This article is about the American football season in the United States. For the Gaelic football season in Ireland, see2019 National Football League (Ireland).
2019 NFL season
The NFL's centennial logo, which was used throughout the 2019 season
Regular season
Duration
September 5, 2019 (2019-09-05) – December 29, 2019 (2019-12-29)
The 2019 NFL league year and trading period began on March 13. On March 8, teams were allowed to exercise 2019 options for players with option clauses in their contracts, to submit qualifying offers to their pending restricted free agents and to submit minimum salary tenders to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2018 contracts who had fewer than three accrued seasons of free-agent credit. Teams were required to be under the salary cap using the "Top 51" definition (in which the team's 51 highest-paid players must have a combined salary cap). On March 11, clubs were allowed to contact and begin contract negotiations with the agents of players who were set to become unrestricted free agents.
This season's salary cap increased to $188.2 million per team, up from $177.2 million in 2018.[1]
September 16:Miami traded SMinkah Fitzpatrick and a 2020 fifth round pick and2021 sixth round pick toPittsburgh in exchange for their2020 first and fifth round picks, and their2021 sixth-round pick.[24]
The following notable players retired prior to the 2019 season:
LBNaVorro Bowman – Three-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro. Played for San Francisco and Oakland during his eight-year career.[36]
RBJamaal Charles – Four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro (two first-team, one second-team). Played for Kansas City, Denver, and Jacksonville during his 11-year career.[37]
LBDerrick Johnson – Four-time Pro Bowl Selection and two-time All Pro (one first-team, one second-team). Played for Kansas City and Oakland during his 14-year career.[38]
TERob Gronkowski – Five-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro, three-time Super Bowl champion (XLIX,LI, andLIII), and 2014Comeback Player of the Year. Played for New England during his entire nine-year career.[39] Later came out of retirement in2020 and was traded to theTampa Bay Buccaneers,[40] where he became a Super Bowl champion for a fourth time in his first season with the team.
PShane Lechler – Seven-time Pro Bowler and nine-time All-Pro (six first-team, three second-team). Played for Oakland and Houston during his 18-year career.[41]
DTHaloti Ngata – Five-time Pro Bowler, five-time All-Pro (two first-team, three second-team) andSuper Bowl XLVII champion. Played for Baltimore, Detroit, and Philadelphia during his 13-year career.[43]
LBBrian Orakpo – Four-time Pro Bowler. Played for Washington and Tennessee during his 10-year career.[44]
DEJulius Peppers – Nine-time Pro Bowler, six-time All-Pro (three first-team, three second-team), and 2002Defensive Rookie of the Year. Played for Carolina, Chicago, and Green Bay during his 17-year career.[45]
GJosh Sitton – Four-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro (one first-team, two second-team) andSuper Bowl XLV champion. Played for Green Bay, Chicago, and Miami during his 11-year career.[46]
DTKyle Williams – Six-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro. Played for Buffalo during his entire 13-year career.[47]
Walt Coleman III retired: With 30 seasons as an NFL official, Coleman was the longest-tenured.[79] FormerNFL Europe refereeAdrian Hill, a longtime official in various positions, replaced Coleman.[80]
John Parry retired after being the referee inSuper Bowl LIII to join theMonday Night Football booth as arules analyst. He had spent 19 seasons as an official and 12 as a head referee.[82]Brad Rogers, a field judge for the past two seasons who was previously a referee inConference USA and theSoutheastern Conference, succeeded Parry.[83][84] Combined with the 2018 offseason retirements ofEd Hochuli,Terry McAulay,Gene Steratore andJeff Triplette, the league was forced to replace seven of its 17 referee positions within a two-year period.[81] In July 2019, the NFL announced that all of the league's officials would return to part-time status. For the previous two seasons, under a pilot program, a small number of NFL officials were classified as full-time employees of the NFL.[85]
The following rule changes were approved for the 2019 season at the NFL owners' meeting on March 26:[87]
Make permanent the experimental kickoff rules from the2018 season.
Abolish all blindside blocks anywhere on the field (personal foul, 15 yards).
As a one-year experiment, make the following plays reviewable, subject to coaches' challenges outside of the final 2:00 of each half, and subject to booth review after the two-minute warning of each half or entire overtime:
Pass interference, whether called or not (modified in June 2019)
Change how double fouls are enforced after a change in possession; the last team to possess retains the ball at the spot of enforcement. If the enforcement spot is after a touchback, the ball is placed at the 20-yard line (after punt or turnover) or 25-yard line (free kick). If the spot of enforcement is in the end zone, the ball is placed at the 1-yard line.
Make scrimmage kick rules apply if a missed field goal is touched in the end zone before hitting the ground, and if the ball is touched by either team behind the line of scrimmage.
