NFL Teams Oldest To Newest By Established Year

Oldest NFL teams in order consist of Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and Detroit Lions.

NFL Teams	Established Date
Arizona Cardinals	1920
Chicago Bears	1920
Green Bay Packers	1921
New York Giants	1925
Detriot Lions	1930
Washington Commanders	1932
Philadelphia Eagles	1933
Pittsburgh Steelers	1933
Los Angeles Rams	1937
San Francisco 49ers	1950
Cleveland Browns	1950
Indianapolis Colts	1953
Dallas Cowboys	1960
Kansas City Chiefs	1960
Los Angeles Chargers	1960
Denver Broncos	1960
New York Jets	1960
New England Patriots	1960
Las Vegas Raiders	1960
Tennessee Titans	1960
Buffalo Bills	1960
Minnesota Vikings	1961
Atlanta Falcons	1966
Miami Dolphins	1966
New Orleans Saints	1967
Cincinnati Bengals	1968
Seattle Seahawks	1976
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1976
Carolina Panthers	1995
Jacksonville Jaguars	1995
Baltimore Ravens	1996
Houston Texans	2002

At the league's beginning, there were no 32 NFL teams, but only 14 of them. There were many other teams competing like Akron Pros, Dayton Triangles, and Hammond Pros.

The Staleys went on to relocate to Chicago and become the Bears, while the Chicago Cardinals went on to St. Louis and then Phoenix in the alter years. In 1921, the franchise size grew to 21, with the addition of clubs like the Green Bay Packers.

Similarly, in the 1925 season, New York Giants joined the League and cemented its position as one of the oldest teams in the NFL today.

Newest NFL teams in order include Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers. The Texans were established in 2002, while the Ravens got officially formed in 1996. The 2001 season is the last time that the league contained less than 32 teams.

NFL Teams Average Age

Average age of NFL teams is 26 years, 5 months, and 12 days. Raiders average roster age was 27 years, 5 months, and 27 days as of 1 September 2022.

QB Derek Carr was 31 years old during his 2022 season for the Raiders and has moved to the Saints for the 2023 season. Similarly, their starting RB Ameer Abdullah and WR Davante Adams were 29 and 30 respectively.

Likewise, in the context of players' age, the youngest team in the NFL is the Cleveland Browns with an average age of 25 years, 5 months, and 27 days old. Kansas City Chiefs and LA Rams follow after the Browns.

Here is the list of the top 5 franchises with their average age in order per the 2022 season:

• Las Vegas Raiders - 27 years, 5 months, 27 days
• New England Patriots - 27 years, 5 months, 13 days
• Arizona Cardinals - 27 years, 5 months, 8 days
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 27 years, 4 months, 6 days
• New Orleans Saints - 27 years, 2 months, 27 days

Oldest team in the NFL by age is Arizona Cardinals which was formed in 1920. The Cardinals were based in Chicago during that time.

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From 1920 up to the 1959 season, the Cardinals played in Chicago until they made relocation to St. Louis, Missouri in 1960. During their first year, the team with other 13 teams, out of which only Decatur Staleys (now Chicago Bears) continued their legacy.

Then, they moved to St. Louis in 1960 and changed their name to St. Louis Cardinals.

However, they again relocated to Phoenix, Arizona in 1988. In 1994, the franchise changed its name to Arizona Cardinals due to fan pressure as they did not actually play from Pheonix.

Oldest NFL teams cover Chicago Bears which was established in 1920.

The club was based in Decatur and known as Decatur Staleys. At that time, there were only 14 teams against each other. All the teams folded except the Chicago Cardinals.

In 1921, the Decatur Staleys relocated to Chicago and became known as Chicago Staleys. Meanwhile, the team also changed its surname in the 1922 season and became the Bears.

Green Bay Packers is the oldest NFL team that has not undergone relocation or franchise name change. The Packers entered the League in 1921.

When the Packers played their first season, there were 21 teams, however, all of them folded except the Chicago Staleys and Chicago Cardinals.

The Packers played the League's first Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs in 1967, where they came out victorious with a 35-10 score.

New York Giants are the third oldest NFL team. They were formed in 1925.

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In their debut year, the Giants played alongside 19 other teams. Detroit Panthers, Pottsville Maroons, and Providence Steam Roller were two other franchises that joined in the same year.

The Giants are one of the rare teams like the Packers who have neither relocated nor changed their name in their long history.

Detriot Lions formally got established in 1930 as Portsmouth Spartans. There were 11 teams during the Spartans debut year.

In 1934, the team moved to Detroit and was renamed as Lions. 11 teams were still active, with the addition of the St. Louis Gunners.

Washington Commanders was formed in the 1932 season. The team was originally known as Boston Braves.

During the Braves' first NFL season, they competed against 7 other franchises.

They relocated to Washington DC in 1937, ad changed their name to Washington Redskins, where they have played since. They also changed their name to Commanders in 2022 due to controversy over the 'Redskins' name.

Philadelphia Eagles entered the National Football League in the 1933 season.

The Eagles played their first season alongside 9 other clubs like Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Redskins.

They have not changed their city or team name since their establishment, a rare sight in NFL history.

Pittsburgh Steelers played their first NFL season in the year 1933.

The Steelers were newcomers to the League alongside the Philadelphia Eagles. Both of them played in the Eastern Division.

After their formation, the Pirates have never relocated nor altered their names.

Los Angeles Rams got established in 1937. The team was founded in Cleveland.

The Cleveland Rams played in the Western Division in the 1937 season, alongside Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions. However, the Rams saw their operation pause during World War 2 and resumed in 1944.

In 1946, Rams relocated to Los Angeles and then again moved to St. Louis in 1995. In 2016-2017, they were one of the NFL teams that moved back to LA again.

