Chronology of Football 1800 ' s . 1869 . Rutgers and Princeton played a college soccer football game , the first ever , November 6 . The game used modified London Football Association rules . During the next seven years , rugby gained favor with the major eastern schools over soccer , and modern football began to develop from rugby . 1876 . At the Massasoit convention , the first rules for American football were written . Walter Camp , who would become known as the father of American football , first became involved with the game . 1892 . In an era in which football was a major attraction of local athletic clubs , an intense competition between two Pittsburgh - area clubs , the Allegheny Athletic Association ( AAA ) and the Pittsburgh Athletic Club ( PAC ) , led to the making of the first professional football player . Former Yale All - America guard William ( Pudge ) Heffelfinger was paid $ 500 by the AAA to play in a game against the PAC , becoming the first person to be paid to play football , November 12 . The AAA won the game 4 - 0 when Heffelfinger picked up a PAC fumble and ran 35 yards for a touchdown . 1893 . The Pittsburgh Athletic Club signed one of its players , probably halfback Grant Dibert , to the first known pro football contract , which covered all of the PAC ' s games for the year . 1895 . John Brallier became the first football player to openly turn pro , accepting $ 10 and expenses to play for the Latrobe YMCA against the Jeannette Athletic Club . 1896 . The Allegheny Athletic Association team fielded the first completely professional team for its abbreviated two - game season . 1897 . The Latrobe Athletic Association football team went entirely professional , becoming the first team to play a full season with only professionals . 1898 . A touchdown was changed from four points to five . 1899 . Chris O ' Brien formed a neighborhood team , which played under the name the Morgan Athletic Club , on the south side of Chicago . The team later became known as the Normals , then the Racine ( for a street in Chicago ) Cardinals , the Chicago Cardinals , the St . Louis Cardinals , the Phoenix Cardinals , and , in 1994 , the Arizona Cardinals . The team remains the oldest continuing operation in pro football . 1900 ' s . 1900 . William C . Temple took over the team payments for the Duquesne Country and Athletic Club , becoming the first known individual club owner . 1902 . Baseball ' s Philadelphia Athletics , managed by Connie Mack , and the Philadelphia Phillies formed professional football teams , joining the Pittsburgh Stars in the first attempt at a pro football league , named the National Football League . The Athletics won the first night football game ever played , 39 - 0 over Kanaweola Athletic Club at Elmira , New York , November 21 . All three teams claimed the pro championship for the year , but the league president , Dave Berry , named the Stars the champions . Pitcher Rube Waddell was with the Athletics , and pitcher Christy Mathewson a fullback for Pittsburgh . The first World Series of pro football , actually a five - team tournament , was played among a team made up of players from both the Athletics and the Phillies , but simply named New York ; the New York Knickerbockers ; the Syracuse AC ; the Warlow AC ; and the Orange Athletic Club at New York ' s original Madison Square Garden . New York and Syracuse played the first indoor football game before 3 , 000 , December 28 . Syracuse , with Glen ( Pop ) Warner at guard , won 6 - 0 and went on to win the tournament . 1903 . The Franklin ( Pa . ) Athletic Club won the second and last World Series of pro football over the Oreos AC of Asbury Park , New Jersey ; the Watertown Red and Blacks ; and the Orange AC . Pro football was popularized in Ohio when the Massillon Tigers , a strong amateur team , hired four Pittsburgh pros to play in the season - ending game against Akron . At the same time , pro football declined in the Pittsburgh area , and the emphasis on the pro game moved west from Pennsylvania to Ohio . 1904 . A field goal was changed from five points to four . Ohio had at least seven pro teams , with Massillon winning the Ohio Independent Championship , that is , the pro title . Talk surfaced about forming a state - wide league to end spiraling salaries brought about by constant bidding for players and to write universal rules for the game . The feeble attempt to start the league failed . Halfback Charles Follis signed a contract with the Shelby ( Ohio ) AC , making him the first known black pro football player . 1905 . The Canton AC , later to become known as the Bulldogs , became a professional team . Massillon again won the Ohio League championship . 1906 . The forward pass was legalized . The first authenticated pass completion in a pro game came on October 27 , when George ( Peggy ) Parratt of Massillon threw a completion to Dan ( Bullet ) Riley in a victory over a combined Benwood - Moundsville team . Arch - rivals Canton and Massillon , the two best pro teams in America , played twice , with Canton winning the first game but Massillon winning the second and the Ohio League championship . A betting scandal and the financial disaster wrought upon the two clubs by paying huge salaries caused a temporary decline in interest in pro football in the two cities and , somewhat , throughout Ohio . 1909 . A field goal dropped from four points to three . 1910 ' s . 1912 . A touchdown was increased from five points to six . Jack Cusack revived a strong pro team in Canton . 1913 . Jim Thorpe , a former football and track star at the Carlisle Indian School ( Pa . ) and a double gold medal winner at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm , played for the Pine Village Pros in Indiana . 1915 . Massillon again fielded a major team , reviving the old rivalry with Canton . Cusack signed Thorpe to play for Canton for $ 250 a game . 1916 . With Thorpe and former Carlisle teammate Pete Calac starring , Canton went 9 - 0 - 1 , won the Ohio League championship , and was acclaimed the pro football champion . 1917 . Despite an upset by Massillon , Canton again won the Ohio League championship . 1919 . Canton again won the Ohio League championship , despite the team having been turned over from Cusack to Ralph Hay . Thorpe and Calac were joined in the backfield by Joe Guyon . Earl ( Curly ) Lambeau and George Calhoun organized the Green Bay Packers . Lambeau ' s employer at the Indian Packing Company provided $ 500 for equipment and allowed the team to use the company field for practices . The Packers went 10 - 1 . 1920 ' s . 1920 . Pro football was in a state of confusion due to three major problems : dramatically rising salaries ; players continually jumping from one team to another following the highest offer ; and the use of college players still enrolled in school . A league in which all the members would follow the same rules seemed the answer . An organizational meeting , at which the Akron Pros , Canton Bulldogs , Cleveland Indians , and Dayton Triangles were represented , was held at the Jordan and Hupmobile auto showroom in Canton , Ohio , August 20 . This meeting resulted in the formation of the American Professional Football Conference . A second organizational meeting was held in Canton , September 17 . The teams were from four states - Akron , Canton , Cleveland , and Dayton from Ohio ; the Hammond Pros and Muncie Flyers from Indiana ; the Rochester Jeffersons from New York ; and the Rock Island Independents , Decatur Staleys , and Racine Cardinals from Illinois . The name of the league was changed to the American Professional Football Association . Hoping to capitalize on his fame , the members elected Thorpe president ; Stanley Cofall of Cleveland was elected vice president . A membership fee of $ 100 per team was charged to give an appearance of respectability , but no team ever paid it . Scheduling was left up to the teams , and there were wide variations , both in the overall number of games played and in the number played against APFA member teams . Four other teams - the Buffalo All - Americans , Chicago Tigers , Columbus Panhandles , and Detroit Heralds joined the league sometime during the year . On September 26 , the first game featuring an APFA team was played at Rock Island ' s Douglas Park . A crowd of 800 watched the Independents defeat the St . Paul Ideals 48 - 0 . A week later , October 3 , the first game matching two APFA teams was held . At Triangle Park , Dayton defeated Columbus 14 - 0 , with Lou Partlow of Dayton scoring the first touchdown in a game between Association teams . The same day , Rock Island defeated Muncie 45 - 0 . By the beginning of December , most of the teams in the APFA had abandoned their hopes for a championship , and some of them , including the Chicago Tigers and the Detroit Heralds , had finished their seasons , disbanded , and had their franchises canceled by the Association . Four teams - Akron , Buffalo , Canton , and Decatur - still had championship as - pirations , but a series of late - season games among them left Akron as the only undefeated team in the Association . At one of these games , Akron sold tackle Bob Nash to Buffalo for $ 300 and five percent of the gate receipts - the first APFA player deal . 1921 . At the league meeting in Akron , April 30 , the championship of the 1920 season was awarded to the Akron Pros . The APFA was reorganized , with Joe Carr of the Columbus Panhandles named president and Carl Storck of Dayton secretary - treasurer . Carr moved the Association ' s headquarters to Columbus , drafted a league constitution and by - laws , gave teams territorial rights , restricted player movements , developed membership criteria for the franchises , and issued standings for the first time , so that the APFA would have a clear champion . The Association ' s membership increased to 22 teams , including the Green Bay Packers , who were awarded to John Clair of the Acme Packing Company . Jim Thorpe moved from Canton to the Cleveland Indians ( NFL ) , but he was hurt early in the season and played very little . A . E . Staley turned the Decatur Staleys over to player - coach George Halas , who moved the team to Cubs Park in Chicago . Staley paid Halas $ 5 , 000 to keep the name Staleys for one more year . Halas made halfback Ed ( Dutch ) Sternaman his partner . Player - coach Fritz Pollard of the Akron Pros became the first black head coach . The Staleys claimed the APFA championship with a 9 - 1 - 1 record , as did Buffalo at 9 - 1 - 2 . Carr ruled in favor of the Staleys , giving Halas his first championship . 1922 . After admitting the use of players who had college eligibility remaining during the 1921 season , Clair and the Green Bay management withdrew from the APFA , January 28 . Curly Lambeau promised to obey league rules and then used $ 50 of his own money to buy back the franchise . Bad weather and low attendance plagued the Packers , and Lambeau went broke , but local merchants arranged a $ 2 , 500 loan for the club . A public nonprofit corporation was set up to operate the team , with Lambeau as head coach and manager . The American Professional Football Association changed its name to the National Football League , June 24 . The Chicago Staleys became the Chicago Bears . The NFL fielded 18 teams , including the new Oorang Indians of Marion , Ohio , an all - Indian team featuring Thorpe , Joe Guyon , and Pete Calac , and sponsored by the Oorang dog kennels . Canton , led by player - coach Guy Chamberlin and tackles Link Lyman and Wilbur ( Pete ) Henry , emerged as the league ' s first true powerhouse , going 10 - 0 - 2 . 1923 . For the first time , all of the franchises considered to be part of the NFL fielded teams . Thorpe played his second and final season for the Oorang Indians . Against the Bears , Thorpe fumbled , and Halas picked up the ball and returned it 98 yards for a touchdown , a record that would last until 1972 . Canton had its second consecutive undefeated season , going 11 - 0 - 1 for the NFL title . 1924 . The league had 18 franchises , including new ones in Kansas City , Kenosha , and Frankford , a section of Philadelphia . League champion Canton , successful on the field but not at the box office , was purchased by the owner of the Cleveland franchise , who kept the Canton franchise inactive , while using the best players for his Cleveland team , which he renamed the Bulldogs . Cleveland won the title with a 7 - 1 - 1 record . 1925 . Five new franchises were admitted to the NFL - the New York Giants , who were awarded to Tim Mara and Billy Gibson for $ 500 ; the Detroit Panthers , featuring Jimmy Conzelman as owner , coach , and tailback ; the Providence Steam Roller ; a new Canton Bulldogs team ; and the Pottsville Maroons , who had been perhaps the most successful independent pro team . The NFL established its first player limit , at 16 players . Late in the season , the NFL made its greatest coup in gaining national recognition . Shortly after the University of Illinois season ended in November , All - America halfback Harold ( Red ) Grange signed a contract to play with the Chicago Bears . On Thanksgiving Day , a crowd of 36 , 000 - the largest in pro football history - watched Grange and the Bears play the Chicago Cardinals to a scoreless tie at Wrigley Field . At the beginning of December , the Bears left on a barnstorming tour that saw them play eight games in 12 days , in St . Louis , Philadelphia , New York City , Washington , Boston , Pittsburgh , Detroit , and Chicago . A crowd of 73 , 000 watched the game against the Giants at the Polo Grounds , helping assure the future of the troubled NFL franchise in New York . The Bears then played nine more games in the South and West , including a game in Los Angeles , in which 75 , 000 fans watched them defeat the Los Angeles Tigers in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum . Pottsville and the Chicago Cardinals were the top contenders for the league title , with Pottsville winning a late - season meeting 21 - 7 . Pottsville scheduled a game against a team of former Notre Dame players for Shibe Park in Philadelphia . Frankford lodged a protest not only because the game was in Frankford ' s protected territory , but because it was being played the same day as a Yellow Jackets home game . Carr gave three different notices forbidding Pottsville to play the game , but Pottsville played anyway , December 12 . That day , Carr fined the club , suspended it from all rights and privileges ( including the right to play for the NFL championship ) , and re - turned its franchise to the league . The Cardinals , who ended the season with the best record in the league , were named the 1925 champions . 1926 . Grange ' s manager , C . C . Pyle , told the Bears that Grange wouldn ' t play for them unless he was paid a five - figure salary and given one - third ownership of the team . The Bears refused . Pyle leased Yankee Stadium in New York City , then petitioned for an NFL franchise . After he was refused , he started the first American Football League . It lasted one season and included Grange ' s New York Yankees and eight other teams . The AFL champion Philadelphia Quakers played a December game against the New York Giants , seventh in the NFL , and the Giants won 31 - 0 . At the end of the season , the AFL folded . Halas pushed through a rule that prohibited any team from signing a player whose college class had not graduated . The NFL grew to 22 teams , including the Duluth Eskimos , who signed All - America fullback Ernie Nevers of Stanford , giving the league a gate attraction to rival Grange . The 15 - member Eskimos , dubbed the Iron Men of the North , played 29 exhibition and league games , 28 on the road , and Nevers played in all but 29 minutes of them . Frankford edged the Bears for the championship , despite Halas having obtained John ( Paddy ) Driscoll from the Cardinals . On December 4 , the Yellow Jackets scored in the final two minutes to defeat the Bears 7 - 6 and move ahead of them in the standings . 1927 . At a special meeting in Cleveland , April 23 , Carr decided to secure the NFL ' s future by eliminating the financially weaker teams and consolidating the quality players onto a limited number of more successful teams . The new - look NFL dropped to 12 teams , and the center of gravity of the league left the Midwest , where the NFL had started , and began to emerge in the large cities of the East . One of the new teams was Grange ' s New York Yankees , but Grange suffered a knee injury and the Yankees finished in the middle of the pack . The NFL championship was won by the cross - town rival New York Giants , who posted 10 shutouts in 13 games . 1928 . Grange and Nevers both retired from pro football , and Duluth disbanded , as the NFL was reduced to only 10 teams . The Providence Steam Roller of Jimmy Conzelman and Pearce Johnson won the championship , playing in the Cycledrome , a 10 , 000 - seat oval that had been built for bicycle races . 1929 . Chris O ' Brien sold the Chicago Cardinals to David Jones , July 27 . The NFL added a fourth official , the field judge , July 28 . Grange and Nevers returned to the NFL . Nevers scored six rushing touchdowns and four extra points as the Cardinals beat Grange ' s Bears 40 - 6 , November 28 . The 40 points set a record that remains the NFL ' s oldest . Providence became the first NFL team to host a game at night under floodlights , against the Cardinals , November 3 . The Packers added back Johnny Blood ( McNally ) , tackle Cal Hubbard , and guard Mike Michalske , and won their first NFL championship , edging the Giants , who featured quarterback Benny Friedman . 