2019 NFL season

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 CJ 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 Jr. (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).

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 Jonathan 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.

The following notable players retired prior to the 2019 season:

• LB NaVorro Bowman - Three-time Pro Bowler and four-time 1st-Team All-Pro. Played for the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders in an eight-year career.[1]
• RB Jamaal Charles - Four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro (two first team, one second team). Played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars in an 11-year career.[2]
• LB Derrick Johnson - Four-time Pro Bowl Selection and two-time All Pro (one first team, one second team). Played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders in a 14-year career.[3]
• 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 the New England Patriots for his entire nine-year career.[4] Later came out of retirement in 2020 and was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[5]
• P Shane Lechler - Seven-time Pro Bowler and nine-time All-Pro (six first team, three second team). Played for the Raiders and Texans during his 18-year career.[6]
• QB Andrew Luck - Four-time Pro Bowler, first overall selection in the 2012 NFL Draft, and 2018 Comeback Player of the Year. Played his entire seven-year career with the Indianapolis Colts.[7]
• DT Haloti Ngata - Five-time Pro Bowler, five-time All-Pro (two first team, three second team) and Super Bowl XLVII champion. Played nine of his 13 years with the Ravens, with shorter stints with the Lions and Eagles.[8]
• LB Brian Orakpo - Four-time Pro Bowler. Played for the Redskins and Titans over a ten-year career.[9]
• 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 the Panthers, Bears and Packers during his 17-year career.[10]
• G Josh Sitton - Four-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro (one first team, two second team) and Super Bowl XLV champion. Played for the Packers, Bears and Dolphins during his 11-year career.[11]
• DT Kyle Williams - Six-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro. Played for the Buffalo Bills for his entire 13-year career.[12]

The 2019 NFL Draft was held from April 25–27 in Nashville, Tennessee.[43] The Arizona Cardinals selected Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the first overall selection.

Pat Bowlen

Bowlen owned the Denver Broncos since 1984. His Broncos won three Super Bowls during his tenure (XXXII, XXXIII and 50). He was inducted in 2019 but died from complications of Alzheimer's disease at the age of 75 on June 13, before the induction ceremonies. Under the terms of a succession plan, the team will be operated by a trust headed by longtime executive Joe Ellis until it can be determined which of Bowlen's five surviving children will inherit the team.[57]

Willie Brown

Brown spent his first four seasons with the Denver Broncos (1963–1966) and his last twelve with Oakland Raiders (1967–1978), winning Super Bowl XI with the Raiders. Brown was also a nine-time Pro Bowler and was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984. He died on October 22 at the age of 78.

Nick Buoniconti

Buoniconti, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001, was an eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker who played seven seasons with the Boston Patriots from 1962–1968 and seven more with the Miami Dolphins from 1969–1974 and 1976. He won two Super Bowls with the Dolphins in 1972 and 1973. Buoniconti died on July 30 at the age of 78.

Forrest Gregg

Gregg, a guard, spent all but the final season of his playing career with the Green Bay Packers, a member of the Packers' 1960s dynasty. In his final year, he helped the Dallas Cowboys team win Super Bowl VI. Gregg was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977, his first year of eligibility. He also had a less illustrious coaching career in the NFL, college football and the Canadian Football League in the late 1970s, 1980s and into the 1990s, most successfully leading the 1981 Cincinnati Bengals to an AFC championship and a loss in Super Bowl XVI to the San Francisco 49ers. Gregg died on April 12 at the age of 85.

Jim Langer

Langer, who played center for 11 NFL seasons, nine with the Miami Dolphins alongside Buoniconti (with the team earning its perfect season during his rookie year) and two with the Minnesota Vikings, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987. He died on August 29 at the age of 71.

Gino Marchetti

Marchetti was a defensive end who played 14 seasons in the NFL, 13 with the Baltimore Colts. Marchetti won two NFL championships, was selected to 11 Pro Bowls and made earned first-team All-Pro designations with the Colts. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972. Marchetti died on April 29 at the age of 93.

