2019 NFL season


The 2019 NFL season was the 100th season of the National Football League and the 54th of the Super Bowl era. The season began on September 5, 2019, with the NFL Kickoff Game, in which the [2019 2019 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers] defeated the [2019 2019 Chicago Bears season|Chicago Bears season|Chicago Bears]. The season concluded with Super Bowl LIV, the league's championship game, on February 2, 2020, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, in which the American Football Conference champion [2019 2019 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs] defeated the National Football Conference champion [2019 2019 San Francisco 49ers|San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers] 31–20 to win their second Super Bowl championship. This was also the final NFL season with the 12-team playoff format, as two more teams were added to the annual NFL playoffs as of the 2020 NFL season.
The 2019 season was also the last season for the [2019 2019 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders] after playing in Oakland for 47 non-consecutive years before their relocation to Las Vegas for 2020 with the completion of Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders were previously approved for relocation in March 2017 but spent the last two seasons at RingCentral Coliseum.
The 2019 season was also Tom Brady's final season with the [2019 2019 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots season|New England Patriots].

Player movement

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. 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.

Free agency

Free agency began on March 13. Notable players to change teams included:

Trades

The following notable trades were made during the 2019 league year:

Notable retirements

The following notable players retired prior to the 2019 season:
  • LB NaVorro Bowman – Three-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro. Played for San Francisco and Oakland during his eight-year career.
  • RB Jamaal Charles – Four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro. Played for Kansas City, Denver, and Jacksonville during his 11-year career.
  • LB Derrick Johnson – Four-time Pro Bowl Selection and two-time All Pro. Played for Kansas City and Oakland during his 14-year career.
  • TE Rob Gronkowski – Five-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro, three-time Super Bowl champion, and 2014 Comeback Player of the Year. Played for New England during his entire nine-year career. Later came out of retirement in and was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he became a Super Bowl champion for a fourth time in his first season with the team.
  • P Shane Lechler – Seven-time Pro Bowler and nine-time All-Pro. Played for Oakland and Houston during his 18-year career.
  • QB Andrew Luck – Four-time Pro Bowler, first overall selection in the 2012 NFL draft, and 2018 [National Football League NFL Comeback Player of the Year|Comeback Player of the Year Award|Comeback Player of the Year]. Played for Indianapolis during his entire seven-year career.
  • DT Haloti Ngata – Five-time Pro Bowler, five-time All-Pro and Super Bowl XLVII champion. Played for Baltimore, Detroit, and Philadelphia during his 13-year career.
  • LB Brian Orakpo – Four-time Pro Bowler. Played for Washington and Tennessee during his 10-year career.
  • DE Julius Peppers – Nine-time Pro Bowler, six-time All-Pro, and 2002 Defensive Rookie of the Year. Played for Carolina, Chicago, and Green Bay during his 17-year career.
  • G Josh Sitton – Four-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro and Super Bowl XLV champion. Played for Green Bay, Chicago, and Miami during his 11-year career.
  • DT Kyle Williams – Six-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro. Played for Buffalo during his entire 13-year career.

Draft

The 2019 NFL draft was held from April 25–27 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Arizona Cardinals selected Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the first overall selection.

Officiating changes

The following officials were hired:
  • Roddy Ames
  • Saleem Choudhry
  • Terry Killens
  • Patrick Holt
  • Matthew Sumstine
  • Tripp Sutter
  • Nate Jones
  • Dave Hawkshaw
  • Jimmy Russell
The following official retired:

Rule changes

The following rule changes were approved for the 2019 season at the NFL owners' meeting on March 26:
  • Make permanent the experimental kickoff rules from the season.
  • Abolish all blindside blocks anywhere on the field.
  • 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
  • * Scoring plays and turnovers negated by penalties.
  • * Any extra point or two-point conversion attempt.
  • 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 or 25-yard line. 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.
  • 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 limited helmets to a list of 34 league-approved models, up from the 23 originally approved in 2018. The grandfather clause allowing existing players to wear their previous non-approved helmets expired, and 32 players were required to change helmets. In May 2019, the NFL banned Oklahoma drills, "bull in the ring", and other high-contact drills from team practices. In June 2019, the league clarified March 2019 temporary rule change regarding reviews of pass interference plays as follows:
  • 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.
  • All pass plays are subject to review for pass interference, including the "Hail Mary" play.

