On Sunday, the Green Bay Packers thrashed their shot at a chance at a 14th NFL title. Their 13 titles is tops in league history. As long as Aaron Rodgers is throwing a football they should have a few more chances to add to that total. The Packers have a 4 title lead over the second place Chicago Bears. Unless John Fox can quickly create a dynasty in Chicago that lead should be safe for a while.
The strange thing about NFL title tallies is that most people only consider the 48 Super Bowls. They seem to forget that the NFL was around for 46 years before the first Super Bowl was even played. Many see the Pittsburgh Steelers 6 Super Bowl titles as a greater barometer of franchise success than the Packers 13 NFL titles. The Steelers sucked for 40 years before they started winning in the 1970s when the Super Bowl was a shiny, new toy. The Steelers sure made up for those 40 dreadful years.
It should be noted that from 1920-32 the NFL title was determined by won-loss record/vote. The Chicago Bears and Portsmouth Spartans ended the 1932 season in a tie. That tie brought about a playoff game. That impromptu playoff game inspired the brilliant idea that the NFL should actually have a championship game.
Here are the teams with the most NFL Titles:
13 Green Bay Packers: 1929-31, 1936, 1939, 1944, 1961-62, 1965-67, 1996, 2010
9 Chicago Bears: 1921, 1932-33, 1940-41, 1943, 1946, 1963, 1985
8 New York Giants: 1927, 1934, 1938, 1956, 1986, 1990, 2007, 2011
6 Pittsburgh Steelers: 1974-75, 1978-79, 2005, 2008
5 Washington Redskins: 1937, 1942, 1982, 1987, 1991
5 Dallas Cowboys: 1971, 1977, 1992-93, 1995
5 San Francisco 49ers: 1981, 1984, 1988-89, 1994
4 Detroit Lions: 1935, 1952-53, 1957
4 Cleveland Browns: 1950, 1954-55, 1964
4 Indianapolis Colts: 1958-59, 1970, 2006
3 St. Louis Rams: 1945, 1951, 1999
3 Philadelphia Eagles: 1948-49, 1960
3 Oakland Raiders: 1976, 1980, 1983
3 New England Patriots: 2001, 2003-04
2 Arizona Cardinals: 1925, 1947
2 Miami Dolphins: 1972-73
2 Denver Broncos: 1997-98
2 Baltimore Ravens: 2000, 2012
1 New York Jets: 1968
1 Kansas City Chiefs: 1969
1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2002
1 New Orleans Saints: 2009
1 Seattle Seahawks: 2013
Five teams won NFL titles in the 1920s that didn't survive that rough decade:
1920 Akron Pros
1922-23 Canton Bulldogs
1924 Cleveland Bulldogs
1926 Frankford Yellow Jackets
1928 Providence Steam Roller
There were two successful rival leagues to the NFL in the history of professional football. Successful in the sense that the NFL accepted a full merger with one league (AFL) and accepted three teams from the other league (AAFC). It's only right to mention the champions of those leagues:
AAFC
The Cleveland Browns won every title in the league's 4-year existence. 1946-49.
AFL
1960 Houston Oilers
1961 Houston Oilers
1962 Dallas Texans
1963 San Diego Chargers
1964 Buffalo Bills
1965 Buffalo Bills
1966 Kansas City Chiefs-lost to the Packers in Super Bowl I
1967 Oakland Raiders-lost to the Packers in Super Bowl II
1968 New York Jets-won Super Bowl III
1969 Kansas City Chiefs-won Super Bowl IV
One interesting little championship note is that the Rams have won three NFL titles. Each was won while the team played in a different city.
1945 Cleveland Rams
1951 Los Angeles Rams
1999 St. Louis Rams
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