL teams have as many twists and turns as your family tree does, with name changes and moves from town to town. This football history timeline shows the “parent teams” of today’s NFL teams, their migrations, and the years they were born. It lists teams alphabetically by current franchise names, which are in all caps.
NFL Team Genealogies
| Team | Est. | Created the... | In | Created the... | In | Created the... | In |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Racine Cardinals | 1913 | Chicago Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals | 1922 1960 | Phoenix Cardinals | 1988 | Arizona Cardinals | 1994 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 1965 | ||||||
| Baltimore Ravens | 1996 | ||||||
| Buffalo Bills | 1959 | ||||||
| Carolina Panthers | 1993 | ||||||
| Decauter Staleys | 1919 | Chicago Staleys | 1921 | Chicago Bears | 1922 | ||
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1967 | ||||||
| Cleveland Browns | 1944 | ||||||
| Dallas Cowboys | 1960 | ||||||
| Denver Broncos | 1959 | ||||||
| Portsmouth (OH) Spartans | 1930 | Detroit Lions | 1934 | ||||
| Green Bay Packers | 1921 | ||||||
| Houston Texans | 2002 | ||||||
| Baltimore Colts | 1953 | Indianapolis Colts | 1984 | ||||
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 1993 | ||||||
| Dallas Texans | 1959 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1963 | ||||
| Los Angeles Chargers | 1959 | San Diego Chargers | 1961 | Los Angeles Chargers | 2017 | ||
| Cleveland Rams | 1936 | Los Angeles Rams | 1946 | St. Louis Rams | 1995 | Los Angeles Rams | 2016 |
| Miami Dolphins | 1965 | ||||||
| Minnesota Vikings | 1960 | ||||||
| Boston Patriots | 1959 | New England Patriots | 1971 | ||||
| New Orleans Saints | 1966 | ||||||
| New York Giants | 1925 | ||||||
| New York Titans | 1959 | New York Jets | 1963 | ||||
| Oakland Raiders | 1960 | Los Angeles Raiders | 1982 | Oakland Raiders | 1994 | ||
| Philadelphia Eagles | 1933 | ||||||
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 1933 | Pittsburg Steelers | 1940 | ||||
| San Francisco 49ers | 1944 | ||||||
| Seattle Seahawks | 1974 | ||||||
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1974 | ||||||
| Houston Oilers | 1959 | Tennessee Oilers | 1997 | Tennessee Titans | 1999 | ||
| Boston Braves | 1932 | Washington Redskins | 1937 |
If you’re after records of ancestors who played football (or other sports), whether on a community, school or professional level, find tips in our athletic ancestors research guide.
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