174-572: Richard Edward Kotite (born October 13, 1942) is a former National Football League (NFL) player and coach. In the 1990s, he had stints as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets . Kotite was born in Brooklyn , New York. He graduated from Poly Prep Country Day School in 1961. He played the tight end position at Wagner College on Staten Island before being drafted in
348-684: A conspiracy to violate antitrust law , by granting DirecTV exclusive rights to sell the Sunday Ticket product, thereby restricting competition and forcing viewers to pay super competitive prices to view out-of-market games. On June 27, 2024, a jury in Los Angeles found that the NFL had violated antitrust law in setting the price of the Sunday ticket package and ordered a penalty totaling more than $ 4.7 billion. With triple damages allowed under federal antitrust laws,
522-615: A merger on June 8, 1966, to take full effect in 1970. In the meantime, the leagues would hold a common draft and championship game. The game, the Super Bowl , was held four times before the merger, with the NFL winning Super Bowl I and Super Bowl II , and the AFL winning Super Bowl III and Super Bowl IV . After the league merged, it was reorganized into two conferences: the National Football Conference (NFC), consisting of most of
696-717: A 12–7 victory against the Carolina Panthers . The prior year's NFC Champions and divisional rival, the San Francisco 49ers , were blown out by the Seahawks, 29–3. Winning out September, they visited the Indianapolis Colts in Indianapolis and suffered their first loss, on October 6. That was the only loss that the team would suffer until December. Heading to San Francisco for their second match-up against their divisional foe,
870-640: A 35-game winning streak at the Coliseum, spanning 6 years (2001–2007). The streak began on October 13, 2001, with a 48–17 win over the Arizona State Sun Devils and the final victory was a 47–14 win over the Washington State Cougars on September 22, 2007. The streak ended on October 6, 2007, with a 24–23 loss to the Stanford Cardinal who was a 41-point underdog. Prior to this the last loss
1044-478: A 6–5 start under Carroll, but in Week 12, he was the victim of Dan Marino 's " clock play "—a fake spike that became a Miami Dolphins game-winning touchdown. The Jets lost all of their remaining games to finish 6–10. He was fired after one season. Carroll was hired for the next season by the San Francisco 49ers , where he served as defensive coordinator for the following two seasons (1995–96). His return to success as
1218-500: A Broadway dancer. He continued his media career for the NFL as a regular contributor to NFL Films programming on the NFL Network in particular, including the NFL Top 10 show. # denotes interim head coach # denotes interim head coach * denotes de facto general manager; # denotes interim general manager National Football League The National Football League ( NFL )
1392-608: A blizzard; in 2012, when the Kickoff game was moved from Thursday to Wednesday to avoid conflict with the Democratic National Convention ; and in 2020, when a game was postponed from Sunday to Tuesday due to players testing positive for COVID-19 . NFL regular season match-ups are determined according to a scheduling formula. Within a division, all four teams play 14 out of their 17 games against common opponents or each other– two games (home and away) are played against
1566-499: A candidate for the award for the 2010 season. New USC athletic director Pat Haden said USC would return the trophy, stating, "While we know that some fans and former student-athletes may be disappointed, our central priority at this time is our overall commitment to compliance and this action is in line with the standards we have set for our entire athletic program." After the Seattle Seahawks fired head coach Jim L. Mora after
1740-478: A club's franchise or any other action, he deems necessary. The commissioner can also issue sanctions up to and including a lifetime ban from the league if an individual connected to the NFL has bet on games or failed to notify the league of conspiracies or plans to bet on or fix games. The current Commissioner of the National Football League is Roger Goodell, who was elected in 2006 after Paul Tagliabue ,
1914-407: A club's season being canceled, a restocking draft would be held. Neither of these protocols has ever had to be implemented. Free agents in the National Football League are divided into restricted free agents , who have three accrued seasons and whose current contract has expired, and unrestricted free agents , who have four or more accrued seasons and whose contract has expired. An accrued season
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#17328557439542088-517: A coach who presided over the greatest days in USC football history to one who was in charge of its biggest embarrassment. He goes from saint to scallywag. Carroll says he didn't know about the Bush violations. That now seems impossible... ...he made $ 33 million from violations that will cost his old school its reputation, and folks here will never look at him the same. Sporting News writer Mike Florio called for
2262-651: A decade. In his third season with the Seahawks in 2012 , Carroll, along with rookie quarterback Russell Wilson , led the team to an 11–5 record, including going undefeated at home. The 2012 season was Carroll's first winning season for the team. The Seahawks were also involved in controversy during Week 3's Monday Night Football game against the Green Bay Packers in Seattle, when the replacement officials called two different results for Russell Wilson's Hail Mary pass to wide receiver Golden Tate . The officials called
2436-594: A different football code than the American game, the CFL established a niche market in Canada and still survives as an independent league. A new professional league, the fourth American Football League (AFL), began to play in 1960. The upstart AFL began to challenge the established NFL in popularity, gaining lucrative television contracts and engaging in a bidding war with the NFL for free agents and draft picks. The two leagues announced
2610-513: A division title. Carroll made even more history as the Seahawks later upset the then- Super Bowl Champions New Orleans Saints by a score of 41–36 during the wild-card round of the playoffs, behind running back Marshawn Lynch and the famed Beast Quake run. However, the following week at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois , they then fell to the Chicago Bears , whom they had defeated earlier in
2784-546: A game-winning touchdown that sent the Seahawks to their second straight Super Bowl. On February 1, 2015, Carroll's Seahawks lost Super Bowl XLIX to Carroll's former team, the New England Patriots , 28–24. With 25 seconds to go on second down and goal at the Patriots' 1-yard line, and the Seahawks trailing by four points, Carroll called for a pass play. Wilson's pass was intercepted by Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler on
2958-481: A graduate assistant for three years and working with the wide receivers and secondary defenders . The assistants at Pacific during this time included a number of other future successful coaches, including Greg Robinson , Jim Colletto , Walt Harris , Ted Leland, and Bob Cope . Carroll was inducted into the Pacific Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995. After graduating from Pacific, Carroll's colleague Bob Cope
3132-403: A great place to be. I've been so lucky and fortunate. I owe so much to the school and the people who follow it. And the guys who played for us. I love being here. When originally hired, Carroll signed a five-year contract worth approximately $ 1 million annually. He received a significant raise after the 2002 season and earned close to $ 3 million in the 2004 season , which ended with USC winning
3306-522: A list of the Pac-10's top ten moments of the BCS era . The criticism of Carroll became louder when Carroll's first USC team opened the 2001 season going 2–5, with some sportswriters writing off the once-dominant Trojans, who were the only Pac-10 football team to never finish in the national top 10 during the previous decade, as a dying program. However, after the slow start, Carroll's teams proceeded to go 67–7 over
3480-452: A lower pick than any team that did not make the divisional round. The Super Bowl champion always drafts last, and the losing team from the Super Bowl always drafts next-to-last. All potential draftees must be at least three years removed from high school in order to be eligible for the draft. Underclassmen that have met that criterion to be eligible for the draft must write an application to
3654-469: A member of the 2015 USC Athletic Hall of Fame class. See University of Southern California athletics scandal . On June 9, 2010, The Los Angeles Times reported that Carroll, along with other active and former USC officials, had appeared in front of a ten-member NCAA Committee on Infractions the previous February. The next day, June 10, the NCAA announced sanctions against the USC football program including
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#17328557439543828-419: A minority of preseason games are distributed among the league's national television partners. Through the 2014 season, the NFL had a blackout policy in which games were 'blacked out' on local television in the home team's area if the home stadium was not sold out. Clubs could elect to set this requirement at only 85%, but they would have to give more ticket revenue to the visiting team; teams could also request
