List of NFL champions (1920-1969)

This is a list of National Football League (NFL) champions before the AFL–NFL merger. From –, the league champion was determined by a team's win–loss percentage, with tied games omitted. In, because of a tie in the final standings, a playoff game was played to determine the championship.

In, the NFL played its first official championship game. On July 31, 1933, the NFL was divided into two divisions, which were renamed as conferences after, and the winners of each division/conference played each other to determine the league champion. This format would remain through the 1966 season. Any ties in the regular season standings resulted in a playoff game, while the winner of the other conference stood idle. This last occurred in.

In, the then-16-team NFL split each conference into two divisions of four teams each. From –69, the division winners met in a conference championship game. The two conference champions then played for the NFL championship. Starting with the season, the NFL champion played the American Football League champion in what would become the Super Bowl.

Since the completion of the merger in, the Super Bowl has served as the NFL championship game. Unlike the Super Bowl, which is contested at a venue selected years in advance, NFL championship games from to 1969 took place at the home field of one of the competing teams. Home field was not determined by record but alternated between the conferences: the East hosted the even-numbered seasons and the West the odds.

Starting with the 1934 game, the winning team received the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy, which had replaced the Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup, the league's original championship trophy that had gone missing 13 years earlier. The trophy was named after Ed Thorp, a noted referee, rules expert, and sporting goods dealer. Thorp died in 1934, and a large, traveling trophy was made that year, passed along from champion to champion each season with each championship team's name inscribed on it (just like its predecessor). Teams would also receive a replica trophy. The trophy was last awarded to the Minnesota Vikings in 1969. It is now missing.

NFL Championships 1920–1932 (pre-playoffs era)
The number in parentheses indicates the number of championships the franchise has won.

