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{{Short description|2015 National Football League season}}
#REDIRECT [[Super Bowl 50]] {{R with possibilities}}
{{about|the American football season in the United States|the Gaelic football season in Ireland|2015 National Football League (Ireland)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2014}}
{{Infobox NFL
| image = File:NFL gold logo.png
| imagesize = 150px
| caption = For the 2015 season, a gold-plated NFL logo was used across all league properties in anticipation of the [[Golden jubilee|50th]] [[Super Bowl]] game.<ref name="cbs-goldnfl2015" />
| year = 2015
| regular_season = September 10, 2015 – January 3, 2016
| playoffs_start = January 9, 2016
| NFLchampion = [[2015 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]]
| NFCchampion = [[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers]]
| AFCchampion = [[2015 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]]
| sb_name = 50
| sb_date = February&nbsp;7, 2016
| sb_site = [[Levi's Stadium]], [[Santa Clara, California]]
| pb_date = January 31, 2016
| pb_site = [[Aloha Stadium]], [[Honolulu, Hawaii]]
}}
{{NFL Team Maps 2014–15}}

The '''2015 NFL season''' was the 96th season in the history of the [[National Football League]] (NFL), and the 50th in the [[Super Bowl]] era. To celebrate the 50th season of the Super Bowl, a gold-plated NFL logo and other various gold-themed promotions were used throughout the season. It began on Thursday, September&nbsp;10, 2015, with the [[National Football League Kickoff game|annual kickoff game]] featuring the defending [[Super Bowl XLIX]] champion [[2015 New England Patriots|New England Patriots]] defeating the [[2015 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]]. The season concluded with [[Super Bowl 50]], the league's [[Super Bowl|championship game]], on Sunday, February&nbsp;7, 2016, at [[Levi's Stadium]] in [[Santa Clara, California]],<ref name="ESPN20140604"/> with the [[2015 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]] defeating the [[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers]].

During the 2015 season, the [[Oakland Raiders]], the [[St. Louis Rams]], and the [[San Diego Chargers]] announced their intentions to relocate back to [[Los Angeles]] in the ensuing off-season (all three teams had previously resided in the city at various points in their history). NFL owners eventually only approved the relocation of the Rams, by a vote of 30–2 on January 12, 2016. Thus, 2015 ended up being the Rams' last season in [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]].

{{TOC limit|4}}

==Player movement==
The 2015 NFL League Year began on Tuesday, March 10, 2015, at 4:00&nbsp;p.m. ET. On Saturday, March 7, clubs started to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who became unrestricted free agents upon the expiration of their [[2014 NFL season|2014]] contracts at 4:00&nbsp;p.m. ET on March 10.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/schedules/keydates |title=NFL Football Schedule Key Dates |publisher=CBSSports.com |access-date=2015-05-19}}</ref> On Tuesday, March 10, 2015, clubs exercised options for 2015 on all players who have option clauses in their 2014 contracts, submitted qualifying offers to their restricted free agents with expiring contracts and to whom they desire to retain a Right of First Refusal/Compensation, submitted a Minimum Salary Tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2014 contracts and who have fewer than three accrued seasons of free agency credit, "Top-51" began, all clubs must be under the 2015 salary cap, all 2014 player contracts expired at 4:00&nbsp;p.m. ET and trading period for 2015 began. (4:00&nbsp;p.m. ET).<ref>{{cite web|title=NFL Schedule Key Dates|url=http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/schedules/keydates|publisher=CBSsports|access-date=6 March 2015}}</ref>

===Free agency===
A total of 453 players were eligible for some form of free agency at the beginning of the free agency period.<ref>{{cite web|title=2015 Free Agent List|url=https://nfllabor.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/03-10-15-free-agency-begins-5.pdf|publisher=[[National Football League]]}}</ref> Among the players who changed teams via free agency included:

* Quarterbacks [[Brian Hoyer]] (Cleveland to Houston) and [[Josh McCown]] (Tampa Bay to Cleveland).
* Running backs [[Frank Gore]] (from San Francisco to Indianapolis),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/frank-gore-agrees-to-terms-with-indianapolis-colts-0ap3000000477870|title=Frank Gore agrees to terms with Colts|work=NFL.com|date=March 10, 2015|access-date=March 10, 2015}}</ref> [[Chris Johnson (running back)|Chris Johnson]] (from New York Jets to Arizona),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rosenthal |first=Gregg |date=August 17, 2015 |title=Arizona Cardinals sign running back Chris Johnson |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/arizona-cardinals-sign-running-back-chris-johnson-0ap3000000511185 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150820234157/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000511185/article/arizona-cardinals-sign-running-back-chris-johnson |archive-date=August 20, 2015 |access-date=August 17, 2015 |website=NFL.com}}</ref> [[Ryan Mathews (American football)|Ryan Mathews]] (from San Diego to Philadelphia),<ref>{{cite web |last=Spadaro |first=Dave |url=http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/article-1/RB-Ryan-Mathews-Signs-Three-Year-Deal/e7462c26-5f10-4752-9218-7e3dc0a58a2c |title=RB Ryan Mathews Signs Three-Year Deal |website=Philadelphiaeagles.com |date=2015-03-12 |access-date=2015-12-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150314151537/http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/article-1/RB-Ryan-Mathews-Signs-Three-Year-Deal/e7462c26-5f10-4752-9218-7e3dc0a58a2c |archive-date=March 14, 2015 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> [[DeMarco Murray]] (from Dallas to Philadelphia),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/article-1/Its-Official-RB-Murray-Signs-With-Eagles/d00ce62f-cb87-4dd0-b93e-3bb49498deef|title=It's Official: RB Murray Signs With Eagles|work=PhiladelphiaEagles.com|date=March 12, 2015|access-date=August 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150902030939/http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/article-1/Its-Official-RB-Murray-Signs-With-Eagles/d00ce62f-cb87-4dd0-b93e-3bb49498deef|archive-date=September 2, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> and [[Shane Vereen]] (New England to New York Giants)
* Wide receivers [[Dwayne Bowe]] (Kansas City to Cleveland), [[Michael Crabtree]], [[Andre Johnson]] (Houston to Indianapolis),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/andre-johnson-announces-he-s-signed-with-colts-0ap3000000478244|title=Andre Johnson announces he's signed with Colts|last=Wesseling|first=Chris|work=NFL.com|date=March 11, 2015|access-date=March 11, 2015}}</ref> [[Jeremy Maclin]] (Philadelphia to Kansas City),<ref>{{cite web|title=Chiefs ink Jeremy Maclin to 5-year, $55 million deal|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/chiefs-ink-jeremy-maclin-to-5-year-55-million-deal-0ap3000000478097|website=NFL.com}}</ref> [[Eddie Royal]] (San Diego to Chicago),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-ink-free-agents-Royal-Rolle/9ded44c1-c158-4bc9-b545-7420c37bdd30|title=Bears ink free agents Royal, Rolle|first=Larry|last=Mayer|work=ChicagoBears.com|date=March 11, 2015|access-date=March 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150313231520/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/Bears-ink-free-agents-Royal-Rolle/9ded44c1-c158-4bc9-b545-7420c37bdd30|archive-date=March 13, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> and [[Torrey Smith]] (Baltimore to San Francisco),<ref>{{cite web|last1=Sessler|first1=Marc|title=49ers, Torrey Smith strike five-year, $40M deal|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/49ers-torrey-smith-strike-five-year-40m-deal-0ap3000000477785|work=NFL.com|access-date=10 March 2015}}</ref>
* Tight ends [[Jordan Cameron]] (Cleveland to Miami), [[Charles Clay (American football)|Charles Clay]] (Miami to Buffalo), [[Owen Daniels]] (Baltimore to Denver), [[Lee Smith (American football)|Lee Smith]] (Buffalo to Oakland) and [[Julius Thomas]] (Denver to Jacksonville)
* Offensive linemen [[James Carpenter (American football)|James Carpenter]] (Seattle to New York Jets),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-9/Jets-Sign-Unrestricted-FA-Guard-James-Carpenter/e559ef29-af75-49a3-8fa5-3412039c5cea|title=Jets Sign Unrestricted FA Guard James Carpenter|first=Randy|last=Lange|date=March 11, 2015|access-date=March 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150313104948/http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-9/Jets-Sign-Unrestricted-FA-Guard-James-Carpenter/e559ef29-af75-49a3-8fa5-3412039c5cea|archive-date=March 13, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> [[Orlando Franklin]] (Denver to San Diego),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chargers.com/news/2015/03/10/bolts-add-orlando-franklin-beef-offensive-line|title=Bolts Add Orlando Franklin to Beef Up Offensive Line|work=SanDiegoChargers.com|date=March 10, 2015|access-date=August 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150831211726/http://www.chargers.com/news/2015/03/10/bolts-add-orlando-franklin-beef-offensive-line|archive-date=August 31, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> [[Rodney Hudson]] (Kansas City to Oakland),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/raiders-to-sign-rodney-hudson-to-5-year-44-5m-deal-0ap3000000477331|title=Raiders to sign Rodney Hudson to 5-year, $44.5M deal|last=Sessler|first=Marc|publisher=NFL Enterprises, LLC.|date=March 9, 2015|website=[[NFL.com]]|access-date=August 26, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.raiders.com/news/article-1/Raiders-Sign-C-Rodney-Hudson/cdcb680a-a72c-4c18-8342-384a0a46cc39|title=Raiders Sign C Rodney Hudson|work=Raiders.com|date=March 11, 2015|access-date=March 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150314055721/http://www.raiders.com/news/article-1/Raiders-Sign-C-Rodney-Hudson/cdcb680a-a72c-4c18-8342-384a0a46cc39|archive-date=March 14, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> [[Mike Iupati]] (San Francisco to Arizona),<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gantt|first1=Darin|title=Mike Iupati cashes in with $40 million deal from Cardinals|url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/03/10/mike-iupati-cashes-in-with-40-million-deal-from-cardinals/|publisher=Pro Football Talk|access-date=10 March 2015|date=March 10, 2015}}</ref> [[Jermey Parnell]] (Dallas to Jacksonville) and [[Stefen Wisniewski]] (Oakland to Jacksonville)
* Defensive tackles [[Nick Fairley]] (from Detroit to St. Louis),<ref>{{cite web|last1=Alper|first1=Josh|title=Nick Fairley signs with Rams|url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/03/13/nick-fairley-signs-with-rams/|date=March 13, 2015|access-date=March 13, 2015}}</ref> [[Terrance Knighton]] (from Denver to Washington),<ref>{{cite web|last1=Wesseling|first1=Chris|title=Terrance Knighton set to sign with Redskins|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/terrance-knighton-set-to-sign-with-redskins-0ap3000000478666|work=NFL.com|access-date=13 March 2015}}</ref> [[Jared Odrick]] (Miami to Jacksonville, [[Stephen Paea]] (Chicago to Washington), [[Ndamukong Suh]] (Detroit to Miami),<ref>[http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/03/11/ndamukong-suh-miami-dolphins-contract/70149468/ Suh signs with Dolphins, cites money as the reason] ''Detroit Free Press'', March 11, 2015</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Walker|first1=James|title=Ndamukong Suh signs record deal|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/12462569/miami-dolphins-make-ndamukong-suh-top-paid-nfl-defensive-player|publisher=ESPN|access-date=11 March 2015|date=March 11, 2015}}</ref> [[Vince Wilfork]] (New England to Houston);<ref>{{cite web|last1=McClain|first1=John|title=Veteran defensive lineman Wilfork agrees to two-year deal with Texans|url=http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans/2015/03/veteran-defensive-lineman-wilfork-agrees-to-deal-with-texans/#31139101=0|website=Houston Chronicle|date=March 16, 2015 |access-date=16 March 2015}}</ref> and [[Dan Williams (defensive tackle)|Dan Williams]] (Arizona to Oakland)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/raiders-pick-up-curtis-lofton-dan-williams-for-defense-0ap3000000478048|title=Raiders pick up Curtis Lofton, Dan Williams for defense|work=NFL.com|first=Gregg|last=Rosenthal|date=March 11, 2015}}</ref>
* Defensive ends [[Greg Hardy]] (Carolina to Dallas),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2386330-greg-hardy-to-cowboys-latest-contract-details-comments-and-reaction|title=Greg Hardy to Cowboys: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction|author=Tyler Conway|work=Bleacher Report}}</ref> [[Michael Johnson (defensive end)|Michael Johnson]] (Tampa Bay to Cincinnati), [[Pernell McPhee]] (Baltimore to Chicago), [[Jabaal Sheard]] (Cleveland to New England) and [[Brian Orakpo]] (Washington to Tennessee),<ref>{{cite news|last1=Jones|first1=Mike|title=Brian Orakpo agrees to terms with the Titans|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/football-insider/wp/2015/03/13/brian-orakpo-agrees-to-terms-with-the-titans/|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=13 March 2015}}</ref>
* Linebackers [[Bruce Carter (American football)|Bruce Carter]] (Dallas to Tampa Bay), [[Nate Irving]] (Denver to Indianapolis).,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/indianapolis-colts-agree-to-terms-with-ilb-nate-irving-0ap3000000480272|title=Indianapolis Colts agree to terms with ILB Nate Irving|last=Patra|first=Kevin|work=NFL.com|date=March 20, 2015|access-date=March 20, 2015}}</ref> [[Brooks Reed]] (Houston to Atlanta) and [[Sean Weatherspoon]] (Atlanta to Arizona)
* Cornerbacks [[Perrish Cox]] (San Francisco to Tennessee), [[Antonio Cromartie]] (Arizona to New York Jets),<ref>Pedulla, Tom. [https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/13/sports/football/antonio-cromartie-and-jets-near-deal.html?_r=0 Antonio Cromartie is reunited with Darelle Revis on the Jets]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. March 12, 2015. Retrieved March 14, 2015.</ref> [[Chris Culliver]] (San Francisco to Washington), [[Byron Maxwell]] (Seattle to Philadelphia),<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rosenthal|first1=Gregg|title=Byron Maxwell to join Eagles on six-year, $60M deal|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/byron-maxwell-to-join-eagles-on-six-year-63m-deal-0ap3000000477284|work=NFL.com|access-date=10 March 2015}}</ref> [[Darrelle Revis]] (New England to New York Jets),<ref>{{cite news|title=Darrelle Revis to return to Jets, who also add cornerback Buster Skrine |url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/darrelle-revis-to-return-to-jets-who-also-add-cornerback-buster-skrine-1.10042491 |newspaper=Newsday |author=Martin, Kimberley |date=March 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150311065713/http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/jets/darrelle-revis-to-return-to-jets-who-also-add-cornerback-buster-skrine-1.10042491 |archive-date=March 11, 2015 |access-date=March 10, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref> [[Buster Skrine]] (Cleveland to New York Jets), [[Cary Williams]] (Philadelphia to Seattle) and [[Tramon Williams]] (Green Bay to Cleveland)<ref>{{cite web |author=Gribble, Andrew |date=March 16, 2015 |title=Browns sign DB Tramon Williams |work=Cleveland Browns |url=http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-5/Browns-sign-DB-Tramon-Williams/d79cbaa0-8faa-4061-b98f-642c87430128 |access-date=March 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320200740/http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-5/Browns-sign-DB-Tramon-Williams/d79cbaa0-8faa-4061-b98f-642c87430128 |archive-date=March 20, 2015 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
* Safeties [[Rahim Moore]] (Denver to Houston), [[Antrel Rolle]] (New York Giants to Chicago) and [[Da'Norris Searcy]] (Buffalo to Tennessee)

Four players were assigned the [[Franchise tag#Types of franchise tag|non-exclusive franchise tag]] by their teams, which ensured that the team would receive compensation were the player to sign a contract with another team. These players were wide receivers [[Dez Bryant]] ([[2015 Dallas Cowboys season|Cowboys]])<ref>{{cite web|title=Dallas Cowboys franchise tag Dez Bryant|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/dallas-cowboys-franchise-tag-dez-bryant-0ap3000000475763|publisher=[[National Football League]]|access-date=3 March 2015}}</ref> and [[Demaryius Thomas]] ([[2015 Denver Broncos season|Broncos]]),<ref>{{cite web|title=Broncos franchise tag Demaryius Thomas|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/broncos-franchise-tag-demaryius-thomas-0ap3000000475739|website=[[National Football League]]|access-date=3 March 2015}}</ref> linebacker [[Justin Houston]] ([[2015 Kansas City Chiefs season|Chiefs]]),<ref>{{cite web|title=Kansas City Chiefs franchise tag Justin Houston|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/kansas-city-chiefs-franchise-tag-justin-houston-0ap3000000475736|website=[[National Football League]]|access-date=3 March 2015}}</ref> and defensive end [[Jason Pierre-Paul]] ([[2015 New York Giants season|Giants]]).<ref>{{cite web|title=Jason Pierre-Paul gets New York Giants' franchise tag|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/jason-pierre-paul-gets-new-york-giants-franchise-tag-0ap3000000475805|website=[[National Football League]]|access-date=3 March 2015}}</ref> One other team used the [[Franchise tag#Types of franchise tag|transition tag]], which offers the player's current team a chance to match offers from other franchises and also guarantees draft pick compensation (at a lesser level than the franchise tag) if a tagged player signs elsewhere. The player given the transition tag was [[Charles Clay (American football)|Charles Clay]] ([[2015 Miami Dolphins season|Dolphins]]). On March 19, 2015, Clay signed a five-year, $38M contract with the [[Buffalo Bills]], after the Dolphins elected not to match the offer.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Brown|first1=Chris|title=Bills land TE Charles Clay|url=http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/Bills-land-TE-Charles-Clay/695f0127-e39a-449d-87a7-2eddf62cac17|website=BuffaloBills.com|publisher=Buffalo Bills|access-date=19 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321144853/http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/Bills-land-TE-Charles-Clay/695f0127-e39a-449d-87a7-2eddf62cac17|archive-date=March 21, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

===Trades===
An unusually large number of big name players switched teams via trade prior to the 2015 season.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Schalter|first1=Ty|title=Why Has the NFL Finally Started Embracing the Art of Trading Players?|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2403865-why-has-the-nfl-finally-started-embracing-the-art-of-trading-players|website=[[Bleacher Report]]|access-date=September 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150821051658/http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2403865-why-has-the-nfl-finally-started-embracing-the-art-of-trading-players|archive-date=August 21, 2015|date=March 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Eagles coach Chip Kelly used his newly obtained GM powers to make many blockbuster trades. The [[2015 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]] traded 2-time All-Pro running back [[LeSean McCoy]] to the [[2015 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills]] in exchange for linebacker [[Kiko Alonso]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wesseling|first1=Chris|title=Eagles, Bills to swap LeSean McCoy for Kiko Alonso|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/eagles-bills-to-swap-lesean-mccoy-for-kiko-alonso-0ap3000000476192|access-date=September 21, 2015|work=[[NFL.com]]|date=March 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905122535/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000476192/article/eagles-bills-to-swap-lesean-mccoy-for-kiko-alonso|archive-date=September 5, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The Eagles also traded [[Pro Bowl]] quarterback [[Nick Foles]] along with their selection in the second round of the [[2016 NFL draft]] to the [[2015 St. Louis Rams season|St. Louis Rams]] for quarterback [[Sam Bradford]]; the deal also included a swap of draft picks in the [[2015 NFL draft]] as well as a possible additional 2016 draft pick from the Rams contingent on Bradford's playing time with the Eagles.<ref>{{cite web|title=Trade Terms For Bradford-Foles Deal Finalized|url=http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2015/3/10/8187783/trade-terms-for-bradford-foles-deal-finalized|website=Turf Show Times|publisher=[[SB Nation]]|access-date=September 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150521001530/http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2015/3/10/8187783/trade-terms-for-bradford-foles-deal-finalized|archive-date=May 21, 2015|date=March 10, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[2015 New Orleans Saints season|New Orleans Saints]] traded All-Pro tight end [[Jimmy Graham]] along with their fourth-round selection in the [[2015 NFL draft|draft]] to the [[2015 Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle Seahawks]] in exchange for All-Pro center [[Max Unger]] and the Seahawks' first-round selection in the [[2015 NFL draft|draft]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Seahawks land star TE Jimmy Graham in trade with Saints|url=http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/seattle-seahawks-new-orleans-saints-trade-jimmy-graham-max-unger-draft-picks-031015|access-date=September 21, 2015|agency=[[Associated Press|AP]]|work=[[Foxsports.com]]|date=March 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150401110507/http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/seattle-seahawks-new-orleans-saints-trade-jimmy-graham-max-unger-draft-picks-031015|archive-date=April 1, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The Saints also traded away Pro Bowl guard [[Ben Grubbs]] (to the [[2015 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] for a fifth round selection in the [[2015 NFL draft]]) and wide receiver [[Kenny Stills]] (to the [[2015 Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins]] in exchange for linebacker [[Dannell Ellerbe]] and a third rounder in the [[2015 NFL draft|2015 draft]]). The [[2015 Detroit Lions season|Detroit Lions]] acquired All-Pro defensive tackle [[Haloti Ngata]] from the [[2015 Baltimore Ravens season|Baltimore Ravens]] in exchange for draft picks to help make up for the loss of [[Ndamukong Suh]] in free agency.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rothstein |first=Michael |title=Ravens trade NT Haloti Ngata |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/12456178/baltimore-ravens-trade-haloti-ngata-detroit-lions |work=[[ESPN.com]] |date=May 4, 2015 |access-date=May 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402221300/http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12456178/baltimore-ravens-trade-haloti-ngata-detroit-lions|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Draft===
{{Further|2015 NFL draft}}
The 2015 NFL Draft was held April 30&nbsp;– May 2, 2015, in [[Chicago]].<ref>{{cite web|title=2014 NFL Draft Notes |url=http://nfllabor.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/draft-notes-2014.pdf|publisher=[[National Football League]]|access-date=May 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140506192929/http://nfllabor.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/draft-notes-2014.pdf |archive-date=May 6, 2014|date=May 6, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> The draft process began with the [[NFL Scouting Combine]], where draft-eligible players were evaluated by team personnel, which was held in [[Indianapolis]] on February 17–23. On October 2, 2014, [[Auditorium Theatre]] in Chicago was announced as the official site of the draft.<ref name="Chicago">{{cite news|last=Schefter|first=Adam |title=Chicago will host 2015 NFL draft|url=https://www.espn.com/chicago/nfl/story/_/id/11626814/nfl-sets-dates-2015-draft |work=ESPN.com|date=October 2, 2014|access-date=October 5, 2014}}</ref> The previous fifty NFL drafts (since [[1965 NFL draft|1965]]) had been held in New York.<ref name=NYDN_draft_venue>{{cite news|last1=Myers|first1=Gary|title=2015 NFL draft will not be at Radio City Music Hall, headed to either Los Angeles or Chicago|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/nfl-draft-leaving-new-york-2015-headed-chicago-article-1.1871386|access-date=February 10, 2015|newspaper=[[Daily News (New York)]]|date=July 17, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140718180720/http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/nfl-draft-leaving-new-york-2015-headed-chicago-article-1.1871386|archive-date=July 18, 2014}}</ref> The 2015 NFL Draft was the first to feature an outdoor component, where fans would be able to see the [[Roger Goodell|Commissioner]] on the Auditorium Theatre stage from across the street in [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]]; this area was called Draft Town.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Fischer|first1=Bryan|title=New, fan-friendly events planned for 2015 NFL Draft in Chicago|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/new-fan-friendly-events-planned-for-2015-nfl-draft-in-chicago-0ap3000000476415|website=NFL.com|publisher=NFL Productions LLC|access-date=4 May 2015}}</ref> In the draft, the [[2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] made [[2014 Florida State Seminoles football team|Florida State University]] quarterback [[Jameis Winston]] the [[List of first overall National Football League draft picks|first overall selection]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/nfl-draft-day-jameis-winston-prepares-chapter/story?id=30710801|title=NFL Draft Day: Jameis Winston Goes to Tampa Bay Buccaneers as No. 1 NFL Draft Pick|author=ABC News|work=ABC News|date=April 30, 2015|access-date=April 30, 2015}}</ref>

==New officials==
[[List of National Football League officials|Referee]] [[Bill Leavy]] retired after the {{nfly|2014}} season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.footballzebras.com/2015/05/13/12613/|title=R Bill Leavy retires after 20 seasons|last=Lewis|first=Josh|publisher=Football Zebras|date=May 13, 2015|website=footballzebras.com|access-date=May 18, 2015}}</ref> On May 13, 2015, the [[National Football League|NFL]] promoted line judge [[John Hussey (American football official)|John Hussey]] to the referee position.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.footballzebras.com/2015/05/13/12624/|title=LJ John Hussey moves to the referee position|last=Schultz|first=Mark|publisher=Football Zebras|date=May 13, 2015|website=footballzebras.com|access-date=May 18, 2015}}</ref> In addition to Hussey's promotion to referee, the NFL hired 10 more officials, including the first full-time female official in NFL history, [[Sarah Thomas (American football official)|Sarah Thomas]], who worked as a line judge,<ref name=SarahThomas group=note/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-makes-sarah-thomas-first-full-time-female-official-0ap3000000484154|title=NFL makes Sarah Thomas first full-time female official|last=Orr|first=Conor|publisher=NFL Enterprises LLC.|date=April 8, 2015|website=NFL.com|access-date=May 18, 2015}}</ref> as well as Walt Coleman IV, the son of referee [[Walt Coleman]], who worked as a side judge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.footballzebras.com/2015/04/08/12607/|title=9 officials hired by the NFL with only 4 vacancies|last=Austro|first=Ben|publisher=Football Zebras|date=April 8, 2015|website=footballzebras.com|access-date=May 18, 2015}}</ref>

==Rule changes==
The following rule changes were passed for the 2015 NFL season at the owners' meeting on March 25, 2015:<ref>[https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/12551912/nfl-owners-vote-allow-medical-out NFL owners vote to allow a medical timeout]. ''ESPN.com''. Retrieved March 25, 2015.</ref>
* Allow a certified medical trainer to call a medical time-out when a player appears disoriented or concussed. This time-out is not to be charged to the team whose player is injured, even inside the [[two-minute warning]]. The only substitution allowed is for the injured player and for a single player from the opposing team to match up.
* Making the practice of [[A-11 offense|a receiver declared ineligible lining up in the]] [[slotback|slot formation]] illegal; ineligible receivers must line up inside the [[tackle box (American football)|tackle box]]. This was in response to the [[New England Patriots]] using this tactic in the [[2014–15 NFL playoffs#AFC: New England Patriots 35, Baltimore Ravens 31|2014–15 NFL playoffs]] against the [[Baltimore Ravens]].
* Extended the restriction for peel-back blocks to include all of the offensive team instead of just those inside of the tackle box.
* Expanded the definition of a "defenseless receiver" to include intended receivers in the air during and after an interception.
* Making offensive backs who chop a defender engaged above the waist by another offensive player subject to a chop-block penalty (15 yards).
* Pushing teammates at the scrimmage line during punts or field goals is illegal.
* Expanded instant replay to include whether time should be put back on the game clock at the end of any period.
* The [[National Football League uniform numbers|league's jersey numbering system]] was modified to allow linebackers wear numbers 40–49, in addition to 50–59 and 90–99.
* The 'process' rule on making a catch while going to the ground is adjusted. A receiver will be considered to have made a catch if they "clearly establish themselves as a runner" before going to the ground. Previously a receiver had to make a "football move".<ref>[http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25249589/nfl-rewrites-dez-bryant-rule-and-it-might-actually-be-more-confusing "NFL rewrites Dez Bryant rule and it might actually be more confusing"]. ''CBSsports.com''. Retrieved September 14, 2015.</ref>

The following changes to the [[Conversion (gridiron football)|extra point rules]] were passed for the 2015 NFL season at the owners' meeting on May 19, 2015:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Eric D. |date=2015-05-19 |title=NFL to move extra-point kicks to longer distance |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/12915634/nfl-change-extra-point-kicks-longer-distance |access-date=2024-02-16 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Patra |first=Kevin |date=May 19, 2015 |title=NFL moves extra point to 15-yard line for 2015 season |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-moves-extra-point-to-15-yard-line-for-2015-season-0ap3000000493347 |access-date=2024-02-16 |website=NFL.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
* The line of scrimmage for extra point tries will move to the 15-yard line from the two-yard line. Two-point conversions will still be spotted at the two-yard line.
* Defenses will be allowed to return turnovers on two-point tries or blocked or missed PAT kicks to the opposing end zone for two points, mirroring the NCAA College football rule adopted in the [[1988 NCAA Division I-A football season|1988 season]]. Furthermore, a [[Conversion safety|one-point safety]] can now also be scored if either team takes possession and fumbles out of their own end zone or is tackled in it after leaving it.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/11/sports/football/a-1-point-score-in-the-nfl-now-its-possible.html?_r=0|title=N.F.L. Team Scoring Just 1 Point? Now It's Possible|last=Mather|first=Victor|date=September 10, 2015|website=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>

The following changes to game ball protocol were passed for the 2015 NFL season on July 27, 2015:<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2015/07/27/nfls-post-deflategate-rule-changes-undermine-leagues-punishment-of-tom-brady/|title=NFL's post-DeflateGate rule changes undermine league's punishment of Tom Brady|last=Kilgore|first=Adam|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=July 27, 2015|access-date=July 30, 2015}}</ref>
* There will be increased testing, oversight and security surrounding the balls. At random games, officials will measure the PSI of 24 footballs at halftime. Two officials, instead of only the referee, will measure and record the inflation of footballs before the game. These changes were made in response to the "[[deflategate]]" scandal.