2019 deaths

Members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame

;Pat Bowlen: Bowlen owned the Denver Broncos since 1984. His Broncos won three Super Bowls during his tenure. He was inducted in 2019 but died from complications of Alzheimer'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 executive Joe Ellis until it can be determined which of Bowlen's five surviving children will inherit the team.
;Cliff Branch: Branch was a wide receiver who played for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders from 1972 to 1986. 3-Time Super bowl champion, 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.
;Willie Brown: Brown spent his first four seasons with the Denver Broncos and his last twelve with Oakland Raiders, winning Super 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.
;Nick Buoniconti: Buoniconti, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001, was an eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker who played seven seasons with the Boston Patriots from 1962 to 1968 and seven more with the Miami Dolphins from 1969 to 1974 and 1976. He won two Super Bowls with the Dolphins in 1972 and 1973. Buoniconti died on July 30 at the age of 78.
;Forrest Gregg: Gregg, a guard, spent all but the final season of his playing career with the Green Bay Packers, a member of the Packers' 1960s dynasty. In his final year, he helped the Dallas Cowboys team win Super 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 the Canadian Football League in the late 1970s, 1980s and into the 1990s, most successfully leading the 1981 Cincinnati Bengals to an AFC championship and a loss in Super Bowl XVI to the San Francisco 49ers. Gregg died on April 12 at the age of 85.
;Jim Langer: Langer, who played center for 11 NFL seasons, nine with the Miami Dolphins alongside Buoniconti 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.
;Gino Marchetti: Marchetti was a defensive end who played 14 seasons in the NFL, 13 with the Baltimore 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.
;Bart Starr: Starr played quarterback for the Green Bay Packers during his entire 16-year career 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 the Most Valuable Player of the first two World 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. Starr was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977. He died on May 26 at the age of 85.

Team owners

;Bill Bidwill: Bidwill was the owner of the Arizona 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 father Charles bought the team in 1933. His son Michael is expected to succeed his father as team owner.
;Barron Hilton: Hilton was the original owner of the Los Angeles Chargers from 1960 to 1966. He was the last living member of the original Foolish Club, the group of owners who established the American Football League and Lamar Hunt.

Preseason

Training camps for the 2019 season were held in late July through August. Teams started training camp no earlier than 15 days before their first scheduled preseason game. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game was played on August 1; in which Denver defeated Atlanta at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. Denver was represented in the 2019 Hall of Fame class by owner Pat Bowlen and former cornerback Champ Bailey, while Atlanta was represented by former tight end Tony Gonzalez.
On August 17, Dallas and the Los Angeles Rams played a preseason game at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii, the former home of the Pro Bowl.
On August 22, Oakland played Green Bay at IG Field in Winnipeg, home of the CFL's Winnipeg Blue Bombers; it was the first NFL game on Canadian soil since the end of the Bills Toronto Series in 2013. Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan, was another potential site for the game, and the teams had secured the cooperation of the city and local sports promoter On Ice Management, but the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League 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. 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 and eliminated kickoffs, starting all possessions on the 15-yard line. Thirty-three Packers players refused to play on the surface, including starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

NFL centennial promotions

On October 18, 2018, the NFL announced that it would commemorate its 100th season throughout 2019, beginning with Super 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.
The Chicago Bears 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. The team also unveiled a throwback jersey based on its 1936 design, which it donned for two games.
The NFL aired a special two-minute commercial during Super Bowl LIII to launch the centennial campaign, which featured a gala dinner attended by 40 current and former NFL players, including Los Angeles Rams RB Todd Gurley, then-New York Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr., New England QB Tom Brady, former Indianapolis and Denver QB Peyton Manning, Hall of Fame WRs Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin, and Hall of Fame QB Terry Bradshaw, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, NFL officials Ron Torbert and Sarah Thomas, viral teenage girl football star Samantha Gordon, and video game streamer Tyler "Ninja" Blevins. The commercial won the annual Super Bowl Ad Meter survey held by USA Today, marking the first time that the NFL itself won.
In honor of the site of the first NFL game, the league announced plans to donate a new artificial turf field to Triangle Park in Dayton, Ohio, home field of the former Dayton Triangles, intending for Cincinnati 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 a Native American burial site. The NFL instead donated the turf to nearby Kettering Field. The Bengals still held a training camp day in Dayton, doing so at Welcome Stadium instead.
The NFL intentionally scheduled a weekly game to honor landmark moments in NFL history:

Regular season

The 2019 regular 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 one bye week for each team. There were games on Monday nights and on Thursdays, including the National Football League Kickoff game and games on Thanksgiving 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 since.

