when did the nfl go to 16 games

The NFL expanded its regular season from 14 to 16 games starting with the 1978 season, and that 16‑game format lasted through the 2020 season.

Quick Scoop: Core Facts

• The league first used a 16‑game regular season in 1978 , after previously having a 14‑game schedule from 1961–1977.

• Teams played 16 games per season from 1978 through 2020 , spanning more than four decades of NFL history.

• Beginning with the 2021 season , the NFL moved again, this time to a 17‑game regular season, ending the long 16‑game era.

Mini Timeline

• 1961–1977: 14‑game regular season.

• 1978–2020: 16‑game regular season (the answer to “when did the NFL go to 16 games”).

• 2021–present: 17‑game regular season.

So if you’re watching an old box score or records discussion and hear “in a 16‑game season,” that era runs from 1978 through 2020.

TL;DR: The NFL went to a 16‑game regular season in 1978 , and it stayed that way until the switch to 17 games in 2021.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.