Allow teams to enforce a personal foul or unsportsmanlike conduct penalty committed during a touchdown on either the try or on the ensuing kickoff. Previously, these fouls were required to be enforced on the ensuing kickoff.
Individuals not in uniform who enter the field to celebrate a play will draw an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty (15 yards, and automatic first down if on the defensive team).
Players who make any flagrant "football" play risk immediate disqualification. Previously, this was limited to players who make a flagrant "non-football" play.
An additional rule change was built upon a rule originally passed in 2018. The NFL limitedhelmets to a list of 34 league-approved models, up from the 23 originally approved in 2018. Thegrandfather clause allowing existing players to wear their previous non-approved helmets expired, and 32 players were required to change helmets.[88] In May 2019, the NFL bannedOklahoma drills, "bull in the ring", and other high-contact drills from team practices.[89] In June 2019, the league clarified March 2019 temporary rule change regarding reviews of pass interference plays as follows:[90]
The initial rule passed in March 2019 regarding review of pass interference stays.
A ruling will only be changed if there is clear and obvious evidence that pass interference did or did not occur (as is the standard for any other replay review).
All pass plays are subject to review for pass interference, including the "Hail Mary" play.
Bowlen owned theDenver Broncos since 1984. His Broncos won three Super Bowls during his tenure (XXXII,XXXIII and50). He was inducted in 2019 but died from complications ofAlzheimer's disease at the age of 75 on June 13, before the induction ceremonies. Under the terms of a succession plan, the team will be operated by a trust headed by longtime executiveJoe Ellis until it can be determined which of Bowlen's five surviving children will inherit the team.[91]
Branch was a wide receiver who played for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders from 1972 to 1986. 3-Time Super bowl champion (XI,XV,XVIII), 4-time pro bowl, and 3-time first team all pro. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022. He died August 3, aged 71.[92]
Brown spent his first four seasons with the Denver Broncos (1963–1966) and his last twelve withOakland Raiders (1967–1978), winningSuper Bowl XI with the Raiders. Brown was also a nine-time Pro Bowler and was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984. He died on October 22 at the age of 78.[93]
Buoniconti, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001, was an eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker who played seven seasons with theBoston Patriots from 1962 to 1968 and seven more with theMiami Dolphins from 1969 to 1974 and 1976. He won two Super Bowls with the Dolphins in1972 and1973. Buoniconti died on July 30 at the age of 78.[94]
Gregg, a guard, spent all but the final season of his playing career with theGreen Bay Packers, a member of the Packers' 1960s dynasty. In his final year, he helped theDallas Cowboys team winSuper Bowl VI. Gregg was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977, his first year of eligibility. He also had a less illustrious coaching career in the NFL, college football and theCanadian Football League in the late 1970s, 1980s and into the 1990s, most successfully leading the1981 Cincinnati Bengals to an AFC championship and a loss inSuper Bowl XVI to theSan Francisco 49ers. Gregg died on April 12 at the age of 85.[95]
Langer, who played center for 11 NFL seasons, nine with the Miami Dolphins alongside Buoniconti (with the team earning its perfect season during his rookie year) and two with the Minnesota Vikings, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987. He died on August 29 at the age of 71.[96]
Marchetti was a defensive end who played 14 seasons in the NFL, 13 with theBaltimore Colts. Marchetti won two NFL championships, was selected to 11 Pro Bowls and made earned first-team All-Pro designations with the Colts. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972. Marchetti died on April 29 at the age of 93.[97]
Starr played quarterback for the Green Bay Packers during his entire 16-year career (1956-1971) and was the team's undisputed starter for the last 12 of those seasons. He was the Packers' starting quarterback for all five of the NFL championships the team won in the 1960s and was theMost Valuable Player of the first twoWorld Championship Games. He also had a nine-season run as the Packers' head coach from 1975 to 1983, but only two of the nine were winning seasons (one of those, 1982, was shortened by a strike, and was also Starr's only playoff appearance as a coach). Starr was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977. He died on May 26 at the age of 85.[98]
Bidwill was the owner of theArizona Cardinals since the 1960s. He died on October 2 at the age of 88. The Bidwill family has been associated with the Cardinals since Bidwill's fatherCharles bought the team in 1933. His sonMichael is expected to succeed his father as team owner.[99]