1930 ' s . 1930 . Dayton , the last of the NFL ' s original franchises , was purchased by William B . Dwyer and John C . Depler , moved to Brooklyn , and renamed the Dodgers . The Portsmouth , Ohio , Spartans entered the league . The Packers edged the Giants for the title , but the most improved team was the Bears . Halas retired as a player and replaced himself as coach of the Bears with Ralph Jones , who refined the T - formation by introducing wide ends and a halfback in motion . Jones also introduced rookie All - America fullback - tackle Bronko Nagurski . The Giants defeated a team of former Notre Dame players coached by Knute Rockne 22 - 0 before 55 , 000 at the Polo Grounds , December 14 . The proceeds went to the New York Unemployment Fund to help those suffering because of the Great Depression , and the easy victory helped give the NFL credibility with the press and the public . 1931 . The NFL decreased to 10 teams , and halfway through the season the Frankford franchise folded . Carr fined the Bears , Packers , and Portsmouth $ 1 , 000 each for using players whose college classes had not graduated . The Packers won an unprecedented third consecutive title , beating out the Spartans , who were led by rookie backs Earl ( Dutch ) Clark and Glenn Presnell . 1932 . George Preston Marshall , Vincent Bendix , Jay O ' Brien , and M . Dorland Doyle were awarded a franchise for Boston , July 9 . Despite the presence of two rookies - halfback Cliff Battles and tackle Glen ( Turk ) Edwards - the new team , named the Braves , lost money and Marshall was left as the sole owner at the end of the year . NFL membership dropped to eight teams , the lowest in history . Official statistics were kept for the first time . The Bears and the Spartans finished the season in the first - ever tie for first place . After the season finale , the league office arranged for an additional regular - season game to determine the league champion . The game was moved indoors to Chicago Stadium because of bitter cold and heavy snow . The arena allowed only an 80 - yard field that came right to the walls . The goal posts were moved from the end lines to the goal lines and , for safety , inbounds lines or hashmarks where the ball would be put in play were drawn 10 yards from the walls that butted against the sidelines . The Bears won 9 - 0 , December 18 , scoring the winning touchdown on a two - yard pass from Nagurski to Grange . The Spartans claimed Nagurski ' s pass was thrown from less than five yards behind the line of scrimmage , violating the existing passing rule , but the play stood . 1933 . The NFL , which long had followed the rules of college football , made a number of significant changes from the college game for the first time and began to develop rules serving its needs and the style of play it preferred . The innovations from the 1932 championship game - inbounds line or hashmarks and goal posts on the goal lines - were adopted . Also the forward pass was legalized from anywhere behind the line of scrimmage , February 25 . Marshall and Halas pushed through a proposal that divided the NFL into two divisions , with the winners to meet in an annual championship game , July 8 . Three new franchises joined the league - the Pittsburgh Pirates of Art Rooney , the Philadelphia Eagles of Bert Bell and Lud Wray , and the Cincinnati Reds . The Staten Island Stapletons suspended operations for a year , but never returned to the league . Halas bought out Sternaman , became sole owner of the Bears , and reinstated himself as head coach . Marshall changed the name of the Boston Braves to the Redskins . David Jones sold the Chicago Cardinals to Charles W . Bidwill . In the first NFL Championship Game scheduled before the season , the Western Division champion Bears defeated the Eastern Division champion Giants 23 - 21 at Wrigley Field , December 17 . 1934 . G . A . ( Dick ) Richards purchased the Portsmouth Spartans , moved them to Detroit , and renamed them the Lions . Professional football gained new prestige when the Bears were matched against the best college football players in the first Chicago College All - Star Game , August 31 . The game ended in a scoreless tie before 79 , 432 at Soldier Field . The Cincinnati Reds lost their first eight games , then were suspended from the league for defaulting on payments . The St . Louis Gunners , an independent team , joined the NFL by buying the Cincinnati franchise and went 1 - 2 the last three weeks . Rookie Beattie Feathers of the Bears became the NFL ' s first 1 , 000 - yard rusher , gaining 1 , 004 on 101 carries . The Thanksgiving Day game between the Bears and the Lions became the first NFL game broadcast nationally , with Graham McNamee the announcer for NBC radio . In the championship game , on an extremely cold and icy day at the Polo Grounds , the Giants trailed the Bears 13 - 3 in the third quarter before changing to basketball shoes for better footing . The Giants won 30 - 13 in what has come to be known as the Sneakers Game , December 9 . The player waiver rule was adopted , December 10 . 1935 . The NFL adopted Bert Bell ' s proposal to hold an annual draft of college players , to begin in 1936 , with teams selecting in an inverse order of finish , May 19 . The inbounds line or hashmarks were moved nearer the center of the field , 15 yards from the sidelines . All - America end Don Hutson of Alabama joined Green Bay . The Lions defeated the Giants 26 - 7 in the NFL Championship Game , December 15 . 1936 . There were no franchise transactions for the first year since the formation of the NFL . It also was the first year in which all member teams played the same number of games . The Eagles made University of Chicago halfback and Heisman Trophy winner Jay Berwanger the first player ever selected in the NFL draft , February 8 . The Eagles traded his rights to the Bears , but Berwanger never played pro football . The first player selected to actually sign was the number - two pick , Riley Smith of Alabama , who was selected by Boston . A rival league was formed , and it became the second to call itself the American Football League . The Boston Shamrocks were its champions . Because of poor attendance , Marshall , the owner of the host team , moved the Championship Game from Boston to the Polo Grounds in New York . Green Bay defeated the Redskins 21 - 6 , December 13 . 1937 . Homer Marshman was granted a Cleveland franchise , named the Rams , February 12 . Marshall moved the Redskins to Washington , D . C . , February 13 . The Redskins signed TCU All - America tailback Sammy Baugh , who led them to a 28 - 21 victory over the Bears in the NFL Championship Game , December 12 . The Los Angeles Bulldogs had an 8 - 0 record to win the AFL title , but then the 2 - year - old league folded . 1938 . At the suggestion of Halas , Hugh ( Shorty ) Ray became a technical advisor on rules and officiating to the NFL . A new rule called for a 15 - yard penalty for roughing the passer . Rookie Byron ( Whizzer ) White of the Pittsburgh Pirates led the NFL in rushing . The Giants defeated the Packers 23 - 17 for the NFL title , December 11 . Marshall , Los Angeles Times sports editor Bill Henry , and promoter Tom Gallery established the Pro Bowl game between the NFL champion and a team of pro all - stars . 1939 . The New York Giants defeated the Pro All - Stars 13 - 10 in the first Pro Bowl , at Wrigley Field , Los Angeles , January 15 . Carr , NFL president since 1921 , died in Columbus , May 20 . Carl Storck was named acting president , May 25 . An NFL game was televised for the first time when NBC broadcast the Brooklyn Dodgers - Philadelphia Eagles game from Ebbets Field to the approximately 1 , 000 sets then in New York . Green Bay defeated New York 27 - 0 in the NFL Championship Game , December 10 at Milwaukee . NFL attendance exceeded 1 million in a season for the first time , reaching 1 , 071 , 200 . 1940 ' s . 1940 . A six - team rival league , the third to call itself the American Football League , was formed , and the Columbus Bullies won its championship . Halas ' s Bears , with additional coaching by Clark Shaughnessy of Stanford , defeated the Redskins 73 - 0 in the NFL Championship Game , December 8 . The game , which was the most decisive victory in NFL history , popularized the Bears ' T - formation with a man - in - motion . It was the first championship carried on network radio , broadcast by Red Barber to 120 stations of the Mutual Broadcasting System , which paid $ 2 , 500 for the rights . Art Rooney sold the Pittsburgh franchise to Alexis Thompson , December 9 , then bought part interest in the Philadelphia Eagles . 1941 . Elmer Layden was named the first Commissioner of the NFL , March 1 ; Storck , the acting president , resigned , April 5 . NFL headquarters were moved to Chicago . Bell and Rooney traded the Eagles to Thompson for the Pirates , then re - named their new team the Steelers . Homer Marshman sold the Rams to Daniel F . Reeves and Fred Levy , Jr . The league by - laws were revised to provide for playoffs in case there were ties in division races , and sudden - death overtimes in case a playoff game was tied after four quarters . An official NFL Record Manual was published for the first time . Columbus again won the championship of the AFL , but the two - year - old league then folded . The Bears and the Packers finished in a tie for the Western Division championship , setting up the first divisional playoff game in league history . The Bears won 33 - 14 , then defeated the Giants 37 - 9 for the NFL championship , December 21 . 1942 . Players departing for service in World War II depleted the rosters of NFL teams . Halas left the Bears in midseason to join the Navy , and Luke Johnsos and Heartley ( Hunk ) Anderson served as co - coaches as the Bears went 11 - 0 in the regular season . The Redskins defeated the Bears 14 - 6 in the NFL Championship Game , December 13 . 1943 . The Cleveland Rams , with co - owners Reeves and Levy in the service , were granted permission to suspend operations for one season , April 6 . Levy transferred his stock in the team to Reeves , April 16 . The NFL adopted free substitution , April 7 . The league also made the wearing of helmets mandatory and approved a 10 - game schedule for all teams . Philadelphia and Pittsburgh were granted permission to merge for one season , June 19 . The team , known as Phil - Pitt ( and called the Steagles by fans ) , divided home games between the two cities , and Earle ( Greasy ) Neale of Philadelphia and Walt Kiesling of Pittsburgh served as co - coaches . The merger automatically dissolved the last day of the season , December 5 . Ted Collins was granted a franchise for Boston , to become active in 1944 . Sammy Baugh led the league in passing , punting , and interceptions . He led the Redskins to a tie with the Giants for the Eastern Division title , and then to a 28 - 0 victory in a divisional playoff game . The Bears beat the Redskins 41 - 21 in the NFL Championship Game , December 26 . 1944 . Collins , who had wanted a franchise in Yankee Stadium in New York , named his new team in Boston the Yanks . Cleveland resumed operations . The Brooklyn Dodgers changed their name to the Tigers . Coaching from the bench was legalized , April 20 . The Cardinals and the Steelers were granted permission to merge for one year under the name Card - Pitt , April 21 . Phil Handler of the Cardinals and Walt Kiesling of the Steelers served as co - coaches . The merger automatically dissolved the last day of the season , December 3 . In the NFL Championship Game , Green Bay defeated the New York Giants 14 - 7 , December 17 . 1945 . The inbounds lines or hashmarks were moved from 15 yards away from the sidelines to nearer the center of the field - 20 yards from the sidelines . Brooklyn and Boston merged into a team that played home games in both cities and was known simply as The Yanks . The team was coached by former Boston head coach Herb Kopf . In December , the Brooklyn franchise withdrew from the NFL to join the new All - America Football Conference ; all the players on its active and reserve lists were assigned to The Yanks , who once again became the Boston Yanks . Halas rejoined the Bears late in the season after service with the U . S . Navy . Although Halas took over much of the coaching duties , Anderson and Johnsos remained the coaches of record throughout the season . Steve Van Buren of Philadelphia led the NFL in rushing , kickoff returns , and scoring . After the Japanese surrendered ending World War II , a count showed that the NFL service roster , limited to men who had played in league games , totaled 638 , 21 of whom had died in action . Rookie quarterback Bob Waterfield led Cleveland to a 15 - 14 victory over Washington in the NFL Championship Game , December 16 . 1946 . The contract of Commissioner Layden was not renewed , and Bert Bell , the co - owner of the Steelers , replaced him , January 11 . Bell moved the league headquarters from Chicago to the Philadelphia suburb of Bala - Cynwyd . Free substitution was withdrawn and substitutions were limited to no more than three men at a time . Forward passes were made automatically incomplete upon striking the goal posts , January 11 . The NFL took on a truly national appearance for the first time when Reeves was granted permission by the league to move his NFL champion Rams to Los Angeles . Halfback Kenny Washington ( March 21 ) and end Woody Strode ( May 7 ) signed with the Los Angeles Rams to become the first African - Americans to play in the NFL in the modern era . Guard Bill Willis ( August 6 ) and running back Marion Motley ( August 9 ) joined the AAFC with the Cleveland Browns . The rival All - America Football Conference began play with eight teams . The Cleveland Browns , coached by Paul Brown , won the AAFC ' s first championship , defeating the New York Yankees 14 - 9 . Bill Dudley of the Steelers led the NFL in rushing , interceptions , and punt returns , and won the league ' s most valuable player award . Backs Frank Filchock and Merle Hapes of the Giants were questioned about an attempt by a New York man to fix the championship game with the Bears . Bell suspended Hapes but allowed Filchock to play ; he played well , but Chicago won 24 - 14 , December 15 . 1947 . The NFL added a fifth official , the back judge . A bonus choice was made for the first time in the NFL draft . One team each year would select the special choice before the first round began . The Chicago Bears won a lottery and the rights to the first choice and drafted back Bob Fenimore of Oklahoma A & M . The Cleveland Browns again won the AAFC title , defeating the New York Yankees 14 - 3 . Charles Bidwill , Sr . , owner of the Cardinals , died April 19 , but his wife and sons retained ownership of the team . On December 28 , the Cardinals won the NFL Championship Game 28 - 21 over the Philadelphia Eagles , who had beaten Pittsburgh 21 - 0 in a playoff . 1948 . Plastic helmets were prohibited . A flexible artificial tee was permitted at the kickoff . Officials other than the referee were equipped with whistles , not horns , January 14 . Fred Mandel sold the Detroit Lions to a syndicate headed by D . Lyle Fife , January 15 . Halfback Fred Gehrke of the Los Angeles Rams painted horns on the Rams ' helmets , the first modern helmet emblems in pro football . The Cleveland Browns won their third straight championship in the AAFC , going 14 - 0 and then defeating the Buffalo Bills 49 - 7 . In a blizzard , the Eagles defeated the Cardinals 7 - 0 in the NFL Championship Game , December 19 . 1949 . Alexis Thompson sold the champion Eagles to a syndicate headed by James P . Clark , January 15 . The Boston Yanks became the New York Bulldogs , sharing the Polo Grounds with the Giants . Free substitution was adopted for one year , January 20 . The NFL had two 1 , 000 - yard rushers in the same season for the first time - Steve Van Buren of Philadelphia and Tony Canadeo of Green Bay . The AAFC played its season with a one - division , seven - team format . On December 9 , Bell announced a mer - ger agreement in which three AAFC franchises - Cleveland , San Francisco , and Baltimore - would join the NFL in 1950 . The Browns won their fourth consecutive AAFC title , defeating the 49ers 21 - 7 , December 11 . In a heavy rain , the Eagles defeated the Rams 14 - 0 in the NFL Championship Game , December 18 . 1950 ' s . 1950 . Unlimited free substitution was restored , opening the way for the era of two platoons and specialization in pro football , January 20 . Curly Lambeau , founder of the franchise and Green Bay ' s head coach since 1921 , resigned under fire , February 1 . The name National Football League was restored after about three months as the National - American Football League . The American and National conferences were created to replace the Eastern and Western divisions , March 3 . The New York Bulldogs became the Yanks and divided the players of the former AAFC Yankees with the Giants . A special allocation draft was held in which the 13 teams drafted the remaining AAFC players , with special consideration for Baltimore , which received 15 choices compared to 10 for other teams . The Los Angeles Rams became the first NFL team to have all of its games - both home and away - televised . The Washington Redskins followed the Rams in arranging to televise their games ; other teams made deals to put selected games on television . In the first game of the season , former AAFC champion Cleveland defeated NFL champion Philadelphia 35 - 10 . For the first time , deadlocks occurred in both conferences and playoffs were necessary . The Browns defeated the Giants in the American and the Rams defeated the Bears in the National . Cleveland defeated Los Angeles 30 - 28 in the NFL Championship Game , December 24 . 