4002-702: A number of awards for its players and coaches at its annual NFL Honors presentation. The most prestigious award is the AP Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Other major awards include the AP Offensive Player of the Year , AP Defensive Player of the Year , AP Comeback Player of the Year , and the AP Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards. Another prestigious award is the Walter Payton Man of
4176-413: A player-friendly, easygoing style that might suit the college game and particularly recruiting . The USC Athletic Department received 2,500 e-mails, faxes and phone calls from alumni—mostly critical—and a number of donors asking for Carroll's removal before they would donate again. Within a year of his hiring, many prominent critics reversed course. In 2008, ESPN.com named Carroll's hiring number 1 in
4350-524: A playoff bid, the number of wild card teams from each conference dropped from three to two. The playoffs expanded again in 2020, adding two more wild card teams to bring the total to 14 playoff teams. The NFL consists of 32 clubs divided into two conferences of 16 teams each. Each conference is divided into four divisions of four clubs each. During the regular season, each team is allowed a maximum of 55 players on its roster; only 48 of these may be active (eligible to play) on game days. Each team can also have
4524-498: A process we have to go through. We know we've fought hard to do right." Carroll was hired before the sanctions were announced. Reacting to the USC sanctions in a video produced by his new employers, Carroll said on June 10, 2010, "I'm absolutely shocked and disappointed in the findings of the NCAA." He said in 2014 during a visit to USC, "I thought [the NCAA's investigation into USC] was dealt with poorly and very irrationally and done with way too much emotion instead of facts. I sat in
4698-695: A record 167 million people that watched Super Bowl XLVIII , the conclusion to the 2013 season. In addition to radio networks run by each NFL team, select NFL games are broadcast nationally by Westwood One (known as Dial Global for the 2012 season). These games are broadcast on over 500 networks, giving all NFL markets access to each primetime game. The NFL's deal with Westwood One was extended in 2012 and continued through 2017. Other NFL games are nationally distributed by Compass Media Networks and Sports USA Radio Network under contracts with individual teams. Some broadcasting innovations have either been introduced or popularized during NFL telecasts. Among them,
4872-542: A simulcast with ESPN. Amazon , through their Prime Video streaming service, is the exclusive carrier of the Thursday Night Football package. NFL Network, a U.S. pay cable channel owned by the league itself, broadcasts select games under the NFL Network Exclusive Game Series banner. Games under this banner usually consist of NFL International Series games and select Saturday games. In 2023,
5046-405: A sixteen-player practice squad separate from its main roster. Each NFL club is granted a franchise, the league's authorization for the team to operate in its home city. This franchise covers 'Home Territory' (the 75 miles surrounding the city limits, or, if the team is within 100 miles of another league city, half the distance between the two cities) and 'Home Marketing Area' (Home Territory plus
5220-546: A specific exemption from the NFL for the game. The vast majority of NFL games were not blacked out; only 6% of games were blacked out during the 2011 season , and only two games were blacked out in 2013 and none in 2014 . The NFL announced in March 2015 that it would suspend its blackout policy for at least the 2015 season . According to Nielsen , the NFL regular season since 2012 was watched by at least 200 million individuals, accounting for 80% of all television households in
5394-471: A team that finishes last would play two other last-place teams in the conference. The final game is an inter-conference based on a rotating cycle and determined by previous season's standings. In total, each team plays 17 games and has one bye week, where it does not play a game. Although a team's home and away opponents are known by the end of the previous year's regular season, the exact dates and times for NFL games are not determined until much later because
Rich Kotite - Misplaced Pages Continue
5568-547: A total of 32 are given. Clubs are required to make their selection within a certain period of time, the exact time depending on which round the pick is made in. If they fail to do so on time, the clubs behind them can begin to select their players in order, but they do not lose the pick outright. This happened in the 2003 draft , when the Minnesota Vikings failed to make their selection on time. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers were able to make their picks before
5742-420: A travesty of justice, and the NCAA's refusal to revisit that travesty are [ sic ] a massive act of cowardice on the part of the organization." After Carroll announced that he was leaving for the Seahawks, he denied the possibility that the NCAA sanctions were a factor in his leaving USC to return to pro football in Seattle. "Not in any way," Carroll stated, "because I know where we stand. It's just
5916-530: A tumultuous 18-day search to replace fired coach Paul Hackett . He was not the Trojans' first choice, and was considered a long shot as the USC Athletic Department under Director Mike Garrett initially planned to hire a high-profile coach with recent college experience. Meanwhile, Carroll, who had not coached in over a year and not coached in the college ranks since 1983, drew unfavorable comparisons to
6090-494: A two-conference system from 1933 to 1966 , where the champions of each conference would meet in the NFL Championship Game . If two teams tied for the conference lead, they would meet in a one-game playoff to determine the conference champion. In 1967 , the NFL expanded from 15 teams to 16 teams. Instead of just evening out the conferences by adding the expansion New Orleans Saints to the seven-member Western Conference,
6264-773: A two-year bowl ban, the elimination of thirty football scholarships, and forfeiture of some football victories from 2004 to 2005 (a season which had included winning the Bowl Championship Series title), and all team victories from the undefeated 2005–06 regular season, when USC lost to Texas in the BCS title game. With the vacated games removed, Carroll drops to fourth on USC's all-time wins list, behind John McKay , Howard Jones and John Robinson . His 97 on-field wins would put him ahead of Robinson for third in Trojan history. The allegations centered on former Trojan star Reggie Bush . Bush
6438-607: Is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and the highest professional level of American football in the world. Each NFL season begins annually with a three-week preseason in August, followed by
6612-427: Is defined as "six or more regular-season games on a club's active/inactive, reserved/injured or reserve/physically unable to perform lists". Restricted free agents are allowed to negotiate with other clubs besides their former club, but the former club has the right to match any offer. If they choose not to, they are compensated with draft picks. Unrestricted free agents are free to sign with any club, and no compensation
6786-448: Is earned by the 32 clubs and is taxable there. This will remain the case even when the league office and Management Council file returns as taxable entities, and the change in filing status will make no material difference to our business." As a result, the league office might owe around US$ 10 million in income taxes, but it is no longer required to disclose the salaries of its executive officers. The league has three defined officers:
6960-543: Is elected by an affirmative vote of three-fourths or 10 of the conference members. The commissioner appoints the secretary and treasurer and has broad authority in disputes between clubs, players, coaches, and employees. He is the "principal executive officer " of the NFL and also has authority in hiring league employees, negotiating television contracts, disciplining individuals that own part or all of an NFL team, clubs, or employed individuals of an NFL club if they have violated league by-laws or committed "conduct detrimental to
7134-540: Is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan . The Green Bay Packers hold the most combined NFL championships with thirteen, winning nine titles before the Super Bowl era and four Super Bowls afterwards. Since the creation of the Super Bowl, the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers are tied for the most Super Bowl victories at six each. The reigning league champions are the Kansas City Chiefs , who defeated
Rich Kotite - Misplaced Pages Continue
7308-463: Is owed if they sign with a different club. Clubs are given one franchise tag to offer to any unrestricted free agent. The franchise tag is a one-year deal that pays the player 120% of his previous contract or no less than the average of the five highest-paid players at his position, whichever is greater. There are two types of franchise tags: exclusive tags, which do not allow the player to negotiate with other clubs, and non-exclusive tags, which allow
7482-474: Is required to schedule three preseason games. NFC teams must play at least two of these at home in odd numbered years and AFC teams must play at least two at home in even numbered years. However, the teams involved in the Hall of Fame game, as well as any team that played in an American Bowl game, play four preseason games. Preseason games are exhibition matches and do not count towards regular-season totals. Because
