List of NFC champions


The National Football Conference is one of two conferences within the National Football League, the American Football Conference being the other. Prior to 1970, there were two separate professional football leagues, the National Football League and the American Football League. In 1970, the AFL merged with the NFL. As part of the merger, the former AFL teams, plus three former NFL teams, were placed in the AFC. The remaining former NFL teams were placed in the NFC. As of the 2025 season only the Detroit Lions have not won an NFC championship.

Background

The NFC champion is not necessarily the team with the best record in the regular season. Rather, the champion is decided by the NFC Championship Game as part of the post-season playoffs involving the teams with the best regular season records. The Dallas Cowboys won the first two NFC championships, in 1970 and 1971. No team has won more than two consecutive NFC championships. The Cowboys won two consecutive NFC championships three times. The Minnesota Vikings, Washington Redskins, San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, and Seattle Seahawks have also won two consecutive NFC championships.
Through the 2024 season, the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers have won more NFC championships than any other team, with eight. The Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, New York Giants, and Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams have each won five NFC championships. The Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, and Seattle Seahawks have won three apiece. The San Francisco 49ers have also been the NFC runner up, as a result of losing the NFC Championship Game, a record 11 times. The Rams, Cowboys and Packers have each been the runner up six times.
The record for the most regular season wins by an NFC champion is 15, by the 1984 San Francisco 49ers, the 1985 Chicago Bears and the 2015 Carolina Panthers, each with a 15-1 record in a 16-game season, and the 2024 Detroit Lions with a 15–2 record in a 17-game season. Excluding the strike-shortened 1982 season, the fewest wins by an NFC champion in a complete season were by the 1979 Los Angeles Rams, 2008 Arizona Cardinals, and the 2011 New York Giants, who each had a 9–7 record.
Tom Landry was the head coach for five NFC championships, more than any other head coach. Landry coached the Dallas Cowboys to NFC championships in 1970, 1971, 1975, 1977 and 1978. Joe Gibbs coached four NFC champions, and Bud Grant, Bill Walsh and Mike Holmgren each coached three. Holmgren and Dick Vermeil both won NFC championships for two different franchises. Holmgren was the head coach of the 1996 and 1997 NFC champion Green Bay Packers and of the 2005 NFC champion Seattle Seahawks. Vermeil was the head coach of the 1980 NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles, and 19 years later was the head coach of the 1999 NFC champion St. Louis Rams.
Roger Staubach and Joe Montana were each the starting quarterback for four NFC championships, more than any other quarterback. Staubach was the starting quarterback for the 1971, 1975, 1977 and 1978 Dallas Cowboys. Montana was the starting quarterback for the 1981, 1984, 1988 and 1989 San Francisco 49ers. Fran Tarkenton, Troy Aikman and Kurt Warner were each the starting quarterback for three NFC champions. Warner accomplished this for two different franchises, the 1999 and 2001 St. Louis Rams and the 2008 Arizona Cardinals. Joe Theismann, Phil Simms, Brett Favre, Eli Manning and Russell Wilson were each the starting quarterback for two NFC champions, although Simms missed the NFC Championship Game in one of those seasons due to injury.
Chuck Foreman and Emmitt Smith were each the leader in rushing yards for an NFC champion three times. Others who led an NFC champion in rushing yards multiple times are Duane Thomas, Tony Dorsett, John Riggins, Wendell Tyler, Roger Craig, Marshall Faulk and Marshawn Lynch. Tyler did so with two different franchises, the 1979 Los Angeles Rams and the 1984 San Francisco 49ers. Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin each led an NFC champion in receiving yards three times. Bob Hayes, Drew Pearson, Charlie Brown, Dwight Clark, Gary Clark and Antonio Freeman each led an NFC champion in receiving yards twice.
The 1983 Washington Redskins had seven 1st team All-Pros, more than any other NFC champion. The 2012 San Francisco 49ers and 2015 Carolina Panthers each had six and 1985 Chicago Bears had five. The 1975 Dallas Cowboys, 2000 New York Giants and 2007 New York Giants did not have any 1st team All-Pros. Ron Yary of the 1973, 1974 and 1976 Minnesota Vikings is the only offensive lineman with three 1st team All-Pro selections for an NFC champion. Several defensive players have been 1st team All-Pros for two NFC champions, including Alan Page, Cliff Harris, Ronnie Lott, LeRoy Butler, Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas.
The Super Bowl is played annually between the AFC champion and the NFC champion. The first four Super Bowls were played prior to the AFL–NFL merger between the AFL and NFL champion. The 1970 NFC champion Dallas Cowboys lost the first Super Bowl played after the merger, but the 1971 Cowboys were the first NFC team to win the Super Bowl. The NFC had a streak in which its champion won 13 consecutive Super Bowls, from the 1984 NFC champion San Francisco 49ers through the 1996 NFC champion Green Bay Packers. Overall, the NFC champion has won 27 of the 54 Super Bowls played since the formation of the NFC with the AFL–NFL merger through the end of the 2023 season.