Bart Starr

Starr played quarterback for the Green Bay Packers during his entire 16-year career (1956-1971) and was the team's undisputed starter for the last 12 of those seasons. He was the Packers' starting quarterback for all five of the NFL championships the team won in the 1960s and was the Most Valuable Player of the first two World Championship Games. He also had a nine-season run as the Packers' head coach from 1975–1983, but only two of the nine were winning seasons (one of those, 1982, was shortened by a strike, and was also Starr's only playoff appearance as a coach). Starr was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977. He died on May 26 at the age of 85.

Bill Bidwill

Bidwill was the owner of the Arizona Cardinals since the 1960s. He died on October 2 at the age of 88. The Bidwill family has been associated with the Cardinals since Bidwill's father Charles bought the team in 1933. His son Michael is expected to succeed his father as team owner.

Barron Hilton

Hilton was the original owner of the Los Angeles Chargers from 1960–1966. He was the last living member of the original Foolish Club, the group of owners who established the American Football League (Hilton divested in 1966; second- and third-generation heirs of two members, Kenneth S. Adams, Jr. (daughters and grandsons) and Lamar Hunt (son), continue to operate their clubs).

Under the NFL's current scheduling formula, each team played the other three teams in its own division twice. In addition, teams played against all four teams in one other division from each conference. The final two games on a team's schedule were against the two remaining teams in the same conference that had finished in the same position in their respective divisions in 2018 (e.g., the team that finished fourth in its division played all three other teams in the conference that also finished fourth). The division parings for 2019 were as follows:

The entire schedule was released on April 17, 2019.

Highlights of the 2019 season included:

• NFL Kickoff Game: The Kickoff Game was played September 5. The Chicago Bears hosted the Green Bay Packers in honor of the Bears' and the NFL's centennial season, a game announced on March 25 ahead of the rest of the schedule. The Packers won the game, 10–3. The move broke with league tradition that gives the defending Super Bowl champion the hosting rights to the first game of the season; the New England Patriots instead hosted the first Sunday Night Football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which the Patriots won 33–3.[79]
• NFL International Series: Five games were held outside the United States in 2019. In addition to the Jacksonville Jaguars and the three teams who hosted an annual game abroad as part of their relocation agreements (the Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, and Oakland Raiders), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers also hosted a home game abroad in 2019 as part of their agreement to host Super Bowl LV in 2021.[80][81]
  • NFL London Games: Four games were played in London in 2019: The Oakland Raiders hosted and defeated the Chicago Bears on October 6 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosted and were defeated by the Carolina Panthers on October 13, both at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Los Angeles Rams hosted and defeated the Cincinnati Bengals on October 27 and the Jacksonville Jaguars hosted and were defeated by the Houston Texans on November 3, both at Wembley Stadium. The Texans and Panthers both made their first trip to London and left the Green Bay Packers as the only NFL team to have not played a game in London.[82][83]
  • NFL Mexico Game: The Los Angeles Chargers hosted and were defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on November 18.[84]
• Thanksgiving Day: As has been the case since 2006, three games were played on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, including the traditional afternoon doubleheader hosted by the Detroit Lions (defeated by the Chicago Bears for the second year in a row) and the Dallas Cowboys (defeated by the Buffalo Bills). The Atlanta Falcons hosted, and were defeated by, the New Orleans Saints in the night game; the two teams had played on Thanksgiving night in 2018 as well.