==2015 deaths==
The following people associated with the NFL (or [[American Football League|AFL]]) died in 2015.<ref name=PFR_2015_deaths>{{cite web|title=2015 Pro Football Deaths |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2015/deaths.htm |website=[[Pro-Football-Reference.com]] |access-date=February 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218080350/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2014/deaths.htm |archive-date=February 18, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref>

;Frank Gifford
[[File:FrankGifford.jpg|thumb|right|125px|Gifford in 2009]]
[[Frank Gifford]] died on August 9, just a week shy of his 85th birthday. Gifford had a 12-year playing career with the [[History of the New York Giants (1925–78)#Jim Lee Howell and the Hall of Famers: 1954-1958|New York Giants]] in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a 4-time [[All-Pro]], played in eight [[Pro Bowl]]s and was named to the [[National Football League 1950s All-Decade Team|1950s All-Decade Team]]. In {{nfly|1956}} Gifford was named the NFL's [[National Football League Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player]]. After his playing career Gifford transitioned to sports broadcasting, most notably joining ABC's [[Monday Night Football]] in the program's second season and serving as the broadcast's [[Sports commentator#Main/Play-by-play commentator|play-by-play]] announcer and later [[color commentator]] for the next 27 seasons. Gifford was a member of the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] as well as the [[College Football Hall of Fame]].<ref name=Gifford_NYT_obit>{{cite news|last1=Goldstein|first1=Richard|last2=Weber|first2=Bruce|title=Frank Gifford, Star for Giants and in the Broadcast Booth, Dies at 84|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/10/sports/football/frank-gifford-early-nfl-celebrity-as-player-and-broadcaster-dies-at-84.html|access-date=September 18, 2015|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 9, 2015}}</ref><ref name=Gifford_PFR>{{cite web|title=Frank Gifford|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GiffFr00.htm|website=[[Pro-Football-Reference.com]]|access-date=September 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905131133/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GiffFr00.htm|archive-date=September 5, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:ChuckBednarik1952Bowman.jpg|thumb|left|125px|Bednarik in 1952]]
[[File:Ken Stabler 2007 Alabama Broadcasters Convention.jpg|thumb|right|125px|Stabler in 2007]]
[[File:CharlieSanders-HOFCeremony.jpg|thumb|left|125px|Sanders (far right) in 2007]]
[[File:Garo Yepremian 2013.jpg|thumb|right|125px|Yepremian in 2013]]
[[File:Bob St. Clair at 49ers Family Day 2009.JPG|thumb|left|125px|St. Clair in 2009]]
;Chuck Bednarik
[[Chuck Bednarik]] died on March 31 at age 89. Bednarik was the first player selected in the [[1949 NFL draft]] and played [[linebacker]] and [[Center (gridiron football)|center]] for the Philadelphia Eagles for fourteen seasons. He won championships with the Eagles in [[1949 NFL Championship Game|1949]] and [[1960 NFL Championship Game|1960]]. He was a 5-time first team [[All-Pro]] and played in eight [[Pro Bowl]]s. Bednarik was selected as a member of the [[National Football League 75th Anniversary All-Time Team#75th Anniversary All-Time Two Way Team|NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Two-Way Team]] and was inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in his first year of eligibility in 1967. He was also a member of the [[College Football Hall of Fame]].<ref name=Bednarik_PhillyInq_obit>{{cite news|last1=Fitzpatrick|first1=Frank|title=Eagles Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik dies|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/obituaries/20150322_Eagles_Hall_of_Famer_Chuck_Bednarik_dies.html#96AmtgZPLvfR7u72.99|access-date=September 18, 2015|newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|date=March 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150602095934/http://www.philly.com/philly/obituaries/20150322_Eagles_Hall_of_Famer_Chuck_Bednarik_dies.html|archive-date=June 2, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Bednarik_PFR>{{cite web|title=Chuck Bednarik|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BednCh00.htm|website=[[Pro-Football-Reference.com]]|access-date=September 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905064021/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BednCh00.htm|archive-date=September 5, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

;Ken Stabler
[[Ken Stabler]] died on July 8 at age 69. Stabler had a fifteen-year NFL career as a quarterback for the [[Oakland Raiders#1972–1978|Oakland Raiders]], [[History of the Houston Oilers#1980s|Houston Oilers]] and [[New Orleans Saints]] in the 1970s and 1980s. He was named the league's [[National Football League Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] in {{nfly|1974}}, led the Raiders to their first championship in [[Super Bowl XI]] and was a member of the [[National Football League 1970s All-Decade Team|1970s All-Decade Team]].<ref name=Stabler_LATimes_obit>{{cite news|last1=Farmer|first1=Sam|title=Ken Stabler dies at 69; elusive Raiders quarterback known as 'The Snake'|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-ken-stabler-20150710-story.html|access-date=September 18, 2015|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=July 9, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150818224420/http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-ken-stabler-20150710-story.html|archive-date=August 18, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Stabler_PFR>{{cite web|title=Ken Stabler|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/StabKe00.htm|website=[[Pro-Football-Reference.com]]|access-date=September 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905074838/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/StabKe00.htm|archive-date=September 5, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

;Ed Sabol
[[Ed Sabol]] died on February 9 at age 98. Sabol founded [[NFL Films]] in 1962 where he pioneered a documentary style of capturing the game of football that many credit as a driver of the huge surge in the NFL's popularity. Sabol was enshrined in the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ed Sabol, 1916-2015|url=http://www.profootballhof.com/story/2015/2/9/ed-sabol-1916-2015/|website=ProFootballHOF.com|publisher=[[Pro Football Hall of Fame]]|access-date=September 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150918153149/http://www.profootballhof.com/story/2015/2/9/ed-sabol-1916-2015/|archive-date=September 18, 2015|date=February 9, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

;Charlie Sanders
[[Charlie Sanders]] died on July 2 at age 68. Sanders played [[tight end]] for the [[Detroit Lions]] for ten seasons. He was twice named first-team [[All-Pro]], was selected for seven [[Pro Bowl]] teams and was a member of the [[National Football League 1970s All-Decade Team|1970s All-Decade Team]]. After his playing career he continued to be involved with the Lions, first as a broadcaster and later as a coach and scout. He was elected to the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 2007.<ref name=Sanders_DetroitFP_obit>{{cite news|last1=Birkett|first1=Dave|title=Lions legend Charlie Sanders dies at 68|url=http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/07/02/charlie-sanders-death-detroit-lions/29634347/|access-date=September 18, 2015|newspaper=[[Detroit Free Press]]|date=July 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150703104625/http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/07/02/charlie-sanders-death-detroit-lions/29634347/|archive-date=July 3, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Charlie Sanders|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SandCh01.htm|website=[[Pro-Football-Reference.com]]|access-date=September 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905053515/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SandCh01.htm|archive-date=September 5, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

;Garo Yepremian
[[Garo Yepremian]] died on May 15 at age 70. Yepremian had a fourteen-year career as a [[placekicker]] for four NFL teams, most notably with the Miami Dolphins of the 1970s. He was twice named a first-team [[All-Pro]] and was a member of two [[Pro Bowl]] teams as well as a 2-time Super Bowl champion. He led the league in field goal accuracy three times and was named to the [[National Football League 1970s All-Decade Team|1970s All-Decade Team]].<ref name=Yepremian_obit>{{cite news|last1=Jackson|first1=Barry|title=Miami Dolphins legendary kicker Garo Yepremian dies at 70|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/article21153423.html|access-date=September 18, 2015|newspaper=[[Miami Herald]]|date=May 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530144020/http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/article21153423.html|archive-date=May 30, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Yepremian_PFR>{{cite web|title=Garo Yepremian|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/Y/yepregar01.htm|website=[[Pro-Football-Reference.com]]|access-date=September 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905115122/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/Y/yepregar01.htm|archive-date=September 5, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

;Bob St. Clair
[[Bob St. Clair]] died on April 20 at age 84. St. Clair had an eleven-year career as an [[offensive tackle]] for the San Francisco 49ers in the 1950s and 1960s. He played in the [[Pro Bowl]] five times and was named to the [[National Football League 1950s All-Decade Team|1950s All-Decade Team]]. St. Clair was the mayor of [[Daly City, California]] from 1958 through 1964. St. Clair was enshrined in the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 1990.<ref name=StClair_obit>{{cite news|last1=Branch|first1=Eric|title=Bob St. Clair, Hall of Fame 49ers lineman, dies at 84|url=http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/Bob-St-Clair-dies-at-84-6212538.php|access-date=September 18, 2015|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=April 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150814195812/http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/Bob-St-Clair-dies-at-84-6212538.php|archive-date=August 14, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=StClair_HOF_obit>{{cite web|title=Bob St. Clair, 1931-2015|url=http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/2015/4/20/bob-st-clair-1931-2015/|access-date=September 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905194012/http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/2015/4/20/bob-st-clair-1931-2015/|archive-date=September 5, 2015|date=April 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=StClair_PFR>{{cite web|title=Bob St. Clair|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/St.CBo00.htm|website=[[Pro-Football-Reference.com]]|access-date=September 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905072533/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/St.CBo00.htm|archive-date=September 5, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

;Other 2015 deaths

<!--ALPHABETIZED BY LAST NAME-->
{{Div col|colwidth=12em|content=
*[[Bill Arnsparger]]
*[[Pete Athas]]
*[[George Atkins (American football)|George Atkins]]
*[[Billy Baggett]]
*Monk Bailey
*[[Tom Bettis]]
*M. L. Brackett
*[[C. O. Brocato]]
*[[Curtis Brown (running back, born 1954)|Curtis Brown]]
*[[Doug Buffone]]
*[[Bryan Caldwell]]
*[[Henry Carr]]
*[[Sam Cathcart]]
*[[Damion Cook]]
*[[John David Crow]]
*[[Doug Cunningham (American football)|Doug Cunningham]]
*[[Willie Daniel]]
*[[Jack Davis (guard, born 1933)|Jack Davis]]
*[[JaJuan Dawson]]
*[[Clyde Duncan]]
*[[Bill Enyart]]
*[[Mel Farr]]
*[[Jesse Freitas (American football, born 1951)|Jesse Freitas, Jr.]]
*[[Ed Fullerton]]
*[[Mike Gaechter]]
*[[Jim Gaffney]]
*[[Gary Glick]]
*[[Ray Graves]]
*[[Jimmy Gunn]]
*[[Rip Hawkins]]
*[[Dick Hensley]]
*Gary Henson
*[[Ray Hill (American football)|Ray Hill]]
*[[Gordy Holz]], [[Marv Hubbard]]
*[[Tommy Hudspeth]]
*[[Kevin Hunt (American football)|Kevin Hunt]]
*[[Lindy Infante]]
*[[Bill Jessup]]
*[[Sonny Karnofsky]]
*[[Bill Keating (American football)|Bill Keating]]
*[[Vince Kendrick]]
*[[Mike Kostiuk]]
*[[Jim LaRue]]
*[[Eddie LeBaron]]
*[[Dan Lewis (American football)|Dan Lewis]]
*[[Jack Linn]]
*[[Tom Longo]]
*[[Don Looney]]
*[[Ann Mara]]
*[[Tommy Mason]]
*[[Jim McCusker (American football)|Jim McCusker]]
*[[Ralph McGill (American football)|Ralph McGill]]
*[[Steve Meilinger]]
*[[John Mellekas]]
*[[Terdell Middleton]]
*[[Ed Modzelewski]]
*[[Jim Mutscheller]]
*[[Ray Nagel]]
*[[Joe O'Malley]]
*[[John Papit]]
*[[Pat Peppler]]
*[[Jim Phillips (American football)|Jim Phillips]]
*John Polonchek
*[[Art Powell (wide receiver)|Art Powell]]
*[[Bob Priestley (American football)|Bob Priestley]]
*[[Steve Pritko]]
*[[Jethro Pugh]]
*[[Mike Pyle (American football)|Mike Pyle]]
*[[Lee Remmel]]
*[[Adrian Robinson]]
*[[William Roffler]]
*[[Tyler Sash]]
*[[Tom Scott (linebacker)|Tom Scott]]
*[[Allie Sherman]]
*[[John Siegal]]
*[[Joe Skibinski]]
*[[J. D. Smith (fullback, born 1931)|J. D. Smith]]
*[[Robert Sowell]]
*[[Dick Stanfel]]
*[[Jim Steffen]]
*[[Charlie Sumner]]
*[[Rich Szaro]]
*[[Bob Toneff]]
*[[Laverne Torczon]]
*[[LaVern Torgeson]]
*Bobby Towns
*Ted Vaught
*[[Danny Villanueva]]
*[[Jerry Wilson (defensive end)|Jerry Wilson]]
*[[Dick Wood]]
}}

==Preseason==
[[Training camp (National Football League)|Training camps]] for the 2015 season began July 22 and continued through the end of preseason, September 3. The normal training camp window ran from late July to late August or early September. Most of the camps had rookies report first, then veterans. At that point, some teams practiced versus another organization, like the [[Buffalo Bills|Bills]] practiced against the [[Cleveland Browns|Browns]] this year. Teams started training camp no earlier than fifteen days before the team's first scheduled preseason game. At that point, the rosters for each team were open to 90 players. Those rosters were cut to 75 by Week 3 of preseason, and the final 53-man roster was submitted at the end of preseason.

Prior to the start of the regular season, each team played at least four [[exhibition game]]s. The [[National Football League preseason|preseason]] schedule got underway with the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame Game]] on Sunday evening, August 9. The Hall of Fame game is a traditional part of the annual [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] induction weekend celebrating new Hall of Fame members. It was played at [[Fawcett Stadium|Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium]] which is located adjacent to the Hall of Fame building in [[Canton, Ohio]]. The game, which was televised in the U.S. on [[NFL on NBC|NBC]], featured the [[Minnesota Vikings]] and [[Pittsburgh Steelers]]; as in previous years, each team had an inductee in the class of 2015 ([[Mick Tingelhoff]] for the Vikings, [[Jerome Bettis]] for the Steelers).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Sessler|first1=Marc|title=Steelers, Vikings to square off in Hall of Fame Game|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/steelers-vikings-to-square-off-in-hall-of-fame-game-0ap3000000470102|website=NFL.com|publisher=NFL|access-date=12 February 2015}}</ref> The 65-game preseason schedule ended on Thursday, September 3, a week before the start of the regular season, with each team having played four preseason games, except for the Steelers and Vikings, who played five games. The preliminary preseason schedule was released Thursday, April 9.

==Regular season==
The 2015 [[National Football League regular season|regular season]] featured 256 games played out over a seventeen-week schedule which began on the Thursday night following [[Labor Day]]. Each of the league's 32 teams played a 16-game schedule with one [[Bye (sports)|bye week]] for each team scheduled between weeks four and eleven. The slate also featured seventeen games on [[Monday Night Football|Monday night]], two of which were played at the end of the first week of the regular season. Additionally, there was no Monday Night game at the end of the final week of the regular season, the same as in previous years. There were games played on Thursday, including the opening game of the regular season on Thursday, September 10 and three games on [[NFL on Thanksgiving Day|Thanksgiving Day]]. The regular season concluded with a full slate of 16 games on Sunday, January 3, all of which were intra-divisional matchups, as it has been since {{nfly|2010}}, with the Minnesota Vikings beating the Green Bay Packers on ''NBC Sunday Night Football''

;Scheduling formula
Under the NFL's [[NFL scheduling formula|scheduling formula]], each team plays each of the other three teams in their own division twice (one home and one away). In addition, a team plays against all four teams in one other division within the conference, on a 3-year rotation; and one division from the opposite conference, on a 4-year rotation. Two games on a team's schedule are against the two teams in the team's own conference in the divisions the team was not set to play who finished the previous season in the same rank in their division (e.g. the team which finished first in its division the previous season would play each other team in their conference that also finished first in its respective division). The pre-set division pairings for 2015 are as follows:<ref>{{cite book | title=NFL Record & Fact Book 2015 | isbn=978-1618933942 | publisher=NFL | chapter=Scheduling Formula | page=[https://archive.org/details/official2014nati00nati/page/16 16] | date=July 29, 2014 | chapter-url-access=registration | chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/official2014nati00nati/page/16 }}</ref>
{| border=0 style="margin: 0 0 0 1.5em;"
|- valign="top"
|
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;'''Intra-conference'''<br/>
[[AFC East]] vs. [[AFC South]]<br/>
[[AFC North]] vs. [[AFC West]]<br/>
[[NFC East]] vs. [[NFC South]]<br/>
[[NFC North]] vs. [[NFC West]]<br/>
| style="padding-left:40px;" |
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;'''Inter-conference'''<br/>
[[AFC East]] vs. [[NFC East]]<br/>
[[AFC West]] vs. [[NFC North]]<br/>
[[AFC North]] vs. [[NFC West]]<br/>
[[AFC South]] vs. [[NFC South]]<br/>
|}

Highlights of the 2015 schedule include:
* '''[[NFL Kickoff Game]]''': The 2015 season began on Thursday, September 10, 2015, with the [[Super Bowl XLIX]] champion [[2015 New England Patriots season|New England]] hosting [[2015 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh]]. The Patriots defeated the Steelers, 28–21.
* '''[[NFL International Series|International Series]]''': Three games were played at [[Wembley Stadium]] in [[London, United Kingdom]] in 2015, with two games being played in back-to-back weeks for the first time.<ref name="IntlSeries">{{cite web | url=https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-announces-2015-international-series-lineup-0ap3000000423634 | title=NFL announces 2015 International Series lineup | work=NFL.com | date=November 6, 2014 | access-date=November 16, 2014}}</ref> [[2015 Miami Dolphins season|Miami]] played the [[2015 New York Jets season|New York Jets]] on Sunday, October 4, the first ever divisional game played in the International Series.<ref name="IntlSeries"/> The [[2015 Jacksonville Jaguars season|Jacksonville]] then hosted the [[2015 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo]] on Sunday, October 25, in the third of four consecutive home games for the Jaguars in the International Series. Finally, the [[2015 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City]] hosted the [[2015 Detroit Lions season|Detroit]] on Sunday, November 1,<ref name="IntlSeries"/> making 2015 the Lions' second consecutive year in the International Series. All three games began at 9:30&nbsp;a.m. ET.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/12149788/buffalo-bills-jacksonville-jaguars-october-game-london-kick-early | title=Bills-Jaguars game to kick off early | work=ESPN.com | date=January 11, 2015 | access-date=January 11, 2015}}</ref>
* '''[[NFL on Thanksgiving Day|Thanksgiving Day games]]''': These games occurred on Thursday, November 26, 2015. For the second consecutive season, the [[American Football Conference|AFC]] was shut out of Thanksgiving, with all six slots going to NFC teams. As usual, three consecutive games were played; the [[2015 Detroit Lions season|Detroit]] hosted the [[2015 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia]] in the early slot on Fox and the [[2015 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas]] hosted the [[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina]] in the middle slot on CBS; this was the Panthers' first ever Thanksgiving appearance. The [[2015 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay]] hosted the [[2015 Chicago Bears season|Chicago]] in the primetime game, where the Packers [[List of National Football League retired numbers|retired]] longtime quarterback [[Brett Favre]]'s No. 4 jersey.
* '''[[National Football League Christmas games|Christmas]]''': The [[2015 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland]] hosted the [[2015 San Diego Chargers season|San Diego]] at 8:25&nbsp;p.m. EST (5:25&nbsp;p.m. local time) on December 24, Christmas Eve. This was the second ever night game on Christmas Eve (the first was in 2007, which was also played in the [[Pacific Time Zone]]) and the first time the league has played on a Thursday Christmas Eve. The league has traditionally avoided playing night games on Christmas Eve and, in years past, moved games that would usually play on the night of Christmas Eve to another day of the week, an option the league did not exercise in 2015; no games were held on Christmas Day, which fell on a Friday, in 2015 as the NFL rarely plays games on that day of the week.

===In-season scheduling changes===
* '''Week 10:''' The [[2015 Chicago Bears season|Chicago]]–[[2015 St. Louis Rams season|St. Louis]] game was "cross-flexed" from [[Fox NFL|Fox]] to [[NFL on CBS|CBS]] (still at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|ET]]).<ref name="Week11Flex">{{cite web |title=Week 11 Flex Scheduling - November 22 Bengals-Cardinals Game Moves to NBC Sunday Night Football |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/Week-11-Flex-Scheduling---November-22-Bengals-Cardinals-Game-Moves-to-NBC-Sunday-Night-Football.aspx |work=NFL Communications |date=November 2, 2015 |access-date=November 2, 2015}}</ref>
* '''Week 11:''' The [[2015 Cincinnati Bengals season|Cincinnati]]–[[2015 Arizona Cardinals season|Arizona]] game, originally scheduled at 4:05&nbsp;p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|ET]] on CBS, was flexed into the 8:30&nbsp;p.m. ET slot on [[NBC Sunday Night Football|NBC's Sunday Night Football]], in place of the originally scheduled [[2015 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City]]–[[2015 San Diego Chargers season|San Diego]] game, which was moved to 4:05&nbsp;p.m. ET on CBS. The [[2015 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay]]–[[2015 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota]] game, originally scheduled at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET, was moved to 4:25&nbsp;p.m. ET (still on Fox).<ref name="Week11Flex"/>
* '''Week 13:''' The [[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina]]–[[2015 New Orleans Saints season|New Orleans]] game, originally scheduled at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET, was moved to 4:25&nbsp;p.m. ET (still on Fox), while the Cincinnati–[[2015 Cleveland Browns season|Cleveland]] game was "cross-flexed" from CBS to Fox (still at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET).<ref>{{cite web |title=Week 13 Flex Scheduling: Panthers-Saints Moves To 4:25 PM ET On FOX |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/Week-13-Flex-Scheduling---Panthers-Saints-Moves-To-425-PM-ET-On-FOX.aspx |work=NFL Communications |date=November 23, 2015 |access-date=November 23, 2015}}</ref>
* '''Week 14:''' The [[2015 New England Patriots season|New England]]–[[2015 Houston Texans season|Houston]] game, originally scheduled at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET on CBS, was flexed into the 8:30&nbsp;p.m. ET slot on NBC's Sunday Night Football, in place of the originally scheduled [[2015 Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle]]–[[2015 Baltimore Ravens season|Baltimore]] game, which was moved to 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET on Fox.<ref>{{cite web|title=Week 14 Flex Scheduling: Patriots-Texans Moves To NBC's Sunday Night Football On December 13|url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/Week-14-Flex-Scheduling---Patriots-Texans-Moves-To-NBC's-Sunday-Night-Football-On-December-13.aspx|work=NFL Communications|date=November 29, 2015|access-date=November 29, 2015}}</ref>
* '''Week 15:''' The Arizona–[[2015 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia]] game, originally scheduled at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET on Fox, was flexed into the 8:30&nbsp;p.m. ET slot on NBC's Sunday Night Football, in place of the originally scheduled Cincinnati–[[2015 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco]] game, which was moved to 4:25&nbsp;p.m. ET on CBS, while the [[2015 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo]]–[[2015 Washington Redskins season|Washington]] game was "cross-flexed" from CBS to Fox (still at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET).<ref>{{cite web |title=Week 15 (December 20) Flex Scheduling: Cardinals-Eagles Moves To NBC Sunday Night Football|url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/Week-15-%28December-20%29-Flex-Scheduling---Cardinals-Eagles-Moves-To-NBC-Sunday-Night-Football.aspx|work=NFL Communications|date=December 7, 2015 |access-date=December 7, 2015}}</ref>
* '''Week 16:''' The [[2015 New York Giants season|New York Giants]]–Minnesota game, originally scheduled at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET on Fox, was flexed into the 8:30&nbsp;p.m. ET slot on NBC's Sunday Night Football, in place of the originally scheduled Pittsburgh–Baltimore game, which was moved to 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET on CBS, while the [[2015 Indianapolis Colts season|Indianapolis]]–[[2015 Miami Dolphins season|Miami]] game was "cross-flexed" from CBS to Fox (still at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET). In addition, the [[2015 Jacksonville Jaguars season|Jacksonville]]-New Orleans game was moved from 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET to 4:05&nbsp;p.m. ET (still on CBS).<ref>{{cite web |title=Week 16 (December 27) Flex Scheduling Note: Sunday Night Football Matchup Contingent on Tonight's New York Giants-Miami Dolphins Game|url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/Week-16-%28December-27%29-Flex-Scheduling-Note.aspx|work=NFL Communications|date=December 14, 2015|access-date=December 14, 2015}}</ref>
* '''Week 17:'''<ref>{{cite web | title=Week 17 Flex Schedule: Minnesota at Green Bay to be NBC Sunday Night Football Game on January 3 | url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/Week-17-Flex-Schedule---Monday.aspx|work=NFL Communications|date=December 28, 2015|access-date=December 29, 2015}}</ref>
** The Minnesota–Green Bay game, originally scheduled at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET on Fox, was selected as the final 8:30&nbsp;p.m. ET ''NBC Sunday Night Football'' game of the season, which decided the [[NFC North]] division champion.
** The Baltimore–Cincinnati game, originally scheduled at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET on CBS, was "cross-flexed" to Fox (keeping the same kickoff time).
** The Tampa Bay–Carolina game, originally scheduled at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET on Fox, was moved to 4:25&nbsp;p.m. ET (still on Fox).
** The Oakland–Kansas City game, originally scheduled at 1:00&nbsp;p.m. ET on CBS, was "cross-flexed" to 4:25&nbsp;p.m. ET on Fox.
** The St. Louis–San Francisco game, originally scheduled at 4:25&nbsp;p.m. ET on Fox, was "cross-flexed" to CBS (keeping the same kickoff time).

