California is home to some of the NFL’s most popular and beloved franchises. In the NFL, the current California franchises combine for a total of 8 championships. California is well known for being a great football state.
How many NFL teams are in California? There are currently three NFL franchises in California. The Los Angeles Chargers, the Lost Angeles Rams, and the San Francisco 49ers. Up until 2019 there were four NFL teams in California, but in 2020 the Oakland Raiders were moved from California to Las Vegas where they became the Las Vegas Raiders.
In today’s post will share with you detailed information about each NFL franchise in California including team history, notable players & coaches and other fun facts. In addition, you’ll learn about other states and cities that also have multiple NFL franchises.
Let’s get started.
NFL Teams in California
The NFL currently has 32 franchises in 22 states that are spread out across the country. Many cities and states are home to more than one NFL franchise. One of these states is California.
There are a total of three different NFL franchises that are currently located in California. The Los Angeles Rams, the Los Angeles Chargers, and the San Francisco 49ers. California is the state tied with Florida as having the most NFL teams. The Oakland Raiders have been historically a California team but they recently relocated to Las Vegas.
Here is some of the key information about each of the NFL teams in California:
Los Angeles Rams
- First Year in NFL: 1936
- NFL Super Bowls: 2
- Franchise Highlights: Greatest show on turf, The fearsome foursome
- Notable Players: Jack Youngblood, Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, Aaron Donald, David Jones, Eric Dickerson
- Notable Coaches: Mike Martz, Dick Vermeil, Sean McVay, Chuck Knox
- Team Colors: New Century Gold, White & Millennium Blue
- Location: Agoura Hill, California
The LA Rams are one of the National Football League’s Oldest Franchises, the Rams first got their NFL start in Cleveland in 1937. They got off to a rough start in their first six seasons but eventually made it to the NFL championship game led by Bob Waterfield.
Dan Reeves eventually moved the franchise to Los Angeles in 1946 to avoid competing with the new Cleveland Browns franchise and to move to a bigger market. Here they had some good teams but they could never get further than the divisional playoff round over the course of the 60’s.
The next decade the LA Rams were largely successful and made the NFC Championship game five times, winning just one. They ultimately lost in the Super Bowl to the Pittsburgh Steelers. This era was led by star running back Eric Dickerson and offensive linemen Jackie Slater.
In the early 1990s the team was struggling and there was a big decline in attendance and there were some concerns by then owner Georgi Frontier’s about the stadium and profitability. These concerns ultimately led to moving the Rams from LA to St. Louis, Missouri.
In St. Louis the Rams got off to a rough start and struggled to win games until things turned around and the era of “The Greatest Show on Turf’ began. This team features Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt and Kurt Warner. They are still considered to be one of the best offensives of all time. This team eventually made it to the Super Bowl in 1999 where they beat the Tennessee Titans to capture their first Super Bowl title.
After this era, the Rams struggled for a few seasons and owner Stan Kroenke purchased some land in California and eventually got the approval to move the Rams back to Los Angeles in 2016. In LA the Rams have become a high-quality franchise and have recently won the Super Bowl in 2022. Where their team was led by Sean Mcvay, Mathew Stafford, Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr.
For more information about the Rams history check out this article.
Los Angeles Chargers
- First Year in NFL: 1960
- NFL Super Bowls: 0
- Franchise Highlights: Super Bowl XXIX Appearance
- Notable Players: Junior Seau, LaDainian Tomlinson, Phillip Rivers, Rodney Harrison, Dan Fouts, Antonio Gates, Eric Weddle, Darren Sproles
- Notable Coaches: Bobby Ross, Don Coryell, Sid Gillman, Norv Turner, Marty Schottenheimer
- Team Colors: Navy Blue, Powder Blue, Gold, and White
- Location: Inglewood, California
The Chargers got their NFL start in 1959, when Barron Hilton, a 32-year old hotel executive, was awarded a franchise for Los Angeles in the new American Football League. Although they had some early success they received meager fan support so Hilton moved the NFL franchise 120 miles south to San Diego in 1961.
The now San Diego Chargers led by coach Sid Gillman developed into a flashy glamour team. They were well known for being a high scoring, crowd-pleasing juggernauts that won divisional championships five of the AFL’s first six years. These eras were led by players like Ron Mix, and coach Gillman, Alworth who are now both in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
In 1967 the Charged moved into a new stadium called Qualcomm Stadium. In their new home they were a quality team but didn’t win a championship until 13 years later in 1979.
In 1978 the Chargers hired head coach Don Coryell who developed an offensive scheme and philosophy known as Air Coryell, also known as the vertical offense. Dan Fouts was quarterback at the time and led this offense to be one of the best and most exciting offenses in the league setting multiple records. They earned four consecutive playoff appearances during the Air Coryell era and made it to three AFC championships. However, they came up short of making it to the Super Bowl.