1951 . The Pro Bowl game , dormant since 1942 , was revived under a new format matching the all - stars of each conference at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum . The American Conference defeated the National Conference 28 - 27 , January 14 . Abraham Watner returned the Baltimore franchise and its player contracts back to the NFL for $ 50 , 000 . Baltimore ' s former players were made available for drafting at the same time as college players , January 18 . A rule was passed that no tackle , guard , or center would be eligible to catch a forward pass , January 18 . The Rams reversed their television policy and televised only road games . The NFL Championship Game was televised coast - to - coast for the first time , December 23 . The DuMont Network paid $ 75 , 000 for the rights to the game , in which the Rams defeated the Browns 24 - 17 . 1952 . Ted Collins sold the New York Yanks ' franchise back to the NFL , January 19 . A new franchise was awarded to a group in Dallas after it purchased the assets of the Yanks , January 24 . The new Texans went 1 - 11 , with the owners turning the franchise back to the league in midseason . For the last five games of the season , the commissioner ' s office operated the Texans as a road team , using Hershey , Pennsylvania , as a home base . At the end of the season the franchise was canceled , the last time an NFL team failed . The Pittsburgh Steelers abandoned the Single - Wing for the T - formation , the last pro team to do so . The Detroit Lions won their first NFL championship in 17 years , defeating the Browns 17 - 7 in the title game , December 28 . 1953 . A Baltimore group headed by Carroll Rosenbloom was granted a franchise and was awarded the holdings of the defunct Dallas organization , January 23 . The team , named the Colts , put together the largest trade in league history , acquiring 10 players from Cleveland in exchange for five . The names of the American and National conferences were changed to the Eastern and Western conferences , January 24 . Jim Thorpe died , March 28 . Mickey McBride , founder of the Cleveland Browns , sold the franchise to a syndicate headed by Dave R . Jones , June 10 . The NFL policy of blacking out home games was upheld by Judge Allan K . Grim of the U . S . District Court in Philadelphia , November 12 . The Lions again defeated the Browns in the NFL Championship Game , winning 17 - 16 , December 27 . 1954 . The Canadian Football League began a series of raids on NFL teams , signing quarterback Eddie LeBaron and defensive end Gene Brito of Washington and defensive tackle Arnie Weinmeister of the Giants , among others . Fullback Joe Perry of the 49ers became the first player in league history to gain 1 , 000 yards rushing in consecutive seasons . Cleveland defeated Detroit 56 - 10 in the NFL Championship Game , December 26 . 1955 . The sudden - death overtime rule was used for the first time in a pre - season game between the Rams and Giants at Portland , Oregon , August 28 . The Rams won 23 - 17 three minutes into overtime . A rule change declared the ball dead immediately if the ball carrier touched the ground with any part of his body except his hands or feet while in the grasp of an opponent . The Baltimore Colts made an 80 - cent phone call to Johnny Unitas and signed him as a free agent . Another quarterback , Otto Graham , played his last game as the Browns defeated the Rams 38 - 14 in the NFL Championship Game , December 26 . Graham had quarterbacked the Browns to 10 championship - game appearances in 10 years . NBC replaced DuMont as the network for the title game , paying a rights fee of $ 100 , 000 . 1956 . The NFL Players Association was founded . Grabbing an opponent ' s facemask ( other than the ball carrier ) was made illegal . Using radio receivers to communicate with players on the field was prohibited . A natural leather ball with white end stripes replaced the white ball with black stripes for night games . The Giants moved from the Polo Grounds to Yankee Stadium . Halas retired as coach of the Bears , and was replaced by Paddy Driscoll . CBS became the first network to broadcast some NFL regular - season games to selected television markets across the nation . The Giants routed the Bears 47 - 7 in the NFL Championship Game , December 30 . 1957 . Pete Rozelle was named general manager of the Rams . Anthony J . Morabito , founder and co - owner of the 49ers , died of a heart attack during a game against the Bears at Kezar Stadium , October 28 . An NFL - record crowd of 102 , 368 saw the 49ers - Rams game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum , November 10 . The Lions came from 20 points down to post a 31 - 27 playoff victory over the 49ers , December 22 . Detroit defeated Cleveland 59 - 14 in the NFL Championship Game , December 29 . 1958 . The bonus selection in the draft was eliminated , January 29 . The last selection was quarterback King Hill of Rice by the Chicago Cardinals . Halas reinstated himself as coach of the Bears . Jim Brown of Cleveland gained an NFL - record 1 , 527 yards rushing . In a divisional playoff game , the Giants held Brown to eight yards and defeated Cleveland 10 - 0 . Baltimore , coached by Weeb Ewbank , defeated the Giants 23 - 17 in the first sudden - death overtime in an NFL Championship Game , December 28 . The game ended when Colts fullback Alan Ameche scored on a one - yard touchdown run after 8 : 15 of overtime . 1959 . Vince Lombardi was named head coach of the Green Bay Packers , January 28 . Tim Mara , the co - founder of the Giants , died , February 17 . Lamar Hunt of Dallas announced his intentions to form a second pro football league . The first meeting was held in Chicago , August 14 , and consisted of Hunt representing Dallas ; Bob Howsam , Denver ; K . S . ( Bud ) Adams , Houston ; Barron Hilton , Los Angeles ; Max Winter and Bill Boyer , Minneapolis ; and Harry Wismer , New York City . They made plans to begin play in 1960 . The new league was named the American Football League , August 22 . Buffalo , owned by Ralph Wilson , became the seventh franchise , October 28 . Boston , owned by William H . Sullivan , became the eighth team , November 22 . The first AFL draft , lasting 33 rounds , was held , November 22 . Joe Foss was named AFL Commissioner , November 30 . An additional draft of 20 rounds was held by the AFL , December 2 . NFL Commissioner Bert Bell died of a heart attack suffered at Franklin Field , Philadelphia , during the last two minutes of a game between the Eagles and the Steelers , October 11 . Treasurer Austin Gunsel was named president in the office of the commissioner , October 14 . The Colts again defeated the Giants in the NFL Championship Game , 31 - 16 , December 27 . 1960 ' s . 1960 . Pete Rozelle was elected NFL Commissioner as a compromise choice on the twenty - third ballot , January 26 . Rozelle moved the league offices to New York City . Hunt was elected AFL president for 1960 , January 26 . Minneapolis withdrew from the AFL , January 27 , and the same ownership was given an NFL franchise for Minnesota ( to start in 1961 ) , January 28 . Dallas received an NFL franchise for 1960 , January 28 . Oakland received an AFL franchise , January 30 . The AFL adopted the two - point option on points after touchdown , January 28 . A no - tampering verbal pact , relative to players ' contracts , was agreed to between the NFL and AFL , February 9 . The NFL owners voted to allow the transfer of the Chicago Cardinals to St . Louis , March 13 . The AFL signed a five - year television contract with ABC , June 9 . The Boston Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills 28 - 7 before 16 , 000 at Buffalo in the first AFL preseason game , July 30 . The Denver Broncos defeated the Patriots 13 - 10 before 21 , 597 at Boston in the first AFL regular - season game , September 9 . Philadelphia defeated Green Bay 17 - 13 in the NFL Championship Game , December 26 . 1961 . The Houston Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 24 - 16 before 32 , 183 in the first AFL Championship Game , January 1 . Detroit defeated Cleveland 17 - 16 in the first Playoff Bowl , or Bert Bell Benefit Bowl , between second - place teams in each conference in Miami , January 7 . End Willard Dewveall of the Bears played out his option and joined the Oilers , becoming the first player to move deliberately from one league to the other , January 14 . Ed McGah , Wayne Valley , and Robert Osborne bought out their partners in the ownership of the Raiders , January 17 . The Chargers were transferred to San Diego , February 10 . Dave R . Jones sold the Browns to a group headed by Arthur B . Modell , March 22 . The Howsam brothers sold the Broncos to a group headed by Calvin Kunz and Gerry Phipps , May 26 . NBC was awarded a two - year contract for radio and television rights to the NFL Championship Game for $ 615 , 000 annually , $ 300 , 000 of which was to go directly into the NFL Player Benefit Plan , April 5 . Canton , Ohio , where the league that became the NFL was formed in 1920 , was chosen as the site of the Pro Football Hall of Fame , April 27 . Dick McCann , a former Redskins executive , was named executive director . A bill legalizing single - network television contracts by professional sports leagues was introduced in Congress by Representative Emanuel Celler . It passed the House and Senate and was signed into law by President John F . Kennedy , September 30 . Houston defeated San Diego 10 - 3 for the AFL championship , December 24 . Green Bay won its first NFL championship since 1944 , defeating the New York Giants 37 - 0 , December 31 . 1962 . The Western Division defeated the Eastern Division 47 - 27 in the first AFL All - Star Game , played before 20 , 973 in San Diego , January 7 . Both leagues prohibited grabbing any player ' s facemask . The AFL voted to make the scoreboard clock the official timer of the game . The NFL entered into a single - network agreement with CBS for telecasting all regular - season games for $ 4 . 65 million annually , January 10 . Judge Roszel Thompson of the U . S . District Court in Baltimore ruled against the AFL in its antitrust suit against the NFL , May 21 . The AFL had charged the NFL with monopoly and conspiracy in areas of expansion , television , and player signings . The case lasted two and a half years , the trial two months . McGah and Valley acquired controlling interest in the Raiders , May 24 . The AFL assumed financial responsibility for the New York Titans , November 8 . With Commissioner Rozelle as referee , Daniel F . Reeves regained the ownership of the Rams , outbidding his partners in sealed - envelope bidding for the team , November 27 . The Dallas Texans defeated the Oilers 20 - 17 for the AFL championship at Houston after 17 minutes , 54 seconds of overtime on a 25 - yard field goal by Tommy Brooker , December 23 . The game lasted a record 77 minutes , 54 seconds . Judge Edward Weinfeld of the U . S . District Court in New York City upheld the legality of the NFL ' s television blackout within a 75 - mile radius of home games and denied an injunction that would have forced the championship game between the Giants and the Packers to be televised in the New York City area , December 28 . The Packers beat the Giants 16 - 7 for the NFL title , December 30 . 1963 . The Dallas Texans transferred to Kansas City , becoming the Chiefs , February 8 . The New York Titans were sold to a five - man syndicate headed by David ( Sonny ) Werblin , March 28 . Weeb Ewbank became the Titans ' new head coach and the team ' s name was changed to the Jets , April 15 . They began play in Shea Stadium . NFL Properties , Inc . , was founded to serve as the licensing arm of the NFL . Rozelle indefinitely suspended Green Bay halfback Paul Hornung and Detroit defensive tackle Alex Karras for placing bets on their own teams and on other NFL games ; he also fined five other Detroit players $ 2 , 000 each for betting on one game in which they did not participate , and the Detroit Lions Football Company $ 2 , 000 on each of two counts for failure to report information promptly and for lack of sideline supervision . Paul Brown , head coach of the Browns since their inception , was fired and replaced by Blanton Collier . Don Shula replaced Weeb Ewbank as head coach of the Colts . The AFL allowed the Jets and Raiders to select players from other franchises in hopes of giving the league more competitive balance , May 11 . NBC was awarded exclusive network broadcasting rights for the 1963 AFL Championship Game for $ 926 , 000 , May 23 . The Pro Football Hall of Fame was dedicated at Canton , Ohio , September 7 . The U . S . Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals reaffirmed the lower court ' s finding for the NFL in the $ 10 - million suit brought by the AFL , ending three and a half years of litigation , November 21 . Jim Brown of Cleveland rushed for an NFL single - season record 1 , 863 yards . Boston defeated Buffalo 26 - 8 in the first divisional playoff game in AFL history , December 28 . The Bears defeated the Giants 14 - 10 in the NFL Championship Game , a record sixth and last title for Halas in his thirty - sixth season as the Bears ' coach , December 29 . 1964 . The Chargers defeated the Patriots 51 - 10 in the AFL Championship Game , January 5 . William Clay Ford , the Lions ' president since 1961 , purchased the team , January 10 . A group representing the late James P . Clark sold the Eagles to a group headed by Jerry Wolman , January 21 . Carroll Rosenbloom , the majority owner of the Colts since 1953 , acquired complete ownership of the team , January 23 . The AFL signed a five - year , $ 36 - million television contract with NBC to begin with the 1965 season , January 29 . Commissioner Rozelle negotiated an agreement on behalf of the NFL clubs to purchase Ed Sabol ' s Blair Motion Pictures , which was renamed NFL Films , March 5 . Hornung and Karras were rein - stated by Rozelle , March 16 . CBS submitted the winning bid of $ 14 . 1 million per year for the NFL regular - season television rights for 1964 and 1965 , January 24 . CBS acquired the rights to the champion - ship games for 1964 and 1965 for $ 1 . 8 million per game , April 17 . Pete Gogolak of Cornell signed a contract with Buffalo , becoming the first soccer - style kicker in pro football . Buffalo defeated San Diego 20 - 7 in the AFL Championship Game , December 26 . Cleveland defeated Baltimore 27 - 0 in the NFL Championship Game , December 27 . 1965 . The NFL teams pledged not to sign college seniors until completion of all their games , including bowl games , and empowered the Commissioner to discipline the clubs up to as much as the loss of an entire draft list for a violation of the pledge , February 15 . The NFL added a sixth official , the line judge , February 19 . The color of the officials ' penalty flags was changed from white to bright gold , April 5 . Atlanta was awarded an NFL franchise for 1966 , with Rankin Smith , Sr . , as owner , June 30 . Miami was awarded an AFL franchise for 1966 , with Joe Robbie and Danny Thomas as owners , August 16 . Field Judge Burl Toler became the first black official in NFL history , September 19 . According to a Harris survey , sports fans chose professional football ( 41 percent ) as their favorite sport , overtaking baseball ( 38 percent ) for the first time , October . Green Bay defeated Baltimore 13 - 10 in sudden - death overtime in a Western Conference playoff game . Don Chandler kicked a 25 - yard field goal for the Packers after 13 minutes , 39 seconds of overtime , December 26 . The Packers then defeated the Browns 23 - 12 in the NFL Championship Game , January 2 . In the AFL Championship Game , the Bills again defeated the Chargers , 23 - 0 , December 26 . CBS acquired the rights to the NFL regular - season games in 1966 and 1967 , with an option for 1968 , for $ 18 . 8 million per year , December 29 . 