2023 NFL Expansion (Stanlee Hudson)

The 2023 NFL Expansion was one of the most important things that happened in the 21st century for Gridiron Football, it increased the amount of teams from 32 to 40 in the National Football League.

## Teams

* Memphis Pharaohs (NFC North)
* Birmingham Venom (NFC East)
* Austin Outlaws (NFC South)
* Portland Lumberjacks (NFC West)
* Sacramento Gold Miners (AFC North)
* Orlando Comets (AFC East)
* San Antonio Séniors (AFC South)
* Albuquerque Roadrunners (AFC West)

## Memphis Pharaohs

Football in Memphis is not rare rather it be from a league that folded or the Tigers, Memphis’ college team. In 1997 before the Oilers were renamed the Titans and went to Nashville they played one season in Memphis, the season went terribly as they were at the bottom of league attendance; despite this, the NFL wanted to give Memphis a second chance at a team. Before their home field called Autozone Field was finished in downtown during May of 2025, they played two seasons at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, where the Oilers and Tigers played. They chose their team name pharaohs because their city was named off the Egyptian city and the Memphis Grizzlies played at The Pyramid arena. During this time there were complications of what division they would be in due to the NFL not really expanding to the North and more in the South, Memphis would be put in the NFC North, the 4 teams in the division: the Packers, Vikings, Bears, and Lions were not happy with this arrangement since Memphis is technically a southern city, but the NFL really did not have many other options so the Pharaohs became an NFC North team. The first few years of the Pharaohs were very frustrating, as the team was not very good. But then in Week 4 of the 2028 season, a spark flew off in the form of Josh Jacobs, the Las Vegas Raiders star running back had become unhappy with the team and wanted a trade, the Raiders traded him to Memphis, thinking that he would not win there, big mistake. Jacobs and new quarterback Kyle Trask would combine well with star wide receivers Jalen Reagor and Charlie Michaels to add on to a strong defense led by All-Pro safety Barry Lewis, and all that led Memphis to an 11-5 season, their best in history and their second straight playoff appearance, during it they upset the defending NFC champion Portland Lumberjacks (another Expansion Team) in the wild card, before losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional round, but G.M. Chris Ballard knew the pieces were there and Head Coach Ron Rivera was leading both sides of the ball to all-time highs. The 2029 season was what many people call “The exodus of the NFL” the Pharaohs improved on their record from last year going 13-3 the best in the NFC, they made it to the Super Bowl with ease and their last obstacle at Super Bowl 64 was the home state Nashville Titans. The two teams were tied at 14 during the 4th quarter with 6 minutes remaining on the clock, Trask would then drop back and find an open Jalen Reagor who would go 67 yards for a touchdown, this TD would end up being the deciding score as Nashville did not score and kicker Rodrigo Blankenship’s 57 yard field goal would be good, so when the clock hit 0:00, the Pharaohs became the first of the 2023 Expansion teams to win a Super Bowl. Over time, the Pharaohs would become the most successful franchise in the NFL, and popularity would increase during the 2030’s and stayed for many decades. During the 2030’s, they created a very firm and exciting rivalry with the AFC’s Indianapolis Colts, who they would win Super Bowl 70 over in Josh Jacobs’ final season. In that game, Jacobs would rush for 137 yards over the Colts top 7 front line. A few years later during the 2038 season, the Pharaohs would return to the Super Bowl, and would face the Colts, and QB Arch Manning again. The Colts could not play Manning in Super Bowl 70, because Manning had caught a severe case of flu, and it would spread like a wildfire if he played, so they made Manning self-isolate and played Rookie 4th Rounder Dani Mills, who would throw 7-28, 0 TD’s and 3 Interceptions. Last year, the Colts had made the Super Bowl with Manning at the helm, and their run went much smoother, they would end up blowing out the Cowboys in Super Bowl 72. The hype was through the roof for Super Bowl 73, with many considering this to be “The Greatest Rivalry Super Bowl” since the Cowboys and Steelers played in Super Bowl 13. The game would not disappoint. The main headline was Manning going off against Trevor Lawerence, the number 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, had struggled for many years after winning Super Bowl 63 for the Jacksonville Jaguars, before landing in Memphis for the 2034 season, that season he bounced back big time and led the Pharaohs to another Super Bowl victory, in this game Manning and Lawerence would practically cancel each other out, with the game tied at 35 with 2 minutes to go, but with 0:01 on the clock, Rodrigo Blankenship won the game on a 57 yard field goal to win the game for Memphis, and would end one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time. Lawerence won MVP after going 25-32, 3 Touchdowns and no interceptions. The next year, Lawerence and company would return to the Super Bowl and face the Boston Patriots. The Patriots were based in all of New England before getting a new stadium in downtown Boston in 2026. The Pharaohs won easily with a final score of 30 to 7, with Lawerence winning his second straight Super Bowl MVP, after the game, Lawerence announced his retirement from the NFL, in the 2040 NFL Draft, with the QB spot vacant with Lawrence's retirement, the Pharaohs looked to trade up, and they found a buyer in the Dallas Cowboys, in which Memphis would get the 9th pick in exchange for Barry Lewis, coming off 3-straight defensive player of the year winning seasons, and with that 9th pick, they selected Arkansas QB Jeremy Donaldson. Donaldson's had a great college career for the Razorbacks, but many believed it was because he played behind what many saw as the greatest offensive line in college football history. During the 2040 CFP Championship game, Donaldson showed that was not the case, with 2 of the linemen (Steven Johnson, Mike Lewis) injured, Donaldson went 23-27, 357 yards, 3 TD's, and no INT's. With his awesome performance the Razorbacks easily defeated the Oklahoma Sooners to win their first ever CFP Championship. With that performance, Donaldson's stock in the draft sky-rocketed, with many people thinking that the Pharaohs would trade up to get him, which they did. Donaldson showed immediately why Lewis was worth trading for him, as he had a season eerily similar to Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes. In that season, the Pharaohs would decline only winning 12 game off of last year's 14-win season, but they got the two seed and got to the NFC conference championship game before losing to the Charlotte Panthers, who would lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl. It would not be until Super Bowl 81, until Donaldson led his team to the Super Bowl, during this time, Jeremy's brother Fred Donaldson would lead his team, the Oklahoma City Tornadoes (Expansion 2035) to a Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl 77, where he won Super Bowl MVP. In Super Bowl 81, they defeated the San Antonio Séniors and Donaldson won Super Bowl MVP. The Pharaohs would return to the Super Bowl in Super Bowl 85, in which they beat the Orlando Comets, and WR Will Jones won Super Bowl MVP. They would return to the big game again in Super Bowl 90 where they beat the Séniors again, and TE Chris Lewis won Super Bowl MVP. After the game, Donaldson retired, and the Pharaohs had to look for another QB. They traded up again and got the 13th pick, and drafted Michigan QB Damian Lin. Lin would lead his team to Super Bowl 94, where they blew out the Nashville Titans 63-0, Lin would win Super Bowl MVP, after throwing 35-38, 4 TD's, and no INT's. They would win the Super Bowl again in Super Bowl 96 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where LB Daniel Hawkins, had 2 INT's returned for pick 6's, 2 fumble recoveries, and 3 sacks, would win Super Bowl MVP. They would return for Super Bowl 100 against the Boston Patriots, the Pharaohs won in a high-scoring narrow game, and Lin won Super Bowl MVP again, and look to repeat in the 2066 season.