Hilton was the original owner of theLos Angeles Chargers from 1960 to 1966. He was the last living member of the originalFoolish Club, the group of owners who established theAmerican Football League (Hilton divested in 1966; second- and third-generation heirs of two members,Kenneth S. Adams, Jr. (daughters and grandsons) andLamar Hunt (son), continue to operate their clubs).[100]
On August 22,Oakland playedGreen Bay atIG Field inWinnipeg, home of theCFL'sWinnipeg Blue Bombers; it was the first NFL game on Canadian soil since the end of theBills Toronto Series in 2013.[104]Mosaic Stadium inRegina, Saskatchewan, was another potential site for the game, and the teams had secured the cooperation of the city and local sports promoterOn Ice Management, but theSaskatchewan Roughriders of theCanadian Football League (CFL)vetoed the proposal, as the Roughriders feared they would be unable to reconfigure the field from NFL to CFL standards in time for their August 24 home game[105] (the CFL'sWinnipeg Blue Bombers were away that weekend and thus did not have a scheduling conflict). Because of safety concerns caused by the reconfiguration of the goalposts, the NFL, at the last minute, shortened the playing field to 80 yards long (the first such known NFL usage of a field that short since1932) and eliminatedkickoffs, starting all possessions on the 15-yard line.[106] Thirty-three Packers players refused to play on the surface, including starting quarterbackAaron Rodgers.[107]
On October 18, 2018, the NFL announced that it would commemorate its 100th season throughout 2019, beginning withSuper Bowl LIII in February 2019. An NFL 100 emblem was featured in promotions across all NFL properties during the season, worn on jerseys as a patch, placed on game balls, and painted on fields.[108][109]
TheChicago Bears (who, as the Decatur Staleys, were one of the 14 charter members of the league) celebrated their centennial season with commemorative events throughout 2019. On November 15, 2018, the team unveiled a customized version of the league-wide centennial emblem (which was worn on jerseys in place of the NFL-branded version).[110] The team also unveiled a throwback jersey based on its1936 design, which it donned for two games.[111]
In honor of the site of the first NFL game, the league announced plans to donate a new artificial turf field toTriangle Park inDayton, Ohio, home field of the formerDayton Triangles, intending forCincinnati to hold a day of training camp at the site. However, the project was rejected by the city after concerns that construction could potentially disturb aNative American burial site. The NFL instead donated the turf to nearby Kettering Field.[115] The Bengals still held a training camp day in Dayton, doing so atWelcome Stadium instead.[116][117][118]
The NFL intentionally scheduled a weekly game to honor landmark moments in NFL history:[119]
The 2019regular season's 256 games were played over a 17-week schedule that began on September 5, 2019. Each of the league's 32 teams played a 16-game schedule, with onebye week for each team. There were games onMonday nights and on Thursdays, including theNational Football League Kickoff game and games onThanksgiving Day. The regular season concluded with a full slate of 16 games on December 29, all of which were intra-division matchups, as it had been since2010.
Under the NFL's currentscheduling formula, each team played the other three teams in its own division twice. In addition, teams played against all four teams in one other division from each conference. The final two games on a team's schedule were against the two remaining teams in the same conference that had finished in the same position in their respective divisions in 2018 (e.g., the team that finished fourth in its division played all three other teams in the conference that also finished fourth). The division parings for 2019 were as follows:
The entire schedule was released on April 17, 2019.
Highlights of the 2019 season included:
NFL Kickoff Game: The Kickoff Game was played September 5.Chicago hostedGreen Bay in honor of the Bears' and the NFL's centennial season, a game announced on March 25 ahead of the rest of the schedule. Green Bay won the game, 10–3. The move broke with the league tradition to give the defending Super Bowl champion the hosting rights to the first game of the season;New England instead hosted the firstSunday Night Football game againstPittsburgh, which New England won 33–3.[122]
NFL London Games: Four games were played in London in 2019: Oakland hosted and defeatedChicago on October 6 and Tampa Bay hosted and lost toCarolina on October 13, both atTottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Los Angeles Rams hosted and defeatedCincinnati on October 27 and Jacksonville hosted and lost to theHouston on November 3, both atWembley Stadium. Houston and Carolina both made their first trip to London, leavingGreen Bay as the only NFL team to have not played a game in London.[125][126]
Thanksgiving Day: As has been the case since2006, three games were played onThanksgiving Day, November 28, including the traditional afternoon doubleheader hosted byDetroit (defeated by theChicago for the second year in a row) andDallas Cowboys (defeated byBuffalo).Atlanta hosted and lost toNew Orleans in the night game; the two teams had played on Thanksgiving night in 2018 as well.