7656-414: The 18-week regular season , which runs from early September to early January, with each team playing 17 games and having one bye week . Following the conclusion of the regular season, seven teams from each conference, including four division winners and three wild card teams, advance to the playoffs , a single-elimination tournament , which culminates in the Super Bowl , played in early February between
7830-576: The 2009 season , Carroll was rumored to be in the running for the job. On January 8, 2010, it was reported that Carroll was about to be hired as head coach of the Seahawks; the two parties were hammering out "minor details" in the pending contract. According to the Los Angeles Times , Carroll was "close to reaching an agreement with the Seattle Seahawks on Friday evening." On the morning of January 9, 2010, Carroll reportedly came to agreement with
8004-476: The 2015 season by blowing fourth quarter leads to the St. Louis Rams , Green Bay Packers , Cincinnati Bengals , Carolina Panthers , and Arizona Cardinals . After losing at home on NBC Sunday Night Football to the division leading Cardinals, Seattle sat at 4–5. However, Carroll rejuvenated his team enough to win their next five games, putting the Seahawks at 9–5 and clinching a playoff berth. Russell Wilson became
8178-625: The Brunswick-Balke Collender Cup , was donated to the NFL (then APFA) in 1920 by the Brunswick-Balke Collender Corporation . The trophy, the appearance of which is only known by its description as a "silver loving cup", was intended to be a traveling trophy and not to become permanent until a team had won at least three titles. The league awarded it to the Akron Pros, champions of the inaugural 1920 season; however,
8352-549: The Canton Evening Repository , intended to "raise the standard of professional football in every way possible, to eliminate bidding for players between rival clubs and to secure cooperation in the formation of schedules". A second meeting was held on September 17, 1920, with representatives from teams within four states: Akron, Canton, Cleveland, and Dayton from Ohio; the Hammond Pros and Muncie Flyers from Indiana;
8526-520: The Denver Broncos , 26–20 in overtime. However, losses to the San Diego Chargers , Dallas Cowboys , St. Louis Rams , and Kansas City Chiefs caused the defending champions to start the season with a 6–4 record, three games behind the division leading Arizona Cardinals . After a team meeting following a Week 11 loss, the Seahawks finished the regular season 6–0 to finish with a 12–4 record. As
8700-463: The Houston Texans began play as an expansion team . Other drafts held by the league include an allocation draft in 1950 to allocate players from several teams that played in the dissolved All-America Football Conference and a supplemental draft in 1984 to give NFL teams the rights to players who had been eligible for the main draft but had not been drafted because they had signed contracts with
8874-496: The Internal Revenue Code provides an exemption from federal income taxation for "Business leagues, chambers of commerce, real-estate boards, boards of trade, or professional football leagues (whether or not administering a pension fund for football players), not organized for profit and no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual." In contrast, each individual team, with
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#17328557439549048-792: The Los Angeles Rams who came from a 1936 iteration of the American Football League, and the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers , both from the AAFC. By the 1950s, the NFL had an effective monopoly on professional football in the United States; its only competition in North America was the professional Canadian football circuit, which formally became the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 1958. With Canadian football being
9222-632: The NFC East ; Kotite was fired by the Eagles one day after the season ended. After the Eagles let Kotite go, he returned to his home town as head coach of the New York Jets , who had just fired Pete Carroll after one losing season (6–10). Owner Leon Hess named Kotite general manager as well. But under his leadership, the Jets suffered two of the three worst seasons in franchise history. Kotite won only four games in two seasons, falling to 3–13 in 1995 and 1–15 in 1996 for
9396-410: The New England Patriots from 1997 to 1999. Shifting to college football with USC, he revitalized the struggling program into a top-ranked contender, winning seven consecutive conference championships and two consecutive AP National Championships . He also won a BCS national championship in 2004 , although the title was later vacated. Carroll's collegiate success prompted an NFL return in 2010 when he
9570-447: The New York Jets . Kotite was hired in 1990 to replace Ted Plumb as offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles . He was promoted to head coach after the firing of his predecessor, Buddy Ryan . Kotite led the Eagles to 10- and 11-win seasons in 1991 and 1992 , respectively, despite the loss of Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament on opening day of 1991, but still with
9744-686: The Rochester Jeffersons from New York; and the Rock Island Independents , Decatur Staleys , and Racine (Chicago) Cardinals from Illinois. The league was renamed to the American Professional Football Association (APFA) . The league elected Jim Thorpe as its first president, and consisted of 14 teams (the Buffalo All-Americans , Chicago Tigers , Columbus Panhandles and Detroit Heralds joined
9918-690: The San Francisco 49ers by a score of 25–22 in Super Bowl LVIII . On August 20, 1920, a meeting was held by representatives of the Akron Pros , Canton Bulldogs , Cleveland Indians , and Dayton Triangles at the Jordan and Hupmobile auto showroom in Canton, Ohio . This meeting resulted in the formation of the American Professional Football Conference (APFC), a group who, according to
10092-643: The Seattle Seahawks . According to the Los Angeles Times , Carroll came to agreement with the Seahawks on a 5-year $ 33 million contract to become head coach. As head coach, Pete Carroll led a resurgence of football at the University of Southern California. Carroll was generally regarded as one of the top college football coaches in the country, and has been compared to College Football Hall of Fame coach Knute Rockne . Program highlights under Carroll include: In July 2007, ESPN.com named USC its #1 team of
10266-665: The Skycam camera system was used for the first time in a live telecast, at a 1984 preseason NFL game in San Diego between the Chargers and 49ers , and televised by CBS. Commentator John Madden famously used a telestrator during games between the early 1980s to the mid-2000s, boosting the device's popularity. Each April (excluding 2014 when it took place in May), the NFL holds a draft of college players. The draft consists of seven rounds, with each of
10440-523: The United States Football League or Canadian Football League . Like the other major sports leagues in the United States , the NFL maintains protocol for a disaster draft . In the event of a 'near disaster' (less than 15 players killed or disabled) that caused the club to lose a quarterback, they could draft one from a team with at least three quarterbacks. In the event of a 'disaster' (15 or more players killed or disabled) that results in
10614-408: The University of Southern California (USC) from 2001 to 2009 and the head coach of the Seahawks from 2010 to 2023. Carroll is the third and most recent head coach to win a college football national championship and a Super Bowl along with Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer . Beginning his head coaching career on the professional level, Carroll saw minimal success with the New York Jets in 1994 and
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#173285574395410788-475: The University of the Pacific , where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity . At Pacific, Carroll played free safety for two years for the Tigers , earning All- Pacific Coast Athletic Association honors both years (1971–72) and earning his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1973. After graduation, Carroll tried out for the Honolulu Hawaiians of the World Football League at their training camp in Riverside but did not make
10962-533: The defensive backs coach of the Buffalo Bills . The next year, he moved on to work with the Minnesota Vikings , where he held the same position from 1985-1989. In 1989, he was a candidate for the head coaching position at Stanford University ; the position went to Dennis Green . His success with the Vikings led to his hiring by the New York Jets , where he served as defensive coordinator under Bruce Coslet from 1990-1993. Carroll and Coslet had known each other for many years by that time, as Carroll's older brother
11136-446: The highest average attendance (67,591) of any professional sports league in the world and is the most popular sports league in the United States. The Super Bowl is also among the most-watched sporting events in the world, with the individual games accounting for many of the most watched television programs in American history and all occupying the top five of Nielsen 's all-time most-watched U.S. television broadcasts by 2015. The NFL
11310-417: The "Immaculate Deflection". On February 2, 2014, Carroll led the Seattle Seahawks to their first Super Bowl win in franchise history after defeating the Denver Broncos , 43–8, in Super Bowl XLVIII . Carroll joined Barry Switzer and Jimmy Johnson as the only coaches to win both an NCAA championship and a Super Bowl . At age 62, Carroll was then the third-oldest coach to win a Super Bowl. Tom Coughlin