==Regular season standings==

===Division===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
{{2015 AFC East standings}}
{{2015 AFC North standings}}
{{2015 AFC South standings}}
{{2015 AFC West standings}}
{{col-2}}
{{2015 NFC East standings}}
{{2015 NFC North standings}}
{{2015 NFC South standings}}
{{2015 NFC West standings}}
{{col-end}}

===Conference===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
{{2015 AFC standings}}
{{col-2}}
{{2015 NFC standings}}
{{col-end}}

==Postseason==
{{main|2015–16 NFL playoffs}}
The 2015 playoffs opened with the Wild Card playoff round on the weekend of Saturday, January 9 and Sunday, January 10, 2016, with the winner of each of the games visiting the top two seeded teams in each conference. The Divisional round games were then played on the weekend of Saturday, January 16 and Sunday, January 17, 2016. The Conference championships were held on Sunday, January 24, 2016, with the [[AFC Championship Game]] and the [[NFC Championship Game]].

The [[2016 Pro Bowl]] was held on January 31, 2016, at the [[Aloha Stadium]] in [[Honolulu, Hawaii]]. The game continued the "unconferenced/draft" format that was started in [[2014 Pro Bowl|2014]], with [[Jerry Rice]] and [[Michael Irvin]] serving as the alumni captains. Team Irvin defeated Team Rice 49–27.

[[Super Bowl 50]] decided the 2015 NFL Champion and was played at [[Levi's Stadium]] in [[Santa Clara, California]] on Sunday, February 7, 2016. Instead of naming it Super Bowl L with [[Roman numerals]] like in previous Super Bowls, this game was marketed with the [[Arabic numerals|Arabic numeral]] "50".<ref name="ESPN20140604">{{cite news|last1=Rovell|first1=Darren|title=NFL: It's Super Bowl 50, not L|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/11031941/nfl-take-one-year-hiatus-roman-numerals-super-bowl-50|access-date=June 4, 2014|work=ESPN.com|date=June 4, 2014}}</ref> According to Jaime Weston, the league's vice president of brand and creative, the primary reason was that the league's graphic designers had difficulty designing a suitable, aesthetically pleasing logo with only the Roman numeral "L".<ref name="ESPN20140604"/>

===Playoffs bracket===
{{2015–16 NFL playoffs}}

==Notable events==
Some NFL-related events that made headlines in 2015 include:

;Aftermath of Deflategate scandal
{{further|Deflategate}}
In May, after a lengthy investigation led by [[Ted Wells]], the external investigator appointed by the NFL, the league levied its punishment against the Patriots in the so-called "Deflategate" scandal. The scandal stemmed from the discovery that several of the footballs used by the Patriots during the previous season's AFC championship game were not within the league's inflation guidelines. The Patriots were fined $1 million and stripped of their first-round selection in the [[2016 NFL draft]] and their fourth-round selection in the [[2017 NFL draft]]. Quarterback [[Tom Brady]], who the league's report determined was likely aware of a scheme to manipulate inflation levels, was suspended for four games. Additionally, two locker room attendants employed by the Patriots were suspended indefinitely.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Farmer|first1=Sam|title=Tom Brady suspended four games, Patriots lose draft picks for Deflategate|url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-tom-brady-punishment-deflategate-20150511-story.html|access-date=September 17, 2015|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=May 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150619025140/http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-tom-brady-punishment-deflategate-20150511-story.html|archive-date=June 19, 2015}}</ref>

While the team agreed not to appeal the fine and draft pick revocation, Brady appealed his suspension. League commissioner Roger Goodell heard the appeal and confirmed the sentence on July 28. Immediately upon the announcement of the appeal verdict, the league filed suit against the [[NFL Players Association]] in civil court in an effort to gain a ruling upholding the punishment.<ref>{{cite web|title=New York Southern District Court Case No. 1:15-cv-05916 National Football League Management Council v. National Football League Players Association|url=http://www.plainsite.org/dockets/download.html?id=214166422&z=0cce4040|website=Plainsite.org|access-date=September 21, 2015}}</ref> Judge [[Richard M. Berman]] pushed the two sides hard to reach a settlement, but when they were unable to he ruled for Brady and the union vacating the suspension imposed by the league. Although the league appealed Judge Berman's ruling, Brady's suspension was lifted clearing the way for him to play in the season opener.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hohler|first1=Bob|title=Judge voids Brady's four-game suspension|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/09/03/brady/Sa903csR1QpQesR0s6b0XO/story.html|access-date=September 21, 2015|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=September 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905104150/http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/09/03/brady/Sa903csR1QpQesR0s6b0XO/story.html|archive-date=September 5, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Reyes|first1=Lorenzo|last2=Axon|first2=Rachel|title=NFL files an appeal of Deflategate decision that erased Tom Brady suspension|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/patriots/2015/09/03/deflategate-tom-brady-roger-goodell-judge-richard-overturned-berman-new-england/71504142/|access-date=September 21, 2015|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=September 3, 2015}}</ref>

The two Patriots employees, assistant equipment manager John Jastremski and officials locker room attendant Jim McNally, who had previously been suspended by the team were allowed by the league to be reinstated in September. As a condition for the lifting of the suspensions, neither employee is allowed to be involved with the handling or preparation of game balls.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Volin|first1=Ben|title=NFL allows Patriots to reinstate suspended employees|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/09/16/nfl-reinstates-suspended-patriots-employees/Sy3ZSgdFXcUW5wtemJMFFL/story.html|access-date=September 22, 2015|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=September 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150922160551/https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/09/16/nfl-reinstates-suspended-patriots-employees/Sy3ZSgdFXcUW5wtemJMFFL/story.html|archive-date=September 22, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

;Surprising retirements of several players
A number of relatively young NFL players walked away from the game prior to the 2015 season. The [[2015 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]] lost three potential starters as linebackers [[Patrick Willis]] and [[Chris Borland]] and offensive tackle [[Anthony Davis (offensive tackle, born 1989)|Anthony Davis]] all announced their retirements. Former [[2014 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]] linebacker [[Jason Worilds]] and [[2014 Tennessee Titans season|Tennessee Titans]] quarterback [[Jake Locker]] also both retired despite having yet to reach the age of 30.

Willis, who was regarded as one of the best middle linebackers in the league, played in just six games in [[2014 San Francisco 49ers season|2014]] as he dealt with a toe injury. He announced in March his decision to retire at age 30 due to the chronic nature of the foot injuries he had endured in his eight-year career.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Branch|first1=Eric|title=Patrick Willis: Decision to retire was about his health and heart|url=http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/Patrick-Willis-Decision-to-retire-was-about-his-6126284.php|access-date=September 22, 2015|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=March 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150812141012/http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/Patrick-Willis-Decision-to-retire-was-about-his-6126284.php|archive-date=August 12, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

Borland led the 49ers with 107 tackles in his rookie season in 2014 despite starting just eight games after being selected in the third round of the [[2014 NFL draft#Pick 77|2014 draft]]. Borland cited concerns over the potential long-term impact to his brain health in continuing to play the game in announcing his retirement which he did in March just days after Willis' announcement.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Fainaru|first1=Steve|last2=Fainaru-Wada|first2=Mark|title=Why former 49er Chris Borland is the most dangerous man in football|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/13463272/how-former-san-francisco-49ers-chris-borland-retirement-change-nfl-forever|access-date=September 22, 2015|magazine=[[ESPN The Magazine]]|date=August 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911114616/http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13463272/how-former-san-francisco-49ers-chris-borland-retirement-change-nfl-forever|archive-date=September 11, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

Davis missed four games in 2014 with his first diagnosed concussion. In announcing his retirement in June, he said that he planned to take "a year or so away from the NFL" to "allow my brain and body a chance to heal."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Branch|first1=Eric|title=49ers starting tackle Anthony Davis quits after 1st concussion|url=http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/49ers-starting-tackle-Anthony-Davis-quits-after-6310320.php|access-date=September 22, 2015|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=June 5, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914015429/http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/49ers-starting-tackle-Anthony-Davis-quits-after-6310320.php|archive-date=September 14, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

Worilds was entering free agency after playing for the Steelers the previous five seasons. He turned down contract offers worth tens of millions of dollars in order to devote more time to his [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] faith.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bouchette|first1=Ed|title=Worilds gives up football for faith|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2015/03/11/Steelers-free-agent-Jason-Worilds-announces-his-departure-from-football/stories/201503110155|access-date=September 22, 2015|newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|date=March 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150408020542/http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2015/03/11/Steelers-free-agent-Jason-Worilds-announces-his-departure-from-football/stories/201503110155|archive-date=April 8, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

Locker played four years for the Titans after they made him the eighth overall selection in [[2011 NFL draft#Pick 8|2011 draft]]. He was a free agent when he announced that he would be retiring because he had lost "the burning desire necessary to play the game for a living."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wyatt |first1=Jim |title=Jake Locker retiring from NFL |url=http://www.tennessean.com/story/titansinsider/2015/03/10/titans-jake-locker-nfl/24718947/ |access-date=September 22, 2015 |newspaper=[[The Tennessean]] |date=March 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150313110546/http://www.tennessean.com/story/titansinsider/2015/03/10/titans-jake-locker-nfl/24718947/ |archive-date=March 13, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref>

;First female coach and on-field official
The 2015 season marked the hiring of the first female NFL coach and first female NFL on-field official. [[Jennifer Welter|Jen Welter]] was hired by the [[2015 Arizona Cardinals season|Arizona Cardinals]] as a coaching intern. Welter worked with the team's inside linebackers through the off-season and pre-season.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Latzman|first1=Phil|title=Meet Jen 'Dr. J' Welter, The NFL's First Female Coach|url=http://onlyagame.wbur.org/2015/08/22/jen-welter-arizona-cardinals-nfl|access-date=October 15, 2015|work=Only a Game with Bill Littlefield (blog)|publisher=[[WBUR-FM]]|date=August 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905053510/http://onlyagame.wbur.org/2015/08/22/jen-welter-arizona-cardinals-nfl|archive-date=September 5, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Welter's internship with the Cardinals expired after the team's third preseason game on August 30.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bieler |first1=Des |title=Jen Welter is no longer an NFL coach after her Cardinals internship ended |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2015/09/02/jen-welter-is-no-longer-an-nfl-coach-after-her-cardinals-internship-ended/ |access-date=October 15, 2015 |work=Early Lead (blog) |publisher=The Washington Post |date=September 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920102048/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2015/09/02/jen-welter-is-no-longer-an-nfl-coach-after-her-cardinals-internship-ended/ |archive-date=September 20, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref>

[[Sarah Thomas (American football official)|Sarah Thomas]] became the NFL's first female on-field official when she was hired by the league in April.{{refn|group=note|name=SarahThomas|[[Shannon Eastin]] was the first woman to officiate an NFL game as a temporary non-union official during the [[2012 NFL referee lockout]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/eye-on-football/19738736/shannon-eastin-will-be-first-woman-to-work-nfl-officiating-crew|work=[[CBS Sports]]|title=Shannon Eastin will be first woman to work NFL officiating crew|date=August 6, 2012|first=Ryan|last=Wilson|access-date=November 10, 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413003255/http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/19738736/shannon-eastin-will-be-first-woman-to-work-nfl-officiating-crew |archive-date=April 13, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>}} Thomas had previously become the first female to officiate a major college football game as well as the first to officiate a [[bowl game]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Fox|first1=Ashley|title=Meet Sarah Thomas, NFL's first female official|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/12669370/meet-sarah-thomas-first-female-nfl-official-referee|access-date=October 15, 2015|work=[[ESPN.com]]|publisher=[[ESPN]]|date=April 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150819031226/http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12669370/meet-sarah-thomas-first-female-nfl-official-referee|archive-date=August 19, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

;Official suspended one game due to timekeeping gaffe
The NFL suspended side judge Rob Vernatchi (from [[Pete Morelli]]'s crew) for Week 6 of the regular season due to a timekeeping blunder that occurred during a game the previous week. The host [[2015 San Diego Chargers season|San Diego Chargers]] kicked a field goal to take a 3-point lead over the [[2015 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]] with 2:56 remaining in the fourth quarter. The subsequent kickoff was a touchback, which shouldn't have resulted in any time coming off the game clock. However, when the Steelers took over on offense the scoreboard clock read 2:38. Vernatchi was responsible for keeping the official game time, but he did not notice the 18-second discrepancy. The Steelers ended up scoring a touchdown to secure a win with no time left on the clock.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Alper|first1=Josh|title=NFL confirms suspension of side judge Rob Vernatchi|url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/10/15/nfl-confirms-suspension-of-side-judge-rob-vernatchi/|access-date=October 16, 2015|work=[[Profootballtalk.com]]|publisher=[[NBC Sports]]|date=October 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016204728/http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/10/15/nfl-confirms-suspension-of-side-judge-rob-vernatchi/|archive-date=October 16, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

;Referee crew demoted following questionable calls
The referee crew led by Pete Morelli had been assigned to officiate a ''[[NBC Sunday Night Football|Sunday Night Football]]'' game between the [[2015 Indianapolis Colts season|Indianapolis Colts]] and [[2015 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]] in Week 13, but was reassigned to a different game ([[2015 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]] at [[2015 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]]), due to heavy criticism for questionable calls made during the previous week's [[2015 Arizona Cardinals season|Arizona Cardinals]]–[[2015 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]] game. Morelli's crew drew the ire of Cardinals' head coach [[Bruce Arians]] and 49ers' safety [[Eric Reid (American football)|Eric Reed]], including a botched roughing-the-passer call on Cardinals' quarterback [[Carson Palmer]] that aided the Cardinals' eventual game-winning drive, as well as a missed delay-of-game penalty. Morelli's crew had previously been the subject of criticism, following a clock error during a Week 5 game – ''see above''.<ref>{{cite news |author=Joseph, Andrew |title=NFL demotes Cardinals-49ers officials for next game |url=http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/heat-index/2015/12/01/nfl-demotes-cardinals-49ers-officials-next-game/76604552/ |newspaper=[[The Arizona Republic]] |date=December 1, 2015 |access-date=December 1, 2015}}</ref> In addition, Morelli's crew was involved in a missed call at the end of the [[2015 Jacksonville Jaguars season|Jacksonville Jaguars]]–[[2015 Baltimore Ravens season|Baltimore Ravens]] game in Week 10, where they missed a false start penalty against the Jaguars before the final snap that resulted in a facemask penalty against the Ravens when time expired, allowing the Jaguars to gain 15 yards and kick the game-winning field goal.<ref>{{cite web |author=Gantt, Darin |title=Report: No suspension of officials for Jags-Ravens screwup |url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/11/18/report-no-suspension-of-officials-for-jags-ravens-screwup/ |work=[[NBC Sports]] |date=November 8, 2015 |access-date=November 8, 2015}}</ref>

===Discipline for off-field incidents===
A total of 26 players were suspended by the league as of the season's first week. Most of these suspensions were for violations of the league's [[Performance-enhancing drugs|performance-enhancing drug (PED)]], substance abuse and personal conduct policies.<ref>{{cite news|title=26 Players Start Season on the Suspension List|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/10/sports/football/26-players-start-season-on-the-suspension-list.html?partner=rss&emc=rss|access-date=September 17, 2015|agency=[[Associated Press|AP]]|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 10, 2015}}</ref>

;Browns GM suspended for texting scandal
[[2015 Cleveland Browns season|Cleveland Browns]] general manager [[Ray Farmer]] was suspended by the league for the first four games of the 2015 season due to a texting scandal which occurred in {{nfly|2014}}. The league found that Farmer had used a cellphone to communicate with personnel on the Browns' sideline "on multiple occasions during games" in violation of league rules which prohibit such communications. In addition to Farmer's suspension, the team was assessed a fine of $250,000.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Grossi|first1=Tony|title=Browns' Textgate fallout: Four-game suspension for GM Ray Farmer, fine for Browns, and no loss of draft pick|url=http://espncleveland.com/common/more.php?m=49&post_id=43611|access-date=September 23, 2015|work=ESPNCleveland.com|publisher=[[ESPN]]|date=March 30, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923184455/http://espncleveland.com/common/more.php?m=49&post_id=43611|archive-date=September 23, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

;Falcons stripped of draft pick after being caught supplementing crowd noise
The league stripped the [[2015 Atlanta Falcons season|Atlanta Falcons]] of their selection in the fifth round of the [[2016 NFL draft|2016 draft]] after it was determined that they had been using pre-recorded crowd noise during the team's home games throughout {{nfly|2013}} and into {{nfly|2014}}. In addition to losing the draft pick the franchise was fined $350,000 and team president [[Rich McKay]] was suspended from his post as chairman of the league's Competition Committee for three months starting in April. The team fired event marketing director Roddy White who they determined was directly responsible for the violation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Statement by NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent on Atlanta Falcons Matter|url=https://nfllabor.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/nfl-atlanta-statement.pdf|publisher=[[National Football League]]|access-date=September 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908025954/https://nfllabor.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/nfl-atlanta-statement.pdf|archive-date=September 8, 2015|date=March 30, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Thele|first1=Kyle|title=Falcons fire Roddy White for crowd noise fiasco... Not that Roddy White|url=http://atlanta.suntimes.com/atlanta-falcons/7/78/114356/falcons-fire-roddy-white-crowd-noise|access-date=September 23, 2015|publisher=Atlanta Sun Times|date=April 30, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923194026/http://atlanta.suntimes.com/atlanta-falcons/7/78/114356/falcons-fire-roddy-white-crowd-noise|archive-date=September 23, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

;Bills suspend assistant coach Aaron Kromer after assault arrest
[[2015 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills]] offensive line coach [[Aaron Kromer]] was suspended by the team for the first six weeks of the season after he was arrested for an altercation during which Kromer allegedly punched a teenager. The incident occurred in July near Kromer's home in Florida. Charges in the matter were eventually dropped.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Akopyan|first1=Manouk|title=Buffalo Bills suspend Aaron Kromer six games|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/buffalo-bills-suspend-aaron-kromer-six-games-0ap3000000505967|access-date=September 24, 2015|work=[[NFL.com]]|date=August 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907233136/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000505967/article/buffalo-bills-suspend-aaron-kromer-six-games|archive-date=September 7, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Patra|first1=Kevin|title=Bills' Aaron Kromer arrested for assault and battery|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/bills-aaron-kromer-arrested-for-assault-and-battery-0ap3000000501116|access-date=September 24, 2015|work=Around the League (blog)|publisher=[[NFL.com]]|date=July 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913075204/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000501116/article/bills-aaron-kromer-arrested-for-assault-and-battery|archive-date=September 13, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Rodak|first1=Mike|title=Charges against Bills assistant coach Aaron Kromer, son dropped|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/13356229/charges-dropped-buffalo-bills-coach-aaron-kromer|access-date=September 24, 2015|publisher=[[ESPN]]|date=July 31, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150818173730/http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13356229/charges-dropped-buffalo-bills-coach-aaron-kromer|archive-date=August 18, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

;Browns assistant coach Andy Moeller suspended following an alleged domestic incident
[[2015 Cleveland Browns season|Cleveland Browns]] offensive line coach [[Andy Moeller]] was suspended indefinitely by the Browns in September after in incident in which police were called to Moeller's house after a female houseguest alleged that Moeller physically assaulted her.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cabot|first1=Mary Kay|title=Cleveland Browns offensive line coach Andy Moeller suspended indefinitely|url=http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2015/09/cleveland_browns_offensive_lin_16.html|access-date=September 24, 2015|newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer]]|date=September 7, 2015|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150924190547/http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2015/09/cleveland_browns_offensive_lin_16.html|archive-date=September 24, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Prosecutors declined to press charges related to the incident despite their conclusion that "it is quite clear an incident of volatile nature took place."<ref>{{cite news|last1=MacDonal|first1=Evan|title=Cleveland Browns assistant coach Andy Moeller will not be charged after woman accused him of assault |url=http://www.cleveland.com/berea/index.ssf/2015/09/browns_offensive_line_coach_wi.html |access-date=September 24, 2015|newspaper=[[The Plain Dealer]]|date=September 23, 2015|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150924191101/http://www.cleveland.com/berea/index.ssf/2015/09/browns_offensive_line_coach_wi.html|archive-date=September 24, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> On September 29, 2015, the Browns officially parted ways with Moeller.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sessler|first1=Marc|title=Browns part ways with O-line coach Andy Moeller|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/browns-part-ways-with-o-line-coach-andy-moeller-0ap3000000542287|access-date=September 30, 2015|work=[[NFL.com]]|date=September 29, 2015}}</ref>

==Records, milestones, and notable statistics==
{{overly detailed|date=December 2015}}
;Week 1
*[[Tom Brady]] became the quarterback with the most regular season wins for a single franchise in NFL history ([[List of most wins by a National Football League starting quarterback|161 victories]]), breaking the record held by [[Brett Favre]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Wilner|first=Barry|title=Tom Brady throws 4 TDs as Patriots beat Steelers|url=http://www.bcsn.tv/news_article/show/552707|access-date=September 14, 2015|work=AP Sports|agency=[[Associated Press]]|publisher=BCSN|date=September 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926132245/http://www.bcsn.tv/news_article/show/552707|archive-date=September 26, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
*[[Marcus Mariota]] became the first quarterback in NFL history to gain a perfect 158.3 [[passer rating]] in his NFL debut and the first quarterback in NFL history to throw four TD passes in the first half of his NFL debut.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mariota outplays Winston|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/nfl-live/week-1/tennessee-titans-marcus-mariota-jameis-winston|newspaper=New York Times|date=September 13, 2015|access-date=September 13, 2015}}</ref> He also became the youngest quarterback to gain a perfect passer rating (21 years, 318 days) surpassing [[Robert Griffin III]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Chase|first=Chris|title=11 titanic facts about Marcus Mariota's magical NFL debut|url=http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/09/marcus-mariota-four-touchdowns-titans-facts-stats-nfl-debut-record-rookie-quarterback-jameis-winston|access-date=September 14, 2015|work=[[USA Today]]|publisher=Gannett Satellite Information Network, Inc.|date=September 13, 2015}}</ref>
*[[Brandon McManus]] became the second kicker in NFL history to make multiple field goals of 56 or more yards in the same game, joining [[Greg Zuerlein (American football)|Greg Zuerlein]], who did it in {{nfly|2012}}.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wolfe|first1=Cameron|last2=Jhabvala|first2=Nicki|title=Broncos' bests/worsts vs. Ravens: Brandon McManus and C.J. Anderson |url=http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2015/09/13/broncos-bestsworsts-vs-ravens-brandon-mcmanus-and-c-j-anderson/35465/ |newspaper=The Denver Post |date=September 13, 2015 |access-date=September 13, 2015}}</ref>

;Week 2
*[[Peyton Manning]] became the second quarterback in NFL history to reach 70,000 regular season passing yards, joining [[Brett Favre]].<ref>{{cite news|title= Broncos complete stunning comeback, beat Chiefs 31–24|agency=Associated Press|url= http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2015091700/2015/REG2/broncos@chiefs#menu=gameinfo%7CcontentId%3A0ap3000000533404&tab=recap&recap=fullstory|access-date = October 5, 2015}}</ref>
*The [[2015 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]] set a new NFL record for consecutive division away wins with 13, surpassing the previous record that the San Francisco 49ers set between 1987 and 1990.<ref>{{cite news |author=Renck, Troy |title=Peyton Manning, Broncos steal win from Chiefs late in Kansas City |url=http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_28834419/broncos-steal-win-from-chiefs-late-kansas-city?_requestid=303670 |newspaper=The Denver Post |date=September 17, 2015 |access-date=September 17, 2015}}</ref>
*The [[2015 New York Giants season|New York Giants]] became the first team in NFL history to start a season 0–2 while holding double digit leads in the fourth quarter in both games.<ref>{{cite news|last=Chase|first=Chris|title=The New York Giants had another historic meltdown|url=http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/09/new-york-giants-lose-atlanta-falcons-delay-of-game-eli-manning-tom-coughlin-hot-seat-0-2|access-date=December 2, 2015|work=[[USA Today]]|publisher=Gannett Satellite Information Network, Inc.|date=September 20, 2015}}</ref>
*[[Marcus Mariota]] became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw six TD passes in his first two career games.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mariota Sets Two-Game Mark for TD Passes |url=http://www.titansonline.com/news/article-4/Mariota-Sets-Two-Game-Mark-for-TD-Passes/8de38594-6eb2-4bb8-bada-910e1187ce6d |publisher=titansonline.com |date=September 20, 2015 |access-date=September 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927125246/http://www.titansonline.com/news/article-4/Mariota-Sets-Two-Game-Mark-for-TD-Passes/8de38594-6eb2-4bb8-bada-910e1187ce6d |archive-date=September 27, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

;Week 3
*[[Tom Brady]] became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to throw [[List of National Football League career passing touchdowns leaders|400 touchdown passes]] in his career, joining [[Peyton Manning]], [[Brett Favre]], and [[Dan Marino]].<ref name="Career Passing Touchdowns">{{cite web|title = NFL Career Passing Touchdowns Leaders|work=www.pro-football-reference.com|url = https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_td_career.htm|access-date = October 5, 2015}}</ref>
*[[Peyton Manning]] became the second quarterback in NFL history to reach 6,000 pass completions, joining [[Brett Favre]].<ref name="Career Passes Completed">{{cite web|title=NFL Career Passes Completed Leaders |work=www.pro-football-reference.com |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_cmp_career.htm |access-date=October 5, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161103154838/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_cmp_career.htm |archive-date=November 3, 2016 }}</ref>
*[[Marcus Mariota]] tied the NFL record set by [[Mark Rypien]] in 1988 with eight TD passes in his first three career games.<ref>{{cite news |title=Marcus Mariota sets record for TDs in first three games |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/13754352/marcus-mariota-tennessee-titans-tosses-first-career-interception-vs-indianapolis-colts |work=[[ESPN]] |date=September 27, 2015 |access-date=September 27, 2015}}</ref>
*The [[2015 Atlanta Falcons season|Atlanta Falcons]] became the first team in NFL history to start a season 3–0 after trailing in the fourth quarter in all three games.<ref>{{cite news |title=Falcons become first team in NFL history to accomplish impressive feat |url=http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/atlanta-falcons-dallas-cowboys-nfl-week-3-092715 |work=foxsports.com |date=September 27, 2015 |access-date=October 1, 2015}}</ref>

;Week 4
*[[Drew Brees]] became the fifth quarterback in NFL history to throw 400 touchdown passes and became also the third quarterback in NFL history to reach 5,000 pass completions in his career.<ref name="Career Passing Touchdowns"/><ref name="Career Passes Completed"/>
*[[Adam Vinatieri]] became the first player in NFL history to score 1,000 points with two different teams.<ref>{{cite web|title = Adam Vinatieri's field goals leads Colts past Jaguars in OT|work=[[ESPN]]|url = https://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791671|access-date = October 5, 2015}}</ref>