When the entire season schedule was released on April 17, the league announced Saturday games to be played in Week 16. On November 12, the NFL announced that three games would be moved from Sunday, December 22 to Saturday, December 21: Houston–Tampa Bay at 1:00 p.m. ET, Buffalo–New England at 4:30 p.m. ET, and Los Angeles Rams–San Francisco at 8:15 p.m. ET, all on the NFL Network. The two other games that the NFL had the option of moving (Detroit–Denver and Oakland–Los Angeles Chargers) remained on Sunday, December 22.[85]

• Week 8: The Oakland–Houston game was moved from 1:00 p.m. ET to 4:25 p.m. ET, trading time slots with the Denver–Indianapolis game; both games remained on CBS.[86]
• Week 10: The Carolina–Green Bay game was moved from 1:00 p.m. ET to 4:25 p.m. ET; game remained on Fox.[87]
• Week 11: The New York Jets–Washington game was cross-flexed from CBS to Fox; game remained at 1:00 p.m. ET.[87]
• Week 12: The Green Bay–San Francisco game, originally at 4:25 p.m ET on Fox, was flexed into the NBC Sunday Night Football 8:20 p.m. ET timeslot, replacing the originally scheduled Seattle–Philadelphia game, which was moved to 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox. In addition, the Carolina–New Orleans game was cross-flexed from Fox to CBS and the Miami–Cleveland game was cross-flexed from CBS to Fox; kickoff times for both games remained at 1:00 p.m. ET.[85]
• Week 13: The Oakland–Kansas City game was moved from 1:00 p.m. ET to 4:25 p.m. ET, trading time slots with the Cleveland–Pittsburgh game; both games remained on CBS.[88]
• Week 15: The Buffalo–Pittsburgh game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m ET on CBS, was flexed into the NBC Sunday Night Football 8:20 p.m. ET timeslot, replacing the originally scheduled Minnesota–Los Angeles Chargers game, which was moved to 4:05 p.m. on CBS.[89]
• Week 17: The San Francisco–Seattle game that was originally scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox was selected as the final 8:20 p.m. ET NBC Sunday Night Football game of the season, which decided the NFC West champion.[90] In addition, the following games with playoff implications were rescheduled from 1:00 p.m. ET to 4:25 p.m. ET (with networks in parenthesis): Tennessee–Houston (CBS); Indianapolis-Jacksonville (CBS); Washington–Dallas (Fox); Philadelphia–New York Giants (Fox).[91] The Cleveland–Cincinnati game was cross-flexed from CBS to Fox, but remained at 1:00 p.m. ET.

* Indicates overtime victory

News of Indianapolis Colts quarterback and 2012 first overall pick Andrew Luck retiring broke out during the Colts' third preseason game. His retirement quickly became one of the most surprising revelations of the year. During his post-game press conference, Luck stated that his retirement was due to the recent mental and physical difficulties of playing football.[93] Luck had won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2018.

Wide receiver Antonio Brown was involved in several controversies throughout the off-season, preseason, and regular season.[94] Brown was held out by his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers during week 17 of 2018 due to a heated fall out with QB Ben Roethlisberger. He was subsequently traded to the Oakland Raiders in March 2019. However, Brown's helmet model had been banned by the NFL due to inadequate protection, prompting Brown to hold out of practices and file two grievances against the NFL, both of which were denied. Brown then accepted the new helmet model and returned to practice, but later wore inadequate footwear in a cryogenic chamber and got frostbite on his feet, causing additional concern for his availability in Week 1.[95] Brown next released recorded audio of Raiders head coach Jon Gruden and requested that the Raiders release him. He was subsequently released and signed with the New England Patriots. On September 10, allegations that Brown had raped his former trainer, Britney Taylor, caused speculation that he might be put on the commissioner's exempt list, barring him from playing.[96] However, the NFL did not do so and Brown played in the Patriots' Week 2 game. On September 16, a second woman accused Brown of sexual misconduct.[97] That same day, Pittsburgh-based Dr. Victor Prisk, who worked with Brown during his time with the Steelers, sued Brown for $11,500 in unpaid fees.[97] The Patriots cut Brown on September 20 after he allegedly sent intimidating text messages to his second accuser.[98]