11484-418: The #1 seed in the playoffs, the Seahawks beat the Carolina Panthers in the Divisional Round , 31–17, to get to their second straight NFC Championship. After trailing 19–7 to the Green Bay Packers with just over two minutes remaining in the NFC Championship , the Seahawks launched a furious comeback to force overtime. On the first possession of overtime, Russell Wilson hit wide receiver Jermaine Kearse for
11658-430: The 18th round of the 1965 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings . After playing for his hometown New York Giants in 1967, he went to the Pittsburgh Steelers the next year before returning to the Giants for a four-year stint starting in 1968. After his professional football career was over, Kotite spent much of the next two decades as an assistant coach in the NFL , including a lengthy stint as offensive coordinator of
11832-399: The 1980 Rose Bowl where they lost to USC. When Monte Kiffin was named head coach of North Carolina State University in 1980, he brought Carroll in as his defensive coordinator and secondary coach. In 1983, Bob Cope became head coach of Pacific and brought Carroll on as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. Carroll left Pacific after a year and entered the NFL in 1984 as
12006-535: The 2023 season, Carroll stepped down as head coach to take an advisory position with the Seahawks. Carroll was born on September 15, 1951, in San Francisco, California , the son of Rita ( née Ban) and James Edward "Jim" Carroll. Two of his paternal great-grandparents were Irish immigrants, and his Croatian maternal grandparents emigrated from around the region of Šibenik . He was raised in Greenbrae , California , and attended Greenbrae School. Carroll attended Redwood High School in Larkspur, California . He
12180-424: The 32 clubs getting one pick in each round. The draft order for non-playoff teams is determined by regular-season record; among playoff teams, teams are first ranked by the furthest round of the playoffs they reached, and then are ranked by regular-season record. For example, any team that reached the divisional round will be given a higher pick than any team that reached the conference championships, but will be given
12354-402: The AFC package, and Fox carries afternoon games from the NFC package. These afternoon games are not carried on all affiliates, as multiple games are being played at once; each network affiliate is assigned one game per time slot, according to a complicated set of rules. Since 2011, the league has reserved the right to give Sunday games that, under the contract, would normally air on one network to
12528-612: The APFA awarded the Akron Pros the championship by virtue of their 8–0–3 record. The first event occurred on September 26, 1920, when the Rock Island Independents defeated the non-league St. Paul Ideals 48–0 at Douglas Park . On October 3, 1920, the first full week of league play occurred. The following season resulted in the Chicago Staleys controversially winning the title over the Buffalo All-Americans. On June 24, 1922,
12702-523: The APFA changed its name to the National Football League (NFL). In 1932 , the season ended with the Chicago Bears ( 6–1–6 ) and the Portsmouth Spartans ( 6–1–4 ) tied for first in the league standings. At the time, teams were ranked on a single table and the team with the highest winning percentage (not including ties, which were not counted towards the standings) at the end of the season
12876-889: The Associated Press (AP) Poll and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Years later, (2008) he was asked if winning the Rose Bowl was ever not enough. "No. You've got to understand that our mindset is to focus only on what we can control. We can only control getting to the Rose Bowl. Winning our conference and going to the Rose Bowl is what our goal is every year. Our goal isn't about national championships, because we don't have control of that – that's in somebody else's hands. We found that out years ago [2003], when we were No. 1 but then we were No. 3. We already knew that but that just proved it. If we win our games and we're out there and they want us to go somewhere else, then we'll go. We love
13050-521: The BCS title in January 2005. He agreed to a contract extension in December 2005. His total compensation, including pay and benefits, for the 2007 fiscal year was $ 4,415,714. On January 11, 2010, it was reported that Carroll would be leaving USC to coach the Seattle Seahawks. Carroll had told his players the previous evening that he would be resigning his position with the Trojans to become the new head coach of
13224-559: The Chargers (who were still in the midst of an NFL season) and hesitant about moving his family, Riley was unable to give a firm answer, opening an opportunity for Carroll, the school's fourth choice. Carroll actively pursued the position, as his daughter, Jaime, was then a player on the school's successful volleyball team. After the first three primary candidates turned down the position, USC hired Carroll. Under Garrett, USC had tried to recruit Carroll to be their head coach in 1997, while he
13398-549: The Green Bay Packers to victories in the first two Super Bowls. Unlike the previous trophies, a new Vince Lombardi Trophy is issued to each year's champion, who maintains permanent control of it. Lombardi Trophies are made by Tiffany & Co. out of sterling silver and are worth anywhere from US$ 25,000 to US$ 300,000. Additionally, each player on the winning team as well as coaches and personnel are awarded Super Bowl rings to commemorate their victory. The winning team chooses
13572-649: The NFC receive the George Halas Trophy , named after Chicago Bears founder George Halas , who is also considered one of the co-founders of the NFL. The AFC champions receive the Lamar Hunt Trophy , named after Lamar Hunt , the founder of the Kansas City Chiefs and the principal founder of the American Football League. Players on the winning team also receive a conference championship ring. The NFL recognizes
13746-468: The NFL after his success at USC. Even though several NFL teams approached him with defensive coordinator positions, Carroll instead spent the 2000 season as a consultant for pro and college teams, doing charitable work for the NFL, and writing a column about pro football for CNNSI.com . Carroll was named the Trojans' head coach on December 15, 2000, signing a five-year contract after USC had gone through
13920-657: The NFL again in any capacity. Counting his final seven matches in Philadelphia, Kotite lost 35 of his final 39 games that he coached. After his coaching days were over, Kotite was involved in two TV promotional commercials, for the USA Network 's during the US Open Tennis championships, and for AmeriTrade during the Super Bowl XXXIV pregame show casting him as father of a son who surprises him by telling him he wants to be
14094-554: The NFL announced the NFL Source initiative, aimed at increasing the number of minority- and women-owned businesses that work with the league throughout the year. NFL Source will be mandatory for teams that host major events, such as the Super Bowl and the NFL Draft, and their organizing committees, but will be optional for other contracts at the team level. The NFL will partner with the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc to help local businesses across
14268-402: The NFL by January 15 renouncing their remaining college eligibility. Clubs can trade away picks for future draft picks, but cannot trade the rights to players they have selected in previous drafts. Aside from the seven picks each club gets, compensatory draft picks are given to teams that have lost more compensatory free agents than they have gained. These are spread out from rounds 3 to 7, and
14442-465: The NFL cannot hold games on those days until the Friday before the third Saturday in December. While Saturday games late in the season are common, the league rarely holds Friday games, the most recent one being on Christmas Day in 2020. NFL games are rarely scheduled for Tuesday or Wednesday, and those days have only been used three times since 1948: in 2010, when a Sunday game was rescheduled to Tuesday due to
14616-455: The NFL could ultimately be liable for $ 14.39 billion. The league said it would ask the judge to set the verdict aside then appeal the verdict if needed. From 1920 to 1934, the NFL did not have a set number of games for teams to play, instead setting a minimum. The league mandated a twelve-game regular season for each team beginning in 1935 , later shortening this to eleven games in 1937 and ten games in 1943 , mainly due to World War II. After
14790-503: The NFL occupied the top three rates for a 30-second advertisement: $ 882,079 for Sunday Night Football , $ 562,524 for Monday Night Football , and $ 440,523 for Thursday Night Football . The league, in recent years, has expanded their televised broadcasts to over-the-top streaming services. Since 2022, Amazon holds the exclusive rights to broadcast the Thursday Night Football package. Prior to then, Amazon streamed games from
14964-632: The NFL realigned the conferences and split each into two four-team divisions. The four division champions would meet in the NFL playoffs , a two-round playoff. The NFL also operated the Playoff Bowl (officially the Bert Bell Benefit Bowl) from 1960 to 1969. Effectively, a third-place game , pitting the two conference runners-up against each other, the league considers Playoff Bowls to have been exhibitions rather than playoff games. The league discontinued
15138-407: The NFL with the rival American Football League (AFL), the Super Bowl was first held in 1967 to determine a champion between the best teams from the two leagues and has remained as the final game of each NFL season since the merger was completed in 1970. The NFL is the wealthiest professional sports league in the world by revenue and the sports league with the most valuable teams. The NFL also has