1966 . The AFL - NFL war reached its peak , as the leagues spent a combined $ 7 million to sign their 1966 draft choices . The NFL signed 75 percent of its 232 draftees , the AFL 46 percent of its 181 . Of the 111 common draft choices , 79 signed with the NFL , 28 with the AFL , and 4 went unsigned . Buddy Young became the first African - American to work in the league office when Commissioner Rozelle named him director of player relations , February 1 . The rights to the 1966 and 1967 NFL Championship Games were sold to CBS for $ 2 million per game , February 14 . Foss resigned as AFL Commissioner , April 7 . Al Davis , the head coach and general manager of the Raiders , was named to replace him , April 8 . Goal posts offset from the goal line , painted bright yellow , and with uprights 20 feet above the cross - bar were made standard in the NFL , May 16 . A series of secret meetings regarding a possible AFL - NFL merger were held in the spring between Hunt of Kansas City and Tex Schramm of Dallas . Rozelle announced the merger , June 8 . Under the agreement , the two leagues would combine to form an expanded league with 24 teams , to be increased to 26 in 1968 and to 28 by 1970 or soon thereafter . All existing franchises would be retained , and no franchises would be transferred outside their metropolitan areas . While maintaining separate schedules through 1969 , the leagues agreed to play an annual AFL - NFL World Championship Game beginning in January , 1967 , and to hold a combined draft , also beginning in 1967 . Preseason games would be held between teams of each league starting in 1967 . Official regular - season play would start in 1970 when the two leagues would officially merge to form one league with two conferences . Rozelle was named Commissioner of the expanded league setup . Davis rejoined the Raiders , and Milt Woodard was named president of the AFL , July 25 . The St . Louis Cardinals moved into newly constructed Busch Memorial Stadium . Barron Hilton sold the Chargers to a group headed by Eugene Klein and Sam Schulman , August 25 . Congress approved the AFL - NFL merger , passing legislation exempting the agreement itself from antitrust action , October 21 . New Orleans was awarded an NFL franchise to begin play in 1967 , November 1 . John Mecom , Jr . , of Houston was designated majority stockholder and president of the franchise , December 15 . The NFL was realigned for the 1967 - 69 seasons into the Capitol and Century Divisions in the Eastern Conference and the Central and Coastal Divisions in the Western Conference , December 2 . New Orleans and the New York Giants agreed to switch divisions in 1968 and return to the 1967 alignment in 1969 . The rights to the Super Bowl for four years were sold to CBS and NBC for $ 9 . 5 million , December 13 . 1967 . Green Bay earned the right to represent the NFL in the first AFL - NFL World Championship Game by defeating Dallas 34 - 27 , January 1 . The same day , Kansas City defeated Buffalo 31 - 7 to represent the AFL . The Packers defeated the Chiefs 35 - 10 before 61 , 946 fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in the first game between AFL and NFL teams , January 15 . The winning players ' share for the Packers was $ 15 , 000 each , and the losing players ' share for the Chiefs was $ 7 , 500 each . The game was televised by both CBS and NBC . The " sling - shot " goal post and a six - foot - wide border around the field were made standard in the NFL , February 22 . Baltimore made Bubba Smith , a Michigan State defensive lineman , the first choice in the first combined AFL - NFL draft , March 14 . The AFL awarded a franchise to begin play in 1968 to Cincinnati , May 24 . A group with Paul Brown as part owner , general manager , and head coach , was awarded the Cincinnati franchise , September 27 . Arthur B . Modell , the president of the Cleveland Browns , was elected president of the NFL , May 28 . Defensive back Emlen Tunnell of the New York Giants became the first black player to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame , August 5 . An AFL team defeated an NFL team for the first time , when Denver beat Detroit 13 - 7 in a preseason game , August 5 . Green Bay defeated Dallas 21 - 17 for the NFL championship on a last - minute 1 - yard quarterback sneak by Bart Starr in 13 - below - zero temperature at Green Bay , December 31 . The same day , Oakland defeated Houston 40 - 7 for the AFL championship . 1968 . Green Bay defeated Oakland 33 - 14 in Super Bowl II at Miami , January 14 . The game had the first $ 3 - million gate in pro football history . Vince Lombardi resigned as head coach of the Packers , but remained as general manager , January 28 . Werblin sold his shares in the Jets to his partners Don Lillis , Leon Hess , Townsend Martin , and Phil Iselin , May 21 . Lillis assumed the presidency of the club , but then died July 23 . Iselin was appointed president , August 6 . Halas retired for the fourth and last time as head coach of the Bears , May 27 . The Oilers left Rice Stadium for the Astrodome and became the first NFL team to play its home games in a domed stadium . The movie Heidi became a footnote in sports history when NBC didn ' t show the last : 50 of the Jets - Raiders game in order to permit the children ' s special to begin on time . The Raiders scored two touchdowns in the last 42 seconds to win 43 - 32 , November 17 . Ewbank became the first coach to win titles in both the NFL and AFL when his Jets defeated the Raiders 27 - 23 for the AFL championship , December 29 . The same day , Baltimore defeated Cleveland 34 - 0 . 1969 . The AFL established a playoff format for the 1969 season , with the winner in one division playing the runner - up in the other , January 11 . An AFL team won the Super Bowl for the first time , as the Jets defeated the Colts 16 - 7 at Miami , January 12 in Super Bowl III . The title Super Bowl was recognized by the NFL for the first time . Vince Lombardi became part owner , executive vice - president , and head coach of the Washington Redskins , February 7 . Wolman sold the Eagles to Leonard Tose , May 1 . Baltimore , Cleveland , and Pittsburgh agreed to join the AFL teams to form the 13 - team American Football Conference of the NFL in 1970 , May 17 . The NFL also agreed on a playoff format that would include one " wild - card " team per conference - the second - place team with the best record . Monday Night Football was signed for 1970 . ABC acquired the rights to televise 13 NFL regular - season Monday night games in 1970 , 1971 , and 1972 . George Preston Marshall , president emeritus of the Redskins , died at 72 , August 9 . The NFL marked its fiftieth year by the wearing of a special patch by each of the 16 teams . 1970 ' s . 1970 . Kansas City defeated Minnesota 23 - 7 in Super Bowl IV at New Orleans , January 11 . The gross receipts of approximately $ 3 . 8 million were the largest ever for a one - day sports event . Four - year television contracts , under which CBS would televise all NFC games and NBC all AFC games ( except Monday night games ) and the two would divide televising the Super Bowl and AFC - NFC Pro Bowl games , were announced , January 26 . Art Modell resigned as president of the NFL , March 12 . Milt Woodard resigned as president of the AFL , March 13 . Lamar Hunt was elected president of the AFC and George Halas was elected president of the NFC , March 19 . The merged 26 - team league adopted rules changes putting names on the backs of players ' jerseys , making a point after touchdown worth only one point , and making the scoreboard clock the official timing device of the game , March 18 . The Players Negotiating Committee and the NFL Players Association announced a four - year agreement guaranteeing approximately $ 4 , 535 , 000 annually to player pension and insurance benefits , August 3 . The owners also agreed to contribute $ 250 , 000 annually to improve or implement items such as disability payments , widows ' benefits , maternity benefits , and dental benefits . The agreement also provided for increased preseason game and per diem payments , averaging approximately $ 2 . 6 million annually . The Pittsburgh Steelers moved into Three Rivers Stadium . The Cincinnati Bengals moved to Riverfront Stadium . Lombardi died of cancer at 57 , September 3 . The Super Bowl trophy was renamed the Vince Lombardi trophy , September 10 . Tom Dempsey of New Orleans kicked a game - winning NFL - record 63 - yard field goal against Detroit , November 8 . 1971 . Baltimore defeated Dallas 16 - 13 on Jim O ' Brien ' s 32 - yard field goal with five seconds to go in Super Bowl V at Miami , January 17 . The NBC tele - cast was viewed in an estimated 23 , 980 , 000 homes , the largest audience ever for a one - day sports event . The NFC defeated the AFC 27 - 6 in the first AFC - NFC Pro Bowl at Los Angeles , January 24 . The Boston Patriots changed their name to the New England Patriots , March 25 . Their new stadium , Schaefer Stadium , was dedicated in a 20 - 14 preseason victory over the Giants . The Philadelphia Eagles left Franklin Field and played their games at the new Veterans Stadium . The San Francisco 49ers left Kezar Stadium and moved their games to Candlestick Park . Daniel F . Reeves , the president and general manager of the Rams , died at 58 , April 15 . The Dallas Cowboys moved from the Cotton Bowl into their new home , Texas Stadium , October 24 . Miami defeated Kansas City 27 - 24 in sudden - death overtime in an AFC Divisional Playoff Game , December 25 . Garo Yepremian kicked a 37 - yard field goal for the Dolphins after 22 minutes , 40 seconds of overtime , as the game lasted 82 minutes , 40 seconds overall , making it the longest game in history . 1972 . Dallas defeated Miami 24 - 3 in Super Bowl VI at New Orleans , January 16 . The CBS telecast was viewed in an estimated 27 , 450 , 000 homes , the top - rated one - day telecast ever . The inbounds lines or hashmarks were moved nearer the center of the field , 23 yards , 1 foot , 9 inches from the sidelines , March 23 . The method of determining won - lost percentage in standings changed . Tie games , previously not counted in the standings , were made equal to a half - game won and a half - game lost , May 24 . Robert Irsay purchased the Los Angeles Rams and transferred ownership of the club to Carroll Rosen - bloom in exchange for the Baltimore Colts , July 13 . William V . Bidwill purchased the stock of his brother Charles ( Stormy ) Bidwill to become the sole owner of the St . Louis Cardinals , September 2 . The National District Attorneys Association endorsed the position of professional leagues in opposing proposed legalization of gambling on professional team sports , September 28 . Franco Harris ' s " Immaculate Reception " gave the Steelers their first postseason win ever , 13 - 7 over the Raiders , December 23 . 1973 . Rozelle announced that all Super Bowl VII tickets were sold and that the game would be telecast in Los Angeles , the site of the game , on an experimental basis , January 3 . Miami defeated Washington 14 - 7 in Super Bowl VII at Los Angeles , completing a 17 - 0 season , the first perfect - record regular - season and postseason mark in NFL history , January 14 . The NBC telecast was viewed by approximately 75 million people . The AFC defeated the NFC 33 - 28 in the Pro Bowl in Dallas , the first time since 1942 that the game was played outside Los Angeles , January 21 . A jersey numbering system was adopted , April 5 : 1 - 19 for quarterbacks and specialists , 20 - 49 for running backs and defensive backs , 50 - 59 for centers and linebackers , 60 - 79 for defensive linemen and interior offensive linemen other than centers , and 80 - 89 for wide receivers and tight ends . Players who had been in the NFL in 1972 could continue to use old numbers . NFL Charities , a nonprofit organi - zation , was created to derive an income from monies generated from NFL Properties ' licensing of NFL trademarks and team names , June 26 . NFL Charities was set up to support education and charitable activities and to supply economic support to persons formerly associated with professional football who were no longer able to support themselves . Congress adopted experimental legislation ( for three years ) requiring any NFL game that had been declared a sellout 72 hours prior to kickoff to be made available for local televising , September 14 . The legislation pro - vided for an annual review to be made by the Federal Communications Commission . The Buffalo Bills moved their home games from War Memorial Stadium to Rich Stadium in nearby Orchard Park . The Giants tied the Eagles 23 - 23 in the final game in Yankee Stadium , September 23 . The Giants played the rest of their home games at the Yale Bowl in New Haven , Connecticut . A rival league , the World Football League , was formed and was reported in operation , October 2 . It had plans to start play in 1974 . O . J . Simpson of Buffalo became the first player to rush for more than 2 , 000 yards in a season , gaining 2 , 003 . 1974 . Miami defeated Minnesota 24 - 7 in Super Bowl VIII at Houston , the second consecutive Super Bowl championship for the Dolphins , January 13 . The CBS telecast was viewed by approximately 75 million people . Rozelle was given a 10 - year contract effective January 1 , 1973 , February 27 . Tampa Bay was awarded a franchise to begin operation in 1976 , April 24 . Sweeping rules changes were adopted to add action and tempo to games : one sudden - death overtime period was added for preseason and regular - season games ; the goal posts were moved from the goal line to the end lines ; kickoffs were moved from the 40 - to the 35 - yard line ; after missed field goals from beyond the 20 , the ball was to be returned to the line of scrimmage ; restrictions were placed on members of the punting team to open up return possibilities ; roll - blocking and cutting of wide receivers was eliminated ; the extent of downfield contact a defender could have with an eligible receiver was restricted ; the penalties for offensive holding , illegal use of the hands , and tripping were reduced from 15 to 10 yards ; wide receivers blocking back toward the ball within three yards of the line of scrimmage were prevented from blocking below the waist , April 25 . Seattle was awarded an NFL franchise to begin play in 1976 , June 4 . Lloyd W . Nordstrom , president of the Seattle Seahawks , and Hugh Culverhouse , president of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , signed franchise agreements , December 5 . The Birmingham Americans defeated the Florida Blazers 22 - 21 in the WFL World Bowl , winning the league championship , December 5 . 1975 . Pittsburgh defeated Minnesota 16 - 6 in Super Bowl IX at New Orleans , the Steelers ' first championship since entering the NFL in 1933 . The NBC telecast was viewed by approximately 78 million people . The Memphis Southmen of the WFL signed Larry Csonka , Jim Kiick , and Paul Warfield of Miami , March 31 . The divisional winners with the highest won - loss percentage were made the home team for the divisional playoffs , and the surviving winners with the highest percentage made home teams for the championship games , June 26 . Referees were equipped with wireless microphones for all preseason , regular - season , and playoff games . The Lions moved to the new Pontiac Silverdome . The Giants played their home games in Shea Stadium . The Saints moved into the Louisiana Superdome . The World Football League folded , October 22 . 1976 . Pittsburgh defeated Dallas 21 - 17 in Super Bowl X in Miami . The Steelers joined Green Bay and Miami as the only teams to win two Super Bowls ; the Cowboys became the first wild - card team to play in the Super Bowl . The CBS telecast was viewed by an estimated 80 million people , the largest television audience in history . Lloyd Nordstrom , the president of the Seahawks , died at 66 , January 20 . His brother Elmer succeeded him as majority representative of the team . The owners awarded Super Bowl XII , to be played on January 15 , 1978 , to New Orleans . They also adopted the use of two 30 - second clocks for all games , visible to both players and fans to note the official time between the ready - for - play signal and snap of the ball , March 16 . A veteran player allocation was held to stock the Seattle and Tampa Bay franchises with 39 players each , March 30 - 31 . In the college draft , Seattle and Tampa Bay each received eight extra choices , April 8 - 9 . The Giants moved into new Giants Stadium in East Rutherford , New Jersey . The Steelers defeated the College All - Stars in a storm - shortened Chicago College All - Star Game , the last of the series , July 23 . St . Louis defeated San Diego 20 - 10 in a preseason game before 38 , 000 in Korakuen Stadium , Tokyo , in the first NFL game outside of North America , August 16 . 1977 . Oakland defeated Minnesota 32 - 14 in Super Bowl XI at Pasadena , January 9 . The paid attendance was a pro record 103 , 438 . The NBC telecast was viewed by 81 . 9 million people , the largest ever to view a sports event . The victory was the fifth consecutive for the AFC in the Super Bowl . The NFL Players Association and the NFL Management Council ratified a collective bargaining agreement extending until 1982 , covering five football seasons while continuing the pension plan - including years 1974 , 1975 , and 1976 - with contributions totaling more than $ 55 million . The total cost of the agreement was estimated at $ 107 million . The agreement called for a college draft at least through 1986 ; contained a no - strike , no - suit clause ; established a 43 - man active player limit ; reduced pension vesting to four years ; provided for increases in minimum salaries and preseason and postseason pay ; improved insurance , medical , and dental benefits ; modified previous practices in player movement and control ; and reaffirmed the NFL Commissioner ' s disciplinary authority . Additionally , the agreement called for the NFL member clubs to make payments totaling $ 16 million the next 10 years to settle various legal disputes , February 25 . The San Francisco 49ers were sold to Edward J . DeBartolo , Jr . , March 28 . A 16 - game regular season , 4 - game preseason was adopted to begin in 1978 , March 29 . A second wild - card team was adopted for the playoffs beginning in 1978 , with the wild - card teams to play each other and the winners advancing to a round of eight postseason series . The Seahawks were permanently aligned in the AFC Western Division and the Buccaneers in the NFC Central Division , March 31 . The owners awarded Super Bowl XIII , to be played on January 21 , 1979 , to Miami , to be played in the Orange Bowl ; Super Bowl XIV , to be played January 20 , 1980 , was awarded to Pasadena , to be played in the Rose Bowl , June 14 . Rules changes were adopted to open up the passing game and to cut down on injuries . Defenders were permitted to make contact with eligible receivers only once ; the head slap was outlawed ; offensive linemen were prohibited from thrusting their hands to an opponent ' s neck , face , or head ; and wide receivers were prohibited from clipping , even in the legal clipping zone . Rozelle negotiated contracts with the three television networks to televise all NFL regular - season and postseason games , plus selected preseason games , for four years beginning with the 1978 season . ABC was awarded yearly rights to 16 Monday night games , four prime - time games , the AFC - NFC Pro Bowl , and the Hall of Fame games . CBS received the rights to all NFC regular - season and postseason games ( except those in the ABC package ) and to Super Bowls XIV and XVI . NBC received the rights to all AFC regular - season and postseason games ( except those in the ABC package ) and to Super Bowls XIII and XV . Industry sources considered it the largest single television package ever negotiated , October 12 . Chicago ' s Walter Payton set a single - game rushing record with 275 yards ( 40 carries ) against Minnesota , November 20 . 