When the entire season schedule was released on April 17, the league announced Saturday games to be played in Week 16. On November 12, the NFL announced that three games would be moved from Sunday to Saturday
Week 12: The Green Bay–San Francisco game, originally at 4:25 p.m ET on Fox, was flexed into theNBC Sunday Night Football 8:20 p.m. ET timeslot, replacing the originally scheduledSeattle–Philadelphia game, which was moved to 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox. In addition, the Carolina–New Orleans game was cross-flexed from Fox to CBS and theMiami–Cleveland game was cross-flexed from CBS to Fox; kickoff times for both games remained at 1:00 p.m. ET.[130]
Week 13: The Oakland–Kansas City game was moved from 1:00 p.m. ET to 4:25 p.m.ET, trading time slots with the Cleveland–Pittsburgh game; both games remained on CBS.[131]
Week 15: TheBuffalo–Pittsburgh game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m ET on CBS, was flexed into the NBC Sunday Night Football 8:20 p.m. ET timeslot, replacing the originally scheduledMinnesota–Los Angeles Chargers game, which was moved to 4:05 p.m. on CBS.[132]
Week 17: The San Francisco–Seattle game that was originally scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox was selected as the final 8:20 p.m. ETNBC Sunday Night Football game of the season, which decided theNFC West champion.[133] In addition, the following games with playoff implications were rescheduled from 1:00 p.m. ET to 4:25 p.m. ET (with networks in parentheses):Tennessee–Houston (CBS);Indianapolis-Jacksonville (CBS); Washington–Dallas (Fox); Philadelphia–New York Giants (Fox).[134] The Cleveland–Cincinnati game was cross-flexed from CBS to Fox, but remained at 1:00 p.m. ET.
^abKansas City claimed the No. 2 seed over New England based on head-to-head victory.
^abcDenver finished ahead of Indianapolis and NY Jets based on conference record. Division tiebreak was initially used to eliminate Oakland (see below).
^abDenver finished ahead of Oakland based on conference record.
^abcOakland and Indianapolis finished ahead of NY Jets based on conference record.
^abOakland finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory.
^abJacksonville finished ahead of Cleveland based on record against common opponents. Jacksonville's cumulative record against Cincinnati, Denver, NY Jets, and Tennessee was 4–1, compared to Cleveland's 2–3 cumulative record against the same four teams.
^abLA Chargers finished ahead of Miami based on head-to-head victory.
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.
^abcSan Francisco finished ahead of Green Bay and New Orleans based on head-to-head sweep, claiming the No. 1 seed.
^abGreen Bay claimed the No. 2 seed over New Orleans based on conference record.
^abChicago finished ahead of Dallas based on head-to-head victory.
^abAtlanta finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on division record.
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.
The 2019 playoffs began on January 4–5, 2020 with the wild-card round. The four winners of these games visited the top two seeds in each conference in the Divisional Round games on January 11–12. The winners of those games advanced to the Conference Championships on January 19. The2020 Pro Bowl was played atCamping World Stadium inOrlando on January 26.Super Bowl LIV was played atHard Rock Stadium inMiami on February 2.
The start times for the Divisional Round games on Sunday, January 12, were moved to 3:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. ET (as is already the case with the conference championship games), rather than the typical 1:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. windows used for this round in previous seasons.[135]
This was the final season under the 12-team playoff bracket.
News ofIndianapolis Colts quarterback and2012 first overall pickAndrew Luck retiring broke out during the Colts' third preseason game. His retirement quickly became one of the most surprising revelations of the year. During his post-game press conference, Luck stated that his retirement was due to the recent mental and physical difficulties of playing football.[136] Luck had won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2018.
Wide receiverAntonio Brown was involved in several controversies throughout the off-season, preseason, and regular season.[137] Brown was held out by his former team, thePittsburgh Steelers during week 17 of 2018 due to a heated falling out with quarterbackBen Roethlisberger. He was subsequently traded to theOakland Raiders in March 2019. However, Brown's helmet model had been banned by the NFL due to inadequate protection, prompting Brown to hold out of practices and file two grievances against the NFL, both of which were denied. Brown then accepted the new helmet model and returned to practice, but later wore inadequate footwear in a cryogenic chamber and got frostbite on his feet, causing additional concern for his availability in Week 1.[138] Brown next released recorded audio of Raiders head coachJon Gruden and requested that the Raiders release him. He was subsequently released and signed with theNew England Patriots. On September 10, allegations that Brown had raped his former trainer, Britney Taylor, caused speculation that he might be put on the commissioner's exempt list, barring him from playing.[139] However, the NFL did not do so and Brown played in the Patriots' Week 2 game. On September 16, a second woman accused Brown of sexual misconduct.[140] That same day, Pittsburgh-based Dr. Victor Prisk, who worked with Brown during his time with the Steelers, sued Brown for $11,500 in unpaid fees.[140] The Patriots cut Brown on September 20 after he allegedly sent intimidating text messages to his second accuser.[141]
