Old NFL Teams That No Longer Exist In 2023

Akron Pros were one of the original charter franchises in the NFL, founded in 1920 in Akron, Ohio. It was initially named Akron Indians in 1908.

They won Ohio League Championships in 1908, 1909, 1913 and 1914. The Akron Pros were also an early member of the American Professional Football Association. 

Pros had a successful start, winning the very first NFL Championship in 1920 and were runners-up in 1921. Their defense was strong, and their quarterback, Fritz Pollard, was one of the NFL's first African-American players.

However, financial difficulties began to plague the team, forcing them to sell off their top players. The team folded in 1927, ending a successful but short-lived run in the NFL.

Cleveland Bulldogs were a professional American football team established in 1923. They sadly folded four years later in 1927.

The Bulldogs were based in Cleveland, Ohio, and played their home games at the Dunn Field Stadium (presently League Park).

During their brief existence, the Bulldogs had some success on the field, winning the NFL championship in 1924 and finishing with a record of 7-1-1. They also had several talented players on their roster, including halfback Guy Chamberlin and quarterback Benny Friedman.

However, in the late 20s, the team struggled financially, and attendance at their games was poor. As a result, in 1927, the team was sold to a group of investors, and a year later, in 1928, Bulldogs got erased from existence.

Canton Bulldogs from Canton Ohio was one of the defunct NFL teams established in 1903. 

They played in the Ohio League for 15 years till 1918, during which they clinched three Ohio League championships.

Similarly, the Bulldogs won their first NFL championship in 1922 and then followed up with another championship in 1923. During this time, several star players were on their roster, including Jim Thorpe and Joe Guyon.

Despite their success, the Bulldogs bumbled economically and eventually went obsolete in 1927. In honor of the Bulldogs' contributions to the sport, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is located in Canton, Ohio.

Frankford Yellow Jackets is one of the oldest football teams dating back its origin to 1899. It was primarily based in Frankford, Philadelphia.

The franchise, founded as Frankford Athletic Association, was an independent club till it joined NFL in 1923. They were one of the original NFL teams and played in the league from 1924 to 1931.

During their time in the NFL, the Yellow Jackets had several successful seasons, including winning the championship in 1926. They had a strong team led by the iconic duo of Hap Moran and Hust Stockton.

The Yellow Jackets was owned by the Frankford Athletic Association, a non-profit organization that aimed to promote sports and fitness in the community. However, because of a lack of enough funding, the team surrendered its continuance in 1931

Providence Steam Roller won the NFL Championship title in 1928. Providence was the last defunct team to cherish the league trophy. 

Founded in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1916, they were among the ten original franchises in the National Football League (NFL).

The team had notable players, including Hall of Fame quarterback and coach Dutch Clark. Initially, Steamrollers played their home games at Kinsley Park, but they migrated to the Cycledrome in 1925. 

They were named after the city's prominent steamroller industry and had a distinctive combination of maroon and orange colors. Providence's downfall came with the economic collapse caused by the Great Depression, which finally defaulted the franchise in 1933.

Pottsville Maroons was one of the defunct NFL teams established in 1920 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.

The club played in the Anthracite League before joining NFL in 1925. Despite their short-lived existence, they succeeded significantly, winning the Anthracite League title in 1924 and NFL in 1925.

However, The Maroons' championship win was shrouded in controversy. As a result, the NFL stripped the Maroons of their championship title and awarded it to the Chicago Cardinals, who had finished in second place.

The franchise, originally called Pottsville Eleven, hailed from a small market town in Pottsville. Nearly a decade after its formation in 1929, the Maroon's steep decline and lack of proper team management led to the scrapping of the projects. 

Rock Island Independents were one of the founding NFL franchises created in 1907. The professional football team was based in Illinois.

They were members of the early NFL but failed to win championships. The Independents played their home games at Douglas Park and later at Browning Field after 1926. 

Before National Football League, the Rock Island team played in several other minor leagues and went undefeated for five seasons. Some of the star players in their lineup include quarterback Jimmy Conzelman and fullback Joe Rooney.

However, the franchise was unable to replicate its achievements in the National League, which resulted in a series of poor performances year after year, ultimately leading to a depletion of their funds and culminating in their folding in 1926.

Minneapolis Marines is one of the early independent teams to be part of the National Football League.

Marines was founded by a group of working-class youngsters in 1905 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The team was initially established as autonomous but was later admitted to the NFL in 1921 and played till 1924.

The Marines played their home games first at Camden Park, then at The Parade, followed by Lexington Park, and finally at Nicollet Park, which had a capacity of 12,000 spectators.