15312-479: The Playoff Bowl in 1970 due to its perception as a game for losers. Following the addition of the former AFL teams into the NFL in 1970 , the NFL split into two conferences with three divisions each. The expanded league, now with twenty-six teams, would also feature an expanded eight-team playoff, the participants being the three division champions from each conference as well as one 'wild card' team (the team with
15486-409: The Rose Bowl." Carroll was repeatedly approached regarding vacant head coach positions in the NFL beginning in 2002. Carroll hesitated to return to the NFL after his previous experiences, and said that his return would likely rest on control over personnel matters at a level unprecedented in the league. He had insisted over the years that he was happy at USC and that money was not an issue; he also
15660-580: The Seahawks had the best record in the NFC at 11–1. However, the game was in stark contrast to their first in September, as the 49ers (9–4 at that point) edged out a 19–17 win, which dropped Seattle to 11–2. The penultimate game, against the Arizona Cardinals , was Seattle's attempt to continue their at-home winning streak to 15 games (record started in Week 2 of the 2012 season). Although the Seahawks had won their three prior meetings, including one earlier in
15834-546: The Seahawks on a five-year contract that would appoint him as head coach. He was officially hired as the Seahawks' head coach on January 11. He was also named executive vice president of football operations, effectively making him the Seahawks' general manager as well. While the Seahawks had a general manager in John Schneider , he served mainly in an advisory role to Carroll, who had the final say in football matters. In his first season, Carroll almost completely overturned
16008-399: The Seahawks roster, totaling over 200 transactions in the course of only one season. These moves paved the way for a 4–2 start to the 2010 season . Although Seattle faltered through the latter half of the season, the team beat their NFC West division rival St. Louis Rams in the final week of the regular season for the division championship, becoming the first 7–9 team in NFL history to win
16182-507: The Seahawks to fire Carroll, saying that "justice won't truly be served until the only coaching Carroll ever does entails holding an Xbox controller." On August 26, 2010, the Football Writers Association of America announced it would take back USC's 2004 Grantland Rice Trophy and leave that year's award vacant, the only vacancy in the over half century of the history of the award. The FWAA also said it would not consider USC as
16356-501: The Top 50 most valuable sports teams in the world; and 16 of the NFL's owners are listed on the Forbes 400 , the most of any sports league or organization. At the corporate level, the National Football League considers itself a trade association made up of and financed by its 32 member teams. Up until 2015, the league was an unincorporated nonprofit 501(c)(6) association. Section 501(c)(6) of
16530-563: The Trojans were asked to return the Grantland Rice Trophy after being stripped of the 2004 Football Writers Assn. of America national championship... Grantland Rice was the legendary early 20th century sportswriter who wrote, 'When the great scorer comes/to mark against your name/He'll write not 'won' or 'lost'/but how you played the game.'" Among Carroll's critics in the media was longtime Los Angeles Times sportswriter Bill Plaschke , who said that in one stroke, Carroll went from
16704-513: The United States and 69% of all potential viewers in the United States. NFL regular season games accounted for 31 out of the top 32 most-watched programs in the fall season and an NFL game ranked as the most-watched television show in all 17 weeks of the regular season. At the local level, NFL games were the highest-ranked shows in NFL markets 92% of the time. Super Bowls account for the 22 most-watched programs (based on total audience) in US history, including
16878-471: The Vikings were able to use theirs. Selected players are only allowed to negotiate contracts with the team that picked them, but if they choose not to sign they become eligible for the next year's draft. Under the current collective bargaining contract, all contracts to drafted players must be four-year deals with a club option for a fifth. Contracts themselves are limited to a certain amount of money, depending on
17052-876: The Year Award , which recognizes a player's off-field work in addition to his on-field performance. The NFL Coach of the Year award is the highest coaching award. The NFL also gives out weekly awards such as the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week and the Pepsi MAX NFL Rookie of the Week awards. In the United States, the National Football League is televised on eight networks across seven media partners: ESPN / ABC , CBS , Fox , NBC , Prime Video , Netflix , and NFL Network . The league offers its media rights in packages of games to prospective media partners. The packages can vary depending on conference, broadcast time slot, or both. CBS televises afternoon games from
17226-406: The beginning of his tenure to 17 million by the end of his tenure, and 400 million global viewers watched 1989's Super Bowl XXIII . The NFL established NFL Properties in 1963. The league's licensing wing, NFL Properties, earns the league billions of dollars annually; Rozelle's tenure also marked the creation of NFL Charities and a national partnership with United Way . Paul Tagliabue
17400-410: The best overall record, with tiebreakers in the event of two or more teams having the same record). These teams are seeded according to overall record and tiebreakers, with the division champions always ranking higher than the wild card teams. The top team (seeded one) from each conference are awarded a bye week, while the remaining six teams (seeded 2–7) from each conference compete in the first round of
17574-492: The best win percentage that did not win its division) from each conference. In 1978, the league added a second wild card team from each conference, bringing the total number of playoff teams to ten, and a further two wild card teams were added in 1990 to bring the total to twelve. When the NFL expanded to 32 teams in 2002 , the league realigned, changing the division structure from three divisions in each conference to four divisions in each conference. As each division champion gets
17748-417: The broadcasts on ESPN or ABC. ESPN also holds exclusive rights to stream one Sunday morning international game on ESPN+. Beginning in 2024, Netflix holds the global streaming rights for at least one Christmas Day game every season as part of a three-year deal. The Super Bowl television rights are rotated on a four-year basis between CBS, Fox, NBC, and ESPN/ABC. The NFL's most recent contract negotiation for
17922-414: The commissioner, secretary, and treasurer. Each conference has one defined officer, the president, which is essentially an honorary position with few powers and mostly ceremonial duties, including awarding the conference championship trophy. The commissioner is elected by the affirmative vote of two-thirds or eighteen (whichever is greater) of the members of the league, while the president of each conference
18096-462: The company that makes the rings; each ring design varies, with the NFL mandating certain ring specifications (which have a degree of room for deviation), in addition to requiring the Super Bowl logo be on at least one side of the ring. The losing team are also awarded rings, which must be no more than half as valuable as the winners' rings, but those are almost never worn. The conference champions receive trophies for their achievement. The champions of
18270-463: The country obtain the certifications necessary to do business with the league in furtherance of its efforts to increase partnerships with certified and underrepresented businesses that are 51% owned and operated or led by a veteran, woman, minority, person with disabilities or LGBTQ+. In 2015, a class-action lawsuit was filed on behalf of NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers, alleging that the NFL, its member teams, its broadcast partners, and DirecTV engaged in
18444-642: The current league champion, the league issued a smaller replica trophy to each champion, who would maintain permanent control over it. The current location of the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy, long thought to be lost, is believed to be possessed by the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame . The current trophy of the NFL is the Vince Lombardi Trophy . The Super Bowl trophy was officially renamed in 1970 after Vince Lombardi , who as head coach led
18618-556: The decade for the period between 1996 and 2006, primarily citing the Trojans' renaissance and dominance under Carroll. In 2007, his effect on the college football landscape was named one of the biggest developments over the past decade in ESPN the Magazine . In May 2008, Carroll was named the coach who did the most to define the first 10 years of the BCS Era. In July 2014, Carroll was announced as
18792-469: The defensive coordinator led to his hiring as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 1997 , replacing coach Bill Parcells , who had resigned after disputes with the team's ownership. His 1997 Patriots team won the AFC East division title, but his subsequent two teams did not fare as well—losing in the wild card playoff round in 1998 , and missing the playoffs after a late-season slide in 1999—and he
