If You Think You're a Football Fanatic, Test Your Knowledge With 101 NFL Trivia Questions
Football is the most watched sport in the United States by a landslide. The sport has undoubtedly become a staple component of American culture. From watching Sunday football games with friends to making a whole call-out-of-work-the-next-day-worthy event out of the Superbowl, football is cherished by many. But, are you a true football fanatic? Find out with these 101 NFL trivia questions.
Can you recall the first-ever Superbowl champions? What about the football player that's thrown the most career rushing yards? Each trivia question will test your knowledge about the NFL, as well as the rules of football. Are you ready to flex your football fluency?
Whether you're prepping for a tailgate party trivia game or simply looking to expand your NFL repertoire, these NFL trivia questions will keep you and your friends entertained for hours. Team histories, record holders and iconic plays—oh my! Get ready to blitz your brain and (hopefully) score a touchdown with all your correct answers.
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Best General NFL Trivia Questions
1. What does the NFL stand for?
Answer: National Football League
2. Who is the current commissioner of the NFL?
Answer: Roger Goodell
3. Where is the NFL Hall of Fame located?
Answer: Canton, Ohio
4. How many total games are played in the NFL regular season?
Answer: 272 total games (17 games for each team)
5. How many players can NFL teams roster at a time?
Answer: 53 players can be on the active roster at once
6. Who has thrown for the most passing yards of all time?
Answer: Tom Brady with 89,214 career passing yards
7. Who has thrown for the most rushing yards of all time?
Answer: Emmitt Smith with 18,355 career rushing yards
8. Who has thrown for the most receiving yards all time?
Answer: Jerry Rice with 22,895 career receiving yards
9. Who has kicked the longest field goal successfully of all time?
Answer: Justin Tucker. He made a 66-yard field goal in 2022
10. Which player has won the most NFL MVP awards?
Answer: Peyton Manning; 5 times (2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2013)
11. Who has the most sacks in the NFL of all time?
Answer: Bruce Smith with 200 career sacks
12. Who has the most interceptions in the NFL of all time?
Answer: Paul Krause with 81 career interceptions
13. Who has the most return touchdowns in the NFL all time?
Answer: Devin Hester with 20 total return touchdowns (5 kickoff returns, 14 punt returns, 1 missed field goal returned)
14. How much does the average NFL player earn per year?
Answer: On average, each player is earning about $2 million per season
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Quiz Questions and Answers About the History of the NFL
15. What year was the NFL founded?
Answer: 1920
16. Which two current NFL teams have existed since the founding year in 1920?
Answer: Arizona Cardinals and Chicago Bears
17. How many teams did the NFL have when it first started?
Answer: 10 teams
18. When was the first NFL draft held?
Answer: 1936
19. When was the first NFL championship game broadcasted?
Answer: 1951
20. When did the NFL overtake the MLB as America’s favorite sport?
Answer: In the early 1970s
21. Which NFL team had the most wins in the 1970s?
Answer: The Dallas Cowboys
22. Which NFL team had the most wins in both the 1980s and the 1990s?
Answer: The San Francisco 49ers
23. Which NFL team had the most wins in the 2000s?
Answer: The Indianapolis Colts
24. Which NFL team had the most wins in the 2010s?
Answer: The New England Patriots
25. What is the only team to have an undefeated season in the Super Bowl era?
Answer: The 1972 Miami Dolphins
26. What is the only team to have gone 0-16 in a single season?
Answer: The 2008 Detroit Lions
27. Have NFL players always been required to wear a helmet?
Answer: No, helmets were not required until 1943
28. Who was the first African American quarterback to start in a Super Bowl?
Answer: Doug Williams, Washington Redskins in 1988
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Quiz Questions and Answers About NFL Teams
