Pro Football History.com Blog
October 23rd, 2025
The NFL’s global run began quietly in Tokyo in 1976, when the St. Louis Cardinals met the San Diego Chargers in what was meant to be a friendly preseason test. Instead, it became the first clue that American football could travel.
Nearly fifty years later, that small experiment has turned into a business worth over $110 billion, with franchises valued higher than some Fortune 500 companies. The real question is how a sport most countries never played ended up becoming one of the world’s biggest entertainment brands.
Broadcasting Deals and Sponsorships Built the Cash Machine
The NFL now pulls in about $11 billion annually from Fox, CBS, NBC, and ESPN for the 2023 through 2033 seasons, but that's just the domestic money. They’re now building a separate international rights package projected to add over $1 billion in new revenue from markets still learning the rules.
And even though broadcast rights laid the foundation, sponsorships turned the NFL into a different kind of monster. The Dallas Cowboys alone raked in about $300 million in sponsorship revenue in 2024, and the Los Angeles Rams weren't far behind with nearly $250 million.
There are no sports teams that can come even close to these numbers – over half a billion dollars just from sponsors wanting their logos associated with American football. Nike, Pepsi, and Samsung all scrambled to attach themselves to teams that were suddenly playing in London, Mexico City, and Munich.
This combination of broadcast deals, sponsorships, and offshore investments completely changed how people experienced the NFL. Games kicked off at weird times, teams flew across oceans mid-season, and suddenly you had fans in Tokyo watching live at breakfast while London fans caught primetime games over dinner.
For anyone trying to keep up and find out more about how each game might actually play out, platforms that tracked form, travel schedules, and early odds became part of the routine. They showed how travel and fatigue shaped each matchup, revealing early signs of momentum that old-school stats never caught – especially once time zones blurred what used to be home-field comfort.
What made it work was timing. Once international broadcasts started pulling steady numbers, sponsors poured in, and the networks pushed harder to keep those rights. The audience kept growing, and so did the money behind it. Each deal fed the next one – bigger exposure meant stronger brands, and stronger brands made the next round of games easier to sell. It turned into a loop that kept building without the league ever needing to slow down.
The American Bowl Experiment That Started Everything (1986–2005)
The NFL launched the American Bowl in 1986 to promote football abroad, turning it into a testing ground for global expansion. Every city was chosen deliberately, every fan reaction measured, every sale tracked.
The breakthrough came in 1994, when more than 112,000 fans filled Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca to watch the Cowboys and Oilers – a sign that demand for the sport reached far beyond the U.S.
Every international stop became research, helping the NFL learn how different crowds react to pace, spectacle, and storylines.
NFL Europe’s Expensive Education (1991–2007)
The World League of American Football launched in 1991 with teams on both sides of the Atlantic, aiming to make the sport truly global. London drew over 60,000 fans to the first World Bowl, but enthusiasm could not cover the losses – around $7 million in year one.
The NFL kept it alive for more than a decade, using each season to understand the reality of going international. Spring schedules clashed with soccer, local fans wanted recognizable stars, and constant travel made operations messy and expensive.
By 2007, the project had run its course, but it left the league with something lasting – a clear sense of how to take the real NFL overseas and make it sustainable.
Franchise Values Skyrocketed
The financial side of the NFL has reached a new level, with the average team now worth about $7.1 billion, up almost 20% in a single year. The Dallas Cowboys lead at close to $13 billion, a result of decades spent building global partnerships and pushing the league’s presence overseas.
Teams like the San Francisco 49ers, now valued around $8.6 billion, are taking the same approach – building their reach through overseas marketing, media deals, and long-term brand projects.
The league’s move to let private equity buy small stakes has only added more money to that push, funding everything from international events to youth programs that keep new fans coming in. In many ways, the rising valuations show how the NFL’s global strategy has become just as important as what happens on the field.
The International Series Changed the Game
By 2007, the NFL had finally figured out how to make its global plans work – by sending real competition overseas. London became the test site, drawing steady crowds that proved interest ran deeper than novelty.
From there, the league expanded to Germany and Mexico, tailoring broadcasts, travel, and stadium setups to handle full-season intensity. What started as a single showcase turned into a permanent fixture on the calendar, and the success of those games pushed the league to scale up again.
The goal now is broader than revenue. More cities, more games, and a league that no longer feels purely American – proof that the NFL’s next era will be built as much abroad as at home.
October 22nd, 2025
By Stephen Juza
After a dreadful 1-5 start, the Tennessee Titans gave head coach Brian Callahan a pink slip, just six games into his second season. The Titans have since turned over the head coaching responsibilities to interim head coach Mike McCoy. McCoy previously was the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers between 2014 and 2016. Along with Callahan, two other coaches were fired: Bill Callahan (Brian’s father) and Tom Jones.