Scheduling formula

Under the NFL's current scheduling 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. 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 hosted Green 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 first Sunday Night Football game against Pittsburgh, which New England won 33–3.NFL International Series: Five games were held outside the United States in 2019. In addition to Jacksonville and the three teams who hosted an annual game abroad as part of their relocation agreements, Tampa Bay also hosted a home game abroad in 2019 as part of their agreement to host Super Bowl LV in 2021.

Scheduling changes

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 8: The Oakland–Houston game was moved from 1:00 p.m. ET to 4:25 p.m. ET, trading time slots with the Denver–Indianapolis game; both games remained on CBS.
  • Week 10: The Carolina–Green Bay game was moved from 1:00 p.m. ET to 4:25 p.m. ET; game remained on Fox.
  • Week 11: The New York Jets–Washington game was cross-flexed from CBS to Fox; game remained at 1:00 p.m. ET.
  • Week 12: The Green Bay–San Francisco game, originally at 4:25 p.m ET on Fox, was flexed into the NBC Sunday Night Football 8:20 p.m. ET timeslot, replacing the originally scheduled Seattle–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 the Miami–Cleveland game was cross-flexed from CBS to Fox; kickoff times for both games remained at 1:00 p.m. ET.
  • 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.
  • Week 15: The Buffalo–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 scheduled [2019 2019 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota]–[2019 2019 Los Angeles Chargers season|Los Angeles Chargers season|Los Angeles Chargers] game, which was moved to 4:05 p.m. on CBS.
  • Week 16: Three games were moved to Saturday: Houston–Tampa Bay at 1:00 p.m. ET, Buffalo–New England at 4:30 p.m. ET, and Los Angeles Rams–San Francisco at 8:15 p.m. ET, all on the NFL Network. The two other games that the NFL had the option of moving remained on Sunday.
  • 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. ET NBC Sunday Night Football game of the season, which decided the NFC West champion. In addition, the following games with playoff implications were rescheduled from 1:00 p.m. ET to 4:25 p.m. ET : Tennessee–Houston ; Indianapolis-Jacksonville ; Washington–Dallas ; Philadelphia–New York Giants. The Cleveland–Cincinnati game was cross-flexed from CBS to Fox, but remained at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Postseason

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. The 2020 Pro Bowl was played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on January 26. Super Bowl LIV was played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami 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, rather than the typical 1:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. windows used for this round in previous seasons.
This was the final season under the 12-team playoff bracket.

Notable events

Andrew Luck's retirement

News of Indianapolis Colts quarterback and 2012 first overall pick Andrew 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. Luck had won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2018.

Antonio Brown controversies

Wide receiver Antonio Brown was involved in several controversies throughout the off-season, preseason, and regular season. Brown was held out by his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers during week 17 of 2018 due to a heated falling out with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He was subsequently traded to the Oakland 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. Brown next released recorded audio of Raiders head coach Jon Gruden and requested that the Raiders release him. He was subsequently released and signed with the New 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. 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. 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. The Patriots cut Brown on September 20 after he allegedly sent intimidating text messages to his second accuser.

Steelers–Browns brawl

In the final seconds of a November 14 Thursday Night Football matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett tackled Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph after Rudolph completed a screen pass to running back Trey 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 center Maurkice Pouncey and Steelers guard David DeCastro. Pouncey and Browns defensive tackle Larry 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. 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.

Patriots videotaping controversy

During the December 8 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns, the New 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. 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 to Jay Glazer, who made the footage public. The NFL has launched an investigation into these allegations. This was the second time the current Patriots administration was involved in an unauthorized videotaping scandal, following the Spygate controversy in 2007.

