NFL fans now have 20 days until the start of the 2023 season to get energized about key matchups and renewed rivalries.
There’s a big emphasis on the latter for this feature, as teams will be writing new chapters in their storied rivalries. But what are some of the league’s longest-running rivalry games?
Longest NFL Rivalries in League History
Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers
There’s a reason the NFL broke tradition back in the 2019 season by scheduling the Bears and Packers to start the year instead of going with the current trending tradition of allowing the defending Super Bowl champ to kick off the season. This is the oldest rivalry in the league.
You have to go all the way back to 1921 to discover the origins of this classic contest.
The first meeting was that year, and the Bears were known as the Chicago Stanleys (though that name was short-lived).
And since that time, there have been some legendary names to coach and play in this now 102-year-old rivalry — from George Halas, Dick Butkus, Mike Ditka, Mike Singletary, Walter Payton, and Brian Urlacher on the Bears’ side to Vince Lombardi, Curly Lambeau, Ray Nitschke, Bart Starr, Brett Favre, Davante Adams, Aaron Rodgers, and Jaire Alexander on the Packers’ side.
Both teams also have more than 30 representatives in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Now, it won’t be long before this classic rivalry gets used to the era of Justin Fields and Jordan Love behind center.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns
This is considered the AFC’s oldest rivalry … and it even had a four-year break.
From 1950 to 1995, the teams separated by below two hours and 10 minutes by car would play each other annually. Every legend a fan can think of on both teams — from Terry Bradshaw to Jim Brown to the Steel Curtain defense to Chuck Noll to Lou Groza to even a young Bill Belichick — took part in this rivalry.
Then came the 1995 season, which saw the Browns move to Baltimore, eventually becoming the Ravens.
However, when Cleveland was awarded an expansion team in the 1999 season, it became a no-brainer to name them the Browns. And since the rebirth, the two teams have not only played each other twice a year but have met twice in the postseason, with Cleveland taking the 2020 road win.
The Steelers, though, have won three of the last four meetings.
New York Jets vs. New England Patriots
One of the oldest rivalries involving past AFL teams, these franchises began their annual showdowns in 1960. This rivalry also goes back to the days when the Patriots were in Boston.
There was a period when it was the Jets who dominated this series. From 1966-1975, NYJ collected 17 wins and one tie in 20 meetings with the Pats. Somewhere in that span was the Jets’ memorable Super Bowl upset of the heavily favored Baltimore Colts.
But the rivalry began to shift when Robert Kraft purchased the Patriots in 1993 and hired New York legend Bill Parcells to reignite the team. Parcells then crossed over to the Jets following the Pats’ Super Bowl 31 run. Since then, the Pats have collected the most Vince Lombardi Trophies at six while appearing in 10 Super Bowls.
But now, Aaron Rodgers gets his first taste of this New York vs. New England region battle.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders
An even older rivalry compared to the aforementioned old-school AFL battle is this NFL classic that was birthed in the 1950s.
And it really began before both played their first game.
The NFL was looking to expand out to the football-crazed state of Texas. However, then-Washington owner George Preston Marshall opposed the idea of seeing a team in Dallas and did his part in trying to thwart the efforts. They eventually became division foes in 1967 when the NFL created its first set of divisions.
Eventually, the franchises had some classic contests, including two NFC title game battles in 1972 and 1982. Both have a combined 13 Super Bowl appearances and eight Lombardi Trophies.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Pivoting back to the AFL days, these franchises locked horns beginning in the 1960s.
There was even a period when the Chiefs and Raiders were battling for AFL supremacy as names like Len Dawson, Lamar Hunt, Al Davis, Kenny Stabler, John Madden, and a plethora of future Hall of Famers took to the field.
Both would go on to become the AFL’s first two representatives in the Super Bowl — both falling to the Packers. Since that time, the Silver and Black have wrapped up three Super Bowl wins. Kansas City, however, has now matched the same number of titles, thanks to the era of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.
Even though the Raiders have changed locations from Oakland to Los Angeles to returning to the Bay to now being in Sin City, the rivalry still runs deep with K.C. Now, Jimmy Garoppolo gets his turn to taste this longstanding rivalry as the newest signal-caller for the Raiders.
Denver Broncos vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Long before the merger of NFL and AFL, these two reigned supreme in the early 1960s.
And it was the Chargers who won the AFL title in 1963, way before the phrase “Super Bowl” became popularized. The Broncos, though, snatched the momentum in the 1970s after the merger.
From there, both produced countless legends and have epic divisional contests — with John Elway, Tom Jackson, Shannon Sharpe, Terrell Davis, and Steve Atwater being a part of the Broncos’ side against the likes of Dan Fouts, Charlie Joyner, Kellen Winslow, Rodney Harrison, and the late Junior Seau.
Both teams would witness a heated rebirth in the 2000s with the Chargers’ Philip Rivers and Broncos’ Jay Cutler going at it. LaDainian Tomlinson and Peyton Manning eventually experienced this rivalry annually before becoming Hall of Famers.
Now, Denver has Russell Wilson on its side while its defense prepares for the league’s highest-paid quarterback in $262.5 million man Justin Herbert.
Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints
While Falcons-Saints may be younger compared to Bears-Packers and Dallas-Washington in the NFC, this ranks as the oldest NFL rivalry down south.
Both teams began their scheduled contests in 1967. They eventually helped birth the NFC West. Then, when divisional realignment took place in 2002, both remained annual rivals.
The Saints are the lone owners of a Vince Lombardi Trophy over their southeastern rivals. The Falcons, meanwhile, are 0-2 in the big game, including the infamous meltdown in Super Bowl 51.
But both teams have produced some very revered names in league history — Archie Manning, Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Jimmy Graham, the late Sam Mills on the Saints’ side, then Steve Bartowski, Deion Sanders, Michael Vick, Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, and Jamal Anderson on Atlanta’s side.
The Saints have even witnessed franchise stars cross over to the Falcons a la former quarterback Bobby Hebert and wide receiver Joe Horn.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants
Finally, the “Turnpike Tussle” represents the second-oldest current annual rivalry.
These teams, located less than three hours away from each other, have had their clashes since 1933. And not only have there been some eye-catching moments in this rivalry, but both have added a third meeting on occasion in the postseason.
Some of the more memorable moments between these two? “The Miracle at the Meadowlands” in 1978 involved one of football’s longest fumbles ever that was eventually scooped up by Herman Edwards for the final points.
There was also the walk-off punt return for the final touchdown in 2009 by DeSean Jackson, with the Giants originally thinking that punting the ball away would force overtime. That contest is also revered by Eagles fans as their team was once down 31-10 before pulling off the miracle comeback to clinch the NFC East title.
The G-Men, though, have this edge, with more Super Bowl wins (4) compared to the Eagles (1). And Philly also has more title game losses compared to New York, with three.
But franchise icons like Lawrence Taylor, Phil Simms, Eli Manning, and others for the Giants and Ron Jaworski, Randall Cunningham, Donovan McNabb, the late Reggie White, and others on the Eagles’ side have had their share of battling in this rivalry.
They will soon have their 135th meeting this season. And this time, it’s the Eagles who own the last victory — a 38-7 Divisional Round playoff drubbing over the Giants.