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What Caused This?
Titans fans have seen this coming for a little while. Callahan has consistently had the team under performing. Last season, the team had the 27th-rated offense in the league, and has regressed to 31st overall at the time of his firing. Only the Browns were rated lower than the Titans, a team who thought so poorly of their own starting quarterback they were willing to trade him to a divisional rival to be their starting quarterback.
While most coaches may be on the hot seat for that poor of an offense, it was also Callahan’s calling card when he was hired. Before the Titans, he was offensive coordinator for the Bengals for the last five years. During this time, the team had one Super Bowl appearance, two AFC Championship appearances, and twice finished in the Top-10 offenses in the league. However, outside of those two seasons, the results were less than spectacular.
Back in March of 2024, we originally had Callahan as the second best head coaching hire, thinking he would be key to help mold their young quarterback Will Levis. While he may have played better in 2024 compared to his rookie year, it certainly wasn’t enough to keep the team from drafting Cam Ward first overall in 2025. The team has not lived up to Titans fans hopes and dreams, leading to Callahan’s ousting.
So where does the team go from here?
The team has tapped McCoy to lead them for the rest of the season. As we wrote in a prior blog post about interim head coaches, McCoy will fit in the “caretaker” category. It has certainly been several years of pain for Titans faithful. The team only has two division titles going back to 2009, and during that stretch they have as many fourth-place division finishes (5) as second place finishes. The team will likely just want McCoy to get them to the end of the season, possibly win a few extra games, and plan an exhaustive search for a new head coach for 2026.
In our opinion, the team will need to bring in the right offensive staff to be able to work with Ward, who is dead last in passing accuracy in the league (34th of 34 qualified quarterbacks) and ahead of only Justin Fields and Jackson Dart as starting quarterbacks. While that’s not necessarily a sign to throw in the towel on a player, looking through the last few players that have finished last in the league does not inspire much hope for the future. The last few names that have finished last all lost their starting jobs for their original team shortly after (Anthony Richardson, 2024; Will Levis, 2023, Zach Wilson, 2021-2022, Drew Lock, 2020). While Ward put together his most accurate game of the season, there is still a lot of improvement he needs to show to give the team confidence into 2026.
September 20th, 2025
The USA's National Football League (NFL) is famous for dramatic comebacks made by teams that have overcome seemingly impossible odds to score some remarkable victories. As you’ll see, the Minnesota Vikings now hold the record for the biggest turnaround. They are probably the biggest bane of any online sports gambler's existence, and not just in the USA.
The Thrill of the Comeback
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Returning to the main focus, fans would either be thrilled or devastated, depending on which team they supported, regarding the comeback games we're about to discuss.
6th Greatest Comeback - Overcoming a 26 Point Deficit - Buffalo Bills 37, Indianapolis Colts 35 (1997)
When the Bills were trailing 26 points to nil at halftime, having been on the wrong end of four Cary Blanchard field goals, all looked lost for the team from New York State. But once the second half had got underway, we witnessed what was to become the 6th greatest coaching comebacks in NFL history.
Head Coach Marv Levy watched his side claw their way back into the game thanks to 275 passing yards. It included two great touchdown passes from Todd Collins (the quarterback who was in his first season following the legendary Jim Kelly) and the 129 rushing yards, including 3 touchdowns from the Rookie, Antowain Smith.
5th Greatest Comeback – Overcoming a 27 Point Deficit - Jacksonville Jaguars 31, Los Angeles Chargers 30 (2023)
Another game that proved to be the personification of the ‘game of two halves’ adage, the Jaguars went 27-nil down in the second quarter with just 4:25 left. But after previously throwing 4 intercepted passes, Trevor Lawrence got his act together and threw four touchdown passes. It was magnificent stuff, which meant he became the first quarterback in NFL records to notch up four consecutive picks without a touchdown pass and then four straight touchdown passes without an interception during the same game.
4th Greatest Comeback – Overcoming a 28 Point Deficit - Indianapolis Colts 45, Kansas City Chiefs 44 (2014)
Not just notable for being the 4th greatest comeback game in NFL history, Colts fans will also treasure this match as being Andrew Luck’s best turnaround game. The quarterback started badly, throwing three intercepted passes, the second of which saw the Chiefs take a 38-10 lead. However, he recovered magnificently, and by the end of the game, he amassed 443 passing yards, the second-highest amount in NFL franchise records. His tally also included 4 touchdown passes.
