NFL expansion teams before the 1970 merger with the AFL:
1. Dallas Cowboys (1960)
2. Minnesota Vikings (1961)
3. Atlanta Falcons (1966)
4. New Orleans Saints (1967)
AFL expansion teams before the 1970 merger with the NFL:
1. Miami Dolphins (1966)
2. Cincinnati Bengals (1968)
Expansion teams after 1970 NFL-AFL merger:
1. Seattle Seahawks (1976)
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1976)
3. Carolina Panthers (1995)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (1995)
5. Cleveland Browns (1999)*
6. Houston Texans (2002)
*The Cleveland Browns entered the league in 1999 as a replacement for the original Browns team that moved to Baltimore after the 1995 season and became the Ravens. The NFL held over the original Browns' team history and records for the new Cleveland team.
There are 32 teams in the NFL. Not bad, considering it started with eleven.
10
1 .... the Houston Texans in 2002.
Indianapolis 2009
George Blanda
Click on the 'Chronology of NFL Teams' link on this page to see when every team that has participated in the NFL joined and when those that folded left.
The only teams that are still playing in their original stadiums are expansion teams Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars. The Packers play in Lambeau Field which opened in 1957. The Bears have played in Soldier Field since 1971.
By NFL rule, expansion teams are given the first selection in each round of the draft. The last expansion team in the NFL was the Houston Texans who began play in 2002. They were awarded the first selection in each round of the 2002 NFL Draft.
The teams of the former American Football League joined in 1970. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks joined in 1976. The Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars joined in 1995. The Houston Texans (replacing the Houston Oilers who moved to Tennessee in 1997 and were renamed the Titans in 1999) joined in 2002. All other teams joined before 1961.
denver
Vikings and Broncos.
No nfl teams are playing today