29. How many teams are in the NFL?
Answer: 32 teams
30. Which NFL team has won the most games all time?
Answer: Green Bay Packers with 790 total wins
31. How many NFL teams are located in Florida?
Answer: 3 NFL teams—Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars
32. How many NFL teams are located in California?
Answer: 3 NFL teams—Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers
33. How many different states have an NFL team?
Answer: 23 different states
34. What team is considered “America’s Team”?
Answer: The Dallas Cowboys
35. What team’s defense coined the nickname “Steel Curtain”?
Answer: The Pittsburgh Steelers
36. How many NFL teams’ names are some kind of bird?
Answer: Five—Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals
37. Which NFL team is actually a publicly owned, non-profit corporation?
Answer: The Green Bay Packers
38. What is the most valuable NFL team to date?
Answer: The Dallas Cowboys—worth approximately $7.6 billion
39. What is the “least” valuable NFL team to date?
Answer: The Cincinnati Bengals—worth approximately $3 billion
40. What four teams were added to the NFL after 1976?
Answer: Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans
41. Which NFL team holds the record for longest winning streak of all time?
Answer: Indianapolis Colts; 23-game winning streak (2008-09)
42. Which NFL team holds the record for longest losing streak of all time?
Answer: Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 26-game losing streak (1976-77)
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Quiz Questions and Answers About the Super Bowl
43. Who won the first Super Bowl in 1967?
Answer: Green Bay Packers
44. About how many people watch the Super Bowl each year?
Answer: More than 100 million people
45. How much does a Super Bowl commercial cost?
Answer: More than $5 million for a 30-second commercial
46. Who are the only brothers to both win Super Bowl MVP?
Answer: Peyton and Eli Manning
47. Which team(s) has won the most Super Bowl championships?
Answer: New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers (6 wins each)
48. Which player has won the most Super Bowl championships?
Answer: Tom Brady (7 Super Bowl championships)
49. Which coach has won the most Super Bowl championships?
Answer: Bill Belichick (6 Super Bowl championships)
50. Which team played, and lost, in 4 straight Super Bowls between 1990 and 1993?
Answer: Buffalo Bills
51. Which 4 teams have never appeared in a Super Bowl?
Answer: Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, and Houston Texans
52. Which team has never led in a Super Bowl game, despite the fact that they have appeared in 4 Super Bowls?
Answer: Minnesota Vikings
53. What trophy does the winning team receive for winning the Super Bowl?
Answer: The Lombardi Trophy
54. How much does the Lombardi Trophy weigh?
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Answer: Approximately 7 pounds
54. What was the highest-scoring Super Bowl game ever?
Answer: In Super Bowl 29 (XXIX), the San Francisco 49ers beat the San Diego Chargers 49-26
56. What was the lowest-scoring Super Bowl game ever?
Answer: In Super Bowl 53 (LIII), the New England Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams 13-3
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Questions and Answers About NFL Stadiums
57. What is the oldest stadium in the NFL?
Answer: Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin (Green Bay Packers)
58. How many NFL stadiums are there in the United States?
Answer: 30 stadiums. There are 32 teams, but the New York Giants and Jets share a stadium, and the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers also share a stadium.
59. Do NFL stadiums use grass or artificial turf for their playing field?
Answer: Both. There is almost an even split as 16 stadiums use grass, while the other 14 stadiums use artificial turf (efforts are being made to make all stadiums grass fields).
60. How many stadiums in the NFL are domes?
Answer: 10
61. Among the 10 NFL-domed stadiums, how many have a retractable roof?
Answer: 5 NFL stadiums have a retractable roof
62. Which NFL stadium has the largest seating capacity?
Answer: Metlife Stadium (New York Giants and Jets)—82,500 standard seat capacity
63. Which NFL stadium has the smallest seating capacity?
Answer: Soldier Field (Chicago Bears)—61,500 standard seat capacity.