In the final seconds of a November 14Thursday Night Football matchup between thePittsburgh Steelers andCleveland Browns, Browns defensive endMyles Garrett tackled Steelers quarterbackMason Rudolph after Rudolph completed a screen pass to running backTrey Edmunds. Upset by the late tackle, Rudolph attacked Garrett by attempting to pull off Garrett's helmet. Garrett then ripped off Rudolph's helmet and used it to hit Rudolph in the head while being restrained by Steelers centerMaurkice Pouncey and Steelers guardDavid DeCastro. Pouncey and Browns defensive tackleLarry Ogunjobi then joined in on the fight, with Pouncey punching and kicking Garrett's head several times. Garrett, Ogunjobi, and Pouncey were all ejected from the game. Following the game, Garrett was suspended for the remainder of 2019 and required to apply for reinstatement in 2020, while Pouncey and Ogunjobi received 2-game and 1-game suspensions, respectively.[142][143] Garrett was reinstated in February 2020, ending his suspension after six games. The six-game suspension was the longest in NFL history for a single on-field transgression.[144]
During the December 8 game between theCincinnati Bengals andCleveland Browns, theNew England Patriots were alleged to have spied on the Bengals' sideline. The Patriots, who were scheduled to play the Bengals the following week, sent a video team to Cleveland to film a documentary of an advance scout, part of the "Do Your Job" series on the Patriots' website. This video contractor was given media credentials by the Browns, but the Bengals and NFL were not made aware of the presence of the Patriots' video crew.[145] According to ESPN's Dianna Russini, a Bengals staffer spotted the Patriots' cameraman and proceeded to observe what he was doing. Allegedly, the cameraman proceeded to point his camera at the Bengals coaching staff and sideline for most of the quarter. The Bengals employee reported him to media relations, who reported him to security; security then seized the film and leaked it toJay Glazer, who made the footage public. The NFL has launched an investigation into these allegations.[146] This was the second time the current Patriots administration was involved in an unauthorized videotaping scandal, following theSpygate controversy in 2007.
TheBaltimore Ravens scored 42 points in the first half against theMiami Dolphins, setting an NFL record for most points in the first half of a season opener.[147]
Week 2
Matt Ryan became the 12th player to throw 300 career touchdown passes[148]
JuJu Smith-Schuster became the youngest player in NFL history to record 2,500 career receiving yards, at the age of 22 years, 297 days, a record previously held byRandy Moss, who was 22 years, 310 days old.[150]
Week 4
Frank Gore became the fourth player in NFL history to rush for 15,000 yards.[151]
Von Miller recorded his 100th career sack, becoming the fourth-fastest player to do so (124 games).[153][154]
Jared Goff set the record for most completions in regulation of a regular season game, with 45. The previous record of 44 was set byBen Roethlisberger.
Justin Tucker became the fastest player to score 1,000 career points, doing so in 118 games. The record was previously held byStephen Gostkowski who reached 1,000 points in 119 games.[157][158]
Week 7
Matthew Stafford became the fastest player to throw for 40,000 yards, doing so in 147 games. The record was previously held byMatt Ryan, who reached 40,000 yards in 151 games.[159]
Aaron Rodgers became the fastest player to throw for 350 touchdowns, doing so in 172 games. The record was previously held byDrew Brees, who reached 350 touchdowns in 180 games.[160]
Brett Maher became the first kicker in NFL history to kick three field goals of at least 60 yards in his career.[161]
Marvin Jones became the first player in NFL history to score four receiving touchdowns in a game in which he did not have at least 100 receiving yards; he caught 10 passes for 93 yards and the four touchdowns.[162]
Drew Brees became the first quarterback to pass for 75,000 yards.[164]
Andy Dalton started the season with an 0–8 record. Having previously started the2015 season 8–0, Dalton became the first quarterback to start seasons 8–0 and 0–8 since the NFL officially kept quarterbacks' win–loss records in1950.[165]
Week 10
Kyler Murray set the record for consecutive pass attempts by a rookie without an interception with 211, breaking the previous record of 176 shared byDerek Carr andDak Prescott.[166]
Michael Thomas became the fastest player to reach 400 career receptions, doing so in 56 games.[167]
Lamar Jackson became the second player in NFL history to record two games with a perfect passer rating in the same season, joiningBen Roethlisberger who did so in2007.[168]
Week 11
Adam Vinatieri recorded his 710th career field goal attempt, setting an NFL record. The previous record of 709 attempts was held byMorten Andersen.[169]
Week 12
Frank Gore passedBarry Sanders for third place on the all-time rushing yards list.[170] He also moved to third on the all-time rushing attempts list.
