In the National Football League, there are 32 teams, and we cover them all in this NFL teams list. Those 32 NFL teams are divided into the AFC and NFC conferences, 16 teams a piece. Each conference has four divisions: North, East, South, and West. Those divisions contain four teams each. As the names indicate, the teams are mixed and matched by geographical location in their conferences/divisions. By matching the teams in this way, the travel schedules can be more manageable. The “matchmakers” can ensure every team gets a healthy dose of games against teams outside of their division, leading all the way up to the Super Bowl.
If you want to dive deeper into NFL football, you came to the right place. Throughout our NFL teams list, we’ll drop some fun facts about each team and discuss the history behind each conference. You can also check out the latest NFL odds here
NFC Teams List 2024/25
The National Football Conference is one-half of the league. As we said at the onset, each conference boasts 16 teams, with four in each division. When most people think of the NFC, they usually gravitate toward teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings and their rivals, such as the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, and Detroit Lions.
The oldest team is the Green Bay Packers, which was established as a semi-pro team outside of the NFL in 1919. That’s why when the NFL honours its “heritage,” you’ll see a lot of cheesehead-related propaganda in its marketing campaigns. It’s worth noting that the Arizona Cardinals and the Chicago Bears are officially the oldest teams in the league, as they are the only original NFL charter franchises still running.
NFC East Teams
- Dallas Cowboys: VHS tapes were still in style the last time the Cowboys won a Super Bowl, but that doesn’t stop the faithful from watching QB Dak Prescott choke in the playoffs every year. Also, the Cowboys’ cheerleaders are the creme de la crop.
- New York Giants: Remember that team that beat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII and XLVI? That’s these guys! Man, Eli Manning never got the credit he deserved. Bro had the GOAT’s number. Massive props to him.
- Philadelphia Eagles: Fly Birds Fly! Believe it or not, this team rode a hot Nick Foles to a Super Bowl LII W. Of course, the defence was good, too, but who in the hell would’ve had Nick Foles winning a Super Bowl MVP award on their bingo cards?
- Washington Commanders: Much like the Cowgirls, the Commanders haven’t been relevant since the 20th century. The franchise hopes its newest QB, Jaylen Daniels, can flip the script on time and get Washington back into the game.
NFC North Teams
- Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams has been anointed the lamb of God in Northeastern Illinois. Will he bring the team back to its former glory, or when we talk about Chicago’s sole NFL franchise, will we have to revert to “Fun Facts” to make any conversation about “‘Dem Bears” tolerable?
- Detroit Lions: No Super Bowls to its name, but the working-class Michiganders love the team anyway, especially with a head coach like Dan Campbell, who embodies the spirit of the land.
- Green Bay Packers: Does Brett Favre still play for the Packers, or has the team been blessed with star quarterback after star quarterback? That’s what you get for being the NFL’s “oldest team.”
- Minnesota Vikings: The best thing the Vikings did in recent years was letting Kirk Cousins go. Good riddance.
NFC South Teams
- Atlanta Falcons: It’s a good thing Georgia fans have the Bulldogs to cheer for because otherwise, its sole NFL team would always be the squad remembered for blowing a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl LI.
- Carolina Panthers: The Panthers seem like that team that’s just happy to be there.
- New Orleans Saints: The Saints had a good thing going there for a while but are “mid” now.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Will be forever remembered as the last team Tom Brady played for.
NFC West Teams
- Arizona Cardinals: The Cards’ biggest accomplishment will be helping put on one of the best Super Bowl games in NFL history when they played the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII. If you haven’t seen the highlights, do yourself a favour and watch ’em. Even in the defeat, Arizona should be proud.
- Los Angeles Rams: The first NFL team to embrace the NBA’s “super team” fad and win a Super Bowl whilst doing so.
- San Francisco 49ers: How can you hear the 49ers’ name and not think about the Joe Montana days?
- Seattle Seahawks: The “12th Man” and “Legion of Boom” will forever be some of the most legendary names in all football.
AFC Teams
The AFC is the other NFL conference, and it makes up another 16 teams in our NFL teams list. Historically, the AFC has been dominated by legendary franchises like the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots.
AFC East Teams
- Buffalo Bills: Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. The Bills will forever be remembered as the team that could never win a Super Bowl, the NFL’s original choke artists. Sorry, Jim Kelly.
- Miami Dolphins: The 1972 Dolphins squad had the best season in the NFL’s history, going 17-0 and winning a Super Bowl.
- New England Patriots: If it weren’t for Tom Brady and Bill Belichick turning New England’s tin cans into gold, the Patriots would be just as relevant as the Panthers. Sorry, not sorry.
- New York Jets: A-Aron Rodgers is the new Joe Namath, but will he find the same success? The jury is out on that one.
AFC North Teams
- Baltimore Ravens: When we think about the Ravens, we’ll always remember how tough they were to play, especially during the Ray Lewis Era. That defence was SCARY good.
- Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow is slowly making the Bengals relevant again.
- Cleveland Browns: Like the Bills, always the bridesmaid, never the bride.
- Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers have a reputation for having a defence that historically bends but doesn’t break. The Cold War might be over, but “The Steel Curtain” still remains.
AFC South Teams
- Houston Texans: CJ Stroud is going to take the Texans places. Get him an O-line and a decent defence and the rest will be history.
- Indianapolis Colts: The team that one of the GOATs, Payton Manning, played for.
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Forever “mid.”
- Tennessee Titans: Forever “mid” 2.0.
AFC West Teams
- Denver Broncos: This team made it onto an episode of “South Park” for some NSFW reasons. Oh yeah, John Elway also helped the team win some Super Bowls.
- Kansas City Chiefs: The NFL’s modern-day dynasty, led by future Hall of Famer and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes. Taylor Swift is a big Travis Kelece fan, too.
- Las Vegas Raiders: Good in the ’80s. “Mid” ever since.
- Los Angeles Chargers: There’s not much to say about the Chargers except that they’re the team that single-handily convinced Jim Harbaugh to leave Michigan to coach in the NFL again.
NFL Teams List FAQs
There are 32 NFL teams in total.
The question is subjective, but in the present day, the best team may be considered the Kansas City Chiefs. All-time NFL traditionalists may say the Pittsburgh Steelers or the New England Patriots.
The Arizona Cardinals and the Chicago Bears are the oldest teams in the league, as they are the only NFL charter franchises still running. The Green Bay Packers were established as a semi-pro team earlier but didn’t actually join the NFL until later. Nevertheless, it can be argued that they’re the oldest team in terms of when they were established.
The Houston Texans, the NFL’s newest team, entered the league in 2002.