18966-448: The draft talent that had been selected by Buddy Ryan over the preceding five years. The defense that year under Bud Carson , architect and defensive coordinator of Pittsburgh's famed Steel Curtain of the 1970s, led the league by accomplishing the rare trifecta of being the number one run defense, the number one pass defense, and number one in total defense. The Eagles were a wild card in the 1992 playoffs, finishing 8–0 at home. However, in
19140-441: The elder Carroll's tenure as head coach. He had consistently been on the forefront of recruiting due to his ability to connect with potential players on their level, including becoming the first college coach with a Facebook page, as well as an early adopter of Twitter . Carroll's team won a then-school record 34 straight games from 2003 to 2005, a streak that started after a triple- overtime loss to California and ended with
19314-407: The exact draft pick the player was selected with. Players who were draft eligible but not picked in the draft are free to sign with any club. The NFL operates several other drafts in addition to the NFL draft. The league holds a supplemental draft annually. Clubs submit emails to the league stating the player they wish to select and the round they will do so, and the team with the highest bid wins
19488-518: The exception of the non-profit Green Bay Packers , is subject to tax because they make a profit. In 2015, the NFL gave up its tax-exempt status following public criticism; in a letter to the club owners, Commissioner Roger Goodell labeled it a "distraction", saying "the effects of the tax-exempt status of the league office have been mischaracterized repeatedly in recent years… Every dollar of income generated through television rights fees, licensing agreements, sponsorships, ticket sales, and other means
19662-570: The first quarterback to throw 19 or more touchdown passes without any interceptions over five or more wins. The Seahawks ended the regular season with a revengeful win against the Arizona Cardinals, beating the NFC West champions 36–6 on the road. Seattle entered the postseason as the #6 seed, winning its Wild Card Round against the Minnesota Vikings after Vikings kicker Blair Walsh missed
19836-425: The game was moved to the week before. Because of this, players from the teams participating in the Super Bowl are exempt from participating in the game. The Pro Bowl is not considered as competitive as a regular-season game because the biggest concern of teams is to avoid injuries to the players. The National Football League has used three different trophies to honor its champion over its existence. The first trophy,
20010-418: The goal line, and the Patriots ran out the clock. Some have called Carroll's play-call on the play "the worst play-call in NFL history." The 2015 offseason was one full of criticism for Carroll, Wilson, and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell after the ending of Super Bowl XLIX. However, Carroll was praised by much of the national media for how he handled the adversity following the game. The Seahawks began
20184-467: The group, nearly 50 more potential schedules were developed to try to ensure that the chosen schedule would be the best possible one. Following the conclusion of the regular season, the NFL Playoffs, a 14-team single-elimination tournament, is then held. Seven teams are selected from each conference: the winners of each of the four divisions as well as three wild card teams (the three remaining teams with
20358-532: The higher remaining seed hosting the lower remaining seed. The AFC and NFC champions then compete in the Super Bowl to determine the league champion. The only other postseason event hosted by the NFL is the Pro Bowl , the league's all-star game . Since 2009, the Pro Bowl has been held the week before the Super Bowl ; in previous years, the game was held the week following the Super Bowl, but in an effort to boost ratings,
20532-678: The league during the year). The Massillon Tigers from Massillon, Ohio was also at the September 17 meeting, but did not field a team in 1920. Only two of these teams, the Decatur Staleys (now the Chicago Bears) and the Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals), remain in the NFL. Although the league did not maintain official standings for its 1920 inaugural season and teams played schedules that included non-league opponents,
20706-469: The league has to account for, among other things, the Major League Baseball postseason and local events that could pose a scheduling conflict with NFL games. During the 2010 season, over 500,000 potential schedules were created by computers, 5,000 of which were considered "playable schedules" and were reviewed by the NFL's scheduling team. After arriving at what they felt was the best schedule out of
20880-512: The media rights deal was announced on March 18, 2021, to take effect beginning in the 2023 season. The deal renewed previous rights agreements made by the NFL and each of its network partners to air their respective game packages, while awarding Amazon the Thursday Night Football package. ESPN/ABC is set to return to the Super Bowl broadcast rotation and will broadcast the Super Bowl on U.S. television in 2027, 21 years after airing its last Super Bowl, Super Bowl XL . Digital and streaming distribution
21054-454: The meetings. I listened to the people talk. I listened to the venom that they had for our program... They tried to make it out like it was something else. They made a terrible error." In 2015, he said, "We had so much success and we had so much fun doing it, it was uncommon for people to understand. ... I think it rubbed people the wrong way. There was such a bitterness." Wrote Los Angeles Times sportswriter Jerry Crowe, "It's somehow apt that
21228-546: The national championship game against the Texas Longhorns in the 2006 Rose Bowl . Fourteen of those games were later vacated for breaking NCAA rules. During his tenure, USC broke its average home attendance record four times in a row (they play at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum ); the USC home attendance average in 2001, his first season, was 57,744; by 2006, it was over 91,000. During this period, USC had
21402-421: The next 74 games, winning two national championships and playing for another. Carroll was considered one of the most effective recruiters in college football, having brought in multiple top-ranked recruiting classes; he was also known for getting commitments from nationally prominent players early in high school. His son, Brennan Carroll , was USC's recruiting coordinator as well as the tight ends coach during
21576-462: The other network (known as "flexible scheduling"). The only way to legally watch a regionally televised game not being carried on the local network affiliates is to purchase NFL Sunday Ticket, the league's out-of-market sports package , which is available through YouTube TV starting with the 2023 season. The league also provides NFL RedZone , an omnibus telecast that cuts to the most relevant plays in each game, live as they happen. In addition to
21750-541: The other three teams in the division, while one game is held against all the members of a division from the NFC and a division from the AFC as determined by a rotating cycle (three years for the conference the team is in, and four years in the conference they are not in). Two of the other games are intraconference games, determined by the standings of the previous year – for example, if a team finishes first in its division, it will play two other first-place teams in its conference, while
21924-469: The outgoing Hackett. USC first pursued then- Oregon State coach Dennis Erickson , who instead signed a contract extension with the Beavers; then Oregon coach Mike Bellotti , who similarly signed an extension. The search then moved to the San Diego Chargers coach Mike Riley , who had been an assistant coach at USC before later becoming the head coach of Oregon State. Stuck in contractual obligations to
22098-401: The play in the Seahawks' favor, igniting a national outrage about the officiating. When the NFL referee lockout ended several days later, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged that public furor over the call accelerated the eventual resolution of the labor dispute. Carroll's record was enough to post the team's second playoff berth, and the Seahawks won their Wild Card Round game on
22272-478: The player to negotiate with other clubs but gives his former club the right to match any offer and two first-round draft picks if they decline to match it. Pete Carroll Peter Clay Carroll (born September 15, 1951) is an American football executive and former coach who is an advisor for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the head football coach at
22446-592: The playoffs, the Wild Card round, with the 2-seed competing against the 7-seed, the 3-seed competing against the 6-seed and the 4-seed competing against the 5-seed. The winners of the Wild Card round advance to the Divisional Round, which matches the lower seeded team against the 1-seed and the two remaining teams against each other. The winners of those games then compete in the Conference Championships, with
22620-414: The pre-merger NFL teams, and the American Football Conference (AFC), consisting of all of the AFL teams as well as three pre-merger NFL teams. Today, the NFL is the most popular sports league in North America – with much of the league's growth and popularity attributable to former Commissioner Pete Rozelle , who led the league from 1960 to 1989. Overall annual attendance increased from 3 million at
22794-435: The preseason does not count towards standings, teams generally do not focus on winning games; instead, they are used by coaches to evaluate their teams and by players to show their performance, both to their current team and to other teams if they get cut. The quality of preseason games has been criticized by some fans, who dislike having to pay full price for exhibition games, as well as by some players and coaches, who dislike