Key

NFC championship teams

SeasonTeamRecordHead CoachQuarterbackLeading RusherLeading ReceiverAll-ProsRunner-upReference
1970Dallas Cowboys**HowleySan Francisco 49ers
1971Dallas Cowboys†***Lilly*, Niland, Wright*San Francisco 49ers
1972Washington Redskins**Brown, Hanburger*Dallas Cowboys
1973Minnesota Vikings**Eller*, Page*, Yary*Dallas Cowboys
1974Minnesota Vikings**Page*, Yary*Los Angeles Rams
1975Dallas Cowboys***noneLos Angeles Rams
1976Minnesota Vikings**Yary*Los Angeles Rams
1977Dallas Cowboys†****Harris, Herrera, Martin, Pearson*Minnesota Vikings
1978Dallas Cowboys***Harris, White*Los Angeles Rams
1979Los Angeles RamsBrooks, Youngblood*Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1980Philadelphia EaglesJohnsonDallas Cowboys
1981San Francisco 49ers†**Dean*, Lott*Dallas Cowboys
1982Washington Redskins†**MoseleyDallas Cowboys
1983Washington Redskins**Butz, Grimm*, Jacoby, Murphy, Nelms, Riggins*, TheismannSan Francisco 49ers
1984San Francisco 49ers†**FahnhorstChicago Bears
1985Chicago Bears†**Covert, Dent*, McMichael*, Payton*, Singletary*Los Angeles Rams
1986New York Giants†*Bavaro, Landeta, Morris, Taylor*Washington Redskins
1987Washington Redskins†*Clark, WilburnMinnesota Vikings
1988San Francisco 49ers†***Craig, Rice*Chicago Bears
1989San Francisco 49ers†**Cofer, Lott*, Montana*, Rice*,Los Angeles Rams
1990New York Giants†*Johnson, LandetaSan Francisco 49ers
1991Washington Redskins†*Green*, LacheyDetroit Lions
1992Dallas Cowboys†****Novacek, Smith*San Francisco 49ers
1993Dallas Cowboys†****Smith*, WilliamsSan Francisco 49ers
1994San Francisco 49ers†**Rice*, Sanders*, Young*Dallas Cowboys
1995Dallas Cowboys†***Newton, Smith*, WoodsonGreen Bay Packers
1996Green Bay Packers†*Butler, Favre*Carolina Panthers
1997Green Bay Packers*Butler, Favre*San Francisco 49ers
1998Atlanta FalconsAndersonMinnesota Vikings
1999St. Louis Rams†***Carter, Faulk*, Pace*, Warner*Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2000New York GiantsnoneMinnesota Vikings
2001St. Louis Rams**Conwell, Faulk*, Pace*, Timmerman, Warner*, Williams*,Philadelphia Eagles
2002Tampa Bay Buccaneers†Barber*, Brooks*, Lynch*, Rice, Sapp*Philadelphia Eagles
2003Carolina PanthersJenkinsPhiladelphia Eagles
2004Philadelphia Eagles*Akers, Dawkins*, Owens*, SheppardAtlanta Falcons
2005Seattle SeahawksAlexander, Hutchinson, Jones*, StrongCarolina Panthers
2006Chicago BearsAyanbadejo,Briggs, Gould, Hester, Kreutz, Urlacher*New Orleans Saints
2007New York Giants†noneGreen Bay Packers
2008Arizona Cardinals**Fitzgerald, WilsonPhiladelphia Eagles
2009New Orleans Saints†Brees, Evans, SharperMinnesota Vikings
2010Green Bay Packers†Collins, Matthews, Woodson*Chicago Bears
2011New York Giants†Cruz, Pierre-PaulSan Francisco 49ers
2012San Francisco 49ersBowman, Brooks, Goldson, Iupati, Lee, Smith, Smith, Staley, Willis*Atlanta Falcons
2013Seattle Seahawks†Chancellor,Sherman, ThomasSan Francisco 49ers
2014Seattle SeahawksChancellor, Lynch,Sherman, Thomas, WagnerGreen Bay Packers
2015Carolina PanthersDavis, Kalil, Kuechly, Newton, Norman, Olsen, Short,TolbertArizona Cardinals
2016Atlanta FalconsBeasley, Jones, Mack, RyanGreen Bay Packers
2017Philadelphia Eagles†Johnson, Kelce, Wentz, CoxMinnesota Vikings
2018Los Angeles RamsDonald, Gurley, Hekker, LittletonNew Orleans Saints
2019San Francisco 49ersKittle, Sherman, BucknerGreen Bay Packers
2020Tampa Bay Buccaneers†David, WhiteGreen Bay Packers
2021Los Angeles Rams†Sean McVayMatthew StaffordSony MichelCooper KuppKupp, Donald, RamseySan Francisco 49ers
2022Philadelphia EaglesNick SirianniJalen HurtsMiles SandersA. J. BrownJohnson, Kelce, Hurts, Brown, Reddick, BradberrySan Francisco 49ers
2023San Francisco 49ersKyle ShanahanBrock PurdyChristian McCaffreyBrandon AiyukJuszczyk, Kittle, McCaffrey, Warner, Williams, Aiyuk, WardDetroit Lions
2024Philadelphia Eagles†Nick SirianniJalen HurtsSaquon BarkleyA. J. BrownBarkley, Baun, Brown, Mailata, Johnson, CarterWashington Commanders
2025Seattle SeahawksMike MacdonaldSam DarnoldKenneth Walker IIIJaxon Smith-NjigbaSmith-Njigba, Dickson, Jones, Williams, WitherspoonLos Angeles Rams