1978 . Dallas defeated Denver 27 - 10 in Super Bowl XII , held indoors for the first time , at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans , January 15 . The CBS telecast was viewed by more than 102 million people , meaning the game was watched by more viewers than any other show of any kind in the history of television . Dallas ' s victory was the first for the NFC in six years . According to a Louis Harris Sports Survey , 70 percent of the nation ' s sports fans said they followed football , compared to 54 percent who followed baseball . Football increased its lead as the country ' s favorite , 26 percent to 16 percent for baseball , January 19 . A seventh official , the side judge , was added to the officiating crew , March 14 . The NFL continued a trend toward opening up the game . Rules changes permitted a defender to maintain contact with a receiver within five yards of the line of scrimmage , but restricted contact beyond that point . The pass - blocking rule was interpreted to permit the extending of arms and open hands , March 17 . A study on the use of instant replay as an officiating aid was made during seven nationally televised preseason games . The NFL played for the first time in Mexico City , with the Saints defeating the Eagles 14 - 7 in a preseason game , August 5 . Bolstered by the expansion of the regular - season schedule from 14 to 16 weeks , NFL paid attendance exceeded 12 million ( 12 , 771 , 800 ) for the first time . The per - game average of 57 , 017 was the third - highest in league history and the most since 1973 . 1979 . Pittsburgh defeated Dallas 35 - 31 in Super Bowl XIII at Miami to become the first team ever to win three Super Bowls , January 21 . The NBC telecast was viewed in 35 , 090 , 000 homes , by an estimated 96 . 6 million fans . The owners awarded three future Super Bowl sites : Super Bowl XV to the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans , to be played on January 25 , 1981 ; Super Bowl XVI to the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac , Michigan , to be played on January 24 , 1982 ; and Super Bowl XVII to Pasadena ' s Rose Bowl , to be played on January 30 , 1983 , March 13 . NFL rules changes emphasized additional player safety . The changes prohibited players on the receiving team from blocking below the waist during kickoffs , punts , and field - goal attempts ; prohibited the wearing of torn or altered equipment and exposed pads that could be hazardous ; extended the zone in which there could be no crackback blocks ; and instructed officials to quickly whistle a play dead when a quarterback was clearly in the grasp of a tackler , March 16 . Rosenbloom , the president of the Rams , drowned at 72 , April 2 . His widow , Georgia , assumed control of the club . 1980 ' s . 1980 . Pittsburgh defeated the Los Angeles Rams 31 - 19 in Super Bowl XIV at Pasadena to become the first team to win four Super Bowls , January 20 . The game was viewed in a record 35 , 330 , 000 homes . The AFC - NFC Pro Bowl , won 37 - 27 by the NFC , was played before 48 , 060 fans at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu , Hawaii . It was the first time in the 30 - year history of the Pro Bowl that the game was played in a non - NFL city . Rules changes placed greater restrictions on contact in the area of the head , neck , and face . Under the heading of " personal foul , " players were prohibited from directly striking , swinging , or clubbing on the head , neck , or face . Starting in 1980 , a penalty could be called for such contact whether or not the initial contact was made below the neck area . CBS , with a record bid of $ 12 million , won the national radio rights to 26 NFL regular - season games , including Monday Night Football , and all 10 postseason games for the 1980 - 83 seasons . < The Los Angeles Rams moved their home games to Anaheim Stadium in nearby Orange County , California . The Oakland Raiders joined the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission ' s antitrust suit against the NFL . The suit contended the league violated antitrust laws in declining to approve a proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland to Los Angeles . NFL regular - season attendance of nearly 13 . 4 million set a record for the third year in a row . The average paid attendance for the 224 - game 1980 regular season was 59 , 787 , the highest in the league ' s 61 - year history . NFL games in 1980 were played before 92 . 4 percent of total stadium capacity . Television ratings in 1980 were the second - best in NFL history , trailing only the combined ratings of the 1976 season . All three networks posted gains , and NBC ' s 15 . 0 rating was its best ever . CBS and ABC had their best ratings since 1977 , with 15 . 3 and 20 . 8 ratings , respectively . CBS Radio reported a record audience of 7 million for Monday night and special games . 1981 . Oakland defeated Philadelphia 27 - 10 in Super Bowl XV at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans , to become the first wild - card team to win a Super Bowl , January 25 . Edgar F . Kaiser , Jr . , purchased the Denver Broncos from Gerald and Allan Phipps , February 26 . The owners adopted a disaster plan for re - stocking a team should the club be involved in a fatal accident , March 20 . The owners awarded Super Bowl XVIII to Tampa , to be played in Tampa Stadium on January 22 , 1984 , June 3 . A CBS - New York Times poll showed that 48 percent of sports fans preferred football to 31 percent for baseball . The NFL teams hosted 167 representatives from 44 predominantly black colleges during training camps for a total of 289 days . The program was adopted for renewal during each training camp period . NFL regular - season attendance - 13 . 6 million for an average of 60 , 745 - set a record for the fourth year in a row . It also was the first time the per - game average exceeded 60 , 000 . NFL games in 1981 were played before 93 . 8 percent of total stadium capacity . ABC and CBS set all - time rating highs . ABC finished with a 21 . 7 rating and CBS with a 17 . 5 rating . NBC was down slightly to 13 . 9 . 1982 . San Francisco defeated Cincinnati 26 - 21 in Super Bowl XVI at the Pontiac Silverdome , in the first Super Bowl held in the North , January 24 . The CBS telecast achieved the highest rating of any televised sports event ever , 49 . 1 with a 73 . 0 share . The game was viewed by a record 110 . 2 million fans . CBS Radio reported a record 14 million listeners for the game . The NFL signed a five - year contract with the three television networks ( ABC , CBS , and NBC ) to televise all NFL regular - season and postseason games starting with the 1982 season . The owners awarded the 1983 , 1984 , and 1985 AFC - NFC Pro Bowls to Honolulu ' s Aloha Stadium . A jury ruled against the NFL in the antitrust trial brought by the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission and the Oakland Raiders , May 7 . The verdict cleared the way for the Raiders to move to Los Angeles , where they defeated Green Bay 24 - 3 in their first preseason game , August 29 . The 1982 season was reduced from a 16 - game schedule to nine as the result of a 57 - day players ' strike . The strike was called by the NFLPA at midnight on Monday , September 20 , following the Green Bay at New York Giants game . Play resumed November 21 - 22 following ratification of the Collective Bargaining Agreement by NFL owners , November 17 in New York . Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement , which was to run through the 1986 season , the NFL draft was extended through 1992 and the veteran free - agent system was left basically unchanged . A minimum salary schedule for years of experience was established ; training camp and postseason pay were increased ; players ' medical , insurance , and retirement benefits were increased ; and a severance - pay system was introduced to aid in career transition , a first in professional sports . Despite the players ' strike , the average paid attendance in 1982 was 58 , 472 , the fifth - highest in league history . The owners awarded the sites of two Super Bowls , December 14 : Super Bowl XIX , to be played on January 20 , 1985 , to Stanford University Stadium in Stanford , California , with San Francisco as host team ; and Super Bowl XX , to be played on January 26 , 1986 , to the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans . 1983 . Because of the shortened season , the NFL adopted a format of 16 teams competing in a Super Bowl Tournament for the 1982 playoffs . The NFC ' s number - one seed , Washington , defeated the AFC ' s number - two seed , Miami , 27 - 17 in Super Bowl XVII at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena , January 30 . Super Bowl XVII was the second - highest rated live television program of all time , giving the NFL a sweep of the top 10 live programs in television history . The game was viewed in more than 40 million homes , the largest ever for a live telecast . George Halas , the owner of the Bears and the last surviving member of the NFL ' s second organizational meeting , died at 88 , October 31 . 1984 . The Los Angeles Raiders defeated Washington 38 - 9 in Super Bowl XVIII at Tampa Stadium , January 22 . The game achieved a 46 . 4 rating and 71 . 0 share . An 11 - man group headed by H . R . ( Bum ) Bright purchased the Dallas Cowboys from Clint Murchison , Jr . , March 20 . Club president Tex Schramm was designated as managing general partner . Wellington Mara was named president of the NFC , March 20 . Patrick Bowlen purchased a majority interest in the Denver Broncos from Edgar Kaiser , Jr . , March 21 . The Colts relocated to Indianapolis , March 28 . Their new home became the Hoosier Dome . The owners awarded two Super Bowl sites at their May 23 - 25 meetings : Super Bowl XXI , to be played on January 25 , 1987 , to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena ; and Super Bowl XXII , to be played on January 31 , 1988 , to San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium . The New York Jets moved their home games to Giants Stadium in East Rutherford , New Jersey . Alex G . Spanos purchased a majority interest in the San Diego Chargers from Eugene V . Klein , August 28 . Houston defeated Pittsburgh 23 - 20 to mark the one - hundredth overtime game in regular - season play since overtime was adopted in 1974 , December 2 . On the field , many all - time records were set : Dan Marino of Miami passed for 5 , 084 yards and 48 touchdowns ; Eric Dickerson of the Los Angeles Rams rushed for 2 , 105 yards ; Art Monk of Washington caught 106 passes ; and Walter Payton of Chicago broke Jim Brown ' s career rushing mark , finishing the season with 13 , 309 yards . According to a CBS Sports / New York Times survey , 53 percent of the nation ' s sports fans said they most enjoyed watching football , compared to 18 percent for baseball , December 2 - 4 . NFL paid attendance exceeded 13 million for the fifth consecutive complete regular season when 13 , 398 , 112 , an average of 59 , 813 , attended games . The figure was the second - highest in league history . Teams averaged 42 . 4 points per game , the second - highest total since the 1970 merger . 1985 . San Francisco defeated Miami 38 - 16 in Super Bowl XIX at Stanford Stadium in Stanford , California , January 20 . The game was viewed on television by more people than any other live event in history . President Ronald Reagan , who took his second oath of office before tossing the coin for the game , was one of 115 , 936 , 000 viewers . The game drew a 46 . 4 rating and a 63 . 0 share . In addition , 6 million people watched the Super Bowl in the United Kingdom and a similar number in Italy . Super Bowl XIX had a direct economic impact of $ 113 . 5 million on the San Francisco Bay area . NBC Radio and the NFL entered into a two - year agreement granting NBC the radio rights to a 37 - game package in each of the 1985 - 86 seasons , March 6 . The package included 27 regular - season games and 10 postseason games . The owners awarded two Super Bowl sites at their annual meeting , March 10 - 15 : Super Bowl XXIII , to be played on January 22 , 1989 , to the proposed Dolphins Stadium in Miami ; and Super Bowl XXIV , to be played on January 28 , 1990 , to the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans . Norman Braman , in partnership with Edward Leibowitz , bought the Philadelphia Eagles from Leonard Tose , April 29 . Bruce Smith , a Virginia Tech defensive lineman selected by Buffalo , was the first player chosen in the fiftieth NFL draft , April 30 . A group headed by Tom Benson , Jr . , was approved to purchase the New Orleans Saints from John W . Mecom , Jr . , June 3 . The NFL owners adopted a resolution calling for a series of overseas preseason games , beginning in 1986 , with one game to be played in England / Europe and / or one game in Japan each year . The game would be a fifth preseason game for the clubs involved and all arrangements and selection of the clubs would be under the control of the Commissioner , May 23 . The league - wide conversion to videotape from movie film for coach - ing study was approved . Commissioner Rozelle was authorized to extend the commitment to Honolulu ' s Aloha Stadium for the AFC - NFC Pro Bowl for 1988 , 1989 , and 1990 , October 15 . The NFL set a single - weekend paid attendance record when 902 , 657 tickets were sold for the weekend of October 27 - 28 . A Louis Harris poll in December revealed that pro football remained the sport most followed by Americans . Fifty - nine percent of those surveyed followed pro football , compared with 54 percent who followed baseball . The Chicago - Miami Monday game had the highest rating , 29 . 6 , and share , 46 . 0 , of any prime - time game in NFL history , December 2 . The game was viewed in more than 25 million homes . The NFL showed a ratings increase on all three networks for the season , gaining 4 percent on NBC , 10 on CBS , and 16 on ABC . 1986 . Chicago defeated New England 46 - 10 in Super Bowl XX at the Louisiana Superdome , January 26 . The Patriots had earned the right to play the Bears by becoming the first wild - card team to win three consecutive games on the road . The NBC telecast replaced the final episode of M * A * S * H as the most - viewed television program in history , with an audience of 127 million viewers , according to A . C . Nielsen figures . In addition to drawing a 48 . 3 rating and a 70 percent share in the United States , Super Bowl XX was televised to 59 foreign countries and beamed via satellite to the QE II . An estimated 300 million Chinese viewed a tape delay of the game in March . NBC Radio figures indicated an audience of 10 million for the game . The owners adopted limited use of instant replay as an officiating aid , prohibited players from wearing or otherwise displaying equipment , apparel , or other items that carry commercial names , names of organizations , or personal messages of any type , March 11 . After an 11 - week trial , a jury in U . S . District Court in New York awarded the United States Football League one dollar in its $ 1 . 7 billion antitrust suit against the NFL . The jury rejected all of the USFL ' s television - related claims , which were the self - proclaimed heart of the USFL ' s case . The jury deliberated five days , July 29 . Chicago defeated Dallas 17 - 6 at Wembley Stadium in London in the first American Bowl . The game drew a sellout crowd of 82 , 699 and the NBC national telecast in this country produced a 12 . 4 rating and 36 percent share , making it the highest daytime preseason television audience ever with 10 . 65 - million viewers , August 3 . ABC ' S Monday Night Football , in its seventeenth season , became the longest - running prime - time series in the history of the network . 1987 . The New York Giants defeated Denver 39 - 20 in Super Bowl XXI and captured their first NFL title since 1956 . The game , played in Pasadena ' s Rose Bowl , drew a sellout crowd of 101 , 063 . According to A . C . Nielsen figures , the CBS broadcast of the game was viewed in the U . S . on television by 122 . 