San Francisco 49ers were formed in 1950 after the AAFC merger.

They played their first season in the National Conference alongside the Rams, Packers, and Bears.

The team has not relocated anywhere to date and has been the major Football for San Francisco residents today.

Cleveland Browns were also a part of the AAFC merger in 1950, alongside the San Francisco 49ers.

The franchise played in the American Conference, alongside New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers. They have not changed their name or cities as of 2023.

Indianapolis Colts played their first season in Baltimore in 1953.

The team took part in the Western Conference against clubs like the 49ers, Rams, and Gren Bay Packers. There were only 10 teams during their debut year.

Dallas Cowboys were added to the NFL franchise in 1960. The AFL was also formed in the same year.

The Cowboys played in the Western Conference along with the Rams, Bears, and Detroit Lions.

With their addition, the NFL had 11 teams, while the AFL consisted of 8 teams.

Kansas City Chiefs were formed in 1960 as part of the AFL expansion. They were known as Dallas Texans at that time.

However, in 1963, the team relocated to Kansas City, Missouri, and altered its name to the Chiefs. They have been playing there since.

After the merger, the Chiefs became part of the AFC West and play alongside the Raiders, Chargers, and Broncos.

Los Angeles Chargers were one of the 8 teams that got launched in 1960 as part of the AFL expansion.

The franchise relocated to San Diego in 1961, after completing only one year in LA. After the merger, the Chargers were put in the AFL West division alongside the Chiefs.

In 2017, the Chargers moved back to their original city, Los Angeles.

Denver Broncos also got formed in 1960 due to the AFL expansion.

The Broncos played the Western Division in AFL and then moved to AFC West alongside the Chargers and Chiefs after the merging event.

The Broncos have played for Denver since their initiation and have not altered their name as well.

New York Jets were established in 1960 as an AFL team, with their original name being the Titans of New York.

The Titans changed their name to Jets in the 1963 season. After the 1970 merger, they became part of the AFC East.

New England Patriots were another franchise that was formed with the birth of AFL in 1960.

The club was known as Boston Patriots at that time, and renamed to New England in the 1971 season. They play in the AFC East too.

Las Vegas Raiders got established in 1960 when the AFL emerged. They were originally based in Oakland.

In 1982, the Raiders announced that they would Oakland for Los Angeles. However, after relocation, they returned to Oakland in 1995.

They became the latest team to relocate again in 2020, this time to Nevada as part of the Las Vegas franchise.

Tennessee Titans were established in 1960 as part of AFL expansion. They were known as Houston Oilers.

In 1997, the Oilers announced that they would leave Houston for Nashville. Again, in 1999, the Oilers renamed to Titans and played in the AFC Central till 2001. In 2002, they became part of the AFC South.

Buffalo Bills was created in 1960 alongside 7 other new AFL franchises.

After the merger, the team plays in AFC East and has never relocated to another city nor changed its name.

Minnesota Vikings were enfranchised by NFL in the 1961 season.

The team played in the Western Conference in their early years, alongside the Packers and Bears. However, they became part of the NFC North after the merger.

Atlanta Falcons were introduced in the 1966 season after the expansion of the Vikings.

They played for the Eastern Conference along with Cleveland Browns and Steelers. 15 teams were present in the NFL during their debut year.

Miami Dolphins were an expansive team for the AFL in the 1966 season.

They played in the same division as the Jets and Patriots, and after the merger, they became a part of the AFC East.

They have not changed their location or name since the foundation.

New Orleans Saints played their first season in 1967 as part of the Capitol division in the NFL's Eastern Conference.

During their debut year, 16 franchises played in NFL. As of 2023, the Saints are part of the NFC South team.

Cincinnati Bengals were a part of AFL expansion in 1968.

The franchise played alongside the Raiders, Chiefs, and Chargers during their debut year. After the merger, they were placed in AFC Central and later joined the AFC North in 2002.

Seattle Seahawks joined the National Football League in 1976. 28 teams were present in the 1976 season.

The team was placed in the NFC West division. The Seahawks have not changed their name or location after initial formation.

For 19 years, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks were the youngest NFL teams after joining the franchise in 1976.

The newest team in NFL was put in the AFC West division initially. As of 2023, they play in the NFC South division alongside Saints and Falcons.

Carolina Panthers were formed in 1995, as part of the NFL's new expansion package.

They were enfranchised after almost 19 years of no expansion happening in the League.

The Panthers were placed in NFC West, which had only 4 teams compared to 5 in the other divisions.

Youngest teams in the NFL were Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers till 1995. Jaguars was added to the league in 1995.

With their introduction, the AFC Central division filled one spot as there were only 4 teams before. The expansion of the Jaguars and Panthers saw the League contain 30 teams.

Newest team in NFL was Baltimore Ravens after it was established in 1996. It held the position of the newest NFL franchise till 2001.

The Ravens play their home games in M&T; Bank Stadium since 1998.

The Ravens were formed in a rather complicated way. The city of Baltimore expected an expansive club for them, but Jacksonville and Charlotte received the expansion package instead.

Although they could not land a new team, Baltimore saw an opportunity by buying the Cleveland Browns. However, Cleveland pursued lawsuits that kept the Browns franchise in their city. Nevertheless, a new Baltimore team started to play in the league in 1999.

The newest NFL team is Houston Texans which was formed in the 2002 season.

After the Houston Oilers left the city, Houston was left without a football franchise. So, businessmen Bob McNair and Chuck Watson sought to establish a new club in 1997. During the 1997 season, there were 31 teams playing in the league.

With back-and-forth discussions in expansion cities, Houston finally landed its approval in October 1999.

Since 2002, the Texans have played 331 games and achieved 143 wins from them. They play in the AFC South as of the 2023 season. Texans are the first franchise to become a reality in the modern 2000s era.