;Week 5
*The [[2015 Indianapolis Colts season|Indianapolis Colts]] recorded an NFL record 16th consecutive division win.<ref>{{cite web|title=Colts Set NFL Record, Neutralize J. J. Watt|work=colts.com|url=http://www.colts.com/news/article-1/ColtsTexans-Notebook-Colts-Set-NFL-Record-Neutralize-JJ-Watt/71598c49-66f5-4443-a815-a05cf41da3c4|access-date=October 9, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151011023808/http://www.colts.com/news/article-1/ColtsTexans-Notebook-Colts-Set-NFL-Record-Neutralize-JJ-Watt/71598c49-66f5-4443-a815-a05cf41da3c4|archive-date=October 11, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
*[[Matthew Stafford]] and [[Dan Orlovsky]] combined to tie an NFL record for most pass attempts by one team in a game with 70 pass attempts during the Lions' loss to the [[2015 Arizona Cardinals season|Arizona Cardinals]].<ref>{{cite web|title=NFL: Palmer throws 3 TDs to help Cardinals dominate Lions 42–17|work=stlrib.com|url=http://www.sltrib.com/home/3053044-155/nfl-palmer-throws-3-tds-to|access-date=October 12, 2015}}</ref>
*[[Devonta Freeman]] became the first player in the Super Bowl era to rush for at least seven touchdowns in his first three starts to begin a career.<ref name="scout.com">{{cite web|title=Essentials from Sunday: Extending the NFL streaks|work=scout.com|url=http://www.scout.com/nfl/story/1598296-essentials-from-sunday-extending-the-streaks|access-date=October 12, 2015}}</ref>
*[[Antonio Gates]] caught his 100th receiving touchdown and became the ninth player and second tight end to reach this mark in NFL history.<ref>{{cite web|title=NFL Career Receiving Touchdowns Leaders|work=pro-football-reference.com|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/rec_td_career.htm|access-date=October 12, 2015}}</ref>
*[[Peyton Manning]] surpassed Brett Favre as the NFL's all-time leader in combined regular season and postseason passing yards.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2015/10/12/peyton-manning-breaks-combined-nfl-passing-yards-record/35940/ |title=Peyton Manning breaks combined NFL passing yards record |website=Blogs.denverpost.com |access-date=2015-12-02 |archive-date=October 13, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151013014236/http://blogs.denverpost.com/broncos/2015/10/12/peyton-manning-breaks-combined-nfl-passing-yards-record/35940/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

;Week 6
*[[Aaron Rodgers]] became the fastest quarterback in NFL history to throw for 30,000 yards, needing only 3,652 attempts to reach the mark.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/green-bay-packers-aaron-rodgers-30000-yards-fastest-nfl-history-101815 |title=Rodgers becomes fastest quarterback to 30,000 yards in NFL history |work=FOX Sports |date=2015-10-18 |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref>

;Week 7
*Five teams (the Panthers, Packers, Broncos, Bengals, and Patriots) started the season 6–0, setting a new NFL record for most teams to start a season 6–0 or better.<ref name="wk7">{{cite web|url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/The-Week-That-Was---Week-7.aspx |title=The Week That Was - Week 7 |website=Nflcommunications.com |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref>
*[[Ryan Tannehill]] set the NFL record for consecutive completed passes with 25, completing his first 18 passes his Week 7 game and the final seven of his previous game.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dolphins' Ryan Tannehill sets NFL record with 25 straight completions|work=cbssports.com|url=http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25353208/dolphins-ryan-tannehill-sets-nfl-record-with-25-consecutive-completions|date=October 25, 2015|access-date=October 25, 2015}}</ref>
*[[Tom Brady]] became the fifth quarterback in NFL history to pass for over 55,000 yards.<ref name="wk7"/>

;Week 8
*In a game between the [[2015 New York Giants season|New York Giants]] and the [[2015 New Orleans Saints season|New Orleans Saints]], the two teams combined for 13 touchdown passes, setting a new NFL record for the most combined passing touchdowns between both teams in a single game. The Saints defeated the Giants, 52–49. [[Drew Brees]] became the eighth quarterback to throw seven TD passes in a single game and [[Eli Manning]] became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw six TD passes with no interceptions but lose the game.<ref>{{cite web|title = Eli Manning becomes first QB in NFL history to lose a game with this stat line|work=foxsports.com|url = http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/new-york-giants-eli-manning-first-quarterback-in-history-110215|access-date = November 4, 2015|date=November 2, 2015}}</ref> Brees also joined [[Ben Roethlisberger]] as one of only two quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for at least 500 yards in a game at least twice in a career.<ref>{{cite web|title = Most games 500+ passing yards, career|work=pro-football-reference.com|url = http://pfref.com/tiny/uFbh4|access-date = January 28, 2016}}</ref> The combined score of 101 points was, at the time, [[List of highest scoring NFL games|the third highest scoring game in NFL history]] (although it has since moved to the fourth highest scoring game). In addition, the Giants' 49 points tied the NFL record for the most points scored by a losing team (with the [[1963 Houston Oilers season|Houston Oilers]]).
*[[Peyton Manning]] tied Brett Favre for the record of most regular season career victories all-time by a starting quarterback with the [[2015 Denver Broncos season|Broncos]]' 29–10 win against the [[2015 Green Bay Packers season|Packers]] with [[List of most wins by a National Football League starting quarterback|186 wins]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2015110111/2015/REG8/packers@broncos?icampaign=GC_schedule_rr#menu=gameinfo%7CcontentId%3A0ap3000000574552&tab=recap&recap=fullstory |title=Watch Green Bay Packers vs. Denver Broncos [11/01/2015 |website=NFL.com |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref>
*Four teams started the season 7–0, setting a new NFL record.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/The-Week-That-Was---Week-8.aspx |title=The Week That Was - Week 8 |website=Nflcommunications.com |date=2004-11-28 |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref>

;Week 9
*For the first time in NFL history, three teams (the [[2015 Cincinnati Bengals season|Bengals]], [[2015 New England Patriots season|Patriots]], and [[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Panthers]]) started the same season 8–0.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/The-Week-That-Was---Week-9.aspx |title=The Week That Was - Week 9 |website=Nflcommunications.com |date=2004-10-10 |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref>
*The [[2015 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills]] became the first team in NFL history with two 100-yard rushers ([[LeSean McCoy]] and [[Karlos Williams]]) and a 150-yard receiver ([[Sammy Watkins (American football)|Sammy Watkins]]) in the same game.<ref>{{cite web|title = Next Gen Stats: Bills skill-position players come alive|work=NFL.com|url = https://www.nfl.com/news/next-gen-stats-bills-skill-position-players-come-alive-0ap3000000577405}}</ref>
*[[Marcus Mariota]] became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to have two games with four touchdowns and no interceptions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/espn/elias?date=20151109 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208165609/http://espn.go.com/espn/elias?date=20151109 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |title=ESPN - Elias Says: Sports Statistics - Stats from the Elias Sports Bureau - ESPN |publisher=Espn.go.com |date=2015-11-09 |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref>

;Week 10
*[[Peyton Manning]] became the NFL's all-time leader in [[List of National Football League career passing yards leaders|regular season passing yards]], surpassing [[Brett Favre]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2015111510/2015/REG10/chiefs@broncos?icampaign=GC_schedule_rr#menu=gameinfo%7CcontentId%3A0ap3000000583250&tab=recap&recap=fullstory |title=Watch Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos [11/15/2015 |website=NFL.com |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref>
*For the first time in NFL history, six starting quarterbacks who had previously won a Super Bowl lost on the same day ([[Peyton Manning]], [[Eli Manning]], [[Drew Brees]], [[Aaron Rodgers]], [[Joe Flacco]], and [[Russell Wilson]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/espn/elias?date=20151116 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151201033554/http://espn.go.com/espn/elias?date=20151116 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 1, 2015 |title=ESPN - Elias Says: Sports Statistics - Stats from the Elias Sports Bureau - ESPN |website=Espn.go.com |date=2015-11-16 |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref>
*[[Adrian Peterson]] tied [[O. J. Simpson]] for an NFL record sixth career game with 200+ yards rushing.<ref>{{cite web |title=Adrian Peterson explodes for sixth-career 200-yard game in Vikings' win |url=http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/minnesota-vikings-oakland-raiders-adrian-peterson-explodes-for-sixth-career-200-yard-game-111515 |work=FoxSports.com |date=November 15, 2015 |access-date=November 16, 2015}}</ref>
*The [[2015 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]] set a new NFL record by scoring in 35 consecutive quarters, breaking a record previously shared by the [[2000 St. Louis Rams season|1999 and 2000 St. Louis Rams]] and the [[2005 Indianapolis Colts season|2005 Indianapolis Colts]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2015111509/2015/REG10/patriots@giants#menu=gameinfo%7CcontentId%3A0ap3000000584331&tab=recap&recap=fullstory |title=Watch New England Patriots vs. New York Giants [11/15/2015 |website=NFL.com |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref>
*The [[2015 Detroit Lions season|Detroit Lions]]' away win over the [[2015 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]] snapped the Lions' 24-game losing streak at [[Lambeau Field]] (both regular season and postseason games), which was the longest away losing streak by one NFL team against another team in NFL history.<ref>{{cite news |author=Ahern, Gerry |title=Lions hang on to shock Packers, end record futility at Lambeau Field |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2015/11/15/lions-packers-lambeau-streak-aaron-rodgers/75837044/ |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |date=November 15, 2015 |access-date=November 15, 2015}}</ref>

;Week 12
*[[Tom Brady]] tied [[Dan Marino]] for third place on the all-time passing touchdowns list.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pells|first=Eddie|title=Imperfect: Pats defense folds in 30–24 OT loss to Broncos|url=http://pro32.ap.org/article/imperfect-pats-defense-folds-30-24-ot-loss-broncos|access-date=December 12, 2015|work=Associated Press|agency=[[Associated Press]]|publisher=AP Sports|date=November 30, 2015|location=[[Denver]]}}</ref>
*[[Travis Coons]] set an NFL record for most consecutive field goals made to open a career with 18.<ref>{{cite web|title=Stats and Facts: Browns vs. Ravens|url=http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-5/Stats-and-Facts-Browns-vs-Ravens/54383668-06dd-436d-b5e5-14bd9809c8b7|work=clevelandbrowns.com|access-date=December 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208164619/http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-5/Stats-and-Facts-Browns-vs-Ravens/54383668-06dd-436d-b5e5-14bd9809c8b7|archive-date=December 8, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

;Week 13
*[[Stephone Anthony]] scored the first ever defensive two-point conversion in NFL history by returning a blocked point after touchdown attempt by [[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers]] kicker [[Graham Gano]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Wesselling|first=Chris|title=Cam Newton bolsters MVP case in Panthers' wild win|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/cam-newton-bolsters-mvp-case-in-panthers-wild-win-0ap3000000595912|website=NFL.com|publisher=NFL Enterprises, LLC.|access-date=December 12, 2015|date=December 6, 2015}}</ref>
*[[Larry Fitzgerald]] became the youngest person in NFL history to reach 1,000 career catches. Fitzgerald (32 years, 97 days old) broke the record that was held by [[Andre Johnson]] (33 years, 163 days).<ref>{{cite web|title=Week 13 What To Look For - A Look Back|url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/Week-13-What-To-Look-For---A-Look-Back.aspx|website=nflcommunications.com|publisher=NFL Enterprises, LLC.|access-date=December 12, 2015|date=December 8, 2015}}</ref>
*[[Andy Dalton]] became the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 3,000 passing yards in each of their first five seasons, joining [[Peyton Manning]].<ref name="Quick hits: Green, Dalton in select company; Rookies ride" >{{cite web|last=Hobson|first=Geoff|title=Quick hits: Green, Dalton in select company; Rookies ride|url=http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Quick-hits-Green-Dalton-in-select-company-Rookies-ride/0db1ab7c-9143-40ae-9977-6a74fac43e80|website=bengals.com|publisher=NFL Enterprises, LLC.|access-date=December 12, 2015|location=[[Cleveland]]|date=December 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151212164540/http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Quick-hits-Green-Dalton-in-select-company-Rookies-ride/0db1ab7c-9143-40ae-9977-6a74fac43e80|archive-date=December 12, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[A. J. Green]] joined [[Randy Moss]] as one of only two wide receivers in NFL history to have 1,000 yards in each of their first five seasons.<ref name="Quick hits: Green, Dalton in select company; Rookies ride" />
*[[Jason Witten]] became the second tight end in NFL history to record 1,000 catches (joining [[Tony Gonzalez]]).<ref>{{cite web|last=Archer|first=Todd|title=Jason Witten happy to share special moment with family|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/dallas-cowboys/post/_/id/4747845/jason-witten-happy-to-share-special-moment-with-family|website=[[ESPN.com]]|publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures|access-date=December 12, 2015|location=[[Landover, Maryland]]|date=December 8, 2015}}</ref>

;Week 14
* [[Adrian Peterson]] scored his 100th career touchdown, making him the 13th running back to reach this mark in NFL history.<ref>{{cite web|title=Adrian Peterson scores 100th career touchdown in first quarter|work=[[ESPN]]|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/minnesota-vikings/post/_/id/17076/adrian-peterson-scores-100th-career-touchdown-in-first-quarter|access-date=December 11, 2015|date=December 10, 2015}}</ref>
* [[Drew Brees]] surpassed [[Dan Marino]] for fourth place on the NFL's all-time passing touchdowns list with two passing touchdowns.<ref name="Wk14SevenFromSunday">{{cite web|url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/Seven-From-Sunday---Week-14.aspx |title=Seven From Sunday - Week 14 |website=Nflcommunications.com |access-date=2016-01-28}}</ref>
* [[Antonio Brown]] became the sixth player in NFL history to record three straight 100-catch seasons, joining [[Marvin Harrison]], [[Jerry Rice]], [[Herman Moore]], [[Brandon Marshall]], and [[Wes Welker]].<ref name="Wk14SevenFromSunday" />
* The [[2015 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]] clinched the [[AFC East]] division title for the seventh straight season, tying them with the [[Los Angeles Rams|Rams franchise]], which won seven straight [[NFC West]] division titles from the [[1973 NFL season|1973 season]] through the [[1979 NFL season|1979 season]], for the NFL record of most consecutive division titles won by one franchise.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wagner-McGough|first=Sean|title=Giants' win secures the Patriots' seventh straight AFC East title|url=http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25414226/giants-win-secures-the-patriots-seventh-straight-afc-east-title|website=[[CBSSports.com]]|publisher=CBS Interactive|access-date=December 15, 2015|date=December 15, 2015}}</ref>
* The [[Green Bay Packers]] became the second franchise in NFL history to record 750 total wins, including playoff victories, joining the [[Chicago Bears]] as the only teams to reach this mark.<ref name="Wk14WeekThatWas">{{cite web|url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/The-Week-That-Was---Week-14.aspx |title=The Week That Was - Week 14 |website=Nflcommunications.com |access-date=2016-01-28}}</ref>
* [[Matthew Stafford]] became the fastest player to reach 25,000 yards as he reached this milestone in his 90th career game, which broke the record of 92 that was set by [[Dan Marino]].<ref name="Wk14WeekThatWas" />
* [[Russell Wilson]] became the first quarterback in NFL history to have at least a 138.5 QB rating in four straight games.<ref>{{cite news|last=Condotta|first=Bob|title=Seahawks' statistics continue to look better and better and better|url=http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/seahawks-statistics-continue-to-look-better-and-better-and-better/|access-date=December 25, 2015|work=[[The Seattle Times]]|publisher=[[The Seattle Times Company]]|date=December 15, 2015}}</ref>

;Week 15
* [[Russell Wilson]] became the first quarterback in NFL history to have at least three touchdown passes and no interceptions in five straight games.<ref>{{cite web|title = Most consecutive games 3+ TD passes & no INT|work=pro-football-reference.com|url = http://pfref.com/tiny/OBhbl|access-date = December 21, 2015}}</ref>
* [[Cam Newton]] became the first player in NFL history to rush for at least 100 yards and pass for at least 300 yards with five touchdowns in a single game.<ref name="Wk15ThatWas">{{cite web|url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/The-Week-That-Was---Week-15.aspx |title=The Week That Was - Week 15 |website=Nflcommunications.com |date=2014-10-26 |access-date=2016-01-28}}</ref>
* [[Tom Brady]] became the second quarterback in NFL history to throw at least 35 touchdown passes in a season four times, joining [[Peyton Manning]].<ref>{{cite web |last=England |first=New |url=http://www.patriots.com/news/2015/12/20/game-notes-patriots-win-12-games-sixth-straight-season |title=Game Notes: Patriots win 12 games for sixth straight season &#124; New England Patriots |website=Patriots.com |access-date=2016-01-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225032955/http://www.patriots.com/news/2015/12/20/game-notes-patriots-win-12-games-sixth-straight-season |archive-date=December 25, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Drew Brees]] became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to reach at least 60,000 regular season passing yards, joining Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, and Dan Marino. Brees became both the youngest and fastest quarterback to reach this mark in NFL history. Brees also set new NFL records for most consecutive seasons with at least 4,000 passing yards (ten straight seasons) and most regular season games with at least 300 passing yards in a career (94 games).<ref name="Wk15ThatWas"/>
* [[Antonio Brown]] set a new NFL record for the most receptions by any player in any three consecutive seasons in NFL history (355 receptions), breaking [[Marvin Harrison]]'s record of 354 receptions during the 2000–02 seasons.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Post-game-notes-vs-Broncos/639e41f7-1471-4bdb-8d33-aae97a00669b |title=Post-game notes vs. Broncos |website=Steelers.com |access-date=2016-01-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151226053717/http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Post-game-notes-vs-Broncos/639e41f7-1471-4bdb-8d33-aae97a00669b |archive-date=December 26, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* The [[2015 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] became the first team in NFL history to follow up a five-game losing streak with an eight-game winning streak.<ref name="Wk15ThatWas"/>

;Week 16
* [[Brandon Marshall]] reached 100 catches for an NFL record sixth season. He also became the first Jets player to reach 100 catches in a season.<ref name="Wk16Seven">{{cite web|url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/Seven-From-Sunday---Week-16.aspx |title=Seven From Sunday - Week 16 |website=Nflcommunications.com |access-date=2016-01-28}}</ref>
* [[Anquan Boldin]] became the 13th player in NFL history to reach 1,000 career catches.<ref name="Wk16Seven"/>
* In their loss to the [[2015 St. Louis Rams season|St. Louis Rams]], the [[2015 Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle Seahawks]] never gained a lead at any time, which ended their NFL record streak of 70 consecutive games (both regular season and playoff games) in which they had held a lead at any point during a game. This was the first time that the Seahawks failed to gain a lead at any point during a game since the final week of the 2011 season.<ref>{{cite web|author=Final |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791569 |title=Rams vs. Seahawks - Game Recap - December 27, 2015 - ESPN |website=Espn.go.com |date=2015-12-27 |access-date=2016-01-28}}</ref>
* The [[2015 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] became the second team since the [[AFL-NFL merger]] to clinch a playoff berth after going 1–5 over the first six games of a season, joining the [[1970 Cincinnati Bengals season|1970 Cincinnati Bengals]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/chiefs-earn-playoff-berth-with-win-over-browns-0ap3000000610146 |title=Chiefs earn playoff berth with win over Browns |website=NFL.com |date=2015-12-27 |access-date=2016-01-28}}</ref>
* [[Cam Newton]] became the first player in NFL history to throw at least 30 touchdown passes and score at least eight rushing touchdowns in a season.<ref name="Wk16Seven"/>
* [[Antonio Brown]] became the second player in NFL history to record 1,600 receiving yards in back to back seasons, joining [[Calvin Johnson]], who accomplished the feat in 2011–12. Brown also became the second player in NFL history to record 120 catches in back to back seasons, joining [[Cris Carter]] (1994–95).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.steelers.com/news/by-the-numbers/article-1/By-the-Numbers-Williams-goes-for-100/4c1ad1dd-3bb3-4432-bb21-64c1fd8ebc1c |title=By the Numbers: Williams goes for 100 |website=Steelers.com |date=2015-12-28 |access-date=2016-01-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151230032226/http://www.steelers.com/news/by-the-numbers/article-1/By-the-Numbers-Williams-goes-for-100/4c1ad1dd-3bb3-4432-bb21-64c1fd8ebc1c |archive-date=December 30, 2015 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
* [[Adam Vinatieri]] became the third placekicker in NFL history to make 500 field goals in a career, joining [[Morten Andersen]] and [[Gary Anderson (placekicker)|Gary Anderson]].<ref>{{cite web|author=STEVEN WINEAP Sports Writer |url=http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/gametracker/recap/NFL_20151227_IND@MIA |title=NFL Recap - Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins - Dec 27, 2015 - CBSSports.com Game Recap |website=Cbssports.com |access-date=2016-01-28}}</ref>
* As of the end of week 16, the [[2015 New Orleans Saints season|New Orleans Saints]] had surrendered 43 total passing touchdowns during the season, setting a new NFL record for most passing touchdowns surrendered during a season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/saints-d-sets-record-for-td-passes-allowed-in-season-0ap3000000611187 |title=Saints' D sets record for TD passes allowed in season |website=NFL.com |date=2013-08-30 |access-date=2016-01-28}}</ref>
*[[Kirk Cousins]] finished the season posting the highest completion percentage (74.7) in home games in NFL history, with a minimum of 100 attempts.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Tandler|first1=Rich|title=One stat puts Cousins ahead of Brady, Manning, Brees, others|url=http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/redskinsblog/one-stat-puts-cousins-ahead-brady-manning-brees-others|website=CSNWashington.com|access-date=22 December 2015}}</ref>

;Week 17
* [[Russell Wilson]] became the first quarterback in NFL history to have 4,000 or more passing yards, 30 or more passing touchdowns, and 500 or more rushing yards in the same season.<ref>{{cite web|title = Seahawks dominate Cardinals in statement game|work=nflcom|url = https://www.nfl.com/news/seahawks-dominate-cardinals-in-statement-game-0ap3000000615063|access-date = January 4, 2016}}</ref>
* [[Antonio Brown]] set an NFL record of 265 receptions over the last two NFL seasons and became the first wide receiver in NFL history to record at least 1,700 yards from scrimmage in back-to-back seasons.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.steelers.com/news/by-the-numbers/article-1/By-the-Numbers-Jaw-dropping-stats/287c960c-cf4c-4587-abed-8db64f4e92fe |title=By the Numbers: Jaw-dropping stats |website=Steelers.com |access-date=2016-01-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105223633/http://www.steelers.com/news/by-the-numbers/article-1/By-the-Numbers-Jaw-dropping-stats/287c960c-cf4c-4587-abed-8db64f4e92fe |archive-date=January 5, 2016 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
* [[Frank Gore]] became the 15th player in NFL history to reach 12,000 career rushing yards.<ref>{{cite web|author=Final |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=400791645 |title=Titans vs. Colts - Game Recap - January 3, 2016 - ESPN |website=Espn.go.com |date=2016-01-04 |access-date=2016-01-28}}</ref>
* [[Drew Brees]] finished the season with 4,870 passing yards, his NFL-record sixth consecutive season with at least 4,500 yards. Brees has seven career 4,500-yard passing seasons, the most in NFL history. Brees also led the league in passing for the sixth time in his career, setting an NFL record for most seasons leading the league, breaking the record of five that was shared by [[Sonny Jurgensen]] and [[Dan Marino]].<ref name="Wk17SevenSunday">{{cite web|url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/Seven-From-Sunday---Week-17.aspx |title=Seven From Sunday - Week 17 |website=Nflcommunications.com |access-date=2016-01-28}}</ref> In addition, Brees tied [[Tom Brady]] for third most all-time regular season passing touchdowns after Brady failed to throw a TD pass during the [[2015 New England Patriots season|Patriots']] loss to the [[2015 Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins]].<ref>{{cite web|title = NFL Career Passing Touchdowns Leaders|work=pro-football-reference.com|url = https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/pass_td_career.htm|access-date = January 28, 2016}}</ref>
* Eleven different quarterbacks passed for 30 or more touchdowns setting an NFL single season record. The previous record was nine quarterbacks set in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/Week-17-What-To-Look-For---A-Look-Back.aspx |title=Week 17 What To Look For - A Look Back |website=Nflcommunications.com |access-date=2016-01-28}}</ref>

;Divisional Round
* [[Tom Brady]] tied [[Adam Vinatieri]] for the most career postseason game appearances in NFL history (30).<ref>{{cite web|title = NFL Career Playoff Games Leaders|work=pro-football-reference.com|url = https://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/g_playoffs_career.htm|access-date = January 28, 2016}}</ref>
* [[Brandon McManus]] kicked five field goals in the Broncos' victory over the [[2015 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]], tying the NFL record for most field goals made in a postseason game.<ref>{{cite web|title = Most FG's made, postseason game|work=pro-football-reference.com|url = http://pfref.com/tiny/Tu1SK|access-date = January 28, 2016}}</ref>

;Super Bowl 50
* The Denver Broncos became the fourth team to appear in eight Super Bowls, joining the [[Dallas Cowboys]], [[New England Patriots]] and [[Pittsburgh Steelers]].<ref>{{cite news |author=Stanley, Deb |title=Denver Broncos, Peyton Manning going to Super Bowl 50 |url=http://www.thedenverchannel.com/sports/broncos/denver-broncos-peyton-manning-going-to-super-bowl-50 |newspaper=[[KMGH-TV|ABC Denver]] |date=January 24, 2016 |access-date=January 24, 2016}}</ref>
* [[2015 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]]' head coach [[Gary Kubiak]] became the first person in NFL history to reach a [[Super Bowl]] as both a player and a head coach with the same franchise. Kubiak was [[John Elway]]'s backup quarterback on the Broncos from 1983 to 1991 and saw playing time in both [[Super Bowl XXI]] and [[Super Bowl XXIV]].<ref>{{cite news |author=Schneier, Dan |title=Broncos' Gary Kubiak will make NFL history in Super Bowl 50 |url=http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/denver-broncos-gary-kubiak-super-bowl-50-head-coach-and-player-012616 |work=[[Fox Sports]] |date=January 26, 2016 |access-date=January 26, 2016}}</ref> With [[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers]]' head coach [[Ron Rivera]] having previously played as a linebacker for the [[Chicago Bears]] in [[Super Bowl XX]], this game was the first ever Super Bowl in which both head coaches had formerly played in a Super Bowl themselves.<ref name="auto">{{cite news |title=50 stats to know for Super Bowl 50|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/14640327/50-stats-know-super-bowl-50-carolina-panthers-denver-broncos-nfl |work=ESPN}}</ref>
* This game was the first ever Super Bowl in which both starting quarterbacks were [[List of first overall National Football League draft picks|No. 1 overall picks in an NFL draft]]; [[Peyton Manning]] was selected with the first overall pick in [[1998 NFL draft|1998]] [[Cam Newton]] was selected with the first overall pick in [[2011 NFL draft|2011]].<ref name="auto"/> This game was also the first Super Bowl to feature the top two overall picks from the same NFL draft on opposing teams; Newton and Broncos' linebacker [[Von Miller]] were selected first and second overall, respectively, in 2011.<ref name="auto"/>
* [[Peyton Manning]], at age 39, became the oldest quarterback to ever start a Super Bowl, surpassing John Elway who started [[Super Bowl XXXIII]] at age 38.<ref name="auto"/> Manning also became the first quarterback in NFL history to lead two different teams to the Super Bowl multiple times;<ref name="auto"/> he previously led the Broncos to [[Super Bowl XLVIII]] and also led the [[Indianapolis Colts]] to both [[Super Bowl XLI]] and [[Super Bowl XLIV]]. With the Broncos' win, Manning surpassed Elway as the oldest quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl and also became the first quarterback in NFL history to lead two different teams to Super Bowl victories; he previously led the [[Indianapolis Colts]] to victory in [[Super Bowl XLI]].
* [[Peyton Manning]] became the first quarterback in NFL history to record 200 combined regular season and postseason wins in a career. Manning surpassed [[Brett Favre]] (199) for the most combined regular season and postseason victories by a quarterback in a career.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mind-blowing stats for Super Bowl 50|url=http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap3000000629288/mindblowing-stats-for-super-bowl-50|work=NFL}}</ref>