Records, milestones, and notable statistics

Week 1
  • The Baltimore Ravens scored 42 points in the first half against the Miami Dolphins, setting an NFL record for most points in the first half of a season opener.
Week 2
Week 4
  • Frank Gore became the fourth player in NFL history to rush for 15,000 yards.
  • Larry Fitzgerald caught his 1,326th reception, moving into second place all-time, behind Jerry Rice.
  • Von Miller recorded his 100th career sack, becoming the fourth-fastest player to do so.
  • Jared Goff set the record for most completions in regulation of a regular season game, with 45. The previous record of 44 was set by Ben Roethlisberger.
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
  • Matthew Stafford became the fastest player to throw for 40,000 yards, doing so in 147 games. The record was previously held by Matt Ryan, who reached 40,000 yards in 151 games.
  • Aaron Rodgers became the fastest player to throw for 350 touchdowns, doing so in 172 games. The record was previously held by Drew Brees, who reached 350 touchdowns in 180 games.
  • Brett Maher became the first kicker in NFL history to kick three field goals of at least 60 yards in his career.
  • 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.
Week 8
  • Bill Belichick became the third head coach in NFL history to win 300 games, joining George Halas and Don Shula.
  • Drew Brees became the first quarterback to pass for 75,000 yards.
  • Andy Dalton started the season with an 0–8 record. Having previously started the 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 in.
Week 10
Week 11
  • Adam Vinatieri recorded his 710th career field goal attempt, setting an NFL record. The previous record of 709 attempts was held by Morten Andersen.
Week 12
  • Frank Gore passed Barry Sanders for third place on the all-time rushing yards list. 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.
  • Tom Brady passed Brett Favre for second place on the all-time completions list.
Week 14
  • Matt Ryan became the tenth quarterback to throw for over 50,000 career passing yards.
  • Lamar Jackson became the second quarterback to run for 1,000 yards in a season, joining Michael Vick in.
  • Drew Lock became the first rookie quarterback to achieve at least 300 passing yards and three passing touchdowns in his first road start.
Week 15
  • Lamar Jackson passed Michael Vick's single season record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 1,039.
  • Drew Brees recorded his 540th career touchdown pass, setting an NFL record. The previous record of 539 was held by Peyton Manning.
  • Brees also set the record for highest completion percentage in a game at 96.7%. The previous record of 96.6% was held by Philip Rivers.
  • 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 by Torry Holt.
Week 16
Week 17
  • Tom Brady passed Peyton Manning for second place on the all-time passing touchdowns list.
  • The Baltimore Ravens set the NFL record for most rushing yards in a season with 3,296. The previous record of 3,165 yards was held by the 1978 New England Patriots.
  • The Ravens became the first team in NFL history to average 200 passing yards and 200 rushing yards per game.
  • The Atlanta Falcons set the NFL record for shortest overtime game, finishing the game seven seconds into overtime. The previous record was 11 seconds in a 2011 playoff game.
  • Christian McCaffrey became the third player with 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season, joining Roger Craig and Marshall Faulk.
  • Jameis Winston became the first player to throw for at least 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in the same season.
  • Carson Wentz became the first player to throw for 4,000 passing yards in a season while having no wide receiver reach 500 receiving yards.
  • Adrian Peterson passed Edgerrin James for eighth place on the all-time rushing attempts list.
Wild-card round
  • The New 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.
  • 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 2013–15 Green Bay Packers.
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, joining Terry Bradshaw, who did so in.
  • Derrick Henry became the first player in NFL history to have two games of 180 rushing yards in the same postseason.
  • The Tennessee Titans became the second team to win a postseason game, despite being outgained by at least 200 yards, joining the 2009 New Orleans Saints.
  • Lamar Jackson became the first player to have 300 passing yards and 140 rushing yards in any game, regular season or postseason.
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.
  • 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.
  • Mostert's 248 rushing yards set the record for most rushing yards in a conference championship game. The previous record of 206 was held by Keith Lincoln.
Super Bowl

Awards

Individual season awards

The 9th NFL Honors, saluting the best players and plays from 2019 season, was held on February 1, 2020, at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami, Florida.
AwardWinnerPositionTeam
AP Most Valuable PlayerLamar JacksonQBBaltimore Ravens
AP Offensive Player of the YearMichael ThomasWRNew Orleans Saints
AP Defensive Player of the YearStephon GilmoreCBNew England Patriots
AP Coach of the YearJohn HarbaughHCBaltimore Ravens
AP Assistant Coach of the YearGreg RomanOCBaltimore Ravens
AP Offensive Rookie of the YearKyler MurrayQBArizona Cardinals
AP Defensive Rookie of the YearNick BosaDESan Francisco 49ers
AP Comeback Player of the YearRyan TannehillQBTennessee Titans
Pepsi Rookie of the YearNick BosaDESan Francisco 49ers
Walter Payton NFL Man of the YearCalais CampbellDEJacksonville Jaguars
PFWA NFL Executive of the YearJohn LynchGMSan Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl Most Valuable PlayerPatrick MahomesQBKansas City Chiefs

All-Pro team

The following players were named First Team All-Pro by the Associated Press:

Players of the week/month

The following were named the top performers during the 2019 season:

Stadiums

Rams' and Chargers' new stadium

This was the third and final season for the Los Angeles Chargers at Dignity Health Sports Park and the fourth and final season for the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Both teams moved to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, starting in 2020.

