The 2019 NFL season was the 100th season of the National Football League (NFL) and the 54th of the Super Bowl era. The season began on September 5, 2019, with the NFL Kickoff Game, in which the Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears. The season concluded with Super Bowl LIV, the league's championship game, on February 2, 2020, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, in which the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers 31–20 to win their second Super Bowl championship. This was also the final NFL season with the 12-team playoff format, as two more teams were added to the annual NFL playoffs as of the 2020 NFL season.
The 2019 season was also the last season for the Oakland Raiders after playing in Oakland for 47 non-consecutive years before their relocation to Las Vegas for 2020 with the completion of Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders were previously approved for relocation in March 2017 but spent the last two seasons at RingCentral Coliseum.
Player movement The 2019 NFL league year and trading period began on March 13. On March 8, teams were allowed to exercise 2019 options for players with option clauses in their contracts, to submit qualifying offers to their pending restricted free agents and to submit minimum salary tenders to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2018 contracts who had fewer than three accrued seasons of free-agent credit. Teams were required to be under the salary cap using the "Top 51" definition (in which the team's 51 highest-paid players must have a combined salary cap). On March 11, clubs were allowed to contact and begin contract negotiations with the agents of players who were set to become unrestricted free agents.
This season's salary cap increased to $188.2 million per team, up from $177.2 million in 2018.
Free agency Free agency began on March 13. Notable players to change teams included:
Quarterbacks Blake Bortles (Jacksonville to Los Angeles Rams), Ryan Fitzpatrick (Tampa Bay to Miami), and Nick Foles (Philadelphia to Jacksonville). Running backs C. J. Anderson (Los Angeles Rams to Detroit), Le'Veon Bell (Pittsburgh to New York Jets), Tevin Coleman (Atlanta to San Francisco), Frank Gore (Miami to Buffalo), Kareem Hunt (Kansas City to Cleveland), Mark Ingram II (New Orleans to Baltimore), and LeSean McCoy (Buffalo to Kansas City). Wide receivers Danny Amendola (Miami to Detroit), Cole Beasley (Dallas to Buffalo), John Brown (Baltimore to Buffalo), Randall Cobb (Green Bay to Dallas), Cordarrelle Patterson (New England to Chicago), Andre Roberts (New York Jets to Buffalo), Golden Tate (Philadelphia to New York Giants), and Demaryius Thomas (Houston to New England). Tight ends Charles Clay (Buffalo to Arizona) and Jesse James (Pittsburgh to Detroit). Offensive linemen Trent Brown (New England to Oakland), Ja'Wuan James (Miami to Denver), Mitch Morse (Kansas City to Buffalo), and Rodger Saffold (Los Angeles Rams to Tennessee). Defensive linemen Trey Flowers (New England to Detroit), Malik Jackson (Jacksonville to Philadelphia), Gerald McCoy (Tampa Bay to Carolina), Sheldon Richardson (Minnesota to Cleveland), Ndamukong Suh (Los Angeles Rams to Tampa Bay), and Cameron Wake (Miami to Tennessee). Linebackers Kwon Alexander (Tampa Bay to San Francisco), Vontaze Burfict (Cincinnati to Oakland), Thomas Davis (Carolina to Los Angeles Chargers), Jordan Hicks (Philadelphia to Arizona), Justin Houston (Kansas City to Indianapolis), Clay Matthews (Green Bay to Los Angeles Rams), CJ Mosley (Baltimore to New York Jets), Preston Smith (Washington to Green Bay), Za'Darius Smith (Baltimore to Green Bay), and Terrell Suggs (Baltimore to Arizona). Defensive backs Adrian Amos (Chicago to Green Bay), Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (Washington to Chicago), Landon Collins (New York Giants to Washington), Lamarcus Joyner (Los Angeles Rams to Oakland), Tyrann Mathieu (Houston to Kansas City), Earl Thomas (Seattle to Baltimore), and Eric Weddle (Baltimore to Los Angeles Rams). Kicker Jason Myers (New York Jets to Seattle).
