Who Are the 5 Oldest NFL Teams?

While fans may examine NFL odds for 32 teams today, many teams have played under the NFL shield over its history, which began on Sept. 17, 1920. 

Below, I’ll list the five oldest NFL teams. 

Who Are the 5 Oldest NFL Teams?

1. Arizona Cardinals

Founded in 1898 as the Chicago Cardinals, the Arizona Cardinals are the NFL’s oldest team. 

The Cardinals date back to when local contractor Chris O’Brien formed an amateur Chicago-based athletic team. 

The team stayed in Chicago until 1959, when it moved to St. Louis, before moving to Arizona after the 1987 season. 

2. Chicago Bears

During the 1920s, the Cardinals’ fiercest rival was the Decatur Staleys. Founded in 1919, the team was named after A.E. Staley, the owner of a local manufacturing company. 

Decatur kept their nickname for two seasons before new owner George Halas moved the team to Chicago in 1921 and renamed them the Bears a year later. 

3. Green Bay Packers

Also founded in 1919 by Earl “Curly” Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun, the Green Bay Packers are the NFL’s third-oldest franchise. 

Despite operating in the NFL’s smallest market, the Packers are a storied franchise that has won four Super Bowls and 13 NFL Championship titles (pre-1970 AFL-NFL merger).

4. New York Giants

The Giants were founded in 1925 after a $500 investment from owner Tim Mara. At that time, there was a baseball team with the same name, so the team officially went by the “New York Football Giants.” 

In the late 1920s, due in part to the Great Depression, the Giants and other professional football teams faced financial difficulties. 

However, Mara, who was previously a bookmaker and had possible creditor issues, turned ownership over to his sons, Jack and Wellington, in 1930. 

5. Detroit Lions

The Lions were founded in 1928 in Portsmouth, Ohio. The team, originally known as the Portsmouth Spartans, officially joined the NFL on July 12, 1930. 

After financial difficulties due to the Great Depression and operating in a small market, the team moved to Detroit in 1934. It was renamed the Detroit Lions, in reference to the city’s professional baseball team, the Detroit Tigers. 

Who Is the Oldest NFL Team Without a Super Bowl?

Despite their long and storied history, the Arizona Cardinals have yet to win a Super Bowl title. 

In fact, the Cardinals have only made the playoffs 11 times in their 100-plus NFL seasons, last appearing in 2021, when they lost in the wild-card round. 

What NFL Teams Are 100 Years Old?

The Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and New York Giants each boast a history that spans over a century. 

The Lions will turn 100 in 2028.