==Regular season statistical leaders==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan=2 | Individual<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/stats/player |title=NFL Stats: Player |work=NFL.com |access-date=December 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111214603/http://www.nfl.com/stats/player |archive-date=January 11, 2009 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref>
|-
|'''Scoring leader'''|| [[Stephen Gostkowski]], New England (151)
|-
|'''Most field goals made'''|| [[Blair Walsh]], Minnesota (34 FGs)
|-
|'''Touchdowns'''|| [[Doug Baldwin]], Seattle, [[Devonta Freeman]], Atlanta, [[Brandon Marshall]], New York Jets and [[Allen Robinson]], Jacksonville (14 TDs)
|-
|'''Rushing'''|| [[Adrian Peterson]], Minnesota (1,485 yards)
|-
|'''Passing yards'''|| [[Drew Brees]], New Orleans (4,870 yards)
|-
|'''Passing touchdowns'''|| [[Tom Brady]], New England (36 TDs)
|-
|'''Passer rating'''|| [[Russell Wilson]], Seattle (110.1 rating)
|-
|'''Pass receptions'''|| [[Antonio Brown]], Pittsburgh and [[Julio Jones]], Atlanta (136 catches)
|-
|'''Pass receiving yards'''|| Julio Jones, Atlanta (1,871 yards)
|-
|'''Combined tackles'''|| [[NaVorro Bowman]], San Francisco (154 tackles)
|-
|'''Interceptions'''|| [[Reggie Nelson]], Cincinnati and [[Marcus Peters]], Kansas (8)
|-
|'''Punting'''|| [[Johnny Hekker]], Los Angeles (4,601 yards, 47.9 average yards)
|-
|-'''Kick & punt return yards'''|| [[Tyler Lockett]], Seattle (1,231 yards)
|-
|'''Sacks'''|| [[J. J. Watt]], Houston (17.5)
|}

==Awards==

===Individual season awards===
{{Further|5th Annual NFL Honors}}

The [[5th Annual NFL Honors]], saluting the best players and plays from 2015 season, was held at the [[Bill Graham Civic Auditorium]] in [[San Francisco, California]] on February 6, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|title=Conan O'Brien To Host NFL Honors|url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/Conan-O'Brien-To-Host-NFL-Honors.aspx|website=nflcommunications.com|publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]]|date=January 17, 2016}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Award !! Winner !! Position !! Team
|-
| [[National Football League Most Valuable Player Award|AP Most Valuable Player]] || [[Cam Newton]] || Quarterback || [[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers]]
|-
| [[National Football League Offensive Player of the Year Award|AP Offensive Player of the Year]] || [[Cam Newton]] || Quarterback || [[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers]]
|-
| [[National Football League Defensive Player of the Year Award|AP Defensive Player of the Year]] || [[J. J. Watt]] || Defensive end || [[2015 Houston Texans season|Houston Texans]]
|-
| [[National Football League Coach of the Year Award|AP Coach of the Year]] || [[Ron Rivera]] || Coach || [[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers]]
|-
| [[Associated Press NFL Assistant Coach of the Year Award|AP Assistant Coach of the Year]] || [[Wade Phillips]] || [[Defensive coordinator]] || [[2015 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]]
|-
| [[National Football League Rookie of the Year Award|AP Offensive Rookie of the Year]] || [[Todd Gurley]] || Running back || [[2015 St. Louis Rams season|St. Louis Rams]]
|-
| [[National Football League Rookie of the Year Award|AP Defensive Rookie of the Year]] || [[Marcus Peters]] || Cornerback || [[2015 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]]
|-
| [[National Football League Comeback Player of the Year Award|AP Comeback Player of the Year]] || [[Eric Berry]] || Safety || [[2015 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]]
|-
| [[Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year|Pepsi Rookie of the Year]] || [[Jameis Winston]] || Quarterback || [[2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|Tampa Bay Buccaneers]]
|-
| [[Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award|Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year]] || [[Anquan Boldin]] || Wide receiver || [[2015 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]]
|-
| [[Pro Football Writers Association|PFWA]] NFL Executive of the Year || [[Mike Maccagnan]] || General Manager || [[2015 New York Jets season|New York Jets]]
|-
| [[Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award|Super Bowl Most Valuable Player]] || [[Von Miller]] || Linebacker || [[2015 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]]
|}

===All-Pro team===

{{Further|2015 All-Pro Team}}

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

{| border=0
|- valign="top"
|
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Offense
|-
|[[Quarterback]]||[[Cam Newton]], [[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina]]
|-
|[[Running back]]||[[Adrian Peterson]], [[2015 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota]]<br />[[Doug Martin (running back)|Doug Martin]], [[2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|Tampa Bay]]
|-
|[[Fullback (American football)|Fullback]]||[[Mike Tolbert]], [[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina]]
|-
|[[Wide receiver]]||[[Antonio Brown (wide receiver, born 1988)|Antonio Brown]], [[2015 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh]]<br />[[Julio Jones]], [[2015 Atlanta Falcons season|Atlanta]]
|-
|[[Tight end]]||[[Rob Gronkowski]], [[2015 New England Patriots season|New England]]
|-
|[[Offensive tackle]]||[[Joe Thomas (offensive tackle)|Joe Thomas]], [[2015 Cleveland Browns season|Cleveland]]<br>[[Andrew Whitworth]], [[2015 Cincinnati Bengals season|Cincinnati]]
|-
|[[Guard (American football)|Offensive guard]]||[[Marshal Yanda]], [[2015 Baltimore Ravens season|Baltimore]]<br>[[David DeCastro]], [[2015 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh]]
|-
|[[Center (American football)|Center]]||[[Ryan Kalil]], [[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina]]
|}
| style="padding-left:40px;" |
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Defense
|-
|[[Defensive end]]||[[J. J. Watt]], [[2015 Houston Texans season|Houston]]<br>[[Khalil Mack]], [[2015 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland]]
|-
|[[Defensive tackle]]||[[Aaron Donald]], [[2015 St. Louis Rams season|St. Louis]]<br> [[Geno Atkins]], [[2015 Cincinnati Bengals season|Cincinnati]]
|-
|[[Outside linebacker]]||[[Von Miller]], [[2015 Denver Broncos season|Denver]]<br>[[Khalil Mack]], [[2015 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland]]<br>[[Thomas Davis (American football)|Thomas Davis]], [[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina]]
|-
|[[Middle linebacker|Inside linebacker]]||[[Luke Kuechly]], [[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina]]<br> [[NaVorro Bowman]], [[2015 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco]]
|-
|[[Cornerback]]||[[Josh Norman (cornerback)|Josh Norman]], [[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina]]<br>[[Patrick Peterson]], [[2015 Arizona Cardinals season|Arizona]]
|-
|[[Safety (American and Canadian football position)|Safety]]||[[Tyrann Mathieu]], [[2015 Arizona Cardinals season|Arizona]]<br> [[Eric Berry]], [[2015 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City]]
|}
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="6"|Special teams
|-
|[[Placekicker]]||[[Stephen Gostkowski]], [[2015 New England Patriots season|New England]]
|-
|[[Punter (football position)|Punter]]||[[Johnny Hekker]], [[2015 St. Louis Rams season|St. Louis]]
|-
|[[Kick returner]]||[[Tyler Lockett]], [[2015 Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle]]
|}

===Players of the week/month===
The following were named the top performers during the 2015 season:

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align: center;"
|-
!rowspan=2|Week/<br>Month
!colspan=2|Offensive<br />Player of the Week/Month
!colspan=2|Defensive<br />Player of the Week/Month
!colspan=2|Special Teams<br />Player of the Week/Month
|-
!AFC
!NFC
!AFC
!NFC
!AFC
!NFC
|-
!1
|[[Marcus Mariota]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_01>{{cite web |title=Titans QB Marcus Mariota, Broncos CB Aqib Talib & Dolphins WR-PR Jarvis Landry named AFC Players of Week 1 |url=https://nfllabor.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/week-1-mariota-talib-landry.pdf |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=September 18, 2015 }}</ref><br/>([[2015 Tennessee Titans season|Titans]])
|[[Julio Jones]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_01>{{cite web |title=Falcons WR Julio Jones, Rams DT Aaron Donald & Rams PR-WR Tavon Austin named NFC Players of Week 1 |url=https://nfllabor.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/week-1-jones-donald-austin.pdf|publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]]|access-date=September 18, 2015}}</ref><br/>([[2015 Atlanta Falcons season|Falcons]])
|[[Aqib Talib]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_01/><br/>([[2015 Denver Broncos season|Broncos]])
|[[Aaron Donald]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_01/><br/>([[2015 St. Louis Rams season|Rams]])
|[[Jarvis Landry]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_01/><br/>([[2015 Miami Dolphins season|Dolphins]])
|[[Tavon Austin]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_01/><br/>([[2015 St. Louis Rams season|Rams]])
|-
!2
|[[Ben Roethlisberger]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_02>{{cite web |title=Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, Jets CB Darrelle Revis & Browns PR-WR Travis Benjamin named AFC Players of Week 2|url=https://nfllabor.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/week-2-roethlisberger-revis-benjamin.pdf |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]]|access-date=September 25, 2015}}</ref><br/>([[2015 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Steelers]])
|[[Larry Fitzgerald]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_02>{{cite web |title=Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald, Cowboys LB Sean Lee & Cardinals KR-RB David Johnson named NFC Players of Week 2|url=https://nfllabor.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/week-02-fitzgerald-lee-johnson.pdf|publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]]|access-date=September 25, 2015 }}</ref><br/>([[2015 Arizona Cardinals season|Cardinals]])
|[[Darrelle Revis]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_02/><br/>([[2015 New York Jets season|Jets]])
|[[Sean Lee]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_02/><br/>([[2015 Dallas Cowboys season|Cowboys]])
|[[Travis Benjamin]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_02/><br/>([[2015 Cleveland Browns season|Browns]])
|[[David Johnson (running back)|David Johnson]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_02/><br/>([[2015 Arizona Cardinals season|Cardinals]])
|-
!3
|[[A. J. Green]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_03>{{cite web|title=Bengals WR A.J. Green, Bills LB Preston Brown & Colts P Pat McAfee named AFC Players of Week 3|url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/AFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-3.aspx|publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]]|access-date=October 1, 2015}}</ref><br/>([[2015 Cincinnati Bengals season|Bengals]])
|[[Aaron Rodgers]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_03>{{cite web |title=Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, Cardinals S Tyrann Mathieu & Eagles PR-RB Darren Sproles named NFC Players of Week 3 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/NFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-3.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=October 1, 2015}}</ref><br/>([[2015 Green Bay Packers season|Packers]])
|[[Preston Brown (linebacker)|Preston Brown]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_03/><br/>([[2015 Buffalo Bills season|Bills]])
|[[Tyrann Mathieu]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_03/><br/>([[2015 Arizona Cardinals season|Cardinals]])
|[[Pat McAfee]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_03/><br/>([[2015 Indianapolis Colts season|Colts]])
|[[Darren Sproles]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_03/><br/>([[2015 Philadelphia Eagles season|Eagles]])
|-
| style="background:#ffffbf;"|'''Sept.'''
| style="background:#ffffbf;"|[[Tom Brady]]<ref name=AFC_PotM_Sep>{{cite web |title=Patriots QB Tom Brady, Broncos LB DeMarcus Ware & Patriots K Stephen Gostkowski named AFC Players of Month of September |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/AFC-Players-of-the-Month---September.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=October 4, 2015}}</ref><br/>([[2015 New England Patriots season|Patriots]])
| style="background:#ffffbf;"|Julio Jones<ref name=NFC_PotM_Sep>{{cite web |title=Falcons WR Julio Jones, Panthers CB Josh Norman & Seahawks KR-PR Tyler Lockett named NFC Players of Month of September |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/NFC-Players-of-the-MOnth---September.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=October 4, 2015}}</ref><br/>(Falcons)
| style="background:#ffffbf;"|[[DeMarcus Ware]]<ref name=AFC_PotM_Sep/><br/>(Broncos)
| style="background:#ffffbf;"|[[Josh Norman (cornerback)|Josh Norman]]<ref name=NFC_PotM_Sep/><br/>([[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Panthers]])
| style="background:#ffffbf;"|[[Stephen Gostkowski]]<ref name=AFC_PotM_Sep/><br/>([[2015 New England Patriots season|Patriots]])
| style="background:#ffffbf;"|[[Tyler Lockett]]<ref name=NFC_PotM_Sep/><br/>([[2015 Seattle Seahawks season|Seahawks]])
|-
!4
|[[Philip Rivers]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_04>{{cite web |title=Chargers QB Philip Rivers, Broncos S T.J. Ward & Ravens K Justin Tucker named AFC Players of Week 4 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/AFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-4.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=October 8, 2015}}</ref><br/>([[2015 San Diego Chargers season|Chargers]])
|[[Drew Brees]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_04>{{cite web |title=Saints QB Drew Brees, Panthers CB Josh Norman & Bears K Robbie Gould named NFC Players of Week 4 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/NFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-4.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=October 8, 2015}}</ref><br/>([[2015 New Orleans Saints season|Saints]])
|[[T. J. Ward]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_04/><br/>(Broncos)
|Josh Norman<ref name=NFC_PotW_04/><br/>(Panthers)
|[[Justin Tucker]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_04/><br/>([[2015 Baltimore Ravens season|Ravens]])
|[[Robbie Gould]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_04/><br/>([[2015 Chicago Bears season|Bears]])
|-
!5
|[[Josh McCown]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_05>{{cite web |title=Browns QB Josh McCown, Colts S Mike Adams & Bengals K Mike Nugent named AFC Players of Week 5 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/AFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-5.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=October 16, 2015}}</ref><br/>([[2015 Cleveland Browns season|Browns]])
|[[Eli Manning]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_05>{{cite web |title=Giants QB Eli Manning, Eagles DE Fletcher Cox & Buccaneers PR Bobby Rainey named NFC Players of Week 5 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/NFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-5.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=October 16, 2015}}</ref><br/>([[2015 New York Giants season|Giants]])
|[[Mike Adams (safety)|Mike Adams]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_05/><br/>([[2015 Indianapolis Colts season|Colts]])
|[[Fletcher Cox]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_05/><br/>([[2015 Philadelphia Eagles season|Eagles]])
|[[Mike Nugent]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_05/><br/>([[2015 Cincinnati Bengals season|Bengals]])
|[[Bobby Rainey]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_05/><br/>([[2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|Buccaneers]])
|-
!6
|[[DeAndre Hopkins]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_06>{{cite web |title=Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins, Dolphins DE Cameron Wake & Steelers K Chris Boswell named AFC Players of Week 6 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/AFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-6.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=October 23, 2015}}</ref><br/>([[2015 Houston Texans season|Texans]])
|[[Calvin Johnson]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_06>{{cite web |title=Lions WR Calvin Johnson, Panthers DT Kawann Short & Saints LB Michael Mauti named NFC Players of Week 6 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/NFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-6.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=October 23, 2015}}</ref><br/>([[2015 Detroit Lions season|Lions]])
|[[Cameron Wake]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_06/><br/>([[2015 Miami Dolphins season|Dolphins]])
|[[Kawann Short]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_06/><br/>(Panthers)
|[[Chris Boswell]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_06/><br/>([[2015 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Steelers]])
|[[Michael Mauti]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_06/><br/>([[2015 New Orleans Saints season|Saints]])
|-
!7
|[[Ryan Tannehill]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_07>{{cite web |title=Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill, Jaguars LB Telvin Smith & Patriots K Stephen Gostkowski named AFC Players of Week 7 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/AFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-7.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=October 28, 2015}}</ref><br/>([[2015 Miami Dolphins season|Dolphins]])
|[[Kirk Cousins]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_07>{{cite web |title=Redskins QB Kirk Cousins, Seahawks DE Michael Bennett & Giants KR Dwayne Harris named NFC Players of Week 7 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/NFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-7.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=October 28, 2015}}</ref><br/>([[2015 Washington Redskins season|Redskins]])
|[[Telvin Smith]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_07/><br/>([[2015 Jacksonville Jaguars season|Jaguars]])
|[[Michael Bennett (defensive lineman, born 1985)|Michael Bennett]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_07/><br/>([[2015 Seattle Seahawks season|Seahawks]])
|Stephen Gostkowski<ref name=AFC_PotW_07/><br/>(Patriots)
|[[Dwayne Harris]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_07/><br/>([[2015 New York Giants season|Giants]])
|-
| style="background:#ffffbf;"|'''Oct.'''
| style="background:#ffffbf;"|[[Andy Dalton]]<ref name=AFC_PotM_Oct>{{cite web |title=Bengals QB Andy Dalton, Raiders S Charles Woodson & Broncos K Brandon McManus named AFC Players of Month of October |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/AFC-Players-of-the-Month---October.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=November 1, 2015}}</ref><br/>(Bengals)
| style="background:#ffffbf;"|[[Devonta Freeman]]<ref name=NFC_PotM_Oct>{{cite web |title=Falcons RB Devonta Freeman, Panthers DT Kawann Short & Rams P Johnny Hekker named NFC Players of Month of October |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/NFC-Players-of-the-Month---October.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=November 1, 2015}}</ref><br/>(Falcons)
| style="background:#ffffbf;"|[[Charles Woodson]]<ref name=AFC_PotM_Oct/><br/>([[2015 Oakland Raiders season|Raiders]])
| style="background:#ffffbf;"|Kawann Short<ref name=NFC_PotM_Oct/><br/>(Panthers)
| style="background:#ffffbf;"|[[Brandon McManus]]<ref name=AFC_PotM_Oct/><br/>([[2015 Denver Broncos season|Broncos]])
| style="background:#ffffbf;"|[[Johnny Hekker]]<ref name=NFC_PotM_Oct/><br/>(Rams)
|-
!8
|Tom Brady<ref name=AFC_PotW_08>{{cite web |title=Patriots QB Tom Brady, Broncos DE Derek Wolfe & Ravens K Justin Tucker named AFC Players of Week 8 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/AFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-8.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=November 4, 2015}}</ref><br/>(Patriots)
|Drew Brees<ref name=NFC_PotW_08>{{cite web |title=Saints QB Drew Brees, Buccaneers LB Kwon Alexander & Vikings PR Marcus Sherels named NFC Players of Week 8 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/NFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-8.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=November 4, 2015}}</ref><br/>(Saints)
|[[Derek Wolfe]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_08/><br/>(Broncos)
|[[Kwon Alexander]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_08/><br/>([[2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|Buccaneers]])
|Justin Tucker<ref name=AFC_PotW_08/><br/>(Ravens)
|[[Marcus Sherels]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_08/><br/>([[2015 Minnesota Vikings season|Vikings]])
|-
!9
|Marcus Mariota<ref name=AFC_PotW_09>{{cite web |title=AFC Players of the Week - Week 9 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/AFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-9.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=November 11, 2015}}</ref><br/>(Titans)
|[[Cam Newton]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_09>{{cite web |title=NFC Players of the Week - Week 9 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/NFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-9.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=November 11, 2015}}</ref><br/>([[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Panthers]])
|[[Darius Butler]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_09/><br/>(Colts)
|[[Linval Joseph]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_09/><br/>([[2015 Minnesota Vikings season|Vikings]])
|[[Ryan Quigley]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_09/><br/>([[2015 New York Jets season|Jets]])
|[[Josh Brown (American football)|Josh Brown]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_09/><br/>(Giants)
|-
!10
|Ben Roethlisberger<ref name=AFC_PotW_10>{{cite web |title=Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, Bills S Baccari Rambo & Patriots K Stephen Gostkowski name AFC Players of Week 10 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/AFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-10.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=November 18, 2015}}</ref><br/>(Steelers)
|Kirk Cousins<ref name=NFC_PotW_10>{{cite web |title=Redskins QB Kirk Cousins, Vikings CB Terence Newman & Lions KR Ameer Abdullah named NFC Players of Week 10 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/NFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-10.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=November 18, 2015}}</ref><br/>(Redskins)
|[[Bacarri Rambo]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_10/><br/>(Bills)
|[[Terence Newman]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_10/><br/>(Vikings)
|Stephen Gostkowski<ref name=AFC_PotW_10/><br/>(Patriots)
|[[Ameer Abdullah]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_10/><br/>([[2015 Detroit Lions season|Lions]])
|-
!11
|[[Brock Osweiler]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_11>{{cite web |title=Broncos QB Brock Osweiler, Texans DE J. J. Watt & Chiefs P Dustin Colquitt named AFC Players of Week 11 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/AFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-11.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=November 25, 2015}}</ref><br>([[2015 Denver Broncos season|Broncos]])
|Cam Newton<ref name=NFC_PotW_11>{{cite web |title=Panthers QB Cam Newton, Buccaneers LB Lavonte David & Packers K Mason Crosby named NFC Players of Week 11 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/NFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-11.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=November 25, 2015}}</ref><br>(Panthers)
|[[J. J. Watt]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_11/><br/>([[2015 Houston Texans season|Texans]])
|[[Lavonte David]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_11/><br>(Buccaneers)
|[[Dustin Colquitt]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_11/><br/>([[2015 Kansas City Chiefs season|Chiefs]])
|[[Mason Crosby]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_11/><br>([[2015 Green Bay Packers season|Packers]])
|-
!12
|[[C. J. Anderson]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_12>{{cite web |title=Broncos RB C.J. Anderson, Bengals CB Leon Hall & Ravens S Will Hill named AFC Players of Week 12 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/AFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-12.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=December 2, 2015}}</ref><br>(Broncos)
|[[Russell Wilson]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_12>{{cite web |title=Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, Panthers LB Luke Kuechly & Lions P Sam Martin named NFC Players of Week 12 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/NFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-12.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=December 2, 2015}}</ref><br>([[2015 Seattle Seahawks season|Seahawks]])
|[[Leon Hall]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_12/><br/>([[2015 Cincinnati Bengals season|Bengals]])
|[[Luke Kuechly]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_12/><br>(Panthers)
|[[Will Hill]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_12/><br/>(Ravens)
|[[Sam Martin (American football)|Sam Martin]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_12/><br>(Lions)
|- style="background:#ffffbf;"
||'''Nov.'''
||[[Antonio Brown]]<ref name=AFC_PotM_Nov>{{cite web |title=Steelers WR Antonio Brown, Texans DE J. J. Watt & Colts K Adam Vinatieri named AFC Players of Month for November |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/AFC-Players-of-the-Month---November.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=December 3, 2015}}</ref><br/>(Steelers)
||[[Adrian Peterson]]<ref name=NFC_PotM_Nov>{{cite web |title=Vikings RB Adrian Peterson, Cardinals S Tyrann Mathieu & Panthers K Graham Gano named NFC Players of Month for November |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/NFC-Players-of-the-Month---November.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=December 3, 2015}}</ref><br/>([[2015 Minnesota Vikings season|Vikings]])
||J. J. Watt<ref name=AFC_PotM_Nov/><br/>(Texans)
||Tyrann Mathieu<ref name=NFC_PotM_Nov/><br/>(Cardinals)
||[[Adam Vinatieri]]<ref name=AFC_PotM_Nov/><br/>(Colts)
||[[Graham Gano]]<ref name=NFC_PotM_Nov/><br/>([[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Panthers]])
|-
!13
|[[Brandon Marshall]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_13>{{cite web |title=Jets WR Brandon Marshall, Chiefs S Tyvon Branch & Steelers PR/WR Antonio Brown named AFC Players of Week 13 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/AFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-13.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=December 9, 2015}}</ref><br>([[2015 New York Jets season|Jets]])
|Cam Newton<ref name=NFC_PotW_13>{{cite web |title=Panthers QB Cam Newton, Eagles S Malcolm Jenkins & Cowboys K Dan Bailey named NFC Players of Week 13 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/NFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-13.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=December 9, 2015}}</ref><br>(Panthers)
|[[Tyvon Branch]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_13/><br>([[2015 Kansas City Chiefs season|Chiefs]])
|[[Malcolm Jenkins]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_13/><br>(Eagles)
|[[Antonio Brown]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_13/><br>(Steelers)
|[[Dan Bailey (American football)|Dan Bailey]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_13/><br>([[2015 Dallas Cowboys season|Cowboys]])
|-
!14
|[[Ryan Fitzpatrick]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_14>{{cite web |title=Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, Raiders DE Khalil Mack & Jaguars PR/WR Rashad Greene named AFC Players of Week 14 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/AFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-14.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=December 16, 2015}}</ref><br>(Jets)
|Eli Manning<ref name=NFC_PotW_14>{{cite web |title=Giants QB Eli Manning, Rams DT Aaron Donald & Cardinals K Chandler Catanzaro named NFC Players of Week 14 |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/NFC-Players-of-the-Week---Week-14.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=December 16, 2015}}</ref><br>(Giants)
|[[Khalil Mack]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_14/><br>(Raiders)
|Aaron Donald<ref name=NFC_PotW_14/><br>(Rams)
|[[Rashad Greene]]<ref name=AFC_PotW_14/><br>([[2015 Jacksonville Jaguars season|Jaguars]])
|[[Chandler Catanzaro]]<ref name=NFC_PotW_14/><br>([[2015 Arizona Cardinals season|Cardinals]])
|-
!15
|Antonio Brown<ref name=AFCNFC_PotW_15>{{cite web |title=Cam Newton highlights Week 15 Players of the Week |url=http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000607745/article/cam-newton-highlights-week-15-players-of-the-week?campaign=fb-nf-sf17597581-sf17597581 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223235918/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000607745/article/cam-newton-highlights-week-15-players-of-the-week?campaign=fb-nf-sf17597581-sf17597581 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 23, 2015 |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=December 23, 2015}}</ref> <br>(Steelers)
|Cam Newton<ref name=AFCNFC_PotW_15/><br>(Panthers)
|[[Marcus Peters]]<ref name=AFCNFC_PotW_15/><br>(Chiefs)
|[[Deone Bucannon]]<ref name=AFCNFC_PotW_15/><br>(Cardinals)
|[[Carlos Dunlap]]<ref name=AFCNFC_PotW_15/><br>(Bengals)
|[[Benny Cunningham]]<ref name=AFCNFC_PotW_15/><br>(Rams)
|-
!16
|Ryan Fitzpatrick<ref name=AFCNFC_PotW_16>{{cite web |title=Raiders' King highlights Week 16 Players of Week |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/raiders-king-highlights-week-16-players-of-week-0ap3000000612390 |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=December 30, 2015}}</ref> <br>(Jets)
|Julio Jones<ref name=AFCNFC_PotW_16/><br>(Falcons)
|[[Robert Mathis]]<ref name=AFCNFC_PotW_16/><br>(Colts)
|[[Dwight Freeney]]<ref name=AFCNFC_PotW_16/><br>(Cardinals)
|[[Marquette King]]<ref name=AFCNFC_PotW_16/><br>([[2015 Oakland Raiders season|Raiders]])
|[[Blair Walsh]]<ref name=AFCNFC_PotW_16/><br>(Vikings)
|- style="background:#ffffbf;"
||'''Dec.'''
||Antonio Brown<ref name="December2015">{{cite web |title=Antonio Brown tops December's Players of the Month |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/antonio-brown-tops-december-s-players-of-the-month-0ap3000000618756 |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=January 7, 2016}}</ref><br>(Steelers)
||Kirk Cousins<ref name="December2015"/><br>(Redskins)
||[[Whitney Mercilus]]<ref name="December2015"/><br>(Texans)
||Kawann Short<ref name="December2015"/><br>(Panthers)
||Chris Boswell<ref name="December2015"/><br>(Steelers)
||Tyler Lockett<ref name="December2015"/><br>(Seahawks)
|-
!17
|[[Ronnie Hillman]]<ref name=AFCNFC_PotW_17>{{cite web |title=Cam Newton highlights Week 17 Players of Week |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/cam-newton-highlights-week-17-players-of-week-0ap3000000618210 |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=January 6, 2016}}</ref><br>(Broncos)
|Cam Newton<ref name=AFCNFC_PotW_17/><br>(Panthers)
|J. J. Watt<ref name=AFCNFC_PotW_17/><br>(Texans)
|[[Everson Griffen]]<ref name=AFCNFC_PotW_17/><br>(Vikings)
|[[D. J. Alexander]]<ref name=AFCNFC_PotW_17/><br>(Chiefs)
|Tyler Lockett<ref name=AFCNFC_PotW_17/><br>(Seahawks)
|}