Week 13
Drew Brees became the second quarterback to record 10,000 career pass attempts.[171]
Drew Brees recorded his 540th career touchdown pass, setting an NFL record. The previous record of 539 was held byPeyton Manning.[177]
Brees also set the record for highest completion percentage in a game (minimum 20 attempts) at 96.7% (29 of 30). The previous record of 96.6% was held byPhilip Rivers.[178]
Julio Jones set the record for most career receiving yards through a players first nine seasons, with 11,881. The previous record of 11,864 was held byTorry Holt.[179]
Week 16
Michael Thomas set the new single-season record for most receptions in a season (ultimately 149), passingMarvin Harrison's previous mark of 143.[180]
The Ravens became the first team in NFL history to average 200 passing yards and 200 rushing yards per game.[183]
TheAtlanta Falcons set the NFL record for shortest overtime game, finishing the game seven seconds into overtime.[184] The previous record was 11 seconds in a2011playoff game.
TheNew Orleans Saints became the first team in NFL history to win at least 13 games in a 16-game schedule and get eliminated in the wild-card round.[188][189]
The Saints became the second team to be eliminated from the postseason on their final play of the game in three straight years, joining the 2013–15Green Bay Packers.[189]
Divisional round
Ryan Tannehill became the second quarterback to win consecutive playoff starts in which he threw for fewer than 100 passing yards and at least one touchdown, joiningTerry Bradshaw, who did so in1974.[190]
Derrick Henry became the first player in NFL history to have two games of 180 rushing yards in the same postseason.[191]
Lamar Jackson became the first player to have 300 passing yards and 140 rushing yards in any game, regular season or postseason.[191]
Conference championships
Raheem Mostert became the first player in NFL history to rush for at least 200 yards and four touchdowns in a playoff game.[192]
Mostert became the first player to rush for 150 yards and three touchdowns in a single half of a playoff game, doing so in the first half.[192]
Mostert's 248 rushing yards set the record for most rushing yards in a conference championship game. The previous record of 206 was held byKeith Lincoln.[192]
Lewis and the Bengals mutually agreed to part ways on December 31 after a 6–10 (.375) season. In 16 years as the Bengals' head coach, Lewis was 131–122–3 (.518), with 7 playoff appearances. The Bengals never won a playoff game under Lewis and had missed the playoffs in each of his last three seasons.[222]
Taylor was named as head coach on February 5, 2019. This is his first experience as head coach after serving as theLos Angeles Rams' quarterbacks coach. At 35 years old, he became the 2nd youngest active coach in the NFL, afterSean McVay, who coaches Taylor's former team, the Rams.[223]
Jackson was fired on October 29, 2018, accumulating a 3–36–1 (.088) record during his2+1⁄2-season tenure with the Browns. Jackson failed to win any away games during his tenure andlost every game in 2017.[224] Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who previously served asBuffalo Bills head coach from 2001 to 2003, finished out the 2018 season with a 5–3 (.625) record.
Kitchens was promoted to head coach on January 12, 2019, after serving as the interim offensive coordinator following Jackson's firing. This is his first head coaching position.[225]
Joseph was fired on December 31, 2018, after a 6–10 (.375) season. The Broncos were 11–21 (.344) in Joseph's two losing seasons as head coach, with no playoff appearances.[226]
Fangio, a first-time head coach with over 30 years experience as an assistant dating back to theUSFL, most recently as defensive coordinator of theChicago Bears, was hired on January 10, 2019.[227]
McCarthy was fired on December 2, 2018. McCarthy left with a record of 135–85–2 (.613) with nine playoff appearances and one Super Bowl championship. Philbin, the team's offensive coordinator, finished the season as interim coach with a record of 2–2 (.500).[228]
LaFleur was hired on January 8, 2019. Previously the offensive coordinator for theTennessee Titans, this is his first head coaching position.[229]
Gase was fired on December 31, 2018, after a 7–9 (.438) season. The Dolphins were 23–25 (.479) in Gase's three years as head coach, with one playoff appearance in 2016.[230]
Flores, formerly theNew England Patriots' long time assistant, recently as linebackers coach, was announced as head coach on February 5, 2019. After being with the Patriots organization since 2004, this is his first head coaching position.[231]
Bowles was fired on December 30, 2018, finishing the season with a record of 4–12 (.250) and a cumulative record of 24–40 (.375) with no playoff appearances in four seasons with Jets.[232]
Gase, who was previously the head coach of theMiami Dolphins, posting a 23–25 (.479) record in three seasons, was hired on January 11, 2019.[233]
Koetter was fired on December 30, 2018, after a 5–11 (.313) season. The Buccaneers were 19–29 (.396) in Koetter's three years as head coach, with no playoff appearances. Previously, Koetter was Buccaneers' offensive coordinator for one season in 2015.[234]
Arians was announced as the Buccaneers' new head coach on January 8, 2019. He was previously the head coach for theArizona Cardinals for five seasons with 50–32–1 (.608) record from 2013 to 2017, leading them to anNFC Championship Game appearance in2015.[235]
After an 0–5 start, Gruden was fired on October 7. He had a 35–49–1 (.418) record for his 5+ season tenure with the Redskins, with one playoff appearance in 2015.[236]
Callahan, the team's assistant head coach/offensive line coach, was previously the head coach of theOakland Raiders in 2002 and 2003, with a record of 15–17 (.469) and one Super Bowl appearance.[237]
Rivera was fired on December 3, after going 5–7–0 (.417) in the first 13 weeks of the season. In 8+ seasons as the Panthers head coach, they were 76–63–1 (.546), with playoff appearances including 3NFC South division titles and 1Super Bowl appearance, going 3–4–0 (.429) in the playoffs.