Trades The following notable trades were made during the 2019 league year:
March 13: Baltimore traded QB Joe Flacco to Denver for their 2019 fourth-round selection (113th overall). March 13: The New York Giants traded WR Odell Beckham Jr. and DE Olivier Vernon to Cleveland for G Kevin Zeitler, SS Jabrill Peppers, their 2019 first-round selection (17th overall), and their 2019 third-round selection (95th overall). March 13: Philadelphia traded DE Michael Bennett and a 2020 seventh-round selection to New England for their 2020 fifth-round selection. March 13: Pittsburgh traded WR Antonio Brown to Oakland for their 2019 third-round selection (66th overall) and their 2019 fifth-round selection (141st overall). March 13: Oakland traded G Kelechi Osemele and their 2019 sixth-round selection (196th overall) to the New York Jets for their 2019 fifth-round selection (140th overall). March 13: Tampa Bay traded WR DeSean Jackson and their 2020 seventh-round selection to Philadelphia for their 2019 sixth-round selection (197th overall). March 13: Kansas City traded OLB Dee Ford to San Francisco for their 2020 second-round selection. March 15: Miami traded QB Ryan Tannehill and their 2019 sixth-round selection (188th overall) to Tennessee for their 2019 seventh-round selection (233rd overall) and their 2020 fourth-round selection. March 28: Miami traded DE Robert Quinn to Dallas for their 2020 sixth-round selection. March 28: Chicago traded RB Jordan Howard to Philadelphia for their 2020 sixth-round selection. April 1: Cleveland traded DE Emmanuel Ogbah to Kansas City for SS Eric Murray. April 23: Seattle traded DE Frank Clark and their 2019 third-round selection (92nd overall) to Kansas City for their 2019 first-round selection (29th overall), their 2019 third-round selection (84th overall), and a 2020 second-round selection. April 26: Arizona traded QB Josh Rosen and a 2020 fifth-round selection to Miami for their 2019 second-round selection (62nd overall). August 8: Cleveland traded RB Duke Johnson to Houston for a 2020 third round pick. August 9: Buffalo traded DE Eli Harold to Philadelphia for OL Ryan Bates. August 22: Arizona traded S Rudy Ford to Philadelphia for DT Bruce Hector. August 28: New England traded a 2020 fourth-round pick to Baltimore for a 2020 sixth-round pick and G Jermaine Eluemunor. August 31: Miami traded OT Laremy Tunsil and WR Kenny Stills to Houston for S Johnson Bademosi, OT Julién Davenport, for a 2020 first-round pick, a 2021 first-round pick and second-round pick. August 31: Houston traded OT Martinas Rankin to Kansas City for RB Carlos Hyde. September 1: Houston traded DE Jadeveon Clowney to Seattle for a 2020 third round pick, DE Jacob Martin, and DE Barkevious Mingo. September 2: Miami traded LB Kiko Alonso to New Orleans for LB Vince Biegel. September 10: New England traded WR Demaryius Thomas to the New York Jets for a 2021 sixth-round selection. September 16: Miami traded S Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2020 fifth round pick and 2021 sixth round pick to Pittsburgh in exchange for their 2020 first and fifth round picks, and their 2021 sixth-round pick. September 30: Philadelphia traded S Johnathan Cyprien and a 2020 seventh-round pick to Atlanta for LB Duke Riley and a 2020 sixth-round pick. October 7: Buffalo traded WR Zay Jones to Oakland to for a 2021 fifth-round pick. October 15: The Los Angeles Rams traded CB Marcus Peters to Baltimore for LB Kenny Young and a 2020 fifth-round pick. October 15: The Los Angeles Rams traded a 2020 first-round pick, a 2021 first-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick to Jacksonville for CB Jalen Ramsey. October 21: Oakland traded CB Gareon Conley to Houston for a 2020 third-round pick. October 22: New England traded a 2020 second-round pick to Atlanta for WR Mohamed Sanu. October 22: Denver traded WR Emmanuel Sanders and a 2020 fifth-round pick to San Francisco for a 2020 third-round pick and a 2020 fourth-round pick. October 24: New England traded DE Michael Bennett to Dallas for a 2021 seventh-round pick that may turn into a sixth-round pick. October 28: The New York Jets traded DL Leonard Williams to the New York Giants for a 2020 third-round pick and a condition 2021 fifth-round pick. October 28: Cleveland traded DE Genard Avery to Philadelphia for 2021 fourth-round pick. October 29: The Los Angeles Rams traded CB Aqib Talib and a 2020 fifth-round pick to Miami for a 2022 seventh-round pick.
Notable retirements The following notable players retired prior to the 2019 season:
LB NaVorro Bowman – Three-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro. Played for San Francisco and Oakland during his eight-year career. RB Jamaal Charles – Four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro (two first-team, one second-team). Played for Kansas City, Denver, and Jacksonville during his 11-year career. LB Derrick Johnson – Four-time Pro Bowl Selection and two-time All Pro (one first-team, one second-team). Played for Kansas City and Oakland during his 14-year career. TE Rob Gronkowski – Five-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro, three-time Super Bowl champion (XLIX, LI, and LIII), and 2014 Comeback Player of the Year. Played for New England during his entire nine-year career. Later came out of retirement in and was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he became a Super Bowl champion for a fourth time in his first season with the team. P Shane Lechler – Seven-time Pro Bowler and nine-time All-Pro (six first-team, three second-team). Played for Oakland and Houston during his 18-year career. QB Andrew Luck – Four-time Pro Bowler, first overall selection in the 2012 NFL draft, and 2018 Comeback Player of the Year. Played for Indianapolis during his entire seven-year career. DT Haloti Ngata – Five-time Pro Bowler, five-time All-Pro (two first-team, three second-team) and Super Bowl XLVII champion. Played for Baltimore, Detroit, and Philadelphia during his 13-year career. LB Brian Orakpo – Four-time Pro Bowler. Played for Washington and Tennessee during his 10-year career. DE Julius Peppers – Nine-time Pro Bowler, six-time All-Pro (three first-team, three second-team), and 2002 Defensive Rookie of the Year. Played for Carolina, Chicago, and Green Bay during his 17-year career. G Josh Sitton – Four-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro (one first-team, two second-team) and Super Bowl XLV champion. Played for Green Bay, Chicago, and Miami during his 11-year career. DT Kyle Williams – Six-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro. Played for Buffalo during his entire 13-year career.
Other retirements
Draft
The 2019 NFL draft was held from April 25–27 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Arizona Cardinals selected Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the first overall selection.
Officiating changes Walt Coleman III retired: With 30 seasons as an NFL official, Coleman was the longest-tenured. Former NFL Europe referee Adrian Hill, a longtime official in various positions, replaced Coleman. Pete Morelli: Morelli retired after having spent 22 seasons as an NFL official. Scott Novak, one of the Big 12 Conference's most decorated referees, succeeded Morelli.