{| border=0
|- valign="top"
|
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align: center;"
|-
!Week
!FedEx Air<br />Player of the Week<ref name="FedExPlayerOfTheWeek">{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/voting/players-air-and-ground/2015 |title=FedEx Air and Ground Players of the Week |work=[[NFL.com]] | access-date=September 17, 2015}}</ref><br />(Quarterbacks)
!FedEx Ground<br />Player of the Week<ref name="FedExPlayerOfTheWeek"/><br />(Running Backs)
!Pepsi Next<br />Rookie of the Week<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nfl.com/voting/rookies/2015 |title=Pepsi Next Rookie of the Week |work=[[NFL.com]] |access-date=September 17, 2015}}</ref><br />
!Castrol Edge<br />Clutch Performer<br />of the Week<ref>{{cite web|title=Castrol Edge Clutch Performer of the Week|url=http://www.nfl.com/voting/clutch-performer/2015 |website=NFL.com|access-date=22 September 2015}}</ref>
|-
!1
| [[Philip Rivers]]<br/>([[2015 San Diego Chargers season|Chargers]])
| [[Carlos Hyde]]<br/>([[2015 San Francisco 49ers season|49ers]])
| [[Marcus Mariota]]<br/>([[2015 Tennessee Titans season|Titans]])
| [[Tony Romo]]<br/>([[2015 Dallas Cowboys season|Cowboys]])
|-
!2
| [[Tom Brady]]<br/>([[2015 New England Patriots season|Patriots]])
| [[Matt Jones (running back)|Matt Jones]]<br/>([[2015 Washington Redskins season|Redskins]])
| [[Jameis Winston]]<br/>([[2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|Buccaneers]])
| [[Derek Carr (American football)|Derek Carr]]<br/>([[2015 Oakland Raiders season|Raiders]])
|-
!3
| [[Aaron Rodgers]]<br/>([[2015 Green Bay Packers season|Packers]])
| [[Devonta Freeman]]<br/>([[2015 Atlanta Falcons season|Falcons]])
| [[Kwon Alexander]]<br/>(Buccaneers)
| [[Julio Jones]]<br/>([[2015 Atlanta Falcons season|Falcons]])
|-
!4
| Philip Rivers<br/>(Chargers)
| [[Chris Ivory]]<br/>([[2015 New York Jets season|Jets]])
| [[Todd Gurley]]<br/>([[2015 St. Louis Rams season|Rams]])
| [[Kam Chancellor]]<br/>([[2015 Seattle Seahawks season|Seahawks]])
|-
!5
| [[Eli Manning]]<br/>([[2015 New York Giants season|Giants]])
| [[Doug Martin (running back)|Doug Martin]]<br/>([[2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|Buccaneers]])
| Jameis Winston<br/>(Buccaneers)
| [[Tyrod Taylor]]<br/>([[2015 Buffalo Bills season|Bills]])
|-
!6
| Philip Rivers<br/>(Chargers)
| Chris Ivory<br/>(Jets)
| [[Stefon Diggs]]<br/>([[2015 Minnesota Vikings season|Vikings]])
| [[Damarious Randall]]<br/>([[2015 Green Bay Packers season|Packers]])
|-
!7
| [[Ryan Tannehill]]<br/>([[2015 Miami Dolphins season|Dolphins]])
| [[Lamar Miller]]<br/>([[2015 Miami Dolphins season|Dolphins]])
| [[Amari Cooper]]<br/>([[2015 Oakland Raiders season|Raiders]])
| Tom Brady<br/>([[2015 New England Patriots season|Patriots]])
|-
!8
| [[Drew Brees]]<br/>([[2015 New Orleans Saints season|Saints]])
| [[Todd Gurley]]<br/>([[2015 St. Louis Rams season|Rams]])
| Kwon Alexander<br/>(Buccaneers)
| Drew Brees<br/>([[2015 New Orleans Saints season|Saints]])
|-
!9
| Marcus Mariota<br/>([[2015 Tennessee Titans season|Titans]])
| [[DeAngelo Williams]]<br/>([[2015 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Steelers]])
| Amari Cooper<br/>(Raiders)
| [[Antonio Brown]]<br/>([[2015 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Steelers]])
|-
!10
| [[Ben Roethlisberger]]<br/>([[2015 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Steelers]])
| [[Adrian Peterson]]<br/>([[2015 Minnesota Vikings season|Vikings]])
| [[Mario Edwards Jr.]]<br/>(Raiders)
| [[Stephen Gostkowski]]<br/>(Patriots)
|-
!11
| Jameis Winston<br/>([[2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|Buccaneers]])
| Doug Martin<br/>(Buccaneers)
| Jameis Winston<br/>(Buccaneers)
| [[Aaron Rodgers]]<br/>(Packers)
|-
!12
| [[Russell Wilson]]<br/>([[2015 Seattle Seahawks season|Seahawks]])
| Adrian Peterson<br/>(Vikings)
| Amari Cooper<br/>(Raiders)
| Derek Carr<br/>(Raiders)
|-
!13
| Ben Roethlisberger<br/>(Steelers)
| DeAngelo Williams<br/>(Steelers)
| [[Thomas Rawls]]<br/>(Seahawks)
| Jameis Winston<br/>(Buccaneers)
|-
!14
| Russell Wilson<br/>(Seahawks)
| [[Eddie Lacy]]<br/>([[2015 Green Bay Packers season|Packers]])
| [[Tyler Lockett]]<br/>(Seahawks)
| [[Khalil Mack]]<br/>(Raiders)
|-
!15
| Ben Roethlisberger<br/>(Steelers)
| [[David Johnson (running back)|David Johnson]]<br>([[2015 Arizona Cardinals season|Cardinals]])
| Amari Cooper<br/>(Raiders)
| Antonio Brown<br/>(Steelers)
|-
!16
| Drew Brees<br>(Saints)
| [[Tim Hightower]]<br>([[2015 New Orleans Saints season|Saints]])
| [[Preston Smith (linebacker)|Preston Smith]]<br>([[2015 Washington Redskins season|Redskins]])
| [[Ryan Fitzpatrick]]<br>([[2015 New York Jets season|Jets]])
|-
!17
| Ryan Tannehill<br>(Dolphins)
| [[Rashad Jennings]]<br>([[2015 New York Giants season|Giants]])
| Tyler Lockett<br>(Seahawks)
| [[Peyton Manning]]<br>([[2015 Denver Broncos season|Broncos]])
|}

| style="padding-left:40px;" |
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align: center;"
|-
!rowspan=2|Month
!colspan=2|Rookie of the Month
|-
!Offensive
!Defensive
|-
!Sept.
| [[Marcus Mariota]]<ref name=RotM_Sep>{{cite web |title=NFL Rookies of the Month - September |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Documents/2015%20Football%20Information/NFL%20ROM/September%20--%20Mariota%20Darby.pdf |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=October 4, 2015 }}</ref><br/>([[2015 Tennessee Titans season|Titans]])
| [[Ronald Darby]]<ref name=RotM_Sep/><br/>([[2015 Buffalo Bills season|Bills]])
|-
!Oct.
|[[Todd Gurley]]<ref name=RotM_Oct>{{cite web |title=NFL Rookies of the Month - October |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/NFL-Rookies-of-the-Month---October.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=November 1, 2015}}</ref><br/>([[2015 St. Louis Rams season|Rams]])
|[[Eric Kendricks]]<ref name=RotM_Oct/><br/>([[2015 Minnesota Vikings season|Vikings]])
|-
!Nov.
|[[Jameis Winston]]<ref name=RotM_Nov>{{cite web |title=NFL Rookies of the Month - November |url=https://nflcommunications.com/Pages/NFL-Rookies-of-the-Month---November.aspx |publisher=[[National Football League|NFL]] |access-date=December 3, 2015}}</ref><br/>([[2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|Buccaneers]])
|[[Damarious Randall]]<ref name=RotM_Nov/><br/>([[2015 Green Bay Packers season|Packers]])
|-
!Dec.
|[[David Johnson (running back)|David Johnson]]<ref name="December2015"/><br>([[2015 Arizona Cardinals season|Cardinals]])
|[[Marcus Peters]]<ref name="December2015"/><br>([[2015 Kansas City Chiefs season|Chiefs]])
|}
|}

==Head coach/front office personnel changes==

===Head coach===

====Offseason====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! style="width:12%;"| Team
! style="width:10%;"| 2014 head coach
! style="width:10%;"| 2014 interim head coach
! style="width:8%;"| Reason for leaving
! style="width:10%;"| 2015 replacement
! class="unsortable"| Story/Accomplishments
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Atlanta Falcons]]
|style="text-align:center;" colspan=2|[[Mike Smith (American football coach)|Mike Smith]]
|style="text-align:center;"|Fired
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Dan Quinn (American football)|Dan Quinn]]
|Smith compiled a record of 67–50 (.573), including the postseason, in seven seasons with the Falcons. He is the only coach to lead the franchise to consecutive winning seasons and consecutive playoff berths.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Patra|first1=Kevin|title=Atlanta Falcons fire coach Mike Smith|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/atlanta-falcons-fire-coach-mike-smith-0ap3000000451246|work=NFL.com|access-date=29 September 2014}}</ref>

Quinn, who never held a head coaching position prior to 2015, had served as defensive coordinator for the [[Seattle Seahawks]]. Due to league anti-[[tapping up|tampering]] rules, the Falcons had to wait until after the completion of the Seahawks' playoff run, before formally hiring Quinn.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/12266193/dan-quinn-atlanta-falcons-introduction|title=Falcons to introduce Dan Quinn|last=McClure|first=Vaughan|publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures|date=February 2, 2015|website=ESPN.com|access-date=April 25, 2015}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Buffalo Bills]]
|style="text-align:center;" colspan=2|[[Doug Marrone]]
|style="text-align:center;"|Resigned
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Rex Ryan]]
|Marrone compiled a record of 15–17 (.469) in two seasons with the Bills and resigned on December 31, 2014.<ref>[http://www.allsportswny.com/statement-from-buffalo-bills-owner-terry-pegula-regarding-marrone-opt-out/ Statement from Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula regarding Marrone opt-out]. ''WBBZ-TV''. Retrieved December 31, 2014.</ref> His tenure was marked by the team's first winning season since 2004 but also by tensions with general manager [[Doug Whaley]] and players, especially [[Mike Williams (wide receiver, born 1987)|Mike Williams]], who requested a trade during the season. Marrone's contract had an opt-out clause which allowed him to resign his position within three days of the end of the season and still collect his full salary for the rest of the contract (he had one year remaining) if the team changed ownership which it did when the Bills were sold to the Pegula family in September. Marrone joined the Jacksonville Jaguars as offensive line coach.<ref>Long, Mark (January 20, 2015). [http://www.oleantimesherald.com/sports/article_40438a42-a137-11e4-b975-2baea0124b48.html Jaguars hire Marrone as assistant head coach]. ''Associated Press''. Retrieved January 21, 2015.</ref>

On January 12, 2015, the Bills hired [[Rex Ryan]] as their head coach. Ryan had spent the previous six seasons as head coach of the New York Jets.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Patra|first1=Kevin|title=Buffalo Bills hire Rex Ryan as head coach|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/buffalo-bills-hire-rex-ryan-as-head-coach-0ap3000000456519|website=NFL.com|access-date=12 January 2015}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Chicago Bears]]
|style="text-align:center;" colspan=2|[[Marc Trestman]]
|style="text-align:center;"|Fired
|style="text-align:center;"|[[John Fox (American football)|John Fox]]
|Trestman compiled a record of 13–19 (.406) in two seasons with the Bears, and had finished the 2014 season with a 5–11 record. He and general manager [[Phil Emery (American football)|Phil Emery]] were both dismissed on December 29, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rosenthal|first1=Gregg|title=Chicago Bears fire Marc Trestman|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/chicago-bears-fire-marc-trestman-0ap3000000451258|work=NFL.com|access-date=29 September 2014}}</ref> Trestman then became offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/ravens-hire-marc-trestman-as-offensive-coordinator-0ap3000000461175 |title=Ravens hire Marc Trestman as offensive coordinator |work=NFL.com |access-date=2015-05-19}}</ref>

Fox was hired on January 16, 2015, to become the head coach. Fox spent the past 4 seasons as the head coach of the Denver Broncos.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Sessler|first1=Marc|title=Chicago Bears hire John Fox as head coach|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/chicago-bears-hire-john-fox-as-head-coach-0ap3000000459551|website=NFL.com|access-date=17 January 2015}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Denver Broncos]]
|style="text-align:center;" colspan=2|[[John Fox (American football)|John Fox]]
|style="text-align:center;"|Mutual decision
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Gary Kubiak]]
|In four seasons with the Broncos, Fox compiled a record of 49–22 (.690) including postseason games, won his division all four seasons, and appeared in [[Super Bowl XLVIII]], but was bounced from the playoffs in the divisional round the other three years. By mutual agreement, Fox left the team on January 12, 2015, following the most recent divisional playoff loss.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Wesseling|first1=Chris|title=John Fox, Denver Broncos part ways after four years|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/john-fox-denver-broncos-part-ways-after-four-seasons-0ap3000000457308|website=NFL.com|access-date=12 January 2015}}</ref>

Kubiak was hired on January 19, 2015, to become the head coach. Kubiak, formerly head coach of the [[Houston Texans]] from 2006 to 2013, spent the past season as the offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Patra|first1=Kevin|title=Gary Kubiak hired as Denver Broncos head coach|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/gary-kubiak-hired-as-denver-broncos-head-coach-0ap3000000460494|website=NFL.com|access-date=20 January 2015}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[New York Jets]]
|style="text-align:center;" colspan=2|[[Rex Ryan]]
|style="text-align:center;" |Fired
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Todd Bowles]]
|Ryan compiled a record of 50–52 (.490), including postseason games, in six seasons as head coach of the Jets. Ryan led the Jets to two [[AFC Championship Game]] appearances in his first two seasons, losing both, but failed to earn a winning season or playoff berth in his last four. He and general manager [[John Idzik, Jr.]] were both dismissed on December 29, 2014.<ref name=NYJfire>{{cite web|last1=Orr|first1=Conor|title=New York Jets fire Rex Ryan, John Idzik|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/new-york-jets-fire-rex-ryan-john-idzik-0ap3000000451236|website=NFL.com|access-date=9 January 2015}}</ref>

Bowles was hired on January 14, 2015, to become their head coach after serving as defensive coordinator for Arizona Cardinals since 2013; he previously served as interim head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Wesseling|first1=Chris|title=New York Jets hiring Todd Bowles as head coach|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/new-york-jets-announce-todd-bowles-as-head-coach-0ap3000000458689|website=NFL.com|access-date=14 January 2015}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Oakland Raiders]]
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Dennis Allen (American football)|Dennis Allen]]
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Tony Sparano]]
|style="text-align:center;"|Fired
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Jack Del Rio]]
|Allen was fired on September 29, 2014, after an 8–28 (.222) record as Raiders head coach, and an 0–4 start to the 2014 season.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rosenthal|first1=Gregg|title=Raiders fire Dennis Allen after two-plus seasons|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/raiders-fire-dennis-allen-after-two-plus-seasons-0ap3000000403246|website=NFL.com|access-date=29 September 2014}}</ref> Allen joined the staff of the New Orleans Saints for the 2015 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/01/20/dennis-allen-joins-saints-staff/|title=Dennis Allen joins Saints' staff|last=Smith|first=Michael D.|publisher=NBC Sports|date=January 20, 2015|website=profootballtalk.nbcsports.com|access-date=April 24, 2015}}</ref>

Sparano, formerly head coach of the Miami Dolphins, finished the season as interim head coach, compiling a record of 3–9.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hanzus|first1=Dan|title=Tony Sparano named Raiders' interim head coach|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/tony-sparano-named-raiders-interim-head-coach-0ap3000000403464|work=NFL.com|access-date=30 September 2014}}</ref> He then became tight ends coach for the San Francisco 49ers.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tony Sparano new 49ers TE coach|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/12211782/tony-sparano-joins-san-francisco-49ers-staff-tight-ends-coach|publisher=ESPN|date=22 January 2015}}</ref>

Jack Del Rio was hired on January 14, 2015, to become their head coach after serving as defensive coordinator for Denver Broncos since 2012; he previously served as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2003 to 2011.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Orr|first1=Conor|title=Oakland Raiders hire Jack Del Rio as next head coach|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/oakland-raiders-announce-jack-del-rio-as-new-coach-0ap3000000458717|website=NFL.com|access-date=14 January 2015}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[San Francisco 49ers]]
|style="text-align:center;" colspan=2|[[Jim Harbaugh]]
|style="text-align:center;"|Mutually Part Ways
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Jim Tomsula]]
|Harbaugh compiled a record of 49–22–1 (.688), including postseason games, in four seasons with the 49ers, and led the team to three [[NFC Championship Game]] appearances and a berth in [[Super Bowl XLVII]]. After a mediocre 8–8 season in 2014 (the first time his team did not make the playoffs) and amid tensions between Harbaugh and the 49ers front office, Harbaugh left to become head coach at his college alma mater, the [[Michigan Wolverines football|University of Michigan]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rosenthal|first1=Gregg|title=Jim Harbaugh, San Francisco 49ers mutually part ways|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/jim-harbaugh-san-francisco-49ers-mutually-part-ways-0ap3000000450865|work=NFL.com|access-date=29 September 2014}}</ref>

On January 14, 2015, Jim Tomsula was promoted to head coach after serving as defensive line coach with the team since 2007; it is his second time at the helm, as he previously served as the 49ers' interim head coach for one game, after [[Mike Singletary]]'s firing in 2010.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Patra|first1=Kevin|title=Niners choose to promote Jim Tomsula to head coach|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/niners-choose-to-promote-jim-tomsula-to-head-coach-0ap3000000458952|website=NFL.cpm|access-date=14 January 2015}}</ref>
|}

====In-season====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! style="width:12%;"| Team
! style="width:10%;"| 2015 head coach
! style="width:8%;"| Reason for leaving
! style="width:8%;"| Interim replacement
! class="unsortable"| Story/Accomplishments
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Miami Dolphins]]
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Joe Philbin]]
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;" |Fired
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Dan Campbell]]
|Philbin compiled a record of 24–28 ({{winning percentage|24|28}}), with no playoff appearances, in 3¼ seasons as head coach of the Dolphins. The Dolphins were expected to be contenders for a playoff position in 2015 but grossly underachieved, starting the season 1–3, which led to Philbin's firing. Campbell, the team's tight ends coach, took over for the rest of the season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/13814560/miami-dolphins-fire-joe-philbin|title=Dolphins fire coach Joe Philbin after team stumbles to 1-3 start|last=Walker|first=James|publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures|date=October 5, 2015|website=ESPN.com|access-date=October 5, 2015}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Tennessee Titans]]
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Ken Whisenhunt]]
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Mike Mularkey]]
|Whisenhunt compiled a record of 3–20 ({{winning percentage|3|20}}), with no playoff appearances, in 1½ seasons as head coach of the Titans. After an impressive opening day win, the Titans lost six straight, resulting in Whisenhunt's dismissal. Mularkey, the team's tight ends coach, took over as interim head coach. Mularkey's previous head coaching experience includes two seasons with the Buffalo Bills (2004–05) and one season with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2012).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/tennessee-titans-fire-head-coach-ken-whisenhunt-0ap3000000572205|title=Tennessee Titans fire head coach Ken Whisenhunt|last=Orr|first=Conor|work=[[NFL.com]]|date=November 3, 2015|access-date=November 3, 2015}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Philadelphia Eagles]]
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Chip Kelly]]
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Pat Shurmur]]
|Kelly compiled a record of 26–21 ({{winning percentage|26|21}}) in almost three years with the Eagles. He led the team to the playoffs in 2013, but lost in the Wild Card. He was fired from both his head coach and ''de facto'' general manager positions when the team, after its ninth loss of the season, was eliminated from postseason contention with one game remaining on the schedule. Shurmur, the Eagles' offensive coordinator, filled in as head coach for the team's last game; he previously coached the Cleveland Browns from 2011 to 2012.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rosenthal|first1=Gregg|title=Philadelphia Eagles fire coach Chip Kelly|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/philadelphia-eagles-fire-coach-chip-kelly-0ap3000000612168|website=NFL.com|access-date=30 December 2015}}</ref>
|}

===Front office===

====Offseason====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! style="width:12%;"| Team
! style="width:5%;"| Position
! style="width:12%;"| 2014 office holder
! style="width:9%;"| Reason for leaving
! style="width:12%;"| 2015 replacement
! class="unsortable" | Story/Accomplishments
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[2014 New York Jets season|New York Jets]]
| style="text-align:center;"| [[General manager (American football)|GM]]
| style="text-align:center;"| [[John Idzik, Jr.|John Idzik]]
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"|Fired
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Mike Maccagnan]]
| Idzik was fired after two seasons with the New York Jets.<ref name=NYJfire/> He then joined the staff of the Jacksonville Jaguars as a consultant.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.si.com/nfl/2015/02/25/jaguars-jets-john-idzik-gm-consultant?xid=si_nfl|title=Report: Jaguars expected to hire ex-Jets GM John Idzik as consultant|last=Gartland|first=Dan|publisher=Sports Illustrated|date=February 25, 2015|website=SI.com|access-date=July 22, 2015}}</ref>

On January 13, 2015, the Jets hired Maccagnan as new general manager of the team. He was the director of college scouting for the Houston Texans prior to his hiring.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hanzus|first1=Dan|title=Mike Maccagnan named new general manager of Jets|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/mike-maccagnan-named-new-general-manager-of-jets-0ap3000000458458|website=NFL.com|access-date=14 January 2015}}</ref>
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[2014 Chicago Bears season|Chicago Bears]]
| style="text-align:center;"| [[General manager (American football)|GM]]
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Phil Emery (American football)|Phil Emery]]
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Ryan Pace]]
| Emery was fired after three seasons in Chicago.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bears fire general manager Phil Emery|website=[[NFL.com]]|url=http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-am/0ap3000000451251/Bears-fire-general-manager-Phil-Emery|access-date=9 January 2015}}</ref>

Pace was hired on January 8, 2015, after serving as the director of player personnel with the Saints since 2013.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Biggs|first1=Brad|last2=Campbell|first2=Rich|last3=Wiederer|first3=Dan|title=Bears hire Ryan Pace as general manager|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-bears-hire-ryan-pace-gm-story.html|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|access-date=8 January 2015|archive-date=January 9, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150109005708/http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-bears-hire-ryan-pace-gm-story.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| [[2014 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]]
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Vice president|{{abbr|EVP-FO|Executive Vice President - Football Operations}}]]
| style="text-align:center;"| Tom Gamble
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Howie Roseman]]
| Roseman, who served as General Manager of the Eagles from 2010 to 2014, was promoted up to Executive Vice President of Football Operations. The General Manager position Roseman leaves behind remained unfilled, and head coach [[Chip Kelly]] fulfilled the duties of that position until his Week 16 firing.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gowton|first=Brandon|title=Eagles promote Howie Roseman; allow Chip Kelly to run player personnel department|url=http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2015/1/2/7483051/eagles-promote-howie-roseman-chip-kelly-player-personnel-lurie|website=BleedingGreenNation.com|publisher=[[Vox Media, Inc.]]|access-date=December 2, 2015|date=January 2, 2015}}</ref>
|}

====In-season====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! style="width:12%;"| Team
! style="width:5%;"| Position
! style="width:12%;"| 2015 office holder
! style="width:9%;"| Reason for leaving
! style="width:12%;"| 2015 replacement
! class="unsortable" | Story/Accomplishments
|-
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| [[2015 Detroit Lions season|Detroit Lions]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[General manager (American football)|GM]]
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Martin Mayhew]]
| rowspan="7" style="text-align:center;"|Fired
| style="text-align:center;"| [[Sheldon White]] ''(interim)''
| rowspan="2"| After starting the season 1–6, the Lions fired offensive coordinator [[Joe Lombardi]]. One week later, after another loss to the [[2015 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]], owner [[Martha Firestone Ford]] fired Mayhew and Lewland.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Orr|first1=Conor|title=Lions fire GM Martin Mayhew, president Tom Lewand|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/lions-fire-gm-martin-mayhew-president-tom-lewand-0ap3000000573477|website=[[NFL.com]]|access-date=5 November 2015}}</ref>
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| President
|| [[Tom Lewand]]
|| [[Rod Wood]]
|-
|style="text-align:center;" rowspan=2|[[Philadelphia Eagles]]
|style="text-align:center;"|VP- Player Personnel
|style="text-align:center;"|Ed Marynowitz
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Tom Donahoe]]
|Vice President of Player Personnel Ed Marynowitz was fired alongside Head Coach Chip Kelly on December 29, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title = Chip Kelly released by Philadelphia Eagles|url = https://www.nfl.com/news/philadelphia-eagles-fire-coach-chip-kelly-0ap3000000612168|website = NFL.com|access-date = 2015-12-30}}</ref> Donahoe last served as president and general manager of the [[Buffalo Bills]] from 2001 to 2005 but has largely been out of football in the ten years since his firing from that position.
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|GM (''de facto'')
|style="text-align:center;"|Chip Kelly
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Howie Roseman]]
|Roseman, who carried the title of "executive vice president of football operations" while Kelly handled general manager duties in 2015, reverted to his previous general manager duties after Kelly's firing.
|}

==Stadiums==

;Tennessee Titans' venue renamed Nissan Stadium
The stadium in [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] where the Tennessee Titans play their home games was renamed [[Nissan Stadium]] in an agreement with automobile manufacturer [[Nissan]]. Though financial terms remain undisclosed, the [[naming rights]] deal is expected to last for twenty years. Nissan operates two plants in [[Tennessee]] and is one of middle Tennessee's largest employers. Since {{nfly|2006}}, the facility had been branded as "LP Field", under a naming rights agreement with Nashville-based [[building material]]s manufacturer [[Louisiana-Pacific]]. This is the third name change for the venue since its {{nfly|1999}} opening.<ref>{{cite news|author=Wyatt, Jim |title=Titans' stadium LP Field to be renamed Nissan Stadium |url=http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/nfl/titans/2015/06/24/tennessee-titans-nissan-lp-field/29229831/ |newspaper=[[The Tennessean]] |date=June 25, 2015 |access-date=June 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150624203249/http://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/nfl/titans/2015/06/24/tennessee-titans-nissan-lp-field/29229831/ |archive-date=June 24, 2015 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref>

;Minnesota Vikings last season at TCF Bank Stadium
The Minnesota Vikings played at [[TCF Bank Stadium]] on the [[University of Minnesota]] campus in [[Minneapolis]] for the second straight season.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Katzowitz|first1=Josh|title=Vikings will spend 2014, 2015 seasons at TCF Bank Stadium|url=http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/22224603/vikings-will-spend-2014-2015-seasons-at-tcf-bank-stadium|access-date=September 22, 2015|publisher=[[CBSSports.com]]|date=May 9, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150922143446/http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/22224603/vikings-will-spend-2014-2015-seasons-at-tcf-bank-stadium|archive-date=September 22, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The Vikings arranged to play there for two years after their former home, the [[Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome]], was closed after the {{nfly|2013}} season and demolished so [[U.S. Bank Stadium]], their new stadium, could be built on the site.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Olson|first1=Rochelle|title=Vikings stadium construction entering critical phase, transitioning for fall, winter|url=http://www.startribune.com/vikings-stadium-construction-entering-critical-phase-transitioning-for-fall-winter/317670111/|access-date=September 22, 2015|newspaper=[[Star Tribune]]|date=July 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725121643/http://www.startribune.com/vikings-stadium-construction-entering-critical-phase-transitioning-for-fall-winter/317670111/|archive-date=July 25, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
In August, a construction worker who was working on the new stadium died in a fall from the structure's roof.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Olson|first1=Rochelle|title=1 worker dead, 1 injured in fall from roof at Vikings stadium|url=http://www.startribune.com/1-trapped-rescue-underway-on-roof-of-new-vikings-stadium/322946061/|access-date=September 22, 2015|newspaper=[[Star Tribune]]|date=August 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150827001019/http://www.startribune.com/1-trapped-rescue-underway-on-roof-of-new-vikings-stadium/322946061/|archive-date=August 27, 2015}}</ref>