In the final seconds of a November 14 Thursday Night Football matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, Browns DE Myles Garrett tackled Steelers QB Mason Rudolph after Rudolph completed a screen pass to RB Trey Edmunds. Upset by the late tackle, Rudolph attacked Garrett by attempting to pull off Garrett's helmet. Garrett then ripped off Rudolph's helmet and used it to hit Rudolph in the head while being restrained by Steelers C Maurkice Pouncey and Steelers G David DeCastro. Pouncey and Browns DT Larry Ogunjobi then joined in on the fight, with Pouncey punching and kicking Garrett's head several times. Garrett, Ogunjobi, and Pouncey were all ejected from the game. Following the game, Garrett was suspended for the remainder of 2019 and required to apply for reinstatement in 2020, while Pouncey and Ogunjobi received 2-game and 1-game suspensions, respectively.[99][100] Garrett was reinstated in February 2020, ending his suspension after six games. The six-game suspension was the longest in NFL history for a single on-field transgression.[101]

During the December 8 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns, the New England Patriots were alleged to have spied on the Bengals' sideline. The Patriots, who were scheduled to play the Bengals the following week, sent a video team to Cleveland to film a documentary of an advance scout, part of the "Do Your Job" series on the Patriots' website. This video contractor was given media credentials by the Browns, but the Bengals and NFL were not made aware of the presence of the Patriots' video crew.[102] According to ESPN's Dianna Russini, a Bengals staffer spotted the Patriots' cameraman and proceeded to observe what he was doing. Allegedly, the cameraman proceeded to point his camera at the Bengals coaching staff and sideline for most of the quarter. The Bengals employee reported him to media relations, who reported him to security; security then seized the film and leaked it to Jay Glazer, who made the footage public. The NFL has launched an investigation into these allegations.[103] This was the second time the current Patriots administration was involved in an unauthorized videotaping scandal, following the Spygate controversy in 2007.

The 9th Annual NFL Honors, saluting the best players and plays from 2019 season, was held on February 1, 2020 at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami, Florida.

The following players were named First Team All-Pro by the Associated Press:

The following were named the top performers during the 2019 season:

This was the third and final season for the Los Angeles Chargers at Dignity Health Sports Park and the fourth and final season for the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Both teams moved to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California starting in 2020.

A buyout window in the Buffalo Bills' lease on New Era Field opened after the 2019 season. The window allowed the team to cancel its lease on the stadium for a $28 million fee and relocate. If the Bills chose not to exercise the buyout window, they will not be allowed to relocate until after the 2022 season, when the current lease expires.[203] The Bills chose not to exercise the buyout.

On September 4, the Denver Broncos' home field was rebranded as Empower Field at Mile High. The Broncos had been seeking a long-term naming rights partner for their home field since sporting goods retailer Sports Authority went bankrupt in 2016. Empower Retirement, a retirement plan provider that is based in Denver, had served as a team sponsor since 2015, with the Broncos agreeing to terms on a 21-year deal that will run through 2039, though financial terms were not disclosed. This marks the third naming rights change for the Broncos' home field, following "Invesco Field at Mile High" (2001–2010), "Sports Authority Field at Mile High" (2011–2017) and "Broncos Stadium at Mile High" — the latter of which was used on a temporary basis for 2018.[204]