In the 1994 season the Charger would eventually make it to their first Super Bowl appearance but eventually lost to the San Francisco 49ers who were led by Steve Young and Jerry Rice.
In the early 2000’s the chargers had a ton of great players including LaDainian Tomlinson, Phillip Rivers, Eric Weddle, Antonio Gate and they were always a solid team. Despite being a very good team, they never made it back to the Super Bowl.
In 2017, the Chargers controversially relocated back to Los Angeles and became the Los Angeles Chargers. This was done a year after the Rams relocated back to LA. At the time many speculated that the team would re-brand and change their name like the Houston Oilers. Ultimately, they kept their name and colors. They now play in Sofi Stadium that holds 70,00 fans which is the first indoor-outdoor stadium. The team is now led by young star Quarterback Justin Herbert and are well respected across the NFL.
San Francisco 49ers
- First Year in NFL: 1946
- NFL Superbowls: 5
- Franchise Highlights: The Drive, The Catch, Super Bowl BlowOut
- Notable Players: Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, Jerry Rice, Steve Young, Frank Gore, Terrell Owens, John Taylor,
- Notable Coaches: Bill Walsh, Jim Harbaugh, Steve Mariucci, Kyle Shanahan, George Seifert, George Seifert
- Team Colors: 49ers Red and Gold
- Location: San Francisco, California
The 49ers first got their start in the All-American Football conference but like most new football teams they struggled at the beginning and had a few tough seasons.
In 1950 the 49ers moved to the NFL following the collapse of the AAFC where they had some of the NFL’s biggest stars including Frankie Albert, Hugh McElhenny, Joe Perry and John Henry Johnson. But they fell short on winning a championship.
Starting in 1970 the 49ers won three straight NFC Western Divisions. However, they were eliminated every year by the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship games. Things began to turn around when the 49ers elected Bill Walsh to be their head coach. They also had some young star players on the rise during this era. In Walsh’s third season he led the team to their first league championship with a 26-21 win over the Cincinnati Bengal’s.
One of the 49ers all-time great teams were in the 1980s where they had some young superstars including quarterback Joe Montana, receivers Jerry Rice and Dwight Clark and defensive back Ronnie Lott. This team was loaded where they won multiple Super Bowls.
The 49ers also did a great job at replacing their older stars with new and up-and-coming players. A great example of this is Steve Young. Joe Montana who is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time struggled with some injuries at the end of his career and Steve Young who sat on the sidelines for a few seasons eventually replaced him. Steve Young was just as good if not better and led the 49ers to win three Super Bowl titles in 1989, 1995, & 1990.
The 49ers have always been a well-run NFL franchise that has a lot of incredible historic moments and has a very passionate fanbase. They are now led by head coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch.
Here is a quick video summarizing the San Francisco 49ers history.
Why Does LA Have 2 NFL Teams?
There is a long history between multiple NFL franchises and the city of Los Angeles. The main reason why there are currently two NFL teams in LA is because the over population and city itself. It’s the second largest city in the United States and is home to over 4 million people. Los Angeles is also home to twelve major sports teams including the Lakers, Kings, Dodgers, Angeles, Clippers and others.
What NFL Teams Used to Be in California
The state of California used to be home to four NFL franchises the Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders. That was until the Oakland Raiders after 12 seasons left LA and moved their team to Las Vegas in 2022. The main reason why the Raider decided to re-locate was because of stadium issues.
How Many NFL Teams Are There?
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that currently consists of 32 teams. These 32 teams are divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Each conference is also divided into different divisions.
Which State Has the Most NFL Teams?
There are two states that are tied for having the most NFL franchises California and Florida. California and Florida both have three NFL teams in their state which is the most in the NFL. California is home to the LA Rams, LA Chargers and the San Francisco 49ers. Florida is home to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Miami Dolphins.
Here is a table that lists in alphabetical order how many NFL teams are in each state.
