How many teams are there in the NFL?
The NFL started with eight original teams, but you’ll have to keep track of a few more if you want to follow division and conference rivals. How many NFL teams are there? Today, the NFL has 32 teams that are split between two conferences. Keep reading for more information on all NFL teams and how they’re split up across the league.
NFL Teams by Conference and Division
The league is divided into two conferences, the AFC and the NFC. Each of these conferences has four NFL divisions. Following NFL divisions is important because, at the end of the season, each division’s standings decide which teams qualify for playoffs. So, what are the four NFL divisions and teams in each conference?
The league’s NFC teams are:
- NFC North: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings
- NFC South: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- NFC East: Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders
- NFC West: Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks
The league’s AFC teams are:
- AFC North: Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers
- AFC South: Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans
- AFC East: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets
- AFC West: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers
NFL Teams in Alphabetical Order
Below, you can find a full list of all NFL football teams. Each includes a link to Sports Interactions’ in-depth coverage for every team, which covers odds, predictions, and analysis from SIA staff.
Here are the league’s 32 NFL teams in alphabetical order:
- Arizona Cardinals
- Atlanta Falcons
- Baltimore Ravens
- Buffalo Bills
- Carolina Panthers
- Chicago Bears
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
- Dallas Cowboys
- Denver Broncos
- Detroit Lions
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Green Bay Packers
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Los Angeles Rams
- Miami Dolphins
- Minnesota Vikings
- New England Patriots
- New Orleans Saints
- New York Giants
- New York Jets
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Tennessee Titans
- Washington Commanders
Original NFL Teams
Many think the NFL originally had fourteen teams, but this is actually false. Back in 1920, before the NFL formed, fourteen teams competed in the APFA, or the American Professional Football Association. Of these fourteen teams, the Decatur Staleys (now the Chicago Bears) and the Arizona Cardinals remain active. The Staley’s (and Bears) are considered the very first NFL team.
In 1932, the APFA played its first playoff series and became known as the NFL. At this time, the fourteen teams from 1920 had dwindled to eight teams. Thus, the NFL has an original set of eight teams. Six of these original teams are active today, including the Chicago Bears, the Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals), the Green Bay Packers, the New York Giants, the Boston Braves (now the Washington Commanders), and the Portsmouth Spartans (now the Detroit Lions).
NFL Team Players
With separate offensive and defensive units, the NFL has more players than most other sports leagues worldwide. In fact, many fans enjoy the league’s unique and specialized positions—but it makes it tricky for aspiring fans to know how many players are on each NFL team.
NFL teams are allowed to have 53 players on their rosters, along with five practice squad members. Each NFL team splits its roster between an offensive and defensive units, each of which has 11 players. During a game, 22 total players take the gridiron, 11 from one team’s offensive squad and 11 from the other’s defensive squad.