This was the final season for the Oakland Raiders at RingCentral Coliseum (renamed from the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum in May 2019[205]) before moving to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders' lease on the Coliseum expired after the 2018 season. The Coliseum management expressed a reluctance to allow the Raiders to continue using the Coliseum after the lease expired unless the team paid more to cover the losses the Coliseum incurred by hosting Raiders games. In December 2018, the city of Oakland filed a lawsuit against the Raiders and the NFL seeking financial damages and unpaid debt, claiming the relocation was illegal but not asking for an injunction forcing the team to stay. The Raiders stated that if any legal action was filed against them, that they would not renew with the Coliseum and find another, undetermined, temporary home for 2019 until Allegiant Stadium was finished.[206] The Raiders then attempted to negotiate a lease with Oracle Park in San Francisco before the San Francisco 49ers vetoed the plan as an infringement on their territorial rights.[207] With the 49ers refusing to waive territorial rights, the Raiders were forced to either renegotiate with the Coliseum[208] or find a temporary stadium outside the San Francisco Bay Area (something that the Raiders management was reluctant to do, though the team acknowledged and considered bids from San Antonio, Texas and Tucson, Arizona). The Raiders, despite reservations about providing funds to the lawsuit being filed against them, negotiated a return to the Coliseum for 2019; a tentative agreement, pending Coliseum and league approval, was announced February 25.[209] The lease agreement was approved by the Oakland Coliseum Authority, the Oakland city council, and Alameda County supervisors by March 21.[210] The Coliseum was the last multi-purpose stadium to be the home of both an NFL and Major League Baseball team (the Oakland Athletics). Barring any future relocations, the Raiders' September 15 game against the Kansas City Chiefs stands as the last NFL game played on a dirt infield.[211]

• Carolina Panthers: The Panthers switched to Nike's newest uniform template and updated their pants, removing the team logo from it and streamlining the piping stripe.
• Cleveland Browns: On September 4, the Browns announced that they would switch to their former Color Rush uniforms as their primary home set this season, and wore these uniforms for six home games.
• Houston Texans: On April 22, the Texans announced that they would add their primary logo on the back of their jerseys, their first uniform update in franchise history.[212] The addition of the logo on the jersey's back makes them the third team in the NFL to do so, after the Arizona Cardinals and Buffalo Bills.
• Los Angeles Chargers: On April 16, the Chargers announced that they made their powder blue alternate jerseys the new primary uniforms.[213] In addition to this announcement, they also swapped out their navy blue facemask for gold.
• New York Jets: On April 4, the Jets unveiled new uniforms,[214] which introduced black as an accent color and resembled a modernized version of the uniform layout the Jets used from 1978 to 1997, including a return to green helmets and "TV numbers" on the shoulders.[215]

• Chicago Bears: To celebrate their 100th season, the Bears wore throwback jerseys based on their 1936 uniforms for two home games.[216]

• 31 teams wore a version of the NFL centennial emblem, with the NFL shield beneath the "100," on the yoke of their jerseys in place of the regular NFL shield. The Chicago Bears instead wore their own centennial team patch, a customized version of the league-wide centennial emblem with the Bears' colors and logo, on the left side of the jersey.[217]
• The Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars wore patches to commemorate the 25th season for each franchise.[218]
• The Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers wore patches to commemorate the 60th season for each franchise.[219]
• On October 10, the Arizona Cardinals unveiled a patch to commemorate the death of team owner Bill Bidwill. It featured his initials, "WVB."[220]

On February 28, 2019, Jason Witten announced he would be leaving his color commentator position on Monday Night Football after one season; he returned to the Dallas Cowboys, where he had played tight end for fifteen seasons before joining ESPN in 2018.[226] Witten was not replaced; Booger McFarland, who spent the previous season commentating from atop a crane-like contraption on the sideline, was moved into the booth.[227] Former referee Jeff Triplette also left Monday Night Football as rules analyst. He was replaced with John Parry, who retired the same day his ESPN position was announced; Parry is the third rules analyst ESPN has hired in two years, following Triplette and Gerald Austin.[47] Steve Tasker departed CBS after 21 seasons with the network, all but one as a color commentator, after CBS declined to renew Tasker's contract. Tasker anticipates moving to radio and calling games for Westwood One for the 2019 season.[228] Twitch added "co-streaming" with live commentary from specially chosen users of the service for its 2019 Thursday night games.[229]

• DH = doubleheader; SNF = NBC Sunday Night Football

*Note — Late DH matchups listed in table are the matchups that were shown to the largest percentage of the market.