22968-461: The previous commissioner, retired. The NFL season format consists of a three-week preseason , an 18-week regular season (each team plays 17 games), and a 14-team single-elimination playoff culminating in the Super Bowl, the league's championship game. The NFL preseason begins with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game , played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton . Each NFL team
23142-545: The regional games, the league also has packages of telecasts, mostly in prime time, that are carried nationwide. NBC broadcasts the primetime Sunday Night Football package, which includes the Thursday NFL Kickoff game that starts the regular season and a primetime Thanksgiving Day game . ESPN is the main broadcaster of the Monday Night Football package with ABC airing select games either exclusively or as
23316-456: The rest of the state the club operates in, as well as the area the team operates its training camp in for the duration of the camp). Each NFL member has the exclusive right to host professional football games inside its Home Territory and the exclusive right to advertise, promote, and host events in its Home Marketing Area. There are a couple of exceptions to this rule, mostly relating to teams with close proximity to each other: teams that operate in
23490-420: The rights to that player. The exact order is determined by a lottery held before the draft, and a successful bid for a player will result in the team forfeiting the rights to its pick in the equivalent round of the next NFL draft. Players are only eligible for the supplemental draft after being granted a petition for special eligibility. The league holds expansion drafts , the most recent happening in 2002 when
23664-495: The risk of injury the games have, while others have felt the preseason is a necessary part of the NFL season. Currently, the 14 opponents each team faces over the 17-game regular season schedule are set using a predetermined formula: The league runs an 18-week, 272-game regular season. Since 2021, the season has begun the week after Labor Day (the first Monday in September) and concluded the week after New Year. The opening game of
23838-682: The road against the Washington Redskins and fellow rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III , 24–14. Seattle lost the following week in the Divisional Round to the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome by a score of 30–28. The Seattle Seahawks 2013 season began with four consecutive preseason wins, and commentators had them as one of the key favorites in the NFC. The regular season began with
24012-470: The same city (e.g. New York City and Los Angeles) or the same state (e.g. California , Florida , and Texas ) share the rights to the city's Home Territory and the state's Home Marketing Area, respectively. According to Forbes , the Dallas Cowboys , at approximately US$ 8 billion, are the most valuable NFL franchise and the most valuable sports team in the world. 26 of the 32 NFL teams rank among
24186-520: The same package as part of a tri-cast model that saw games aired on broadcast television (initially through CBS and NBC, then later with Fox), cable television (through NFL Network), and digital streaming (through Prime Video). Amazon has also streamed games for free on Twitch since 2018. CBS streams its AFC package games on Paramount+ as a simulcast with its CBS broadcasts. NBC streams Sunday Night Football and select exclusive games on Peacock . ESPN streams its games on ESPN+ in simulcast with
24360-643: The same record, tying for the best in Seattle history. The Seahawks defeated the New Orleans Saints in the Divisional Round of the playoffs by a score of 23–15. In the NFC Championship Game , cornerback Richard Sherman tipped a Colin Kaepernick pass into the waiting arms of Malcolm Smith to secure a 23–17 win over the San Francisco 49ers. The moment has been referred to as both " The Tip " and
24534-441: The schedule will give half the teams nine games as the home team, while half the teams have only eight home games. To minimize the perceived benefit on competition of having more home games, the extra home game will be rotated between the two conferences each year. This is because playoff berths are allocated at the conference level, so all teams within the conference will have played the same number of home games. The NFL operated in
24708-549: The season is normally a home game on a Thursday for the league's defending champion. Most NFL games are played on Sundays, with a Monday night game typically held at least once a week and Thursday night games occurring on most weeks as well. NFL games are not normally played on Fridays or Saturdays until late in the regular season, as federal law prohibits professional football leagues from competing with college or high school football. Because high school and college teams typically play games on Friday and Saturday, respectively,
24882-457: The season, "Hey, eight and eight is great." An incident that seemed to antagonize Eagles fans occurred the following season, in a Week 7 game against the Cowboys that the Eagles lost 24–13. At the post-game press conference, when asked, he stated that the reason he went for a (failed) two-point conversion attempt rather than kick the point after following the second touchdown late in the fourth quarter,
25056-473: The season, and that he wished to keep his options open. After beating the Cardinals for that seventh win, Kotite sarcastically used Lurie's words and told the media that he would be doing his own evaluations at the end of the season and keeping his own options open. The Eagles lost all seven of their remaining games, finishing the season 7–9, behind the Cowboys (12–4), Giants (9–7), and Cardinals (8–8), then still in
25230-423: The season, in the Divisional Round by a score of 35–24. In 2011 , Carroll again coached the Seahawks to a 7–9 record, but it was not enough to secure a playoff spot due to the ascendance of Carroll's old college rival coach Jim Harbaugh and division rival San Francisco 49ers , who finished with a 13–3 record. It was the first season the Seahawks had a starting quarterback other than Matt Hasselbeck in over
25404-451: The smaller playing field, the Bears won the game 9–0 and thus won the championship. Fan interest in the de facto championship game led the NFL, beginning in 1933 , to split into two divisions with a championship game to be played between the division champions. The 1934 season also marked the first of twelve seasons in which African Americans were absent from the league . The de facto ban
25578-424: The sport safer, mainly through fining or suspending players who break rules. These actions are among many the NFL is taking to reduce concussions and improve player safety. Prior to 2021, the NFL had utilized race-based adjustments of dementia claims in the $ 1 billion settlement of concussion claims, which had been criticized by critics before the NFL decided to end what was called "race-norming". On May 21, 2024,
25752-405: The spring of 1993, the talent that had been drafted by Buddy Ryan began leaving the Eagles during free agency. Kotite had poor drafts and the level of talent dropped precipitously as his draft picks began replacing the talent that had been drafted by Ryan. In the 1993 season, the Eagles went 8–8. One of the many things for which Kotite was criticized in Philadelphia was for saying at the conclusion of
25926-460: The spring of that year, the Eagles were purchased by Jeffrey Lurie from former owner Norman Braman . Whenever asked by the media if he was going to retain Rich Kotite as head coach of the Eagles going forward after the season, Lurie usually replied to the effect that it was too early in the process to be able to say anything, that any measured evaluation would have to take place at the conclusion of
26100-472: The team due to shoulder problems combined with his small size. Carroll's energetic and positive personality made a good impression on his head coach , Chester Caddas . When Caddas found out Carroll was interested in coaching, he offered him a job as a graduate assistant on his staff at Pacific . Carroll agreed and enrolled as a graduate student, earning a secondary teaching credential and Master's degree in physical education in 1976, while serving as
26274-466: The trophy was discontinued and its current whereabouts are unknown. A second trophy, the Ed Thorp Memorial Trophy , was issued by the NFL from 1934 to 1967. The trophy's namesake, Ed Thorp, was a referee in the league and a friend to many early league owners; upon his death in 1934, the league created the trophy to honor him. In addition to the main trophy, which would be in the possession of
26448-492: The war ended, the number of games returned to eleven games in 1946 , and later back to twelve in 1947. The NFL went to a 14-game schedule in 1961 , which it retained until switching to a 16-game schedule in 1978 . In March 2021, the NFL officially adopted a 17-game schedule after gaining the agreement of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). Having an odd number of games in
26622-479: The welfare of the League or professional football". The commissioner can, in the event of misconduct by a party associated with the league, suspend individuals, hand down a fine of up to US$ 500,000, cancel contracts with the league, and award or strip teams of draft picks. In extreme cases, the commissioner can offer recommendations to the NFL's executive committee, up to and including the "cancellation or forfeiture" of