NFL Championships 1933–1965
The number in parentheses indicates the number of championships the franchise has won and the number of times a particular location has hosted the game.
 * December 13
 * style="background:#cff;"|Green Bay Packers† (4)
 * 21–6
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Boston Redskins*
 * Polo Grounds (2)
 * 29,545
 * December 12
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Washington Redskins*
 * 28–21
 * style="background:#cff;"|Chicago Bears†
 * Wrigley Field (2)
 * 15,870
 * December 11
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|New York Giants* (3)
 * 23–17
 * style="background:#cff;"|Green Bay Packers†
 * Polo Grounds (3)
 * 48,120
 * December 10
 * style="background:#cff;"|Green Bay Packers† (5)
 * 27–0
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|New York Giants*
 * Dairy Bowl
 * 32,279
 * December 8
 * style="background:#cff;"|Chicago Bears† (4)
 * 73–0
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Washington Redskins*
 * Griffith Stadium
 * 36,034
 * December 21
 * style="background:#cff;"|Chicago Bears† (5)
 * 37–9
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|New York Giants*
 * Wrigley Field (3)
 * 13,341
 * December 13
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Washington Redskins* (2)
 * 14–6
 * style="background:#cff;"|Chicago Bears†
 * Griffith Stadium (2)
 * 36,006
 * December 26
 * style="background:#cff;"|Chicago Bears† (6)
 * 41–21
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Washington Redskins*
 * Wrigley Field (4)
 * 34,320
 * December 17
 * style="background:#cff;"|Green Bay Packers† (6)
 * 14–7
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|New York Giants*
 * Polo Grounds (4)
 * 46,016
 * December 16
 * style="background:#cff;"|Cleveland Rams†
 * 15–14
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Washington Redskins*
 * Cleveland Municipal Stadium
 * 32,178
 * December 15
 * style="background:#cff;"|Chicago Bears† (7)
 * 24–14
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|New York Giants*
 * Polo Grounds (5)
 * 58,346
 * December 28
 * style="background:#cff;"|Chicago Cardinals† (2)
 * 28–21
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Philadelphia Eagles*
 * Comiskey Park
 * 30,759
 * December 19
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Philadelphia Eagles*
 * 7–0
 * style="background:#cff;"|Chicago Cardinals†
 * Shibe Park
 * 36,309
 * ABC
 * December 18
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Philadelphia Eagles* (2)
 * 14–0
 * style="background:#cff;"|Los Angeles Rams†
 * Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
 * 27,980
 * December 24
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Cleveland Browns*
 * 30–28
 * style="background:#cff;"|Los Angeles Rams†
 * Cleveland Municipal Stadium (2)
 * 29,751
 * ABC
 * December 23
 * style="background:#cff;"|Los Angeles Rams† (2)
 * 24–17
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Cleveland Browns*
 * Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (2)
 * 57,522
 * DuMont
 * December 21
 * style="background:#cff;"|Detroit Lions† (2)
 * 17–7
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Cleveland Browns*
 * Cleveland Municipal Stadium (3)
 * 50,934
 * DuMont
 * December 27
 * style="background:#cff;"|Detroit Lions† (3)
 * 17–16
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Cleveland Browns*
 * Briggs Stadium
 * 54,577
 * DuMont
 * December 26
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Cleveland Browns* (2)
 * 56–10
 * style="background:#cff;"|Detroit Lions†
 * Cleveland Municipal Stadium (4)
 * 43,827
 * DuMont
 * December 26
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Cleveland Browns* (3)
 * 38–14
 * style="background:#cff;"|Los Angeles Rams†
 * Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (3)
 * 85,693
 * NBC
 * December 30
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|New York Giants* (4)
 * 47–7
 * style="background:#cff;"|Chicago Bears†
 * Yankee Stadium
 * 56,836
 * NBC
 * December 29
 * style="background:#cff;"|Detroit Lions† (4)
 * 59–14
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Cleveland Browns*
 * Briggs Stadium (2)
 * 55,263
 * NBC
 * December 28
 * style="background:#cff;"|Baltimore Colts†
 * 23–17 (OT)
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|New York Giants*
 * Yankee Stadium (2)
 * 64,185
 * NBC
 * December 27
 * style="background:#cff;"|Baltimore Colts† (2)
 * 31–16
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|New York Giants*
 * Memorial Stadium
 * 57,545
 * NBC
 * December 26
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Philadelphia Eagles* (3)
 * 17–13
 * style="background:#cff;"|Green Bay Packers†
 * Franklin Field
 * 67,325
 * NBC
 * December 31
 * style="background:#cff;"|Green Bay Packers† (7)
 * 37–0
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|New York Giants*
 * "New" City Stadium
 * 39,029
 * NBC
 * December 30
 * style="background:#cff;"|Green Bay Packers† (8)
 * 16–7
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|New York Giants*
 * Yankee Stadium (3)
 * 64,892
 * NBC
 * December 29
 * style="background:#cff;"|Chicago Bears† (8)
 * 14–10
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|New York Giants*
 * Wrigley Field (5)
 * 45,801
 * NBC
 * December 27
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Cleveland Browns* (4)
 * 27–0
 * style="background:#cff;"|Baltimore Colts†
 * Cleveland Municipal Stadium (5)
 * 79,544
 * CBS
 * January 2, 1966
 * style="background:#cff;"|Green Bay Packers† (9)
 * 23–12
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Cleveland Browns*
 * Lambeau Field
 * 50,777
 * CBS
 * }
 * December 28
 * style="background:#cff;"|Baltimore Colts†
 * 23–17 (OT)
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|New York Giants*
 * Yankee Stadium (2)
 * 64,185
 * NBC
 * December 27
 * style="background:#cff;"|Baltimore Colts† (2)
 * 31–16
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|New York Giants*
 * Memorial Stadium
 * 57,545
 * NBC
 * December 26
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Philadelphia Eagles* (3)
 * 17–13
 * style="background:#cff;"|Green Bay Packers†
 * Franklin Field
 * 67,325
 * NBC
 * December 31
 * style="background:#cff;"|Green Bay Packers† (7)
 * 37–0
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|New York Giants*
 * "New" City Stadium
 * 39,029
 * NBC
 * December 30
 * style="background:#cff;"|Green Bay Packers† (8)
 * 16–7
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|New York Giants*
 * Yankee Stadium (3)
 * 64,892
 * NBC
 * December 29
 * style="background:#cff;"|Chicago Bears† (8)
 * 14–10
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|New York Giants*
 * Wrigley Field (5)
 * 45,801
 * NBC
 * December 27
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Cleveland Browns* (4)
 * 27–0
 * style="background:#cff;"|Baltimore Colts†
 * Cleveland Municipal Stadium (5)
 * 79,544
 * CBS
 * January 2, 1966
 * style="background:#cff;"|Green Bay Packers† (9)
 * 23–12
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Cleveland Browns*
 * Lambeau Field
 * 50,777
 * CBS
 * }
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Cleveland Browns* (4)
 * 27–0
 * style="background:#cff;"|Baltimore Colts†
 * Cleveland Municipal Stadium (5)
 * 79,544
 * CBS
 * January 2, 1966
 * style="background:#cff;"|Green Bay Packers† (9)
 * 23–12
 * style="background:#ffcbcb;"|Cleveland Browns*
 * Lambeau Field
 * 50,777
 * CBS
 * }
 * CBS
 * }