3rd Greatest Comeback – Overcoming a 28 Point Deficit - San Francisco 49ers 38 vs. New Orleans Saints 35 (1980)
We're now back in the era of the exceptional quarterback, Joe (Cool) Montana, one of the greatest to ever grace the Gridiron sport. This was only Montana’s sixth start, and at halftime, with the 49ers trailing 7-35, it looked like being a big loss. But this is how the quarterback earned his nickname ‘Cool’ (check out the Most Iconic Pass in Football history) by leading his team to great comeback wins in the nick of time. In this game, he threw 285 passing yards and in the third quarter, together with teammate Dwight Clark, created the play of the game, a 71-yard catch-and-run on a crossing pattern.
2nd Greatest Comeback – Overcoming a 32 Point Deficit - Buffalo Bills 41, Houston Oilers 38 (1993)
This game was known simply as ‘the comeback, and it held on to being the biggest margin comeback for 23 years, until the Minnesota Vikings topped it in 2022. The Bills were 3-35 down early in the third quarter, and it looked like it was done and dusted. But, as we know, looks can be deceiving, and so it proved. The comeback was masterminded by quarterback Frank Reich, who achieved a career best of 289 passing yards, including four touchdown passes. Big comebacks were a Reich special. He also engineered the largest comeback in college football history for 22 years – when Maryland trailed by 31-0 in the first half but came to win 42-40 against Miami.
Greatest Comeback – Overcoming a 33 Point Deficit - Minnesota Vikings 39, Indianapolis Colts 35 (2022)
As just mentioned, this game is now the new, biggest comeback in NFL history. At the halfway marker, the Colts were romping away with the game, leading by 33 points to 0. However, they could only manage another 2 points in the second half, while the Vikings managed an awesome 39. They just squeaked thanks to a 3-yard Greg Joseph field goal with only three seconds left on the clock.
September 19th, 2025
In the 2025 NFL season, coaching decisions continue to play a defining role in team success. With the percentage from the AFC West head coaches cumulatively winning .627 of the games they strategized, it is even more powerful to see how meticulous planning alters the result of the season.
This article reframes winning moments from the NFL’s glorious history and offers insights applicable to the modern game.
Key Moments That Defined Legendary Coaches
Throughout NFL history, certain coaching decisions have left a permanent mark on the league. You may remember how, in Super Bowl LIV, Andy Reid trust in Patrick Mahomes during a 10-point deficit against the San Francisco 49ers was a turning point. Instead of relying on conventional, conservative calls, Reid allowed Mahomes to run a dynamic offense that ultimately led to a Chiefs victory, marking the franchise’s first Super Bowl win in 50 years.
Similarly, Pete Carroll’s decision to draft Russell Wilson in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft initially raised eyebrows. Many questioned the choice, citing Wilson’s small stature and limited college production.
Yet, Carroll’s coaching system and ability to develop talent quickly allowed Wilson to become one of the most efficient quarterbacks in NFL history. Wilson has led the Seahawks to multiple playoff appearances, demonstrating that bold personnel decisions, paired with effective coaching, can change the trajectory of a franchise.
Other iconic moments include Bill Belichick’s daring fourth-down decisions in postseason games and Tom Landry’s innovation of the flex defense in the 1970s. These pivotal moments show how coaches’ choices under pressure can define not only games but also their legacies.
Strategies That Turned Teams Into Champions
In 2025, the Minnesota Vikings still reside in the top ten in defensive efficiency in the middle of the league, which is quite the accomplishment given their shift in defensive coaching paradigms.
Under defensive coordinator Brian Flores, the team has switched to the modified "big nickel" defensive scheme, which features aggressive safeties replacing the traditional outer cornerbacks. His changes, along with the rest of the Vikings coaching staff, ascend the coaching paradigms to the next level according to Flores's analytics. Just as players in other competitive arenas try to maximize their competitive edge with lower risk methods - such as slots with free spins no deposit which offer enhanced strategic options - savvy football teams are constantly on the lookout for the optimal options on the field. Rotating back to aggressive defenses in the first half of 2023 is yet another case in point. High left, low right coverages with aggressive safeties are another example of how far the Vikings' coaching staff has taken the defensive paradigms.
On the other side of the ball, people like Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay have concentrated on using plenty of motion and play action to accentuate the strengths of their players. In the last several seasons in the NFL, these approaches have spearheaded some of the biggest scoring outbursts, which underscores the need for outside-the-box, thorough planning.
Comparing Coaching Styles Across Eras
NFL coaching philosophies have evolved considerably over the decades. Coaches of the 1970s and 1980s, such as Chuck Noll and Bill Walsh, emphasized discipline, fundamentals, and systemized play. Noll’s Pittsburgh Steelers became legendary for the “Steel Curtain” defense, while Walsh’s West Coast offense revolutionized passing schemes, allowing shorter, more accurate passes to control the tempo of the game.