Fewell, the defensive backs coach, took over on an interim basis until the end of the season. A longtime defensive assistant in the NFL, his only head coaching experience was as theBuffalo Bills interim head coach for the last 7 games of the2009 season. The Bills went 3–4–0 (.429) in those 7 games.[238]
The Ravens announced on February 2, 2018, that Newsome would retire after 16 years as the team's GM and that Eric DeCosta, most recently the Ravens' assistant GM, would succeed Newsome.[239] Newsome was thefirst African American to occupy the GM position in the NFL.[240]
McKenzie was fired on December 10, 2018, after six-plus seasons as Raiders' GM.[241] Herock, team's director of college scouting, served as the Raiders' interim GM until the team settled on a full-time replacement.
Mayock had previously been a television commentator for the past 26 seasons and has never held a front office position.[242]
Maccagnan was fired on May 15, 2019, after four seasons; vice president of player personnel Brian Heimerdinger was also dismissed. Head coach Adam Gase was named interim GM.[243] Douglas was named the new GM on June 7, 2019.[244]
Gaine was unexpectedly fired on June 7, 2019, after only one season and returned to his previous position with the Buffalo Bills.[245][246] The Texans have not replaced Gaine; instead, the team has divided the general manager role among several of the team's executives.[247]
A buyout window in theBuffalo Bills' lease onNew Era Field opened after the 2019 season. The window allowed the team to cancel its lease on the stadium for a $28 million fee and relocate. If the Bills chose not to exercise the buyout window, they will not be allowed to relocate until after the 2022 season, when the current lease expires.[248] The Bills chose not to exercise the buyout.
On September 4, theDenver Broncos' home field was rebranded asEmpower Field at Mile High. The Broncos had been seeking a long-termnaming rights partner for their home field sincesporting goods retailerSports Authority went bankrupt in2016. Empower Retirement, a retirement plan provider that is based inDenver, had served as a team sponsor since2015, with the Broncos agreeing to terms on a 21-year deal that will run through 2039, though financial terms were not disclosed. This marks the third naming rights change for the Broncos' home field, following "Invesco Field at Mile High" (2001–2010), "Sports Authority Field at Mile High" (2011–2017) and "Broncos Stadium at Mile High" – the latter of which was used on a temporary basis for2018.[249]
This was the final season for theOakland Raiders atRingCentral Coliseum (renamed from the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum in May 2019[250]) before moving toAllegiant Stadium inLas Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders' lease on the Coliseum expired after the 2018 season. The Coliseum management expressed a reluctance to allow the Raiders to continue using the Coliseum after the lease expired unless the team paid more to cover the losses the Coliseum incurred by hosting Raiders games. In December 2018, the city of Oakland filed a lawsuit against the Raiders and the NFL seeking financial damages and unpaid debt, claiming the relocation was illegal but not asking for an injunction forcing the team to stay. The Raiders stated that if any legal action was filed against them, that they would not renew with the Coliseum and find another, undetermined, temporary home for 2019 until Allegiant Stadium was finished.[251] The Raiders then attempted to negotiate a lease withOracle Park inSan Francisco before theSan Francisco 49ersvetoed the plan as an infringement on their territorial rights.[252] With the 49ers refusing to waive territorial rights, the Raiders were forced to either renegotiate with the Coliseum[253] or find a temporary stadium outside the San Francisco Bay Area (something that the Raiders management was reluctant to do, though the team acknowledged and considered bids fromSan Antonio, Texas, andTucson, Arizona). The Raiders, despite reservations about providing funds to the lawsuit being filed against them, negotiated a return to the Coliseum for 2019; a tentative agreement, pending Coliseum and league approval, was announced February 25.[254] The lease agreement was approved by the Oakland Coliseum Authority, the Oakland city council, and Alameda County supervisors by March 21.[255] The Coliseum was the last multi-purpose stadium to be the home of both an NFL andMajor League Baseball team (theOakland Athletics). Barring any future relocations, the Raiders' September 15 game against theKansas City Chiefs stands as the last NFL game played on a dirt infield.[256]
Carolina Panthers: The Panthers switched to Nike's newest uniform template and updated their pants, removing the team logo from it and streamlining the piping stripe.