| State | Number of NFL Teams |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 0 |
| Alaska | 0 |
| Arizona | 1 |
| Arkansas | 0 |
| California | 3 |
| Colorado | 1 |
| Connecticut | 0 |
| Delaware | 0 |
| Florida | 3 |
| Georgia | 1 |
| Hawaii | 0 |
| Idaho | 0 |
| Illinois | 1 |
| Indiana | 1 |
| Iowa | 0 |
| Kansas | 0 |
| Kentucky | 0 |
| Louisiana | 1 |
| Maine | 0 |
| Maryland | 2 |
| Massachusetts | 1 |
| Michigan | 1 |
| Minnesota | 1 |
| Mississippi | 0 |
| Missouri | 1 |
| Montana | 0 |
| Nebraska | 0 |
| Nevada | 1 |
| California | 0 |
| New Jersey | 2 |
| New Mexico | 0 |
| New York | 1 |
| North Carolina | 1 |
| North Dakota | 0 |
| Ohio | 2 |
| Oklahoma | 0 |
| Oregon | 0 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 |
| Rhode Island | 0 |
| South Carolina | 0 |
| South Dakota | 0 |
| Tennessee | 1 |
| Texas | 2 |
| Utah | 0 |
| Vermont | 0 |
| Virginia | 0 |
| Washington | 1 |
| West Virginia | 0 |
| Wisconsin | 1 |
| Wyoming | 0 |
As shown above there are only two states that have three NFL teams (California & Florida). While there are five states that have two NFL franchises (Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, and Maryland). On the other hand, there are 27 states that do not have an NFL team.
What City Has the Most NFL Teams
The city of Los Angeles is home to two NFL teams the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers which is the most a city has in the NFL.
Which Is the Smallest City in the NFL
Among all 32 NFL teams the team that has the smallest city is the Green Bay Packers. The city of Green Bay located in Wisconsin is the smallest market to have a major professional sports team and has a population around 105,100. But don’t be fooled, the Green Bay Packer are one of the most popular and well-respected NFL franchises with a very passionate fan base.
NFL Teams by State
Here is a list of all 32 of the NFL teams and what State and city they are located.
| Team | State | City |
| Arizona Cardinals | Arizona | Phoenix |
| Atlanta Falcons | Georgia | Atlanta |
| Baltimore Ravens | Maryland | Baltimore |
| Buffalo Bills | New York | Buffalo |
| Carolina Panthers | North Carolina | Raleigh |
| Chicago Bears | Illinois | Chicago |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Ohio | Cincinnati |
| Cleveland Browns | Ohio | Cleveland |
| Dallas Cowboys | Texas | Dallas |
| Denver Broncos | Colorado | Denver |
| Detroit Lions | Michigan | Detroit |
| Green Bay Packers | Wisconsin | Green Bay |
| Houston Texans | Texas | Houston |
| Indianapolis Colts | Indiana | Indianapolis |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Florida | Jacksonville |
| Kansas City Chiefs | Missouri | Kansas City |
| Las Vegas Raiders | Nevada | Las Vegas |
| Los Angeles Chargers | California | Los Angeles |
| Los Angeles Rams | California | Los Angeles |
| Miami Dolphins | Florida | Miami |
| Minnesota Vikings | Minnesota | Minneapolis |
| New England Patriots | Massachusetts | New England |
| New Orleans Saints | Louisiana | New Orleans |
| New York Giants | New Jersey | East Rutherford |
| New York Jets | New Jersey | East Rutherford |
| Philadelphia Eagles | Pennsylvania | Philadelphia |
| Pittsburg Steelers | Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh |
| San Francisco 49ers | California | San Francisco |
| Seattle Seahawks | Washington | Seattle |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Florida | Tampa Bay |
| Tennessee Titans | Tennessee | Nashville |
| Washington Commanders | Maryland | Washington D.C. |
How Many NFL Teams Does New York Have?
The state of New York is home to one of the National Football teams, the Buffalo Bills. Many NFL fans assume both the New York Jets and the New York Giants are based in New York, but they are actually located in New Jersey.
How Many NFL Teams Does Florida Have?
Florida has three NFL franchises located within the state, they are the: Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Miami Dolphins. Florida is tied with California for having the most NFL franchises in their state (3).
Check out this article for more information about NFL teams in Florida.
How Many NFL Teams Does New Jersey Have?
The state of New Jersey is home to two of the 32 National Football teams, the New York Giants and the New York Jets. New Jersey is one of seven states that are home to multiple NFL franchises.
How Many NFL Teams Does Ohio Have?
The state of Ohio is home to two NFL franchises, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns. They are two of seven states that have multiple NFL franchises within their state.
How Many NFL Teams Does Texas Have?
The game of football has always been popular in Texas and the state is home to two NFL franchises the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texas. The state of Texas is one of seven states that are home to multiple NFL Franchises.
Check out this article for more information about NFL teams in Texas.
How Many NFL Teams Does Pennsylvania Have?
There are two NFL teams that are located in Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pennsylvania is not the only state that has two or more NFL franchises, there are seven states that are home to multiple NFL teams.
How Many NFL Teams Does Maryland Have?
There are two teams in the National Football League (NFL) that are located in the state of Maryland, the Baltimore Ravens and the Washington Commanders. The ravens are located in Baltimore and the Commanders are located in Prince George’s County.
Check out this article for more information about NFL teams in Maryland.