Football is one of the most popular sports in the world, and certainly in America. And whether you're an avid fan who never misses a game or a casual spectator, there's no denying that the sport's professional history and unique rules are pretty fascinating.
For that exact reason, we put together 15 of the most interesting NFL facts. Some of these are guaranteed to make you scratch your head or say "REALLY?!" out loud, and they're all sure to give you an advantage at the next trivia night. Ready to get into it? Hut!
One quick thing before we get into these interesting NFL facts: did you know The Wander Club has NFL Football Stadium Tokens? Collect tokens from the stadiums you've visited or for your favorite teams to show off your team spirit, and put them on a Football Wanderchain Keychain to organize them all.
Each of these Wanderchains is made from upcycled American footballs and because of this, every single one is 100% unique! They bear unique markings and tell their own stories, so you'll have a completely custom item.
15 Super Interesting NFL Facts
1. The longest field goal ever made was a 66-yarder, kicked by the Baltimore Ravens' Justin Tucker in 2021. Only a handful of other players have ever made 60-plus-yard field goals.
2. One of the most interesting NFL facts is that 12 teams have never won a Super Bowl (over one-third of the league, surprisingly), and four have never even made an appearance.
Those four include the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
3. The Seattle Seahawks' name was decided by a public competition. In the 1970s, the new-to-Seattle franchise opened a competition where the public could suggest names and then vote. The team received about 1,750 suggestions and 20,000 entries.
4. How's this for interesting NFL facts? Players weren't required to wear helmets until 1943!
5. The Green Bay Packers are the oldest team that still holds its original name. The team was established in 1919 and has never been renamed or relocated.
6. Another interesting NFL fact about the Packers: the team is said to have the longest waiting list for season tickets in the entire league. It's so long, in fact, that you could live to be 100 and never get your chance at tickets, even if you'd been on the list your entire life!
As of 2019, about 137,000 people were on the list. In many seasons, only around 700 pairs of tickets are available. Making the situation even more scarce, tickets are fully transferable, so many people transfer them to family members or other loved ones in their will and the tickets never go back into the pool!
Because of this, there's no way to know for sure, but it is believed that the average wait time is close to 1,000 years.
7. Tom Brady, AKA the GOAT (Greatest of All Time), holds many "first and only" titles and is certainly the subject of many interesting NFL facts.
Brady has appeared in the most Super Bowls (10), won the most Super Bowls (7), and is the oldest player to have ever played in and won a Super Bowl.
8. Speaking of Tom Brady, the New England Patriots hold the longest winning streak in the NFL, a whopping 21 games between 2003 and 2004.
9. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings are considered the un-winningest (totally a word!) teams in history.
Both made it to the Super Bowl an impressive four times in just a decade, but were defeated every time.
10. Although the Dallas Cowboys are arguably one of the most iconic teams in the NFL, the team is especially unique in that it doesn't believe in retiring jersey numbers.
The Oakland Raiders also don't "believe" in retiring players' numbers.
11. Of all the interesting NFL facts, this is perhaps one of the most surprising. It wasn't until 2021 that a team played a Super Bowl in its home stadium.
It was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Tom Brady, go figure) and not only did they play at home, they won.
12. The Arizona Cardinals hold the unfortunate "honor" of the longest post-season drought. Between 1947 and 1998 — 51 years — the team didn't win a single game in the post-season.
13. Of the 20 most viewed television broadcasts of all time, 19 are Super Bowls. Now that's one of the most interesting NFL facts!
14. If you're a longtime football fan, this is probably one of the most interesting NFL facts out there. The storied 2000 Baltimore Ravens, who won the Super Bowl that year, went five games that season where they didn't score a single touchdown.
In those five games, the only points scored were field goals from kicker Matt Stover.
15. The Green Bay Packers close out the final anecdote on our list of interesting NFL facts. The team is the only one in the NFL that's publicly-owned and a non-profit organization. Unsurprisingly, it's also the only one that shares its balance sheets every year.