64 - million people , making the telecast the second most - watched television show of all - time behind Super Bowl XX . The game was watched live or on tape in 55 foreign countries and NBC Radio ' s broadcast of the game was heard by a record 10 . 1 million people . New three - year TV contracts with ABC , CBS , and NBC were announced for 1987 - 89 at the NFL annual meeting in Maui , Hawaii , March 15 . Commissioner Rozelle and Broadcast Committee Chairman Art Modell also announced a three - year contract with ESPN to televise 13 prime - time games each season . The ESPN contract was the first with a cable network . However , NFL games on ESPN also were scheduled for regular television in the city of the visiting team and in the home city if the game was sold out 72 hours in advance . A special payment program was adopted to benefit nearly 1 , 000 former NFL players who participated in the League before the current Bert Bell NFL Pension Plan was created and made retroactive to the 1959 season . Players covered by the new program spent at least five years in the League and played all or part of their career prior to 1959 . Each vested player would receive $ 60 per month for each year of service in the League for life . NFL and CBS Radio jointly announced agreement granting CBS the radio rights to a 40 - game package in each of the next three NFL seasons , 1987 - 89 , April 7 . NFL owners awarded Super Bowl XXV , to be played on January 27 , 1991 , to Tampa Stadium , May 20 . Over 400 former NFL players from the pre - 1959 era received first payments from NFL owners , July 1 . The NFL ' s debut on ESPN produced the two highest - rated and most - watched sports programs in basic cable history . The Chicago at Miami game on August 16 drew an 8 . 9 rating in 3 . 81 million homes . Those records fell two weeks later when the Los Angeles Raiders at Dallas game achieved a 10 . 2 cable rating in 4 . 36 million homes . The 1987 season was reduced from a 16 - game season to 15 as the result of a 24 - day players ' strike . The strike was called by the NFLPA on Tuesday , September 22 , following the New England at New York Jets game . Games scheduled for the third weekend were canceled but the games of weeks four , five , and six were played with replacement teams . Striking players returned for the seventh week of the season , October 25 . In a three - team deal involving 10 players and / or draft choices , the Los Angeles Rams traded running back Eric Dickerson to the Indianapolis Colts for six draft choices and two players . Buffalo obtained the rights to linebacker Cornelius Bennett from Indianapolis , sending Greg Bell and three draft choices to the Rams . The Colts added Owen Gill and three draft choices of their own to complete the deal with the Rams , October 31 . The Chicago at Minnesota game became the highest - rated and most - watched sports program in basic cable history when it drew a 14 . 4 cable rating in 6 . 5 million homes , December 6 . 1988 . Washington defeated Denver 42 - 10 in Super Bowl XXII to earn its second victory this decade in the NFL Championship Game . The game , played for the first time in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium , drew a sellout crowd of 73 , 302 . According to A . C . Nielsen figures , the ABC broadcast of the game was viewed in the U . S . on television by 115 , 000 , 000 people . The game was seen live or on tape in 60 foreign countries , including the People ' s Republic of China , and CBS ' s radio broadcast of the game was heard by 13 . 7 million people . In a unanimous 3 - 0 decision , the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York upheld the verdict of the jury that in July , 1986 , had awarded the United States Football League one dollar in its $ 1 . 7 billion antitrust suit against the NFL . In a 91 - page opinion , Judge Ralph K . Winter said the USFL sought through court decree the success it failed to gain among football fans , March 10 . By a 23 - 5 margin , owners voted to continue the instant replay system for the third consecutive season with the Instant Replay Official to be assigned to a regular seven - man , on - the - field crew . At the NFL annual meeting in Phoenix , Arizona , a 45 - second clock was also approved to replace the 30 - second clock . For a normal sequence of plays , the interval between plays was changed to 45 seconds from the time the ball is signaled dead until it is snapped on the succeeding play . NFL owners approved the transfer of the Cardinals ' franchise from St . Louis to Phoenix ; approved two sup - plemental drafts each year - one prior to training camp and one prior to the regular season ; and voted to initiate an annual series of games in Japan / Asia as early as the 1989 preseason , March 14 - 18 . The NFL Annual Selection Meeting returned to a separate two - day format and for the first time originated on a Sunday . ESPN drew a 3 . 6 rating during their seven - hour coverage of the draft , which was viewed in 1 . 6 million homes , April 24 - 25 . Art Rooney , founder and owner of the Steelers , died at 87 , August 25 . Johnny Grier became the first African - American referee in NFL history , September 4 . Commissioner Rozelle announced that two teams would play a preseason game as part of the American Bowl series on August 6 , 1989 , in the Korakuen Tokyo Dome in Japan , December 16 . 1989 . San Francisco defeated Cincinnati 20 - 16 in Super Bowl XXIII . The game , played for the first time at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami , was attended by a sellout crowd of 75 , 129 . NBC ' s telecast of the game was watched by an estimated 110 , 780 , 000 viewers , according to A . C . Nielsen , making it the sixth most - watched program in television history . The game was seen live or on tape in 60 foreign countries , including an estimated 300 million in China . The CBS Radio broadcast of the game was heard by 11 . 2 million people . Commissioner Rozelle announced his retirement , pending the naming of a successor , March 22 at the NFL annual meeting in Palm Desert , California . Following the announcement , AFC president Lamar Hunt and NFC president Wellington Mara announced the formation of a six - man search committee composed of Art Modell , Robert Parins , Dan Rooney , and Ralph Wilson . Hunt and Mara served as co - chairmen . By a 24 - 4 margin , owners voted to continue the instant replay system for the fourth straight season . A strengthened policy regarding anabolic steroids and masking agents was announced by Commissioner Rozelle . NFL clubs called for strong disciplinary measures in cases of feigned injuries and adopted a joint proposal by the Long - Range Planning and Finance committees regarding player personnel rules , March 19 - 23 . Two hundred twenty - nine unconditional free agents signed with new teams under management ' s Plan B system , April 1 . Jerry Jones purchased a majority interest in the Dallas Cowboys from H . R . ( Bum ) Bright , April 18 . Tex Schramm was named president of the new World League of American Football to work with a six - man committee of Dan Rooney , chairman ; Norman Braman , Lamar Hunt , Victor Kiam , Mike Lynn , and Bill Walsh , April 18 . NFL and CBS Radio jointly announced agreement extending CBS ' s radio rights to an annual 40 - game package through the 1994 season , April 18 . NFL owners awarded Super Bowl XXVI , to be played on January 26 , 1992 , to Minneapolis , May 24 . As of opening day , September 10 , of the 229 Plan B free agents , 111 were active and 23 others were on teams ' reserve lists . Ninety - two others were waived and three retired . Art Shell was named head coach of the Los Angeles Raiders making him the NFL ' s first black head coach since Fritz Pollard coached the Akron Pros in 1921 , October 3 . The site of the New England Patriots at San Francisco 49ers game scheduled for Candlestick Park on October 22 was switched to Stanford Stadium in the aftermath of the Bay Area Earthquake of October 17 . The change was announced on October 19 . Paul Tagliabue became the seventh chief executive of the NFL on October 26 when he was chosen to succeed Commissioner Pete Rozelle on the sixth ballot of a three - day meeting in Cleveland , Ohio . In all , 12 ballots were required to select Tagliabue . Two were conducted at a meeting in Chicago on July 6 , and four at a meeting in Dallas on October 10 - 11 . On the twelfth ballot , with Seattle absent , Tagliabue received more than the 19 affirmative votes required for election from among the 27 clubs present . The transfer from Commissioner Rozelle to Commissioner Tagliabue took place at 12 : 01 a . m . on Sunday , November 5 . NFL Charities donated $ 1 million through United Way to benefit Bay Area earthquake victims , November 6 . NFL paid attendance of 17 , 399 , 538 was the highest total in league history . This included a total of 13 , 625 , 662 for an average of 60 , 829 - both NFL records - for the 224 - game regular season . 1990 ' s . 1990 . San Francisco defeated Denver 55 - 10 in Super Bowl XXIV at the Louisiana Superdome , January 28 . San Francisco joined Pittsburgh as the NFL ' s only teams to win four Super Bowls . The NFL announced revisions in its 1990 draft eligibility rules . College juniors became eligible but must renounce their collegiate football eligibility before applying for the NFL Draft , February 16 . Commissioner Tagliabue announced NFL teams will play their 16 - game schedule over 17 weeks in 1990 and 1991 and 16 games over 18 weeks in 1992 and 1993 , February 27 . The NFL revised its playoff format to include two additional wild - card teams ( one per conference ) , which raised the total to six wild - card teams . Commissioner Tagliabue and Broadcast Committee Chairman Art Modell announced a four - year contract with Turner Broadcasting to televise nine Sunday - night games . New four - year TV agreements were ratified for 1990 - 93 for ABC , CBS , NBC , ESPN , and TNT at the NFL annual meeting in Orlando , Florida , March 12 . The contracts totaled $ 3 . 6 billion , the largest in TV history . The NFL announced plans to expand its American Bowl series of preseason games . In addition to games in London and Tokyo , American Bowl games were scheduled for Berlin , Germany , and Montreal , Canada , in 1990 . For the fifth straight year , NFL owners voted to continue a limited system of Instant Replay . Beginning in 1990 , the replay official will have a two - minute time limit to make a decision . The vote was 21 - 7 , March 12 . Commissioner Tagliabue announced the formation of a Committee on Expansion and Realignment , March 13 . He also named a Player Advisory Council , comprised of 12 former NFL players , March 14 . Commissioner Tagliabue appointed Dr . John Lombardo as the League ' s Drug Advisor for Anabolic Steroids , April 25 and named Dr . Lawrence Brown as the League ' s Advisor for Drugs of Abuse , May 17 . NFL owners awarded Super Bowl XXVIII , to be played in 1994 , to the proposed Georgia Dome , May 23 . Commissioner Tagliabue named NFL referee Jerry Seeman as NFL Director of Officiating , replacing Art McNally , who announced his retirement after 31 years on the field and at the league office , July 12 . NFL International Week was celebrated with four preseason games in seven days in Tokyo , London , Berlin , and Montreal . More than 200 , 000 fans on three continents attended the four games , August 4 - 11 . Commissioner Tagliabue announced the NFL Teacher of the Month program in which the League furnishes grants and scholarships in recognition of teachers who provided a positive influence upon NFL players in elementary and secondary schools , September 20 . For the first time since 1957 , every NFL club won at least one of its first four games , October 1 . The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player trophy was renamed the Pete Rozelle trophy , October 8 . NFL total paid attendance of 17 , 665 , 671 was the highest total in League history . The regular - season total paid attendance of 13 , 959 , 896 and average of 62 , 321 for 224 games were the highest ever , surpassing the previous records set in the 1989 season . 1991 . The New York Giants defeated Buffalo 20 - 19 in Super Bowl XXV to capture their second title in five years . The game was played before a sellout crowd of 73 , 813 at Tampa Stadium and became the first Super Bowl decided by one point , January 26 . The ABC broadcast of the game was seen by more than 112 - million people in the United States and was seen live or taped in 60 other countries . NFL playoff games earned the top television rating spot of the week for each week of the month - long playoffs , January 29 . New York businessman Robert Tisch purchased a 50 percent interest in the New York Giants from Mrs . Helen Mara Nugent and her children , Tim Mara and Maura Mara Concannon , February 2 . NFL clubs voted to continue a limited system of Instant Replay for the sixth consecutive year . The vote was 21 - 7 , March 19 . The NFL launched the World League of American Football , the first sports league to operate on a weekly basis on two separate continents , March 23 . NFL Charities presented a $ 250 , 000 donation to the United Service Organization . The donation was the second largest single grant ever by NFL Charities , April 5 . Commissioner Tagliabue named Harold Henderson as Executive Vice President for Labor Relations and Chairman of the NFL Management Council Executive Committee , April 8 . NFL clubs approved a recommendation by the Expansion and Realignment Committee to add two teams for the 1994 season , resulting in six divisions of five teams each , May 22 . NFL clubs awarded Super Bowl XXIX , to be played on January 29 , 1995 , to Miami , May 23 . " NFL International Week " featured six 1990 playoff teams playing nationally televised games in London , Berlin , and Tokyo on July 28 and August 3 - 4 . The games drew more than 150 , 000 fans . Paul Brown , founder of the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals , died at age 82 , August 5 . NFL clubs approved a resolution establishing an international division . A three - year financial plan for the World League was approved by NFL clubs at a meeting in Dallas , October 23 . 1992 . The NFL agreed to provide a minimum of $ 2 . 5 million in financial support to the NFL Alumni Association and assistance to NFL Alumni - related programs . The agreement included contributions from NFL Charities to the Pre - 59ers and Dire Need Programs for former players , January 25 . The Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills 37 - 24 in Super Bowl XXVI to capture their third world championship in 10 years , January 26 . The game was played before a sellout crowd of 63 , 130 at the Hubert H . Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis and attracted the second largest television audience in Super Bowl history . The CBS broadcast was seen by more than 123 million people nationally , second only to the 127 million who viewed Super Bowl XX . The use in officiating of a limited system of Instant Replay was not approved . The vote was 17 - 11 in favor of approval ( 21 votes were required ) . Instant Replay had been used for six consecutive years ( 1986 - 1991 ) , March 18 . St . Louis businessman James Orthwein purchased controlling interest in the New England Patriots from Victor Kiam , May 11 . In a Harris Poll taken during the NFL offseason , professional football again was declared the nation ' s most popular sport . Professional football finished atop similar surveys conducted by Harris in 1985 and 1989 , May 23 . NFL clubs accepted the report of the Expansion Committee at a league meeting in Pasadena . The report names five cities as finalists for the two expansion teams - Baltimore , Charlotte , Jacksonville , Memphis , and St . Louis , May 19 . At a league meeting in Dallas , NFL clubs approved a proposal by the World League Board of Directors to restructure the World League and place future emphasis on its international success , September 17 . NFL teams played their 16 - game regular - season schedule over 18 weeks for the only time in league history . 1993 . The NFL and lawyers for the players announced a settlement of various lawsuits and an agreement on the terms of a seven - year deal that included a new player system to be in place through the 1999 season , January 6 . Commissioner Tagliabue announced the establishment of the " NFL World Partnership Program " to develop amateur football internationally through a series of clinics conducted by former NFL players and coaches , January 14 . As part of Super Bowl XXVII , the NFL announced the creation of the first NFL Youth Education Town , a facility located in south central Los Angeles for inner city youth . January 25 . The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Buffalo Bills 52 - 17 in Super Bowl XXVII to capture their first NFL title since 1978 . The game was played before a crowd of 98 , 374 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena , California . The NBC broadcast of the game was the most watched program in television history and was seen by 133 , 400 , 000 people in the United States . The rating for the game was 45 . 