64. What is the most expensive stadium in the NFL?
Answer: Sofi Stadium (Los Angeles Rams and Chargers)—$5.5 billion to build
65. Which state has the most NFL stadiums?
Answer: Florida has the most with 3 NFL stadiums (Tampa, Miami, Jacksonville)
66. Which stadium has a pirate ship located inside?
Answer: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
67. Which stadium is known as “Jerry’s World”?
Answer: AT&T Stadium (Dallas Cowboys)
68. Which NFL stadium has hosted the most Super Bowls?
Answer: The Superdome (New Orleans Saints)
69. Arrowhead Stadium, known as one of the loudest NFL stadiums, plays home to which NFL team?
Answer: Kansas City Chiefs
70. Which NFL stadium is the highest elevation above sea level?
Answer: Mile High Stadium (Denver Broncos)—exactly 1 mile above sea level
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Questions and Answers About NFL Rules
71. How long is an NFL game?
Answer: Each game consists of four 15-minute quarters, plus a 10-minute overtime period (if needed)
72. How can you score points in an NFL game?
Answer: Scoring Touchdowns (6 points), Points-After-Touchdown (1 point, kick), Field Goals (3 points, kick), 2-point Conversions (2 points) and Safeties (2 points)
73. How many downs, or plays, does each team have to get a 1st down?
Answer: 4 downs
74. What are the 3 main ways a team can turn the ball over?
Answer: Throwing an interception (offense), Fumbling the football (offense, defense, or special teams) and turning the ball over on downs.
75. What is it called when a team throws the football to the opposing team?
Answer: Interception
76. What is it called when a team drops the football after running with it, typically resulting in the other team picking it up?
Answer: Fumble
77. Can teams return an interception or fumble recovery for a touchdown?
Answer: Yes
78. True or False– You can either run the ball or throw the ball for a touchdown.
Answer: True
79. How many players are allowed on the field at a time?
Answer: 11 players on each team—11 players on offense, 11 on defense. Or, 11 on the kicking team, 11 on the receiving team (special teams).
80. Can teams catch a kickoff or punt and return it for a touchdown?
Answer: Yes – teams can also return a short field goal attempt for a touchdown
81. How many timeouts does each team get per game?
Answer: Each team can use 3 timeouts in each half
82. On which down do teams normally elect to punt the ball or kick a field goal?
Answer: On 4th down, though sometimes teams will kick on 2nd or 3rd down
83. Which violation results in a 10-yard penalty when a player grabs onto another player for too long?
Answer: Holding
84. Which violation results in a 15-yard penalty when a defender interferes with a receiver’s ability to catch a ball fairly?
Answer: Pass Interference
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More Football Trivia Questions and Answers
85. What two sports did American Football generate from?
Answer: Soccer and Rugby
86. When was the first ever football game played?
Answer: 1869
87. Which two college teams played in the first-ever football game?
Answer: Princeton and Rutgers
88. Which rugby-turned-football player pioneered the rule changes that paved the way for American football in the 1880s?
Answer: Walter Camp
89. When was the first professional game of football played?
Answer: November 12th, 1892– between the Allegheny Athletic Association and the Pittsburgh Athletic Club
90. What are the dimensions of a football field?
Answer: 360 feet long by 160 feet wide
91. What two parts of the body are most injured among football players?
Answer: Head (concussions, possible CTE long term) and Knee (ACL)
92. What day of the week are most high school football games played?
Answer: Thursdays (junior varsity), and Fridays (varsity)
93. What day of the week are most college football games played?
Answer: Saturdays
94. What day of the week are most professional games played?
Answer: Sundays
95. True or False– More kids play football than any other sport in America.
Answer: False—Basketball, Baseball and Soccer all have more kids participating
96. Can football players play on both offense and defense in the same game?
Answer: Yes, though it becomes less and less likely the further players advance in their playing careers
97. When can talented football players be eligible to be professionally drafted?
Answer: Football players must be 3 years removed from high school before they can play professionally
98. How many footballs are produced yearly by the top manufacturing company in America?
Answer: About 500,000 footballs are made every year
99. True or false – a mouth guard is not mandatory when playing football.
Answer: False
100. How long are quarters in football?
Answer: 15 minutes
101. How many timeouts do teams get in the NFL?
Answer: Each team gets three timeouts per half
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