Bills' potential for relocation

A buyout window in the Buffalo Bills' lease on New 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. The Bills chose not to exercise the buyout.

Broncos' naming rights

On September 4, the Denver Broncos' home field was rebranded as Empower Field at Mile High. The Broncos had been seeking a long-term naming rights partner for their home field since sporting goods retailer Sports Authority went bankrupt in. Empower Retirement, a retirement plan provider that is based in Denver, had served as a team sponsor since, 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", "Sports Authority Field at Mile High" and "Broncos Stadium at Mile High" – the latter of which was used on a temporary basis for.

Raiders' relocation

This was the final season for the Oakland Raiders at RingCentral Coliseum before moving to Allegiant Stadium in Las 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. The Raiders then attempted to negotiate a lease with Oracle Park in San Francisco before the San Francisco 49ers vetoed the plan as an infringement on their territorial rights. With the 49ers refusing to waive territorial rights, the Raiders were forced to either renegotiate with the Coliseum or find a temporary stadium outside the San Francisco Bay Area. 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. The lease agreement was approved by the Oakland Coliseum Authority, the Oakland city council, and Alameda County supervisors by March 21. The Coliseum was the last multi-purpose stadium to be the home of both an NFL and Major League Baseball team. Barring any future relocations, the Raiders' September 15 game against the Kansas City Chiefs stands as the last NFL game played on a dirt infield.

Uniforms

Uniform changes

  • 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. The addition of the logo on the jersey's back makes them the third team in the NFL to do so, after the Arizona Cardinals and Buffalo Bills.
  • Los Angeles Chargers: On April 16, the Chargers announced that they made their powder blue alternate jerseys the new primary uniforms. 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.
  • New York Jets: On April 4, the Jets unveiled new uniforms, which introduced black as an accent color and resembled a modernized version of the uniform layout the Jets used from 1978 to 1997, including a return to green helmets and "TV numbers" on the shoulders.

Throwback uniforms

  • Chicago Bears: To celebrate their 100th season, the Bears wore throwback jerseys based on their 1936 uniforms for two home games.

Patches

  • 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. The Chicago 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.
  • The Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars wore patches to commemorate the 25th season for each franchise.
  • The Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers wore patches to commemorate the 60th season for each franchise.
  • On October 10, the Arizona Cardinals unveiled a patch to commemorate the death of team owner Bill Bidwill. It featured his initials, "WVB."

Media

This was the sixth year under the current broadcast contracts with ESPN/ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. This includes "cross-flexing" Sunday afternoon games between CBS and Fox before or during the season. NBC airs Sunday Night Football, the annual Kickoff Game, and the primetime Thanksgiving game. ESPN airs Monday Night Football and the Pro Bowl with the latter being simulcast on ABC. Fox airs Thursday Night Football along with NFL Network, with Amazon Video and Twitch continuing to simulcast those games online in the second and final year of the two sites' current contract. Fox will also broadcast Super Bowl LIV in English, with Fox Deportes aired the game in Spanish. ESPN aired coverage for all three days of the 2019 NFL draft on ABC, 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's College GameDay, while ESPN and NFL Network continued to carry more conventional coverage of the draft.
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. 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 games every week regardless of whether the local team is playing at home. 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.
The league has an option to cancel its contract with DirecTV after the 2019 season. DirecTV has had exclusive rights to the league's out-of-market sports package, NFL Sunday Ticket, since the package was introduced in 1994.

Personnel changes

On February 28, 2019, Jason Witten announced he would be leaving his color commentator position on Monday Night Football after one season; he returned to the Dallas Cowboys, where he had played tight end for fifteen seasons before joining ESPN in 2018. 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. Former referee Jeff Triplette also left Monday Night Football as rules analyst. He was replaced with John 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 and Gerald Austin. 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 for Westwood One for the 2019 season. Twitch added "co-streaming" with live commentary from specially chosen users of the service for its 2019 Thursday night games.

Most watched regular season games

'''*Note – Late DH matchups listed in table are the matchups that were shown to the largest percentage of the market.'''