1 , the tenth highest for any televised sports event . The game also was seen live or taped in 101 other countries , January 31 . NFL clubs awarded Super Bowl XXX to the city of Phoenix , to be played on January 28 , 1996 , at Sun Devil Stadium , March 23 . The NFL and the NFL Players Association officially signed a 7 - year Collective Bargaining Agreement in Washington , D . C . , which guarantees more than $ 1 billion in pension , health , and post - career benefits for current and retired players - the most extensive benefits plan in pro sports . It was the NFL ' s first CBA since the 1982 agreement expired in 1987 , June 29 . NFL Enterprises , a newly formed division of the NFL responsible for NFL Films , home video , and special domestic and international television programming was announced , August 19 . NFL announced plans to allow fans , for the first time ever , to join players and coaches in selecting the annual AFC and NFC Pro Bowl teams , October 12 . NFL clubs unanimously awarded the league ' s twenty - ninth franchise to the Carolina Panthers at a meeting in Chicago . NFL clubs also awarded Super Bowl XXXI to New Orleans and Super Bowl XXXII to San Diego , October 26 . At the same meeting in Chicago , NFL clubs approved a plan to form a European league with joint venture partners , October 27 . Don Shula became the winningest coach in NFL history when Miami beat Philadelphia to give Shula his 325th victory , one more than George Halas , November 14 . NFL clubs awarded the league ' s thirtieth franchise to the Jacksonville Jaguars at a meeting in Chicago , November 30 . The NFL announced new 4 - year television agreements with ABC , ESPN , TNT , and NFL newcomer FOX , which took over the NFC package from CBS , December 18 . The NFL completed its new TV agreements by announcing that NBC would retain the rights to the AFC package , December 20 . 1994 . The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Buffalo Bills 30 - 13 in Super Bowl XXVIII to become the fifth team to win back - to - back Super Bowl titles . The game was viewed by the largest U . S . audience in television history - 134 . 8 million people . The game ' s 45 . 5 rating was the highest for a Super Bowl since 1987 and the tenth highest - rated Super Bowl ever , January 30 . NFL clubs unanimously approved the transfer of the New England Patriots from James Orthwein to Robert Kraft at a meeting in Orlando , February 22 . In a move to increase offensive production , NFL clubs at the league ' s annual meeting in Orlando adopted a package of changes , including modifications in line play , chucking rules , and the roughing - the - passer rule , plus the adoption of the two - point conversion and moving the spot of the kickoff back to the 30 - yard line , March 22 . The NFL and FOX announced the formation of a joint venture to create a six - team World League to begin play in Europe in April , 1995 , March 23 . The Carolina Panthers earned the right to select first in the 1995 NFL draft by winning a coin toss with the Jacksonville Jaguars . The Jaguars received the second selection in the 1995 draft , April 24 . NFL clubs approved the transfer of the Philadelphia Eagles from Norman Braman to Jeffrey Lurie , May 6 . The NFL launched " NFL Sunday Ticket , " a new season subscription service for satellite television dish owners , June 1 . An all - time NFL record crowd of 112 , 376 attended the American Bowl game between Dallas and Houston in Mexico City . It concluded the biggest American Bowl series in NFL history with four games attracting a record 256 , 666 fans , August 15 . The NFL reached agreement on a new seven - year contract with its game officials , September 22 . The NFL Management Council and the NFL Players Association announced an agreement on the formulation and implementation of the most comprehensive drug and alcohol policy in sports , October 28 . At an NFL meeting in Chicago , Commissioner Tagliabue slotted the two new expansion teams into the AFC Central ( Jacksonville Jaguars ) and NFC West ( Carolina Panthers ) for the 1995 season only . He also appointed a special committee on realignment to make recommendations on the 1996 season and beyond , November 2 . 1995 . The San Francisco 49ers became the first team to win five Super Bowls when they defeated the San Diego Chargers 49 - 26 in Super Bowl XXIX at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami , January 29 . Carolina and Jacksonville stocked their expansion rosters with a total of 66 players from other NFL teams in a veteran player allocation draft in New York , February 16 . CBS Radio and the NFL agreed to a new four - year contract for an annual 53 - game package of games , continuing a relationship that spanned 15 of the past 17 years , February 22 . NFL clubs approved the transfer of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from the estate of the late Hugh Culverhouse to South Florida businessman Malcolm Glazer , March 13 . A series of safety - related rules changes were adopted at a league meeting in Phoenix , primarily related to the use of the helmet against defenseless players , March 14 . After a two - year hiatus , the World League of American Football returned to action with six teams in Europe , April 8 . The NFL became the first major sports league to establish a site on the Internet system of on - line computer communication , April 10 . The transfer of the Rams from Los Angeles to St . Louis was approved by a vote of the NFL clubs at a meeting in Dallas , April 12 . ABC ' s NFL Monday Night Football finished the 1994 - 95 television season as the fifth highest - rated show out of 146 with a 17 . 8 average rating , the highest finish in the 25 - year history of the series , April 18 . In an ABC News Poll taken during the NFL offseason , America ' s sports fans chose football as their favorite spectator sport by more than a 2 - to - 1 margin over basketball and baseball ( 35 % - 16 % - 12 % ) , April 26 . The Frankfurt Galaxy defeated the Amsterdam Admirals 26 - 22 to win the 1995 World Bowl before a crowd of 23 , 847 in Amsterdam ' s Olympic Stadium , June 23 . Former NFL quarterback and Rhein Fire general manager Oliver Luck was named President of the World League , July 13 . The transfer of the Raiders from Los Angeles to Oakland was approved by a vote of the NFL clubs at a meeting in Chicago , July 22 . Jacksonville Municipal Stadium opened before a sold - out crowd of more than 70 , 000 for the first preseason game in Jaguars history , August 18 . NFL Charities and 50 NFL players donated $ 1 million to the United Negro College Fund in honor of the fiftieth anniversity of the UNCF and the integration of the modern NFL , September 15 . The Pro Football Hall Of Fame in Canton , Ohio , completed an $ 8 . 9 million expansion including a $ 4 million contribution by the NFL clubs , October 14 . The Trans World Dome opened in St . Louis with a sold - out crowd of 65 , 598 as the Rams defeated the Carolina Panthers 28 - 17 , November 12 . NFL paid attendance totaled 963 , 521 for 15 games in Week 12 , the highest weekend total in the league ' s 76 - year history , November 19 - 20 . On the field , many significant records and milestones were achieved : Miami ' s Dan Marino surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton in four major passing categories - attempts , completions , yards , and touchdowns - to become the NFL ' s all - time career leader . San Francisco ' s Jerry Rice became the all - time reception and receiving - yardage leader with career totals of 942 catches and 15 , 123 yards . Dallas ' Emmitt Smith scored 25 touchdowns , breaking the season record of 24 set by Washington ' s John Riggins in 1983 . 1996 . The Dallas Cowboys won their third Super Bowl title in four years when they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 27 - 17 in Super Bowl XXX at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe , Arizona . The game was viewed by the largest audience in U . S . television history - 138 . 5 million people , January 28 . An agreement between the NFL and the city of Cleveland regarding the Cleveland Browns ' relocation was approved by a vote of the NFL clubs , February 9 . According to the agreement , the city of Cleveland retained the Browns ' heritage and records , including the name , logo , colors , history , playing records , trophies , and memorabilia , and committed to building a new 72 , 000 - seat stadium for a reactivated Browns ' franchise to begin play there no later than 1999 . Art Modell received approval to move his franchise to Baltimore and rename it . NFL total paid attendance for all 1995 games reached a record level for the seventh consecutive year , exceeding 19 million for the first time ( 19 , 202 , 757 ) , March 7 . The transfer of the Oilers from Houston to Nashville for the 1998 season was approved by a vote of the NFL clubs at a meeting in Atlanta , April 30 . The Scottish Claymores defeated the Frankfurt Galaxy 32 - 27 to win the 1996 World Bowl in front of 38 , 982 at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh , Scotland , June 23 . The NFL returned to Baltimore when the new Baltimore Ravens defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 17 - 9 in a preseason game before a crowd of 63 , 804 at Memorial Stadium , August 3 . Ericsson Stadium opened in Charlotte , North Carolina with a crowd of 65 , 350 as the Carolina Panthers defeated the Chicago Bears 30 - 12 in a preseason game , August 3 . Points scored totaled 762 and NFL paid attendance totaled 964 , 079 for 15 games in Week 11 , the highest weekend totals in either category in the league ' s 77 - year history , November 10 - 11 . Former NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle died at his home in Rancho Santa Fe , California . Rozelle , regarded as the premiere commissioner in sports history , led the NFL for 29 years , from 1960 - 1989 , December 6 . 1997 . Indianapolis Colts owner Robert Irsay died from complications related to a stroke he suffered in 1995 . Irsay acquired the club in 1972 when he traded his Los Angeles Rams to Carrol Rosenbloom for the Colts . He later moved the Colts from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984 , January 14 . The Green Bay Packers won their first NFL title in 29 years by defeating the New England Patriots 35 - 21 in Super Bowl XXXI at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans . The game was viewed by the fourth - largest audience in U . S . television history - 128 million people , January 26 . The rules governing cross - ownership were modified , permitting NFL club owners to also own teams in other sports in their home market or markets without NFL teams . The vote was 24 - 5 ( one abstention ) in favor of approval , March 11 . Washington Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke died at his home in Washington , D . C . Cooke became majority owner in 1974 and the Redskins won three Super Bowls under his leadership , April 6 . The Barcelona Dragons defeated the Rhein Fire 38 - 24 to win the 1997 World Bowl in front of 31 , 100 fans at Estadi Olimpic de Montjuic in Barcelona , Spain , June 22 . NFL clubs approved the transfer of the Seattle Seahawks from Ken Behring to Paul Allen , August 19 . Jack Kent Cooke Stadium opened in Raljon , Maryland with a crowd of 78 , 270 as the Washington Redskins defeated the Arizona Cardinals 19 - 13 in overtime , September 14 . The 10 , 000th regular - season game in NFL history was played when the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Tennessee Oilers 16 - 13 at the Kingdome in Seattle , October 5 . Atlanta Falcons owner Rankin Smith died of heart failure three days prior to his seventy - third birthday . Smith was the founder of the Falcons and was instrumental in bringing Super Bowls XXVIII and XXXIV to Atlanta , October 26 . NFL paid attendance totaled 999 , 778 for 15 games in Week 12 , the highest weekend total in league history , November 16 - 17 . 1998 . The NFL reached agreement on record eight - year television contracts with four networks . ABC ( Monday Night Football ) and FOX ( NFC ) retained their previous rights , CBS took over the AFC package from NBC , and ESPN won the right to broadcast the entire Sunday night cable package , January 13 . The World League was renamed the NFL Europe League , January 22 . The Denver Broncos won their first Super Bowl by defeating the defending champion Green Bay Packers 31 - 24 in Super Bowl XXXII at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego . The game tied Super Bowl XXVII for the third - largest audience in U . S . television history with 133 . 4 million viewers , January 25 . The NFL clubs approved a six - year extension of the Collective Bargaining Agreement through 2003 . The extended CBA also created a $ 100 million fund for youth football , March 22 . The NFL clubs unanimously approved an expansion team for Cleveland to fulfill the commitment to return the Browns to the field in 1999 , March 23 . A total of $ 25 . 1 million , the largest NFL postseason pool ever , was divided among 737 players who participated in the 1997 playoffs , March 24 . The Rhein Fire defeated the Frankfurt Galaxy 34 - 10 to win the 1998 World Bowl in front of 47 , 846 fans in Frankfurt ' s Waldstadion - the biggest crowd to witness a World Bowl since 1991 , June 14 . NFL clubs approved the transfer of the Minnesota Vikings from a 10 - man ownership group to Red McCombs , July 28 . The NFL Stadium at Camden Yards opened in Baltimore , Maryland before a crowd of 65 , 938 as the Baltimore Ravens defeated the Chicago Bears 19 - 14 in a preseason game , August 8 . Raymond James Stadium opened in Tampa , Florida before a crowd of 62 , 410 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Chicago Bears 27 - 15 , September 20 . NFL paid attendance totaled 997 , 835 for 15 games in Week 1 , the highest opening weekend total in league history and the second - highest total ever . In 1997 , paid attendance totaled 999 , 778 for 15 games in Week 12 , September 6 - 7 . A Harris Poll says 55 percent of adults follow professional football , up 4 percent from 1997 and 6 percent from 1992 , October 15 . Tennessee Oilers owner Bud Adams announced the team will change its name to the Tennessee Titans following the 1998 season . The NFL announced that the name Oilers will be retired - a first in league history , November 14 . 1999 . The Denver Broncos won their second consecutive Super Bowl title by defeating the NFC champion Atlanta Falcons 34 - 19 in Super Bowl XXXIII at Pro Player Stadium in Miami . The game was viewed by 127 . 5 million viewers , the sixth most - watched program in U . S . television history , January 31 . Jim Pyne , a center allocated by the Detroit Lions , was the first selection of the Cleveland Browns in the 1999 NFL Expansion Draft . The Browns eventually selected 37 players , February 9 . CBS Radio / Westwood One agreed to a 3 - year extension of their exclusive national radio rights to NFL games , March 11 . NFL paid attendance of 19 , 741 , 493 for all games played during the 1998 season was the highest in league history , topping the 19 , 202 , 757 fans who paid to attend games in 1995 . The 1998 regular - season total paid attendance of 15 , 364 , 873 for an average of 64 , 020 were also records , March 15 . By a vote of 28 - 3 , the owners adopted an instant replay system as an officiating aid for the 1999 season , March 17 . New York Jets owner Leon Hess died from complications of a blood disease . Hess had been involved in the ownership of the Jets since 1963 and was sole owner of the club since 1984 , May 9 . A group led by Washington area businessman Daniel Snyder is approved by NFL clubs as the new owner of the Washington Redskins at a league meeting in Atlanta , May 25 . The Frankfurt Galaxy became the first team in NFL Europe League history to win a second World Bowl by defeating the Barcelona Dragons 38 - 24 at Rheinstadion , in D | sseldorf , Germany , June 27 . The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since 1995 and defeated the Dallas Cowboys 20 - 17 in overtime in the annual Hall of Fame Game at Canton , Ohio , August 9 . Cleveland Browns Stadium opened in Cleveland , Ohio before a crowd of 71 , 398 as the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Browns in a preseason game , 24 - 17 , August 21 . Adelphia Coliseum opened in Nashville , Tennessee before a crowd of 65 , 729 with the Tennessee Titans defeating the Atlanta Falcons 17 - 3 in a preseason game , August 26 . Houston , Texas and owner Robert McNair were awarded the NFL ' s thirty - second franchise in a vote of the NFL clubs at a league meeting in Atlanta . The team will begin play in 2002 . The NFL clubs also voted to realign into eight divisions of four teams each for the 2002 season , October 6 . Walter Payton , the NFL ' s all - time leading rusher , died of liver cancer at the age of 45 . Payton played for the Chicago Bears from 1975 - 1987 and rushed for an NFL - record 16 , 726 yards , November 1 . Former NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle , who guided a still - developing league to its position today as America ' s most popular sport , was named by The Sporting News as the most powerful person in sports in the 20th Century , December 15 . 2000 ' s . 2000 . Johnson & Johnson heir Robert Wood Johnson IV was approved by NFL clubs as the new owner of the New York Jets at a league meeting , January 18 . The St . Louis Rams won their first Super Bowl by defeating the AFC champion Tennessee Titans 23 - 16 in Super Bowl XXXIV at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta . The game was viewed by 130 . 