Modern coaches, by contrast, often prioritize adaptability and innovation over rigid systems. McVay, for example, is known for adjusting his offense on a weekly basis to exploit defensive weaknesses, while Shanahan focuses on creating mismatches with zone-blocking and dynamic rushing concepts.
This evolution reflects not just changes in player skill sets, but also a deeper understanding of how coaching strategies must evolve to maintain competitive advantage in a league that increasingly values speed and versatility.
Even within a single era, coaching styles can differ significantly. Sean Payton emphasizes aggressive offensive play-calling, while Pete Carroll prefers a balance of defense and opportunistic offense. Observing these differences can help you understand why some teams maintain long-term success while others struggle despite similar talent.
Lessons From the Greatest Comebacks in NFL History
Some instances in sports history involving a coach's influence are more illustrative than others. Super Bowl LI is a perfect case in point. It features the New England Patriots clawing back from a 28-to-3 deficit against the Atlanta Falcons.
Dan Quinn's conservative game plan was a catalyst for New England’s momentum shift, and the Patriots were kept alive in the game through Bill Belichick's aggressive decision-making on fourth downs. It is a game the coaches, players, and fans are still trying to wrap their heads around in terms of what went right and what went wrong.
Takeaways from such experiences cannot be confined to the outcome of a specific match. What stands out is the ability of a coach to not only anticipate possible challenges but also transform them into real-time strategies that can and do dwindle the self-belief of players, and which, in the long term, build a sustainable framework which encompasses multiple seasons.
It is not just the ability of a team to win that speaks volumes, but their ability to bounce back from deficits, perform in high-stakes challenges, and remain competitive for a long period of time.
September 17th, 2025
By Stephen Juza
So much for our MVP pick. Less than two weeks into the season, our preseason MVP pick has been sidelined for several months with an impending toe surgery. The two-time Comeback Player of the Year suffered the injury in the first half of Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, an eventual 31-27 victory for the Bengals. But it will likely serve as a pyrrhic victory in a year we anticipated the team to win the AFC North. What does this mean for the Bengals? In today’s article, we look at possible impacts for the 2025 season for the team, and what it means for Burrow’s future.
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Roster Changes
With only one other quarterback on the roster, the Bengals will have to add someone else to the quarterback room immediately. They activated Brett Rypien from the practice squad and signed a few others, but if they want more talent, they will have to look elsewhere. There are a few teams who have a surplus of quarterbacks, and the Bengals could look to trade for one. One stumbling block to several names on the market is that the team is in ‘win-now’ mode, and it’s not likely that there is a quarterback available that could keep the ship sailing in the interim.
Possible options include Anthony Richardson, Kirk Cousins, but Richardson is on a rookie contract and cheap for the Colts to hold on to, and Cousins is very expensive and probably not worth the cost. Another option could be Jameis Winston, currently on the New York Giants. While the Giants have Russell Wilson as the starter, and Jaxson Dart as the quarterback of the future, Winston could be the easiest quarterback to pry away from another team.
Impact to the Season
Three months puts Burrow returning for a Week 17 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. If his recovery is quicker, he will return for at least one of the pivotal matchups against the Baltimore Ravens. Before the season started, the Bengals three-game stretch from Week 13 to Week 16 was going to be the most important stretch for the season. Starting on the road against the defending AFC North champion Ravens, on the road against the defending AFC East champion Buffalo Bills, then hosting the Ravens would prove to everyone who the Bengals were as the season was coming to an end.
Now, the Bengals are going to likely hope for a Wildcard appearance and hope for a full-strength Burrow by the end of December. Anything short of a playoff run may not be enough for head coach Zac Taylor. In his first six seasons in Cincinnati, the team has finished third or fourth in the division four times. As much as fans want him back, Taylor may need a healthy Burrow to return for the 2026 season.
Impact to Burrow
Burrow is already in the unfortunate position of being one of the few two-time winners of the Comeback Player of the Year award, but this injury may put him in line for yet another award in 2026. But that’s only if he can remain healthy and on the field, which he has struggled with in his career. In his six seasons, he has only played more than ten games three times.
When he has played, he is a player who you can build around, and with his monster contract he signed it’s clear that he will be in Cincinnati for a few more years at least. But this latest injury will raise the question if Burrow will be someone you can count on long term. If you are building around a player, you have to count on him being in the lineup. He will have missed 26 games since the 2020 season, and when you compare him to other top quarterbacks, there is simply no comparison in durability. Bills quarterback has not missed a game during that timeframe. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has missed three. Lamar Jackson has missed twelve.
Overall, the Bengals will have a difficult road in front of them for the 2025 season, and if Burrow continues to miss time, they may have some tough questions ahead.