Honestly, if you're standing at a bar and someone asks how many teams are in the NFL, the quick answer is 32. It’s been that way for a while. Since 2002, to be exact, when the Houston Texans joined the party and balanced everything out. But if you think that’s the end of the story, you're kinda missing the bigger picture of how the league actually functions today.
The NFL isn't just a random collection of teams. It's a precisely tuned, 32-headed math problem.
The Magic Number 32
Right now, the league is split into two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Each has 16 teams. From there, it gets even more symmetrical. Each conference is broken down into four divisions—North, South, East, and West—with four teams in each.
It’s perfect. It’s clean. It makes scheduling easy—well, as easy as scheduling 272 regular-season games can be. You play your three division rivals twice. You play a full division from your own conference and a full division from the other. Toss in those "standing-based" games and the 17th game added recently, and the calendar is full.
But here’s the thing: that number hasn't always been the case. Back in 1920, when the league started as the American Professional Football Association, they had 14 teams. Some of those names sound like they're from a different planet, like the Decatur Staleys or the Rock Island Independents. By the time the AFL-NFL merger happened in 1970, we were at 26 teams. We’ve crept up slowly, adding a pair here and a lone franchise there, until hitting the current 32-team ceiling.
Who Actually Owns These Teams?
People talk about "The NFL" like it's a single company owned by a mysterious billionaire in a volcano lair. It's not. Basically, the NFL is a trade association. It’s owned by the 32 teams themselves. Each team is its own business, but they agree to share the massive pile of money they make from TV deals with NBC, CBS, FOX, ESPN, and Amazon.
Most teams are owned by incredibly wealthy individuals or families. You've got the classic "legacy" owners like the McCaskey family (Chicago Bears) or the Rooney family (Pittsburgh Steelers), who have held onto their teams for generations. Then you have the newer crowd, like Rob Walton, who bought the Denver Broncos for a cool $4.65 billion in 2022.
The Green Bay Packers are the weirdest—and arguably coolest—exception. They don't have an owner. They’re a non-profit corporation owned by hundreds of thousands of fans who hold shares. They’ve been "grandfathered" in because the NFL doesn't allow that kind of ownership structure anymore. Nowadays, the league wants a "lead owner" who holds at least a 30% stake so they know exactly who to yell at when something goes wrong.
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Why Not Just Add More?
If the NFL is so popular, why stop at 32? You'd think they’d want a team in London, Toronto, or maybe a second shot for St. Louis or San Diego.
Expansion is a massive headache.
First, adding more teams dilutes the talent. There are barely 32 humans on Earth capable of playing quarterback at an elite level. Just ask any fan of a team currently starting a backup. If you add four more teams, that’s four more starting QBs you need to find. The product on the field might actually get worse.
Second, the current owners would have to split their TV money more ways. Right now, the pie is cut into 32 slices. If you bring in the "London Monarchs" or whatever, every current owner’s slice gets a little smaller. To make it worth it, an expansion team has to bring in enough new revenue—from a whole new country or a massive untapped market—to make the remaining slices bigger than they were before.
Rumors of Change in 2026 and Beyond
As of early 2026, the chatter isn't really about adding teams so much as it is about adding games. Commissioner Roger Goodell hasn't been shy about his "lofty goals." He’s been pushing for an 18-game regular season for a while.
The logic is simple:
- More games = More TV inventory.
- More TV inventory = More money.
- More money = Happy owners.
The players, understandably, aren't exactly thrilled about the idea of hitting each other for an extra week. But the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) usually trades these things for other perks, like more health benefits or a higher percentage of the revenue.
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There's also the "Global Markets Program." This is sort of a "soft" expansion. Instead of putting a team permanently in Germany or Brazil, the NFL is giving existing teams marketing rights in those countries. For example, the Detroit Lions have rights in Austria and Switzerland, while the Miami Dolphins are working the market in Argentina. They're building the brand globally without the logistical nightmare of flying the Dallas Cowboys to London for a 1:00 PM kickoff every other week.
The Division Breakdown (The "Cheat Sheet")
If you’re trying to keep track of who plays where, here is the current layout of the 32 teams.
AFC East
Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets.
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers.
AFC South
Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans.
AFC West
Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers.
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders.
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NFC North
Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks.
What Happens Next?
If you're a fan, the number 32 is likely staying put for the next few years. The focus is much more on the 18-game schedule and the 16-game international slate that Goodell wants to implement by the end of the decade.
The biggest thing to watch for isn't a new team name, but rather the stadium situations. Several teams are currently "stuck" in older venues or looking for massive public funding to build new ones. Usually, the threat of moving—or the promise of an expansion slot—is used as leverage in those city negotiations.
Actionable Insights for Fans:
- Check the 2026 Schedule: The NFL usually releases the full schedule in May. Keep an eye on how many "International Series" games are included, as this shows which markets they're testing for future expansion.
- Watch the NFLPA Negotiations: If you start hearing talk about a "reduced preseason," that’s usually the signal that the 18-game regular season is about to become a reality.
- Track Valuations: Teams like the Cowboys and Giants are seeing their values skyrocket. If a "small market" team like the Jaguars or Titans suddenly jumps in value, it’s usually because of new stadium deals or increased revenue sharing.
The NFL is a slow-moving giant. It doesn't change its structure often, but when it does, it's usually because there's a multi-billion dollar reason behind it. For now, enjoy the 32-team parity—it's the most stable the league has ever been.