Despite being a relatively short-lived franchise, the Minneapolis Marines appeared in four seasons of the NFL, making the playoffs once in 1923, and was folded after 1924.

Additionally, in 1929, Marines was resurrected as Minneapolis Red Jackets but failed miserably, shutting down its operation entirely in 1930.

The Louisville Colonels were one of two American football teams from Louisville, Kentucky. 

The first one was Louisville Breckenridge, formed in 1899, and later it was renamed to the Colonels in 1926. However, the rebranding turned out to be luckless for them as the team folded a year later in 1927.

Louisville played in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons in 1921-22 and 1925-26 but could not achieve anything special. Their home field at Eclipse Park was later changed to Parkway Field. 

The team faced numerous financial challenges off the field, including low attendance and high travel costs. Ultimately, these challenges proved too much to overcome, and the team folded after just two seasons in the NFL. 

The Hammond Pros were a professional football team from the US that played in the NFL from 1920 to 1926. 

Pros was founded in 1920 in Hammond, Indiana, in the northwest part of the state. They were one of the charter members of the NFL and played their home games at Wrigley Field (previously Cubs Park) in Hammond.

The team was named after its sponsor, a local Pros Manufacturing Company. Despite playing in the NFL's early years, the Hammond Pros had a relatively brief and unremarkable existence.

Pros played in the NFL for seven years and 34 games but had a poor record of 5-26-4. Despite their struggles, they may have continued playing if not for the NFL's decision to downsize the number of teams, which resulted in the Pros and other small franchises being eliminated.

The Duluth Eskimos, a professional American football team from Duluth, Minnesota, enjoyed a short stint in NFL between 1923 and 1927.

Originally known as the Kelleys, the team was founded by M. C. Gebert, owner of the Kelley-Duluth Hardware Store, and Dewey Scanlon. After joining the NFL in 1923, the team's fortunes varied from season to season.

In 1926, the Kelleys changed their name to the Duluth Eskimos, becoming one of the first NFL teams to have a logo. Despite their brief existence, the team made some notable accomplishments. 

Interestingly, after playing one home game in the 1926 season, the Eskimos never returned to Duluth, ultimately withdrawing from the league after the 1927 season.

The Columbus Panhandles were a professional American football team founded in 1901 and based out of Columbus, Ohio.

Initially, the team was coined the Panhandle railroad team during its inception and played in the Ohio League from 1904 before transitioning to the National Football League in 1920. 

Despite a brief existence of 25 years, the Panhandles had some remarkable accomplishments, including their presence in the NFL. The franchise played at Indianola Park until 1915 when they became a traveling team. 

In 2022, it was renamed again to Columbus Tigers, but their fate remained the same. In the first season as the Tigers, they finished 8th in the league ranking, but in the next three years, they were 10th, 20th, and 19th, eventually leading the team to go outmoded.

Brooklyn Dodgers was founded by two local businessmen in 1930 in New York. The Dodgers is one of many NFL teams that changed names.

The franchise had a 15-year run in the National Football League (NFL) from its establishment to its demolition in 1945. 

Due to the impact of World War II, the team experienced a sharp decline starting in 1942. The shortage of players and fans was the primary cause.

Coach Sutherland and several players, including Ace Parker, left the team to serve in the military, which made things even worse for the club.

They started as the Brooklyn Dodgers but were renamed the Brooklyn Tigers in 1944. As a last resort to keep the team afloat, they merged with the Boston Yanks for the 1945 season.

Racine Tornadoes was a defunct NFL franchise that had its origins in the city of Racine, Wisconsin.

Founded in 1915, the team started its operation as Racine Battery C. However, after World War I, the club's name was changed to the Horlick-Racine Legion due to joint sponsorship by the American Legion and local businessman William Horlick.

For most of its history, Racine remained an independent team before making it to the original NFL teams in 1922. The franchise was once again renamed the Racine Legion and eventually the Racine Tornadoes.

They played at their home ground, a 5000-capacity stadium, Horlick Field. The Tornadoes is also one of many teams that became victims of the AFL and NFL merger, which disbanded the team in 1926.

Staten Island Stapletons was a former American football team that appeared in NFL from 1929 to 1932.

Though the club was initially known as Stapleton Football Club when founded in 1915, it was renamed multiple times. Stapleton Ex-Service AC in 1921, Staten Island Stapletons from 1921 to 1932, then Staten Island Stapes from 1932 to 1935.

Stapes played in independent leagues until they agreed on a deal with NFL in 1929. For three seasons, the Island Stapletons played in National League, but with a series of disappointing results, they kept losing money every year, which in turn became a catalyst for their downfall. 

As the Great Depression hit, the franchise could not sustain itself and had to shut down entirely in 1935.