 * In 1950, 1951, and 1952, the league's two divisions (Eastern and Western) were renamed the American and National Conferences, respectively. In 1953, the conferences were renamed the Eastern and Western Conferences.
 * The site at Wisconsin State Fair Park where the Packers played two games a year was the infield of The Milwaukee Mile.
 * The 1955 and 1960 games where played on Monday afternoon as Christmas fell on a Sunday.

NFL Championships 1966–1969 (Super Bowl era-pre merger)
In 1966, NFL and AFL agreed to merge and play an ultimate championship game between the two leagues entitled NFL-AFL World Championship game. The merger however didn't formally take place until, because of this the NFL championship game unofficially became an additional qualifying round in the playoffs as there was still one more game to play in the season for the winner. Officially these four NFL championship games were still main championship in the league but with creation of NFL-AFL World Championship game that eventually would be known as Super Bowl. Inclusion of these four AFL-NFL Championship games is problematical in overall listing of Most World Championships/league championships, therefore they are generally not included in the overall records''. After the merger, the NFL Championship game was replaced with the NFC Championship game.

Because of the merger these NFL Championships are generally not included in overall World Championship/league Championship list, there is no number given in parentheses counting them).

Super Bowls: I, II, III, and IV.

Records and Interesting Facts

 * The Cleveland Browns made six straight appearances in the NFL championship game (–55). The Chicago Bears made four straight (–43).
 * The Green Bay Packers won 3 straight championships twice (1929–31 and –67), becoming the only team to date to do so, and the most overall championships with 13.
 * The Philadelphia Eagles are the only team to win back-to-back championships by shutouts, defeating the Chicago Cardinals, 7–0, in 1948 — in a blizzard — and the Los Angeles Rams, 14–0, in 1949 – in a rainstorm in Southern California.
 * In 1960, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers, by a score of 17–13, thereby becoming the only team to defeat Vince Lombardi and his Packers in the playoffs.
 * The Browns lost 3 straight (–53) as did the New York Giants (–63).
 * The Boston Redskins were the host team for the championship game, but team owner George Preston Marshall sold the game site to the Polo Grounds in New York City. The Redskins moved south to Washington following the game.
 * In the 37 NFL Championship games played, the teams from the Western Division / National / Western Conference won 25 of the games, to the Eastern Division / American / Eastern Conference teams' total of 12.
 * The home team was 25–12 (.676).


 * Attendance
 * Largest – 85,693 in at Los Angeles.
 * Smallest – 13,341 in at Chicago.


 * Host Stadiums
 * Cleveland Municipal Stadium hosted 6 games (1 with the Rams and 5 with the Browns)
 * Wrigley Field hosted 5 (all with the Bears)
 * Polo Grounds hosted 5 (4 with the Giants and the 1936 game moved by the Redskins)


 * First and last points scored
 * 1933: first points were scored by Chicago's Jack Manders a field goal. The first touchdown was scored by New York on a touchdown pass from Harry Newman to Morris "Red" Badgro.
 * 1969: last field goal was scored on a 3rd quarter kick by Minnesota's Fred Cox. The last points scored were on a Cleveland touchdown pass from Bill Nelsen to Gary Collins with the extra point scored by Don Cockroft.


 * Winning and losing player shares
 * – Each Chicago player received $210.34 and each New York player received $140.22.


 * Note
 * After the AFL–NFL merger and the emergence of the Super Bowl, all NFL league championship games prior to merger are listed along with the NFC conference championship games in the NFL's official records.
 * A third-place game was played during the 1960s. The Playoff Bowl was played in January in Miami. The NFL officially classifies these ten games (and statistics) as exhibitions, not playoff games.