;NRG Stadium Convert to Turf
[[NRG Stadium]], home of the Houston Texans, converted from a natural grass field to an artificial turf field after week 1. Despite various attempts to improve field conditions, players from both the Texans and the visiting Kansas City Chiefs complained of poor field conditions in their week 1 game. The decision to convert was made 5 days later, and the turf field was installed in time for the Texans next home game against Tampa Bay in Week 3.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/09/18/texans-decide-to-cut-the-grass-install-artificial-turf/ |title=Texans decide to cut the grass, install artificial turf |website=Profootballtalk.nbcsports.com |date=2015-09-18 |access-date=2016-01-28}}</ref>

===NFL relocation candidates===

====Oakland Raiders====
{{see also|History of the National Football League in Los Angeles|Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas}}
The team's lease at the [[Oakland Coliseum]] expired after the 2013 season, and the Raiders after that point became tenants of the Coliseum on a year-to-year basis.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/11229559/roger-goodell-floats-san-francisco-49ers-levi-stadium-oakland-raiders-option |title=Goodell: Levi's might fit Raiders |website=Espn.go.com |date=2014-07-17 |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref>

=====San Antonio=====
On July 29, 2014, reports surfaced that the Oakland Raiders might consider [[National Football League franchise moves and mergers|relocating]] to [[San Antonio]] in 2015 after owner [[Mark Davis (American football)|Mark Davis]] met with San Antonio civic leaders the week before at the encouragement of former Raider [[Cliff Branch]], whom Davis was in town to visit for a local ceremony for Branch. The Raiders themselves acknowledged Davis being in San Antonio for the event for Branch before news broke about a possible relocation, but would not confirm nor deny that Davis also mentioned being there discussing moving his team east.<ref name="Raiders">{{cite web|author=Josh Baugh and Tom Orsborn |url=http://www.sfgate.com/raiders/article/Raiders-look-at-potential-home-deep-in-heart-of-5655367.php |title=Raiders look at potential home deep in heart of Texas |publisher=SFGate |date=2014-07-29 |access-date=2015-05-19}}</ref> Among the two existing NFL teams in [[Texas]], Houston Texans' then-owner [[Bob McNair]] and Dallas Cowboys' owner [[Jerry Jones]]—the latter of which has San Antonio as part of his territorial rights and previously voiced support of an NFL team moving there when the New Orleans Saints [[Effect of Hurricane Katrina on the New Orleans Saints|temporarily played in San Antonio in 2005]] due to [[Effect of Hurricane Katrina on the Louisiana Superdome|damages to the Superdome following Hurricane Katrina]] – both favored an NFL team playing in San Antonio.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/11285618/houston-texans-owner-bob-mcnair-judge-oakland-raiders-san-antonio-buzz |title=McNair in favor of 'strong franchises' |website=Espn.go.com |date=2014-07-30 |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref>

On September 3, 2014, the city of [[Oakland]] reached a tentative deal to build a new football stadium in Oakland, which would have resulted in the Coliseum being demolished; Davis did not respond to the proposal, which would have also forced the [[Oakland Athletics]] to build a new stadium of their own (which they did not agree to do), while [[Alameda County, California|Alameda County]] (then co-owners of the coliseum) indicated they would probably not have supported the plan.<ref name="San Francisco Chronicle">{{cite web |url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/matier-ross/article/New-stadium-deal-for-Raiders-give-s-team-land-5729877.php|title=New stadium deal for Raiders gives team land, pays off debt |date=September 3, 2014 |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |access-date=September 3, 2014}}</ref> Davis, in the meantime, had team officials scout the Alamodome to determine if it would be suitable for the NFL.<ref>[https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/11838270/oakland-raiders-meet-san-antonio-officials-discuss-potential-move Mark Davis, San Antonio group meet]. ''Associated Press'' via [[ESPN.com]]. Retrieved November 8, 2014.</ref>

=====Shared stadium with the Chargers in Los Angeles=====
{{main|Carson Stadium}}
On February 19, 2015, the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers announced plans for a privately financed $1.7 billion [[Carson Stadium|stadium]] that the two teams would build in [[Carson, California]], if they were to move to the [[Los Angeles]] market.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/12351492/san-diego-chargers-oakland-raiders-joint-stadium-plan-los-angeles |title=Chargers, Raiders reveal L.A. plan |website=Espn.go.com |date=2015-02-20 |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref> Such a move would have marked a return to the nation's second-largest market for both teams; the Raiders played in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994 while the Chargers called LA home for their inaugural season in the [[American Football League]]. The Chargers were at the time the only NFL team to play in [[Southern California]], with [[San Diego]] being a {{convert|125|mi|km|adj=on}} distance from Los Angeles and had Los Angeles as a secondary market. The Chargers had been looking to replace [[Qualcomm Stadium]] (which, like the O.co Coliseum opened in the late 1960s) since [[San Diego Chargers stadium proposals|at least 2003]], and had an annual out clause in which it could move in exchange for paying a fine to the city of San Diego for its remaining years on its lease.

Due to television contracts, NFL bylaws, and being in the same division if both of the [[Chargers–Raiders rivalry|longstanding division rivals]] moved to Los Angeles, one of the teams would have had to move to the [[National Football Conference]] and the [[NFC West]], something that Mark Davis volunteered the Raiders to be willing to do. The Raiders' move to the National Football Conference and the NFC West would have been considered ironic because Davis's father [[Al Davis]] was a staunch opponent of the NFL during its rivalry and eventual [[AFL–NFL merger|merger]] with the AFL. If such a realignment had occurred, one of the existing NFC West teams would have taken their spot in the [[AFC West]]. The early rumor was that the Seattle Seahawks, who played in the AFC West from 1977 to 2001, would have been the favorite to switch conferences with the Raiders. However, that team's [[49ers–Seahawks rivalry|then growing rivalry]] with the San Francisco 49ers (who are assured of staying in the NFC West) pointed to either the Arizona Cardinals or the St. Louis Rams (if the latter had stayed in [[St. Louis]]) moving to the AFC West to take the Raiders' spot. If the Rams stayed in St. Louis, switching them to the AFC would have allowed for a yearly home-and-home with the cross-state Kansas City Chiefs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/02/20/if-chargers-and-raiders-share-stadium-one-would-likely-move-to-nfc/|title=If Chargers and Raiders share stadium, one would likely move to NFC|last=Florio|first=Mike|publisher=NBC Sports|date=February 20, 2015|website=profootballtalk.nbcsports.com|access-date=April 30, 2015}}</ref>

On October 23, 2015, Chargers spokesperson Mark Fabiani confirmed that the team planned to officially notify the NFL about its intentions to relocate to Los Angeles in January during the timetable for when teams can request to relocate.<ref>{{cite news|last=Garrick|first=David|title=Chargers plan to file L.A. relocation papers|url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/oct/23/chargers-stadium-fabiani-relocation-los-angeles/|access-date=November 29, 2015|work=[[San Diego Union-Tribune]]|date=October 23, 2015}}</ref>

====St. Louis Rams====
{{main|SoFi Stadium}}
The Rams and the St. Louis CVC (Convention & Visitors Commission) began negotiating deals to get the Rams' home stadium, the [[Edward Jones Dome]], into the top 25 percent of stadiums in the league (i.e., top eight teams of the thirty-two NFL teams in reference to luxury boxes, amenities and overall fan experience). Under the terms of the lease agreement, the St. Louis CVC was required to make modifications to the Edward Jones Dome in 2005. However, then-owner [[Georgia Frontiere]] waived the provision in exchange for cash that served as a penalty for the city's noncompliance. The City of [[St. Louis]], in subsequent years, made changes to the scoreboard and increased the natural lighting by replacing panels with windows, although the overall feel remained dark. The minor renovations which totaled about $70 million did not bring the stadium within the specifications required under the lease agreement.
On February 1, 2013, an arbitrator (3 panel) selected to preside over the arbitration process found that the Edward Jones Dome was not in the top 25% of all NFL venues as required under the terms of the lease agreement between the Rams and the CVC. The arbitrator further found that the estimated $700 million in proposed renovations by the Rams was not unreasonable given the terms of the lease agreement. Finally, the City of St. Louis was Ordered to pay the Rams attorneys' fees which totaled a reported $2 million.

Publicly, city, county and state officials expressed no interest in providing further funding to the Edward Jones Dome in light of those entities, as well as taxpayers, continuing to owe approximately $300 million more on that facility. As such, if a resolution was not reached by the end of the 2014–15 NFL season and the City of St. Louis remained non-compliant in its obligations under the lease agreement, the Rams were free to nullify their lease and relocate.

On January 31, 2014, both the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' and the ''[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]'' reported that Rams owner [[Stan Kroenke]] had purchased 60 acres of land adjacent to the [[The Forum (Inglewood)|Forum]] in [[Inglewood, California|Inglewood]], [[Los Angeles County]], [[California]]. It was, by the most conservative estimates, sufficient land on which an NFL-proper stadium could be constructed. The purchase price was rumored to have been US$90–100 million. Commissioner Roger Goodell represented that Kroenke informed the league of the purchase. As an NFL owner, any purchase of land in which a potential stadium could be built must be disclosed to the league. This development further fueled rumors that the Rams intended to return its management and football operations to Southern California. The land was initially targeted for a Walmart Supercenter but [[Walmart]] could not get the necessary permits to build the center. Kroenke is married to [[Ann Walton Kroenke]], who is a member of the [[Walton family]] and many of Kroenke's real estate deals have involved Walmart properties.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/los-angeles/nfl/story/_/id/10380150/st-louis-rams-owner-stan-kroenke-buys-60-acres-land-los-angeles|title=Stan Kroenke buys 60 acres in L.A.|last=Wagoner|first=Nick|publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures|date=February 1, 2014|website=ESPN.com|access-date=September 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ksdk.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2014/01/30/stan-kroenke-plot-of-land-california-st-louis-rams/5069985/ |title=Report: Rams owner bought 60 acres of land in Calif. |last=Piper |first=Brandie |publisher=Gannett Satellite Information Network, Inc. |date=January 31, 2014 |website=ksdk.com |access-date=September 4, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140221154310/http://www.ksdk.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2014/01/30/stan-kroenke-plot-of-land-california-st-louis-rams/5069985/ |archive-date=February 21, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-0105-nfl-la-stadium-20150105-story.html#page=1 |title=Owner of St. Louis Rams plans to build NFL stadium in Inglewood |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=2015-01-05 |access-date=May 19, 2015}}</ref> On January 5, 2015, ''The Los Angeles Times'' reported that [[Kroenke Sports & Entertainment]] and [[Stockbridge Capital Group]] were partnering to develop a new NFL stadium owned by Kroenke. The project included a stadium of up to 80,000 seats and a performance venue of 6,000 seats while reconfiguring the previously approved Hollywood Park plan for up to 890,000 square feet of retail, 780,000 square feet of office space, 2,500 new residential units, a 300-room hotel and 25 acres of public parks, playgrounds, open space and pedestrian and bicycle access. In lieu of this the city of St. Louis responded on January 9, 2015, by [[National Car Rental Field|unveiling an outdoor, open-air, riverfront stadium]] that could accommodate the Rams and an [[MLS]] team with the hopes that the NFL bylaws would force them to stay. On February 24, 2015, the Inglewood City Council approved the stadium and the initiative with construction on the stadium beginning in December 2015.

With the Chargers, Raiders and Rams proposing their own stadiums as part of their Los Angeles relocation contingency plans, the proposed [[Farmers Field (Los Angeles)|Farmers Field]] project was permanently scrapped in March 2015.<ref name="shutdown">{{cite news
| title = AEG shuts down plans to build downtown Farmers Field for NFL team | url = http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20150309/aeg-shuts-down-plans-to-build-downtown-farmers-field-for-nfl-team | access-date = March 9, 2015 | date = March 9, 2015 | newspaper = Los Angeles Daily News}}</ref> Farmers Field was a proposal from [[Anschutz Entertainment Group]] to lure an NFL team to Los Angeles by promising a new stadium, but AEG placed restrictions on any relocation that the rest of the league found unacceptable, and the project had lain dormant since 2012.<ref>Cole, Jason (March 29, 2012). [https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AopVDuatvL7d8jG.W8Jd06pDubYF?slug=jc-cole_downtown_los_angeles_nfl_stadium_goodell_aeg_032912 Sources: Downtown Los Angeles Stadium proposal in trouble because of AEG’s terms to NFL]. ''Yahoo Sports''. Retrieved March 30, 2012.</ref>

==Super Bowl 50 promotion==
To mark the [[Golden jubilee|50th]] [[Super Bowl 50|Super Bowl]], various gold-themed promotions and initiatives were held during the 2015 season, including gold-tinted logos across all NFL properties, the numbering of the 50-yard line on fields being painted in gold, sideline jackets and hats featuring gold-trimmed logos from week 7 onward, and [[2016 Pro Bowl|Pro Bowl]] jersey designs incorporating gold numbering. Gold footballs were given to each high school that has had a player or coach appear in the Super Bowl, and "homecoming" events were held by teams at games.<ref name="wpost-nflgold15">{{cite news|title=NFL goes gold, adding it to team logos, to celebrate Super Bowl 50|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2015/03/25/nfl-goes-gold-adding-it-to-team-logos-to-celebrate-super-bowl-50/|access-date=30 April 2015|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref name="cbs-goldnfl2015">{{cite web|title=NFL going gold in 2015 to celebrate Super Bowl 50: Five things to know|url=http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25120528/nfl-going-gold-in-2015-to-celebrate-super-bowl-50-5-things-to-know|website=CBS Sports|access-date=30 April 2015}}</ref>

Through their first two home games, the [[2015 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders]] declined to participate in the use of gold paint to mark the 50-yard line. On September 22, ''[[Sports Business Daily]]'' reported that NFL VP/Communications Brian McCarthy stated it was because the [[Oakland Athletics]] were still playing at the [[O.co Coliseum]] (the only stadium that is still shared by both an NFL team and a [[Major League Baseball]] team, which forces the Raiders to play on its dirt infield until the baseball season concludes), but the Coliseum's General Manager Chris Wright responded by saying that the Raiders told him not to apply the gold marks for the remaining regular season games.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Muret|first1=Don|title=Raiders Refusing To Put On-Field Gold Marks At 50-Yard Line|url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Closing-Bell/2015/09/22/Raiders.aspx|access-date=September 23, 2015|work=Sports Business Daily|publisher=[[Sports Business Journal]]|date=September 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923175614/http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Closing-Bell/2015/09/22/Raiders.aspx|archive-date=September 23, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> One day later, Raiders owner [[Mark Davis (American football)|Mark Davis]] confirmed that the gold markings would be used after the conclusion of the Athletics season, boasting that because they had appeared in five of them, "nobody respects the Super Bowl more than Raiders".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Jimmy|first1=Durkin|title=Raiders owner Mark Davis disputes reports about Super Bowl paint|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/raiders/ci_28866630/raiders-owner-mark-davis-disputes-reports-about-super|access-date=September 24, 2015|newspaper=San Jose Mercury News|date=September 23, 2015}}</ref>

==New uniforms and patches==
After it had been leaked months before by the Packers that both teams were allowed to wear their colored jerseys for ''[[Thursday Night Football]]'' contests,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/packers-unveil-retro-uniforms-to-be-worn-vs-chargers-b99546033z1-319137191.html|title=Packers unveil retro uniforms to be worn vs. Chargers|last=Silverstein|first=Tom|publisher=Journal Sentinel, Inc.|date=July 28, 2015|website=jsonline.com|access-date=August 7, 2015}}</ref> on October 30, 2015, the NFL announced "[[NFL Color Rush|Color Rush]]", a series of four Thursday contests in which all eight teams will wear one-time, specially designed and monochromatic [[third jersey|alternate uniforms]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Kania |first=Joe |url=http://www.buccaneers.com/news/article-1/Splash-of-Color-for-Thursday-Night-Teams/a49ec3b0-d3bc-4f95-8881-7b7fd1216685 |title=Splash of Color for Thursday Night Teams |website=Buccaneers.com |date=2015-10-30 |access-date=2015-12-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031114635/http://www.buccaneers.com/news/article-1/Splash-of-Color-for-Thursday-Night-Teams/a49ec3b0-d3bc-4f95-8881-7b7fd1216685 |archive-date=October 31, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Carolina Panthers and Tennessee Titans wore their regular alternate uniforms (with the Panthers debuting "Carolina blue" pants), while the Dallas Cowboys revived their white "Double Star" uniforms from the mid-1990s (while debuting white pants) and the St. Louis Rams wore a gold version of their 1973–99 throwbacks for the games. The other four teams involved (Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers) wore all-new uniforms for the games. The November 12 game between the Bills and Jets was particularly problematic, with the Bills' all-red uniforms (the first time the team has ever worn a red jersey on the field) and the Jets' kelly green outfits being indistinguishable to those with [[color blindness]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/color-blind-people-driven-nuts-watching-red-bills--green-jets-uniforms-021653681.html|last=Edholm|first=Eric|title=Color-blind people driven nuts watching red Bills, green Jets uniforms|work=Yahoo! Sports|date=November 12, 2015|access-date=November 12, 2015}}</ref>

* The [[2015 Cleveland Browns season|Cleveland Browns]] unveiled new uniforms on April 14, 2015. There are three jersey colors and three pants colors: orange, brown, and white, allowing for nine possible uniform combinations. The uniforms have "Cleveland" above the numbers on the front, "Browns" down the leg, and "Dawg Pound" inside the collar. The uniforms are the first in the NFL to utilize contrast stitching and chainmail/raised numbers. The city name in front and team name down the leg are also NFL firsts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/cleveland-browns-unveil-new-uniforms-0ap3000000485371|title=Cleveland Browns unveil new uniforms|last=Shook|first=Nick|publisher=NFL Enterprises LLC.|date=April 14, 2015|website=NFL.com|access-date=April 24, 2015}}</ref> On February 24, the Browns slightly tweaked their logo. The orange on their helmet is brighter and the facemask, which was gray, is now brown. The team also updated their secondary logo.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/cleveland-browns-unveil-new-logos-0ap3000000473731|title=Cleveland Browns unveil new logos|last=Patra|first=Kevin|publisher=NFL Enterprises LLC.|date=February 24, 2015|website=NFL.com|access-date=April 24, 2015}}</ref>
* The [[2015 San Francisco 49ers season|San Francisco 49ers]] unveiled a new black alternate uniform on May 1, 2015. The jerseys have red numerals with matching black pants. This is the first alternate uniform in the team's history.<ref>{{cite web |author=Gutierrez, Paul |title=49ers unveil black and red alternate uniforms |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/san-francisco-49ers/post/_/id/13207/49ers-unveil-black-and-red-alternate-uniforms |publisher=ESPN |date=May 1, 2015 |access-date=May 1, 2015}}</ref> In addition, the 49ers sported a helmet decal and lapel pin honoring Hall of Fame offensive lineman [[Bob St. Clair]] who died in April; the decal had St. Clair's number 79 in white inside a black football shape.<ref name=NFL_2015_Kickoff_guide>{{cite web|title=2015 Kickoff Information Guide|url=https://nfllabor.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/2015-kickoff-information-guide.pdf|publisher=[[National Football League]]|access-date=September 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907180119/https://nfllabor.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/2015-kickoff-information-guide.pdf|archive-date=September 7, 2015|page=73|date=July 27, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
* The [[2015 Tennessee Titans season|Tennessee Titans]] switched their primary colored jerseys from light "Titans Blue" to navy blue, the latter of which was the team's primary home jersey color from 1999 to 2007.<ref>{{cite news |author=Bell, Demetrious |title=Tennessee Titans will be going back to navy as primary home uniform |url=http://news.sportslogos.net/2014/11/19/tennessee-titans-will-be-going-back-to-navy-as-primary-home-uniform/ |publisher=sportslogos.net |date=November 19, 2014 |access-date=September 18, 2015}}</ref>
* The [[2015 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]] unveiled a new [[throwback uniform]] on July 28, 2015. The design features the same layout the Packers used between 1937 and 1949, and again in 1994. Like the previous 1920s-inspired throwbacks, the base colors will be brown, navy blue and yellow.<ref>{{cite news |author=Silverstein, Tom |title=Packers unveil retro uniforms to be worn vs. Chargers |url=http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/packers-unveil-retro-uniforms-to-be-worn-vs-chargers-b99546033z1-319137191.html|publisher=Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel |date=July 28, 2015 |access-date=August 1, 2015}}</ref>
* The [[2015 Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins]] unveiled a new [[throwback uniform]] to commemorate the team's 50th season on July 29, 2015. The uniform is a throwback to the Dolphins' inaugural season in 1966. The team also wore a patch celebrating the anniversary during the entirety of the season.<ref name=NFL_2015_Kickoff_guide /><ref>{{cite news |title=Miami Dolphins' throwback uniforms to honor team's first year |url=http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/article29358916.html|newspaper=Miami Herald |date=July 29, 2015 |access-date=August 1, 2015}}</ref>
* The [[2015 Baltimore Ravens season|Baltimore Ravens]] wore a patch to commemorate the team's 20th season.<ref name=NFL_2015_Kickoff_guide /><ref>{{cite news |title=Ravens unveil some plans for 20th season |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/ravens-insider/bal-ravens-unveil-plans-for-20th-season-20150423-story.html|newspaper=Baltimore Sun |date=April 23, 2015 |access-date=August 1, 2015}}</ref> On December 20, 2015, the team also unexpectedly debuted gold pants for the first time, wearing them with their regular purple jerseys against the Kansas City Chiefs. Although gold is an official accent color of the Ravens, the pants got an overwhelmingly negative response on [[social media]] by both Ravens fans and fans of other NFL teams, with some comparisons being made to the rival Pittsburgh Steelers pants.<ref>{{cite web|last=Edholm|first=Eric|title=Did Ravens rob rival Steelers' closets for this week's pants?|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/did-ravens-rob-rival-steelers--closets-for-this-week-s-pants-183902863.html|website=sports.yahoo.com|publisher=[[Yahoo! Sports]]|access-date=December 25, 2015|date=December 20, 2015}}</ref>
* The [[2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] wore a patch to commemorate the team's 40th season.<ref name=NFL_2015_Kickoff_guide /><ref>{{cite news |title=Bucs will wear 40th anniversary patch |url=http://www.bucsnation.com/2015/5/14/8606879/bucs-will-wear-40th-anniversary-patch |publisher=bucsnation.com |date=May 14, 2015 |access-date=August 1, 2015}}</ref>
* The [[2015 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders]] upgraded their uniforms to incorporate [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]]'s "Elite 51" technology, which most teams had been using since 2012.<ref>{{cite news |title=Source confirms the Oakland Raiders are switching to the Nike Elite 51 template this season |url=https://twitter.com/andrewmlind/status/613100449076383744 |publisher=twitter.com |date=June 22, 2015 |access-date=August 15, 2015}}</ref>
*The [[2015 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]] changed the logo on their jerseys from their traditional cursive wordmark to the serif block lettering they adopted when they updated their logo in 2013.<ref>{{cite news |title=Slight adjustment to the Patriots' jerseys in 2015 |url=http://nep.247sports.com/Bolt/Slight-adjustment-to-the-Patriots-jerseys-in-2015-37383203 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150523002938/http://nep.247sports.com/Bolt/Slight-adjustment-to-the-Patriots-jerseys-in-2015-37383203 |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 23, 2015 |publisher=247sports.com |date=May 25, 2015 |access-date=August 26, 2015 }}</ref>
* The [[2015 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]] wore a helmet decal in honor of Hall of Fame center/linebacker [[Chuck Bednarik]] who died in March. The decal featured Bednarik's number 60 in white inside a black circle.<ref name=NFL_2015_Kickoff_guide />
* The [[2015 Atlanta Falcons season|Atlanta Falcons]] wore a patch recognizing the team's 50th year in the league.<ref name=NFL_2015_Kickoff_guide />
* The [[2015 New York Giants season|New York Giants]] honored the late [[Frank Gifford]] and [[Ann Mara]] by adding a number 16 helmet decal and patch for Gifford and Mara respectively.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Giants to honor Frank Gifford, Ann Mara on uniforms this season|url=https://www.si.com/nfl/2015/08/17/new-york-giants-frank-gifford-ann-mara-uniform-tributes|magazine=Sports Illustrated|access-date=August 18, 2015}}</ref>

==Media==
This was the second season under the league's broadcast contracts with its television partners. On May 12, 2015, it was announced that [[ESPN on ABC|ABC]] would simulcast ESPN's wildcard game, marking the first time that ABC broadcast any NFL game in nearly 10 years.<ref name="wp-espnabcwildcard">{{cite news|last1=Boren|first1=Cindy|title=NFL wild-card game will be simulcast by ESPN on ABC|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2015/05/12/nfl-wild-card-game-will-be-simulcast-by-espn-on-abc/|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=12 May 2015}}</ref> ESPN also continued to carry ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' and the [[Pro Bowl]]. [[NBC Sunday Night Football|NBC]] continued to air ''Sunday Night Football'', the annual [[National Football League Kickoff game|Kickoff game]], and the primetime Thanksgiving game. This was also the second year that included "cross-flexing" (switching) Sunday afternoon games between [[NFL on CBS|CBS]] and [[NFL on Fox|Fox]] before or during the season, regardless of whether the visiting team is in the AFC (which CBS normally airs) or the NFC (which is normally carried by Fox).