Cleveland Browns: On September 4, the Browns announced that they would switch to their former Color Rush uniforms as their primary home set this season, and wore these uniforms for six home games.
Houston Texans: On April 22, the Texans announced that they would add their primary logo on the back of their jerseys, their first uniform update in franchise history.[257] The addition of the logo on the jersey's back makes them the third team in the NFL to do so, after theArizona Cardinals andBuffalo Bills.
Los Angeles Chargers: On April 16, the Chargers announced that they made their powder blue alternate jerseys the new primary uniforms.[258] In addition to this announcement, they also swapped out their navy blue facemask for gold.
Minnesota Vikings: On August 8, the Vikings announced an adjustment of the shade of purple on their helmets to better match the shade on the team's uniforms.[259]
New York Jets: On April 4, the Jets unveiled new uniforms,[260] which introduced black as an accent color and resembled a modernized version of the uniform layout the Jets used from1978 to1997, including a return to green helmets and "TV numbers" on the shoulders.[261]
31 teams wore a version of the NFL centennial emblem, with the NFL shield beneath the "100," on the yoke of their jerseys in place of the regular NFL shield. TheChicago Bears instead wore their own centennial team patch, a customized version of the league-wide centennial emblem with the Bears' colors and logo, on the left side of the jersey.[263]
This was the sixth year under the current broadcast contracts withESPN/ABC,CBS,Fox andNBC. This includes "cross-flexing" (switching) Sunday afternoon games between CBS and Fox before or during the season (regardless of the conference of the visiting team). NBC airsSunday Night Football, the annualKickoff Game, and the primetime Thanksgiving game. ESPN airsMonday Night Football and thePro Bowl with the latter being simulcast on ABC. Fox airsThursday Night Football along withNFL Network, withAmazon Video andTwitch continuing to simulcast those games online in the second and final year of the two sites' current contract. Fox will also broadcastSuper Bowl LIV in English, with Fox Deportes aired the game in Spanish .ESPN aired coverage for all three days of the2019 NFL draft onABC, replacing Fox's broadcast television simulcast of NFL Network in 2018. ABC's coverage catered towards a mainstream audience and was hosted by the panel of ESPN'sCollege GameDay, while ESPN andNFL Network continued to carry more conventional coverage of the draft.[267]
Under a one-year test, local stations in markets with NFL teams are allowed on a limited basis to air another NFL game opposite the game involving that city's home team, something that had previously been forbidden (this rule had already been waived for the Washington, D.C. market when the Baltimore Ravens are playing at the same time as the Washington Redskins on the opposite network—Washington, D.C., is a secondary market for the Ravens, for the Los Angeles market after the Rams' and Chargers' moves to LA and league-wide for Week 17 since 2014). It was originally reported that all media markets in the U.S. who have CBS and Fox affiliates will have access to three Sunday afternoon gamesevery week regardless of whether the local team is playing at home.[268][269] The league later clarified that teams will still be able to impose the home exclusivity blackout on a limited basis, so long as they lift the exclusivity at least twice.[270]
On February 28, 2019,Jason Witten announced he would be leaving his color commentator position onMonday Night Football after one season; he returned to theDallas Cowboys, where he had played tight end for fifteen seasons before joining ESPN in 2018.[272] Witten was not replaced;Booger McFarland, who spent the previous season commentating from atop a crane-like contraption on the sideline, was moved into the booth.[273] Former refereeJeff Triplette also leftMonday Night Football as rules analyst. He was replaced withJohn Parry, who retired the same day his ESPN position was announced; Parry is the third rules analyst ESPN has hired in two years, following Triplette andGerald Austin.[82]Steve Tasker departed CBS after 21 seasons with the network, all but one as a color commentator, after CBS declined to renew Tasker's contract. Tasker anticipates moving to radio and calling games forWestwood One for the 2019 season.[274] Twitch added "co-streaming" with live commentary from specially chosen users of the service for its 2019 Thursday night games.[275]
^ab"Weeks 10-11 Schedule Changes".NFL Communications (Press release). October 28, 2019.Archived from the original on October 28, 2019. RetrievedOctober 28, 2019.
^Bergman, Jeremy (April 4, 2019)."New York Jets unveil new uniforms, green helmets".NFL.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC.Archived from the original on April 6, 2019. RetrievedApril 5, 2019.For the first time in over 20 years, the New York Jets will take the field with a new look, to go with their new head coach and high-priced free agents. The Jets unveiled on Thursday evening their new uniforms, helmets and branding for the 2019 season and beyond. Their team colors are "Gotham Green, Spotlight White and Stealth Black."