7 million viewers , the fifth most - watched program in U . S . television history , January 30 . For the first time in league history , paid attendance topped 16 million for the regular season and more than 65 , 000 per game , an increase of 1 , 300 per game over 1998 . Paid attendance for all NFL games increased in 1999 for the third year in a row and was the highest ever in the 80 - year history of the league . It marked the first time in league history that the 20 - million paid attendance mark was reached for all games in a season , March 27 . The Rhein Fire won their second World Bowl in three years , defeating the Scottish Claymores 13 - 10 to win World Bowl 2000 in front of 35 , 680 at Frankfurt ' s Waldstadion , June 25 . More than 100 of the 136 living members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame gathered to celebrate Pro Football ' s Greatest Reunion in Canton , Ohio , July 28 - 31 . Paul Brown Stadium opened in Cincinnati , Ohio with a crowd of 56 , 180 as the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Chicago Bears 24 - 20 in a preseason game , August 19 . Cincinnati ' s Corey Dillon set a single - game rushing record with 278 yards ( 22 carries ) against Denver , breaking the previous record of 275 yards by Chicago ' s Walter Payton in 1977 , October 22 . Minnesota ' s Gary Anderson converted a 21 - yard field goal against Buffalo to pass George Blanda as the NFL ' s all - time scoring leader with 2 , 004 points , October 22 . At a league meeting in Atlanta , NFL owners awarded Super Bowl XXXVIII to Houston , Super Bowl XXXIX to Jacksonville and Super Bowl XL to Detroit , November 1 . The NFL Officiating Department named Mike Pereira as Director of Officiating and Larry Upson as Director of Officiating Operations to replace retiring Senior Director of Officiating Jerry Seeman , December 1 . San Francisco ' s Terrell Owens set a single - game receiving record with 20 receptions ( 283 yards ) against Chicago , surpassing the previous mark of 18 by Tom Fears of the Los Angeles Rams in 1950 , December 17 . 2001 . NFL clubs approved additional league - wide revenue sharing at a special league meeting in Dallas . The teams agreed to pool the visiting team share of gate receipts for all preseason and regular - season games and divide the pool equally starting in 2002 , January 17 . The Baltimore Ravens won their first Super Bowl by defeating the NFC champion New York Giants 34 - 7 in Super Bowl XXXV at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa . The game was witnessed by 131 . 2 million viewers , the fifth most - watched program in U . S . television history , January 28 . The Sports Business Daily named NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue the 2000 Sports Industrialist of the Year , February 28 . The NFL set an all - time paid attendance record in 2000 for the third consecutive year , reaching the 20 - million paid attendance mark for only the second time in league history . Regular - season paid attendance of 16 , 387 , 289 for an average of 66 , 078 per game also was an all - time record for the third consecutive season . The Washington Redskins set an all - time NFL regular - season home paid attendance record with a total of 656 , 599 for eight games , breaking the record of 634 , 204 held by the 1980 Detroit Lions , March 26 . A jury ruled for the NFL in a lawsuit brought against the league by the Oakland Raiders . The state court jury in Los Angeles rejected the Raiders ' claims that the NFL destroyed their 1995 Hollywood Park stadium deal and that they own the Los Angeles market , May 21 . NFL owners unanimously approved a realignment plan for the league starting in 2002 . With the addition of the Houston Texans , the league ' s 32 teams will be divided into eight four - team divisions . Seven clubs change divisions , and the Seattle Seahawks change conferences , moving from the AFC to the NFC . A new scheduling format ensures that every team meets every other team in the league at least once every four years , May 22 . The Berlin Thunder won their first World Bowl , defeating the Barcelona Dragons 24 - 17 to win World Bowl IX in front of 32 , 116 at Amsterdam Arena , June 30 . Heinz Field opened in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania before a crowd of 57 , 829 with the Pittsburgh Steelers defeating the Detroit Lions 20 - 7 in a preseason game ; and INVESCO Field at Mile High opened in Denver , Colorado before a crowd of 74 , 063 with the Denver Broncos defeating the New Orleans Saints 31 - 24 in a preseason game , August 25 . President George W . Bush became the first United States President to be involved in an NFL regular - season pregame coin toss as he helped kick off the 2001 season from the White House . Via satellite , President Bush tossed the coin for the 10 regular - season games that started at 1 : 00 PM ET , September 9 . In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks , Commissioner Paul Tagliabue postponed the games scheduled for September 16 - 17 , September 13 . The league ? s 16 - game regular season was retained when the postponed Week 2 games were re - scheduled for the weekend of January 6 - 7 , September 18 . The NFL and its game officials agreed to a new six - year Collective Bargaining Agreement , ending a two - week lockout of the regular officials , who returned to work on September 23 , September 19 . The NFL announced that the Super Bowl would be re - scheduled from January 27 to February 3 in order to retain the full playoff format for the 2002 season . It will be the first Super Bowl played in February , October 3 . President Bush designated Super Bowl XXXVI as a " National Special Security Event , " allowing all security for the game to be coordinated by the Secret Service , November 26 . George Young , the NFL ? s senior vice president of football operations and former general manager of the New York Giants , died at the age of 71 . During Young ? s 19 - year tenure with the Giants , the team earned eight playoff berths and won Super Bowl XXI and XXV . Young was named NFL Executive of the Year an unprecedented five times , December 8 . 2002 . The NFL and the NFL Players Association agreed to a fourth extension of the 1993 Collective Bargaining Agreement through 2007 , January 7 . In an AFC Wild Card matchup , the Oakland Raiders defeated the New York Jets 38 - 24 in the NFL ? s first - ever primetime playoff game , January 12 . In a special meeting in New Orleans , NFL owners voted unanimously to approve the purchase of the Atlanta Falcons to Home Depot co - founder Arthur Blank , February 2 . The New England Patriots won their first Super Bowl by defeating the NFC champion St . Louis Rams 20 - 17 in Super Bowl XXXVI at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans . The game marked the first time in Super Bowl history that the winning points came on the final play , a 48 - yard field goal by Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri . Super Bowl XXXVI was viewed by 131 . 7 million viewers , the fifth - most watched program in U . S . television history , February 3 . Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher was named co - chairman of the NFL Competition Committee , February 6 . Tony Boselli , a five - time Pro Bowl tackle allocated by the Jacksonville Jaguars , was the first selection of the Houston Texans in the 2002 NFL Expansion Draft . The Texans selected 19 players , February 18 . The NFL and Westwood One / CBS Radio Sports announced the renewal of a multi - year agreement for Westwood One / CBS Radio Sports to continue as the exclusive network radio home of the NFL , April 9 . NFL Europe kicked off its 10th season with a record 254 players allocated by NFL clubs , April 13 - 14 . The Berlin Thunder became the first team to win consecutive World Bowls , defeating the Rhein Fire 26 - 20 to win World Bowl X in front of 53 , 109 fans at Rheinstadion , June 22 . Seahawks Stadium opened in Seattle , Washington with an attendance of 55 , 902 fans as the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28 - 10 in a preseason game , August 10 . Gillette Stadium opened in Foxboro , Massachusetts with a crowd of 68 , 436 fans as the New England Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 16 - 15 in a preseason game , August 17 . Reliant Stadium opened in Houston , Texas with 69 , 432 fans in attendance , the largest non - Super Bowl crowd to ever watch an NFL game in Houston as the Miami Dolphins defeated the Houston Texans 24 - 3 in a preseason game , August 24 . For the first time , the NFL season kicked off on a Thursday night in prime time as the San Francisco 49ers defeated the New York Giants 16 - 13 at Giants Stadium . The game was preceded by " NFL Kickoff Live From Times Square , " presented by New York City and the NFL , a football and music festival honoring the resilient spirit of New York and America , September 5 . Week 1 of the 2002 season produced the highest - scoring and most competitive Kickoff Weekend in NFL history . The 16 games averaged 49 . 3 points per game . A total of 788 points and 89 touchdowns were scored , the most in league history for an opening weekend . Eleven of the 16 games were decided by one score ( eight points or less ) , a Kickoff Weekend record , September 5 - 9 . Johnny Unitas , the legendary quarterback for the Baltimore Colts and a Pro Football Hall of Fame member , died of a heart attack at the age of 69 , September 11 . Oakland Raiders wide receiver Jerry Rice became the all - time leader in yards from scrimmage , surpassing Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton ( 21 , 281 yards ) , September 29 . Baltimore Ravens cornerback Chris McAlister set an NFL record for the longest scoring play with a 107 - yard touchdown return of an errant 57 - yard field goal attempt by Denver Broncos kicker Jason Elam , September 30 . Cleveland Browns owner Al Lerner , the NFL Finance Committee Chairman and Chairman and CEO of MBNA Corporation , died at the age of 69 , October 23 . Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith became the NFL ' s all - time rushing leader , surpassing Pro Football Hall of Fame running Back Walter Payton ( 16 , 726 yards ) , October 27 . The NFL and NFLPA announced the creation of USA Football , the first national advocacy organization representing all levels of amateur football , December 5 . Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison set the NFL single - season record for pass receptions with 143 , surpassing Herman Moore ( 123 ) , December 29 . The 2002 season concluded with 25 overtime games , the most in NFL history , December 30 . 2003 . The NFL announced the appointment of Steve Bornstein as executive vice president - media and president and chief executive officer of the NFL Network , to be launched in 2003 . The NFL Network will be the first television programming service fully dedicated to the NFL and the sport of football , January 16 . The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their first Super Bowl by defeating the AFC champion Oakland Raiders 48 - 21 in Super Bowl XXXVII at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego . The game was witnessed by 138 . 9 million viewers , making Super Bowl XXXVII the most - watched program in U . S . television history , January 26 . The NFL set an all - time paid attendance record in 2002 with 21 , 505 , 138 , the first time paid attendance topped 21 - million . Regular - season paid attendance of 16 , 833 , 310 was also an all - time record , March 26 . Chicago Bears chairman emeritus Edward W . McCaskey died at the age of 83 , April 8 . The Frankfurt Galaxy became the first team to win three World Bowls , defeating the Rhein Fire 35 - 16 to win World Bowl XI in front of 28 , 138 fans at Hampden Park , June 14 . Tex Schramm , the legendary team president and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame , died at the age of 83 , July 15 . Lincoln Financial Field opened in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania with an attendance of 66 , 279 fans as the New England Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 24 - 12 in a preseason game , August 22 . A renovated Lambeau Field opened in Green Bay , Wisconsin with a crowd of 69 , 831 fans as the Carolina Panthers defeated the Green Bay Packers 20 - 7 in a preseason game , August 23 . NFL owners awarded Super Bowl XLI , to be played on February 4 , 2007 to Miami , September 17 . A renovated Soldier Field opened in Chicago , Illinois with an attendance of 61 , 500 fans as the Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears 38 - 23 in a regular season game on ABC ? s NFL Monday Night Football , September 29 . NFL owners awarded Super Bowl XLII , to be played on February 3 , 2008 to Glendale , Arizona , October 30 . NFL Network , the first 24 - hour , year - round television channel dedicated to the NFL and the sport of football , launched on DirecTV , November 4 . Otto Graham , the legendary quarterback of the Cleveland Browns and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame , died at the age of 82 , December 17 . NFL paid attendance totaled 1 , 106 , 818 for 16 games in Week 17 , the highest weekend total in league history , December 27 - 28 . 2004 . The New England Patriots won their second Super Bowl in three years by defeating the NFC champion Carolina Panthers 32 - 29 in Super Bowl XXXVIII at Reliant Stadium in Houston . The game was witnessed by 144 . 4 million viewers , making Super Bowl XXXVIII the most - watched program in U . S . television history , February 1 . The NFL set an all - time paid attendance record in 2003 for the second consecutive year with a mark of 21 , 639 , 040 . Regular - season paid attendance of 16 , 913 , 584 for an average of 66 , 328 per game were both all - time records , March 29 . By a vote of 29 - 3 , NFL owners extended the instant replay system for another five seasons through 2008 , March 30 . Steve Bisciotti took over as the controlling owner of the Baltimore Ravens , succeeding Art Modell , who operated the franchise for 43 years , April 8 . Former Arizona Cardinals safety Pat Tillman was killed in a firefight while on combat patrol with the U . S . Army Rangers in Afghanistan , April 22 . A federal appeals court formally ruled in favor of the NFL ? s draft eligibility rule in Maurice Clarett ? s lawsuit , citing federal labor policy in permitting the NFL and the Players Association to set rules for when players can enter the league , May 24 . The Berlin Thunder defeated the Frankfurt Galaxy 30 - 24 to win World Bowl XII in front of 35 , 413 fans at Arena Auf - Schalke , June 12 . The New England Patriots defeated the New York Jets 13 - 7 for their NFL - record 18th consecutive regular - season victory , October 24 . The NFL reached an agreement on six - year contract extensions with two of its network television partners ? CBS and FOX ? to run through the 2011 season , November 8 . The NFL and DirecTV announced a five - year extension on the NFL Sunday Ticket subscription television package to run through the 2010 season , November 8 . NFL Europe named the [ [ Hamburg Sea Devils as the league ? s newest team , November 24 . [ [ 2005 Football | 2005 ] ] . [ [ Indianapolis Colts ] ] quarterback [ [ Peyton Manning ] ] set the [ [ NFL ] ] single - season record with 49 touchdown passes , January 2 . The [ [ New England Patriots ] ] became the second team in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in four seasons by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 24 - 21 in [ [ Super Bowl XXXIX ] ] at [ [ ALLTEL Stadium ] ] in Jacksonville . The game was witnessed by 133 . 7 million viewers , making [ [ Super Bowl XXXIX ] ] the fifth - most watched program in U . S . television history , February 6 . The NFL announced that , for the first time in its 86 - year history , the league would play a regular - season game outside the United States on October 2 in Mexico City between the [ [ Arizona Cardinals ] ] and the [ [ San Francisco 49ers ] ] , March 21 . The NFL set an all - time paid attendance record in 2004 for the third consecutive year with a mark of 21 , 708 , 624 . Regular - season paid attendance increased to 17 , 000 , 811 , the first time the NFL reached the 17 - million mark . Average paid attendance of 66 , 409 was also an all - time high , March 21 . The Pat Tillman USO Center opened in Afghanistan . The NFL donated $ 250 , 000 to the USO to honor the memory of the former Arizona Cardinals player who died in Afghanistan while serving in the U . S . Army , April 1 . The NFL reached long - term agreements for its Sunday and Monday primetime TV packages . NBC returned to the NFL by acquiring the Sunday night package for six years ( 2006 - 2011 ) . ESPN agreed on an eight - year deal to televise [ [ Monday Night Football ] ] from 2006 - 2013 , April 18 . The NFL strengthened its steroids program by adopting the Olympic testosterone testing standard , tripling the number of times a player can be randomly tested during the offseason from two to six , adding substances to the list of banned substances , and putting new language in the policy to allow for testing of designer drugs and other substances that may have evaded detection , April 27 . NFL owners voted unanimously to approve the purchase of the [ [ Minnesota Vikings ] ] to real - estate developer Zygmunt Wilf , May 25 . NFL owners awarded [ [ Super Bowl XLIII ] ] , to be played on February 1 , 2009 to Tampa , May 25 . [ [ Category : National Football League seasons ] ] [ [ Category : National Football League teams ] ] [ [ Category : Chronology of Football ] ]