26796-470: The winners of the AFC and NFC championship games. The NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association ( APFA ) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season . After initially determining champions through end-of-season standings, a playoff system was implemented in 1933 that culminated with the NFL Championship Game until 1966. Following an agreement to merge
26970-433: The worst record in the league both years. Poorly handled drafts contributed to the disappointing seasons, most notably Kotite's first round selection of tight end Kyle Brady over the heavily favored Warren Sapp in 1995, even as a contingent of Jets fans were heard at the draft chanting "We want Sapp!". Two days before the last game of the 1996 season, Kotite announced he was stepping down as head coach. He has not coached in
27144-441: The year, the Cardinals had steadily improved during the season. The at-home win streak did not reach 15. The Cardinals won, and Seattle suffered its third loss of the year. They bounced back against the St. Louis Rams in their finale to finish at 13–3 and finish a game above both San Francisco and Carolina, who each had twelve wins. The number one team (and playoff seed) in the NFC, Carroll matched Mike Holmgren 's 2005 season of
27318-493: Was 65 when the New York Giants won Super Bowl XLVI and Dick Vermeil was 63 when the St. Louis Rams won Super Bowl XXXIV . The following season in 2014 , the Seahawks started off their quest to repeat as champions with a 36–16 defeat of the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football in the first game of the NFL season . A Super Bowl XLVIII rematch came in Week 3, with Seattle again defeating Peyton Manning and
27492-482: Was Coslet's college roommate. When there was an opening for the Vikings' head coach position in 1992, he was a serious candidate but lost the position, again to Green. In 1994 , Carroll was elevated to head coach of the Jets. Known for his energy and youthful enthusiasm, Carroll painted a basketball court in the parking lot of the team's practice facility where he and his assistant coaches regularly played three-on-three games during their spare time. The Jets got off to
27666-445: Was a backup quarterback. Arkansas' Defensive Coordinator at the time, Monte Kiffin , would be a mentor to Carroll. The Razorbacks won the 1978 Orange Bowl that season. The following season, Carroll moved to Iowa State University , where he was again an assistant working on the secondary under Earle Bruce . When Bruce moved on to Ohio State University , he again hired Carroll to coach the secondary. The Ohio State squad made it to
27840-610: Was a multi-sport star in football (playing quarterback , wide receiver , and defensive back ), basketball , and baseball , earning the school's Athlete of the Year honors as a senior in 1969. He was inducted into the charter class of the Redwood High School Athletic Hall of Fame in April 2009. After high school, Carroll attended junior college at the nearby College of Marin , where he played football for two years ( lettering in his second year) before transferring to
28014-463: Was because the "rain made the ink run and blurred the chart, so I couldn't see what was written on it to know what to do." The Eagles began the 1994 season 7–2, including a 40–8 thrashing of that season's eventual Super Bowl XXIX champion San Francisco 49ers, and Kotite achieving his seventh win against the Arizona Cardinals, then coached by his former boss, Buddy Ryan. Looking forward, a playoff berth seemed assured and Kotite's future seemed bright. In
28188-524: Was coaching the Patriots, but Carroll was unable to take the position. The second time the opening came up, Daryl Gross , then senior associate athletic director for USC, recommended Carroll to Garrett based on his experience as a former scout for the New York Jets while Carroll coached there. Garrett cited Carroll's intelligence, energy and reputation as a defensive specialist as reasons for his hire. The choice of Carroll for USC's head coaching position
28362-426: Was declared the champion; the only tiebreaker was that in the event of a tie if two teams played twice in a season, the result of the second game determined the title (the source of the 1921 controversy). This method had been used since the league's creation in 1920, but no situation had been encountered where two teams were tied for first. The league quickly determined that a playoff game between Chicago and Portsmouth
28536-424: Was elected as commissioner to succeed Rozelle; his 17-year tenure, which ended in 2006, was marked by large increases in television contracts and the addition of four expansion teams, as well as the introduction of league initiatives to increase the number of minorities in league and team management roles. The league's current Commissioner, Roger Goodell , has focused on reducing the number of illegal hits and making
28710-732: Was expanded to allow CBS, NBC, and ESPN/ABC to stream games on their respective over-the-top streaming services. For each of the packages the respective network partners currently hold, ESPN/ABC is paying US$ 2.7 billion a year; CBS, Fox, and NBC are each paying more than US$ 2 billion a year; and Amazon is paying US$ 1 billion a year. The current deal runs through the 2033 season. The league also has deals with Spanish-language broadcasters NBC Universo , Fox Deportes , and ESPN Deportes , which air Spanish language dubs of their respective English-language sister networks' games. The league's contracts do not cover preseason games, which individual teams are free to sell to local stations directly;
28884-442: Was fired after the 1999 season . Patriots owner Robert Kraft said firing Carroll was one of the toughest decisions he has had to make since buying the team, stating, "A lot of things were going on that made it difficult for him to stay, some of which were out of his control. And it began with following a legend." His combined NFL record as a head coach was 33–31, and he was later considered a much better fit for college football than
29058-401: Was found to have accepted several improper gifts, including the use of a San Diego area home for members of his family. It was reported that USC might appeal the sanctions. These sanctions have been criticized by some NCAA football writers, including ESPN 's Ted Miller, who wrote, "It's become an accepted fact among informed college football observers that the NCAA sanctions against USC were
29232-461: Was hired as the head coach of Seattle. In 14 seasons under Carroll, the Seahawks qualified for the playoffs 10 times, clinched their division five times, made two consecutive Super Bowl appearances, and won the franchise's first championship in Super Bowl XLVIII . The team's Legion of Boom defense also led the league in scoring defense for four consecutive seasons during his tenure. Following
29406-581: Was hired by the University of Arkansas and he convinced Lou Holtz , then the head coach of the Razorbacks , to also hire Carroll. Carroll spent the 1977 season as a graduate assistant working with the secondary under Cope. During his season with Arkansas, he met his future offensive line coach Pat Ruel , also a graduate assistant, as well as the future head coach of the Razorbacks Houston Nutt , who
29580-476: Was needed to decide the league's champion. The teams were originally scheduled to play the playoff game, officially a regular-season game that would count towards the regular season standings, at Wrigley Field in Chicago, but a combination of heavy snow and extreme cold forced the game to be moved indoors to Chicago Stadium , which did not have a regulation-size football field. Playing with altered rules to accommodate
29754-534: Was on September 29, 2001, (during Carroll's first year) to Stanford Cardinal 21–16. The success of USC football under Carroll led to a sharp rise in overall athletic department revenue, growing from $ 38.6 million in Carroll's first season at USC to more than $ 76 million in 2007–08. Controversy arose when USC was excluded from the National Championship Game for the 2003 season, even though ranked #1 in both
29928-600: Was openly criticized by the media and many USC fans, primarily because of USC's stagnation under the outgoing Hackett and Carroll's record as a head coach in the NFL and being nearly two decades removed from the college level. Garrett took particular criticism for the hire, with the press tying his future with Carroll's after he had to fire two head coaches in four years for USC's premiere athletic coaching position. Former NFL players (including USC alumni) such as Ronnie Lott , Gary Plummer , Tim McDonald and Willie McGinest offered their support for Carroll, who they noted had
30102-543: Was rescinded in 1946 , following public pressure and coinciding with the removal of a similar ban in Major League Baseball . The NFL was always the largest professional football league in the United States; it nevertheless faced numerous rival professional leagues through the 1930s and 1940s. Rival leagues included at least three separate American Football Leagues and the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), on top of various regional leagues of varying caliber. Three NFL teams trace their histories to these rival leagues;
30276-463: Was said to enjoy the Southern California lifestyle. When asked if he would retire at USC, Carroll responded: I am prepared to do that. That's the way I look at it, like this is the last job I'm ever going to have. I approach it that way. Now, whether it is or not, I don't know. Someone asked me the other day, 'Does that mean you're never going to leave?' Why do people want to make you say that? I have no idea, but I can't imagine doing anything else. It's
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