After its successful inaugural season under the arrangement, the NFL extended CBS's contract for ''[[Thursday Night Football]]'' into the 2015 season; as with the previous season, CBS produced all games, and the first seven games (weeks 2–7), as well as week 13, were broadcast by the CBS network. All games, including those not aired by CBS, were broadcast by [[NFL Network]].<ref name="thr-tnfpayday">{{cite web|title=NFL Targets Massive Payday in Thursday Night TV Deal|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nfl-targets-massive-payday-thursday-842646|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=November 23, 2015|access-date=25 November 2015}}</ref> The package also included one Saturday game in Week 15 and one in Week 16, both exclusive to NFL Network

Under a new eight-year deal, [[DirecTV]] continued to be the exclusive distributor of the [[NFL Sunday Ticket]] service.<ref>[[Peter King (sportswriter)|King, Peter]] (October 6, 2014). [http://mmqb.si.com/2014/10/06/nfl-week-5-peter-king-monday-morning-quarterback/7/ Quietly, every franchise in the NFL just improved its bottom line by $24.2 million a year, without any effort whatsoever.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150330070700/http://mmqb.si.com/2014/10/06/nfl-week-5-peter-king-monday-morning-quarterback/7/ |date=March 30, 2015 }} ''Monday Morning Quarterback''. Retrieved October 6, 2014.</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Breech|first=John|title=NFL Sunday Ticket available to more viewers without DirecTV subscription|url=http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25265705/sunday-ticket-now-available-to-almost-anyone-without-directv-subscription|website=[[CBSSports.com]]|publisher=CBS Interactive|access-date=December 25, 2015|date=August 10, 2015}}</ref>

Fox expanded its pre-game coverage by moving ''[[Fox NFL Kickoff]]'' to the main Fox network from [[Fox Sports 1]], serving as a lead-in to ''[[Fox NFL Sunday]]''.<ref name="sbd-movetofox">{{cite web|title='NFL Kickoff' moving from FS1 to Fox|url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2015/07/20/Media/NFL-Kickoff.aspx|website=Sports Business Daily|date=July 20, 2015 |access-date=21 July 2015}}</ref>

On March 23, 2015, league owners voted to, as an experiment, suspend the NFL's [[National Football League television blackout policies|blackout rules]] for the 2015 season; no games were blacked out in their home markets because of insufficient ticket sales. These moves came after the [[Federal Communications Commission]]'s September 2014 decision to stop enforcing blackout rules on terrestrial television stations, and the fact that, ultimately, no games were blacked out at all during the 2014 season.<ref name="espn-nflblackoutoneyear">{{cite web|title=NFL to suspend TV blackout policy|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/12545081/nfl-suspend-tv-blackout-policy-2015-owners-vote|website=ESPN.com|date=March 23, 2015|access-date=23 March 2015}}</ref>

The NFL also experimented with online [[streaming media|streaming]] as part of the International Series game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills. The game was streamed worldwide by [[Yahoo!]], who handled hosting, promotion, and advertising sales for the stream, while CBS produced the telecast.<ref name="verge-yahoonfl"/> The game only aired on television in the team's home markets (in accordance with NFL policies), as well as in the United Kingdom on [[BBC Two]] and [[Sky Sports]], and in [[China]].<ref>[http://bills.buffalonews.com/2015/06/03/bills-jaguars-to-make-history-as-part-of-free-live-webcast/ Bills, Jaguars to make history as part of free live webcast] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608053100/http://bills.buffalonews.com/2015/06/03/bills-jaguars-to-make-history-as-part-of-free-live-webcast/ |date=June 8, 2015 }}. ''The Buffalo News'' (June 4, 2015). Retrieved June 4, 2015.</ref> [[Brian Rolapp]], the league's executive vice president of media, explained that the experiment was part of the NFL's efforts to attempt alternative distribution models for games, such as those that would appeal to [[Cord-cutting|viewers who do not subscribe to pay television]].<ref name="verge-yahoonfl">{{cite web|title=Yahoo will stream an NFL game for the entire world this October|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/6/3/8713541/nfl-yahoo-free-football-streaming-october-25|website=The Verge|date=June 3, 2015|access-date=3 June 2015}}</ref><ref name="nyt-billsonline">{{cite news|title=N.F.L. Will Stream Game From London Next Season|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/24/sports/football/nfl-will-stream-game-from-london-next-season.html?_r=0|access-date=March 23, 2015|work=The New York Times|date=March 23, 2015}}</ref> Yahoo! was reported to have paid $15 million for the rights fees, plus an additional $2 million "marketing fee", and beat out [[Amazon.com]], [[Twitter]], and [[YouTube]]—some of whom had made higher bids but would have planned to place the broadcast behind a [[paywall]], which the league resisted.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-23/yahoo-s-17-million-bet-on-nfl-streaming-gets-tested-sunday|title=Yahoo's $17 Million Bet on NFL Streaming Gets Tested Sunday|last=Gerry Smith|first=Brian Womack|work=Bloomberg|date=October 23, 2015|access-date=October 25, 2015}}</ref>

The NFL entered into a [[social media]] partnership with [[Snapchat]] to present [[Snapchat#Stories and Discover|live stories]] with behind-the-scenes and fan perspectives from selected games.<ref name="recode-nfllivestories">{{cite web|author=Wagner, Kurt|date=September 17, 2015|title=Snapchat Inks NFL Deal to Bring Football Into Its Live Stories|url=https://www.vox.com/2015/9/17/11618660/snapchat-inks-nfl-deal-to-bring-football-into-its-live-stories|website=Vox.com|access-date=July 13, 2020}}</ref>

==Television viewers and ratings==

===Most watched regular season games===
*DH = doubleheader; SNF = [[NBC Sunday Night Football]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Rank || Date !! colspan=4|Matchup !! Network || Viewers (millions) || TV rating<ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=NFL TV Ratings 2018: Numbers For Every Game - Page 2 of 5|url=http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/nfl-tv-ratings-viewership-nbc-cbs-fox-espn-nfln-regular-season-playoffs/2/|work=SportsMediaWatch.com|access-date=April 13, 2019|archive-date=April 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401223514/https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/nfl-tv-ratings-viewership-nbc-cbs-fox-espn-nfln-regular-season-playoffs/2/|url-status=dead}}</ref> || Window || Significance
|-
| 1
| November 26, 4:30 ET
| '''[[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers]]'''
| 33
| [[2015 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas Cowboys]]
| 14
| [[NFL on CBS|CBS]]
| 32.5
| 14.3
| [[NFL on Thanksgiving Day|Thanksgiving]]
|
|-
| 2
| November 1, 4:25 ET
| '''[[2015 Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle Seahawks]]'''
| 13
| [[2015 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas Cowboys]]
| 12
| rowspan=3| [[Fox NFL|Fox]]
| 29.4
| 17
| Late DH
|
|-
| 3
| December 13, 4:25 ET
| [[2015 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas Cowboys]]
| 7
| '''[[2015 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]]'''
| 28
| 28.9
| 16.5
| Late DH
| [[Cowboys–Packers rivalry|Cowboys–Packers Rivalry]]<br>[[2014–15 NFL playoffs|2014 NFC Divisional Round]] rematch
|-
| 4
| December 6, 4:25 ET
| '''[[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers]]'''
| 41
| [[2015 New Orleans Saints season|New Orleans Saints]]
| 38
| 28.6
| 16.3
| Late DH{{Ref label|a|a|none}}
|
|-
| 5
| November 15, 4:25 ET
| '''[[2015 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]]'''
| 27
| [[2015 New York Giants season|New York Giants]]
| 26
| [[NFL on CBS|CBS]]
| 28.3
| 16.3
| Late DH{{Ref label|b|b|none}}
| [[Super Bowl XLVI]] rematch
|-
| 6
| November 26, 8:30 ET
| '''[[2015 Chicago Bears season|Chicago Bears]]'''
| 17
| [[2015 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]]
| 13
| [[NBC Sunday Night Football|NBC]]
| 27.8
| 13.8
| [[NBC Sunday Night Football|SNF]]
| [[Bears–Packers rivalry]]
|-
| 7
| December 27, 4:25 ET
| [[2015 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]]
| 8
| '''[[2015 Arizona Cardinals season|Arizona Cardinals]]'''
| 38
| rowspan=2|[[Fox NFL|Fox]]
| 27.8
| 15.5
| Late DH{{Ref label|c|c|none}}
|
|-
| 8
| November 22, 4:25 ET
| '''[[2015 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]]'''
| 30
| [[2015 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings]]
| 13
| 27.4
| 16.2
| Late DH{{Ref label|d|d|none}}
| [[Packers–Vikings rivalry]]
|-
| 9
| September 10, 8:30 ET
| [[2015 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]]
| 21
| '''[[2015 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]]'''
| 28
| [[NFL on NBC|NBC]]
| 27.4
| 16.2
| [[National Football League Kickoff game|Kickoff Game]]
| [[Patriots–Steelers rivalry]]
|-
| 10
| September 20, 4:25 ET
| '''[[2015 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas Cowboys]]'''
| 20
| [[2015 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]]
| 10
| [[Fox NFL|Fox]]
| 27.2
| 15.5
| Late DH
| [[Cowboys–Eagles rivalry]]
|}
'''*Note – Late DH matchups listed in table are the matchups that were shown to the largest percentage of the market.'''
<small>{{ordered list|list_style_type=lower-alpha||{{Note label|A|A|none}}CAR/NO was shown to 61% of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of Fox coverage.|{{Note label|B|B|none}}NE/NYG was shown to 66% of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of CBS coverage.|{{Note label|C|C|none}} GB/ARI was shown to 92% of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of Fox coverage.|{{Note label|D|D|none}}GB/MIN was shown to 89% of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of Fox coverage.|}}</small>

===Playoff games===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Rank || Game || Date !! colspan=4|Matchup !! Network || Viewers (millions) || TV Rating<ref name=":0"/>
|-
| 1
| [[Super Bowl 50]]
| February 7, 2016, 6:30 ET
| [[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers]]
| 10
| '''[[2015 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]]'''
| 24
| rowspan=2|[[NFL on CBS|CBS]]
| 111.9
| 46.6
|-
| 2
| [[AFC Championship Game|AFC Championship]]
| January 24, 2016, 3:05 ET
| [[2015 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]]
| 18
| '''[[2015 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]]'''
| 20
| 53.3
| 31.7
|-
| 3
| [[NFC Championship Game|NFC Championship]]
| January 24, 2016, 6:40 ET
| [[2015 Arizona Cardinals season|Arizona Cardinals]]
| 15
| '''[[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers]]'''
| 49
| [[Fox NFL|Fox]]
| 45.7
| 26.8
|-
| 4
| [[2015–16 NFL playoffs|Divisional Round]]
| January 17, 2016, 4:40 ET
| [[2015 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]]
| 16
| '''[[2015 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos]]'''
| 23
| [[NFL on CBS|CBS]]
| 43.0
| 26.2
|-
| 5
| [[2015–16 NFL playoffs|Wild Card Round]]
| January 10, 2016, 4:40 ET
| '''[[2015 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]]'''
| 35
| [[2015 Washington Redskins season|Washington Redskins]]
| 18
| rowspan=2|[[Fox NFL|Fox]]
| 38.8
| 23.6
|-
| 6
| [[2015–16 NFL playoffs|Divisional Round]]
| January 17, 2016, 1:05 ET
| [[2015 Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle Seahawks]]
| 24
| '''[[2015 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers]]'''
| 31
| 36.7
| 23.1
|-
| 7
| [[2015–16 NFL playoffs|Wild Card Round]]
| January 10, 2016, 1:05 ET
| '''[[2015 Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle Seahawks]]'''
| 10
| [[2015 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings]]
| 9
| rowspan=2|[[NFL on NBC|NBC]]
| 35.3
| 22.5
|-
| 8
| [[2015–16 NFL playoffs|Divisional Round]]
| January 16, 2016 8:15 ET
| [[2015 Green Bay Packers season|Green Bay Packers]]
| 20
| '''[[2015 Arizona Cardinals season|Arizona Cardinals]]'''
| 26
| 33.7
| 20.3
|-
| 9
| [[2015–16 NFL playoffs|Divisional Round]]
| January 16, 2016, 4:35 ET
| [[2015 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]]
| 20
| '''[[2015 New England Patriots season|New England Patriots]]'''
| 27
| rowspan=2|[[NFL on CBS|CBS]]
| 31.5
| 19.7
|-
| 10
| [[2015–16 NFL playoffs|Wild Card Round]]
| January 9, 2016, 8:15 ET
| '''[[2015 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]]'''
| 18
| [[2015 Cincinnati Bengals season|Cincinnati Bengals]]
| 16
| 31.2
| 19.2
|-
| 11
| [[2015–16 NFL playoffs|Wild Card Round]]
| January 9, 2016, 4:20 ET
| '''[[2015 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]]'''
| 30
| [[2015 Houston Texans season|Houston Texans]]
| 0
| [[ESPN]]/[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| 25.1
| 16.2
|-
|}

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[https://www.espn.com/nfl/schedulegrid/_/year/2015 Complete schedule for all teams]

{{2015 NFL season by team}}
{{NFL seasons}}

[[Category:2015 National Football League season| ]]
[[Category:National Football League seasons|2015]]

Latest revision as of 02:31, 25 November 2024

2015 NFL season
For the 2015 season, a gold-plated NFL logo was used across all league properties in anticipation of the 50th Super Bowl game.[1]
Regular season
DurationSeptember 10, 2015 – January 3, 2016
Playoffs
Start dateJanuary 9, 2016
AFC ChampionsDenver Broncos
NFC ChampionsCarolina Panthers
Super Bowl 50
DateFebruary 7, 2016
SiteLevi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
ChampionsDenver Broncos
Pro Bowl
DateJanuary 31, 2016
SiteAloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii
2015 NFL season is located in the United States
Patriots
Patriots
Bills
Bills
Dolphins
Dolphins
Jets
Jets
Bengals
Bengals
Ravens
Ravens
Steelers
Steelers
Browns
Browns
Colts
Colts
Titans
Titans
Jaguars
Jaguars
Texans
Texans
Broncos
Broncos
Chiefs
Chiefs
Raiders
Raiders
Chargers
Chargers
AFC teams: West, North, South, East
2015 NFL season is located in the United States
Cowboys
Cowboys
Giants
Giants
Eagles
Eagles
Redskins
Redskins
Bears
Bears
Lions
Lions
Packers
Packers
Vikings
Vikings
Falcons
Falcons
Panthers
Panthers
Saints
Saints
Buccaneers
Buccaneers
Cardinals
Cardinals
Rams
Rams
Seahawks
Seahawks
49ers
49ers
NFC teams: West, North, South, East

The 2015 NFL season was the 96th season in the history of the National Football League (NFL), and the 50th in the Super Bowl era. To celebrate the 50th season of the Super Bowl, a gold-plated NFL logo and other various gold-themed promotions were used throughout the season. It began on Thursday, September 10, 2015, with the annual kickoff game featuring the defending Super Bowl XLIX champion New England Patriots defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers. The season concluded with Super Bowl 50, the league's championship game, on Sunday, February 7, 2016, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California,[2] with the Denver Broncos defeating the Carolina Panthers.

During the 2015 season, the Oakland Raiders, the St. Louis Rams, and the San Diego Chargers announced their intentions to relocate back to Los Angeles in the ensuing off-season (all three teams had previously resided in the city at various points in their history). NFL owners eventually only approved the relocation of the Rams, by a vote of 30–2 on January 12, 2016. Thus, 2015 ended up being the Rams' last season in St. Louis.

Player movement

[edit]

The 2015 NFL League Year began on Tuesday, March 10, 2015, at 4:00 p.m. ET. On Saturday, March 7, clubs started to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who became unrestricted free agents upon the expiration of their 2014 contracts at 4:00 p.m. ET on March 10.[3] On Tuesday, March 10, 2015, clubs exercised options for 2015 on all players who have option clauses in their 2014 contracts, submitted qualifying offers to their restricted free agents with expiring contracts and to whom they desire to retain a Right of First Refusal/Compensation, submitted a Minimum Salary Tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2014 contracts and who have fewer than three accrued seasons of free agency credit, "Top-51" began, all clubs must be under the 2015 salary cap, all 2014 player contracts expired at 4:00 p.m. ET and trading period for 2015 began. (4:00 p.m. ET).[4]

Free agency

[edit]

A total of 453 players were eligible for some form of free agency at the beginning of the free agency period.[5] Among the players who changed teams via free agency included:

Four players were assigned the non-exclusive franchise tag by their teams, which ensured that the team would receive compensation were the player to sign a contract with another team. These players were wide receivers Dez Bryant (Cowboys)[32] and Demaryius Thomas (Broncos),[33] linebacker Justin Houston (Chiefs),[34] and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (Giants).[35] One other team used the transition tag, which offers the player's current team a chance to match offers from other franchises and also guarantees draft pick compensation (at a lesser level than the franchise tag) if a tagged player signs elsewhere. The player given the transition tag was Charles Clay (Dolphins). On March 19, 2015, Clay signed a five-year, $38M contract with the Buffalo Bills, after the Dolphins elected not to match the offer.[36]

Trades

[edit]

An unusually large number of big name players switched teams via trade prior to the 2015 season.[37] Eagles coach Chip Kelly used his newly obtained GM powers to make many blockbuster trades. The Philadelphia Eagles traded 2-time All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso.[38] The Eagles also traded Pro Bowl quarterback Nick Foles along with their selection in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft to the St. Louis Rams for quarterback Sam Bradford; the deal also included a swap of draft picks in the 2015 NFL draft as well as a possible additional 2016 draft pick from the Rams contingent on Bradford's playing time with the Eagles.[39] The New Orleans Saints traded All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham along with their fourth-round selection in the draft to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for All-Pro center Max Unger and the Seahawks' first-round selection in the draft.[40] The Saints also traded away Pro Bowl guard Ben Grubbs (to the Kansas City Chiefs for a fifth round selection in the 2015 NFL draft) and wide receiver Kenny Stills (to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and a third rounder in the 2015 draft). The Detroit Lions acquired All-Pro defensive tackle Haloti Ngata from the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for draft picks to help make up for the loss of Ndamukong Suh in free agency.[41]

Draft

[edit]

The 2015 NFL Draft was held April 30 – May 2, 2015, in Chicago.[42] The draft process began with the NFL Scouting Combine, where draft-eligible players were evaluated by team personnel, which was held in Indianapolis on February 17–23. On October 2, 2014, Auditorium Theatre in Chicago was announced as the official site of the draft.[43] The previous fifty NFL drafts (since 1965) had been held in New York.[44] The 2015 NFL Draft was the first to feature an outdoor component, where fans would be able to see the Commissioner on the Auditorium Theatre stage from across the street in Grant Park; this area was called Draft Town.[45] In the draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made Florida State University quarterback Jameis Winston the first overall selection.[46]

New officials

[edit]

Referee Bill Leavy retired after the 2014 season.[47] On May 13, 2015, the NFL promoted line judge John Hussey to the referee position.[48] In addition to Hussey's promotion to referee, the NFL hired 10 more officials, including the first full-time female official in NFL history, Sarah Thomas, who worked as a line judge,[note 1][49] as well as Walt Coleman IV, the son of referee Walt Coleman, who worked as a side judge.[50]

Rule changes

[edit]

The following rule changes were passed for the 2015 NFL season at the owners' meeting on March 25, 2015:[51]

  • Allow a certified medical trainer to call a medical time-out when a player appears disoriented or concussed. This time-out is not to be charged to the team whose player is injured, even inside the two-minute warning. The only substitution allowed is for the injured player and for a single player from the opposing team to match up.
  • Making the practice of a receiver declared ineligible lining up in the slot formation illegal; ineligible receivers must line up inside the tackle box. This was in response to the New England Patriots using this tactic in the 2014–15 NFL playoffs against the Baltimore Ravens.
  • Extended the restriction for peel-back blocks to include all of the offensive team instead of just those inside of the tackle box.
  • Expanded the definition of a "defenseless receiver" to include intended receivers in the air during and after an interception.
  • Making offensive backs who chop a defender engaged above the waist by another offensive player subject to a chop-block penalty (15 yards).
  • Pushing teammates at the scrimmage line during punts or field goals is illegal.
  • Expanded instant replay to include whether time should be put back on the game clock at the end of any period.
  • The league's jersey numbering system was modified to allow linebackers wear numbers 40–49, in addition to 50–59 and 90–99.
  • The 'process' rule on making a catch while going to the ground is adjusted. A receiver will be considered to have made a catch if they "clearly establish themselves as a runner" before going to the ground. Previously a receiver had to make a "football move".[52]

The following changes to the extra point rules were passed for the 2015 NFL season at the owners' meeting on May 19, 2015:[53][54]

  • The line of scrimmage for extra point tries will move to the 15-yard line from the two-yard line. Two-point conversions will still be spotted at the two-yard line.
  • Defenses will be allowed to return turnovers on two-point tries or blocked or missed PAT kicks to the opposing end zone for two points, mirroring the NCAA College football rule adopted in the 1988 season. Furthermore, a one-point safety can now also be scored if either team takes possession and fumbles out of their own end zone or is tackled in it after leaving it.[55]

The following changes to game ball protocol were passed for the 2015 NFL season on July 27, 2015:[56]

  • There will be increased testing, oversight and security surrounding the balls. At random games, officials will measure the PSI of 24 footballs at halftime. Two officials, instead of only the referee, will measure and record the inflation of footballs before the game. These changes were made in response to the "deflategate" scandal.

2015 deaths

[edit]

The following people associated with the NFL (or AFL) died in 2015.[57]

Frank Gifford
Gifford in 2009

Frank Gifford died on August 9, just a week shy of his 85th birthday. Gifford had a 12-year playing career with the New York Giants in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a 4-time All-Pro, played in eight Pro Bowls and was named to the 1950s All-Decade Team. In 1956 Gifford was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player. After his playing career Gifford transitioned to sports broadcasting, most notably joining ABC's Monday Night Football in the program's second season and serving as the broadcast's play-by-play announcer and later color commentator for the next 27 seasons. Gifford was a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well as the College Football Hall of Fame.[58][59]

Bednarik in 1952
Stabler in 2007
Sanders (far right) in 2007
Yepremian in 2013
St. Clair in 2009
Chuck Bednarik

Chuck Bednarik died on March 31 at age 89. Bednarik was the first player selected in the 1949 NFL draft and played linebacker and center for the Philadelphia Eagles for fourteen seasons. He won championships with the Eagles in 1949 and 1960. He was a 5-time first team All-Pro and played in eight Pro Bowls. Bednarik was selected as a member of the NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Two-Way Team and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1967. He was also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.[60][61]

Ken Stabler

Ken Stabler died on July 8 at age 69. Stabler had a fifteen-year NFL career as a quarterback for the Oakland Raiders, Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints in the 1970s and 1980s. He was named the league's MVP in 1974, led the Raiders to their first championship in Super Bowl XI and was a member of the 1970s All-Decade Team.[62][63]

Ed Sabol

Ed Sabol died on February 9 at age 98. Sabol founded NFL Films in 1962 where he pioneered a documentary style of capturing the game of football that many credit as a driver of the huge surge in the NFL's popularity. Sabol was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.[64]

Charlie Sanders

Charlie Sanders died on July 2 at age 68. Sanders played tight end for the Detroit Lions for ten seasons. He was twice named first-team All-Pro, was selected for seven Pro Bowl teams and was a member of the 1970s All-Decade Team. After his playing career he continued to be involved with the Lions, first as a broadcaster and later as a coach and scout. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007.[65][66]

Garo Yepremian

Garo Yepremian died on May 15 at age 70. Yepremian had a fourteen-year career as a placekicker for four NFL teams, most notably with the Miami Dolphins of the 1970s. He was twice named a first-team All-Pro and was a member of two Pro Bowl teams as well as a 2-time Super Bowl champion. He led the league in field goal accuracy three times and was named to the 1970s All-Decade Team.[67][68]

Bob St. Clair

Bob St. Clair died on April 20 at age 84. St. Clair had an eleven-year career as an offensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers in the 1950s and 1960s. He played in the Pro Bowl five times and was named to the 1950s All-Decade Team. St. Clair was the mayor of Daly City, California from 1958 through 1964. St. Clair was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.[69][70][71]

Other 2015 deaths

Preseason

[edit]

Training camps for the 2015 season began July 22 and continued through the end of preseason, September 3. The normal training camp window ran from late July to late August or early September. Most of the camps had rookies report first, then veterans. At that point, some teams practiced versus another organization, like the Bills practiced against the Browns this year. Teams started training camp no earlier than fifteen days before the team's first scheduled preseason game. At that point, the rosters for each team were open to 90 players. Those rosters were cut to 75 by Week 3 of preseason, and the final 53-man roster was submitted at the end of preseason.

Prior to the start of the regular season, each team played at least four exhibition games. The preseason schedule got underway with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Sunday evening, August 9. The Hall of Fame game is a traditional part of the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame induction weekend celebrating new Hall of Fame members. It was played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium which is located adjacent to the Hall of Fame building in Canton, Ohio. The game, which was televised in the U.S. on NBC, featured the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers; as in previous years, each team had an inductee in the class of 2015 (Mick Tingelhoff for the Vikings, Jerome Bettis for the Steelers).[72] The 65-game preseason schedule ended on Thursday, September 3, a week before the start of the regular season, with each team having played four preseason games, except for the Steelers and Vikings, who played five games. The preliminary preseason schedule was released Thursday, April 9.

Regular season

[edit]

The 2015 regular season featured 256 games played out over a seventeen-week schedule which began on the Thursday night following Labor Day. Each of the league's 32 teams played a 16-game schedule with one bye week for each team scheduled between weeks four and eleven. The slate also featured seventeen games on Monday night, two of which were played at the end of the first week of the regular season. Additionally, there was no Monday Night game at the end of the final week of the regular season, the same as in previous years. There were games played on Thursday, including the opening game of the regular season on Thursday, September 10 and three games on Thanksgiving Day. The regular season concluded with a full slate of 16 games on Sunday, January 3, all of which were intra-divisional matchups, as it has been since 2010, with the Minnesota Vikings beating the Green Bay Packers on NBC Sunday Night Football

Scheduling formula

Under the NFL's scheduling formula, each team plays each of the other three teams in their own division twice (one home and one away). In addition, a team plays against all four teams in one other division within the conference, on a 3-year rotation; and one division from the opposite conference, on a 4-year rotation. Two games on a team's schedule are against the two teams in the team's own conference in the divisions the team was not set to play who finished the previous season in the same rank in their division (e.g. the team which finished first in its division the previous season would play each other team in their conference that also finished first in its respective division). The pre-set division pairings for 2015 are as follows:[73]

   Intra-conference
AFC East vs. AFC South
AFC North vs. AFC West
NFC East vs. NFC South
NFC North vs. NFC West

   Inter-conference
AFC East vs. NFC East
AFC West vs. NFC North
AFC North vs. NFC West
AFC South vs. NFC South

Highlights of the 2015 schedule include:

  • NFL Kickoff Game: The 2015 season began on Thursday, September 10, 2015, with the Super Bowl XLIX champion New England hosting Pittsburgh. The Patriots defeated the Steelers, 28–21.
  • International Series: Three games were played at Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom in 2015, with two games being played in back-to-back weeks for the first time.[74] Miami played the New York Jets on Sunday, October 4, the first ever divisional game played in the International Series.[74] The Jacksonville then hosted the Buffalo on Sunday, October 25, in the third of four consecutive home games for the Jaguars in the International Series. Finally, the Kansas City hosted the Detroit on Sunday, November 1,[74] making 2015 the Lions' second consecutive year in the International Series. All three games began at 9:30 a.m. ET.[75]
  • Thanksgiving Day games: These games occurred on Thursday, November 26, 2015. For the second consecutive season, the AFC was shut out of Thanksgiving, with all six slots going to NFC teams. As usual, three consecutive games were played; the Detroit hosted the Philadelphia in the early slot on Fox and the Dallas hosted the Carolina in the middle slot on CBS; this was the Panthers' first ever Thanksgiving appearance. The Green Bay hosted the Chicago in the primetime game, where the Packers retired longtime quarterback Brett Favre's No. 4 jersey.
  • Christmas: The Oakland hosted the San Diego at 8:25 p.m. EST (5:25 p.m. local time) on December 24, Christmas Eve. This was the second ever night game on Christmas Eve (the first was in 2007, which was also played in the Pacific Time Zone) and the first time the league has played on a Thursday Christmas Eve. The league has traditionally avoided playing night games on Christmas Eve and, in years past, moved games that would usually play on the night of Christmas Eve to another day of the week, an option the league did not exercise in 2015; no games were held on Christmas Day, which fell on a Friday, in 2015 as the NFL rarely plays games on that day of the week.

In-season scheduling changes

[edit]
  • Week 10: The ChicagoSt. Louis game was "cross-flexed" from Fox to CBS (still at 1:00 p.m. ET).[76]
  • Week 11: The CincinnatiArizona game, originally scheduled at 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS, was flexed into the 8:30 p.m. ET slot on NBC's Sunday Night Football, in place of the originally scheduled Kansas CitySan Diego game, which was moved to 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS. The Green BayMinnesota game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET, was moved to 4:25 p.m. ET (still on Fox).[76]
  • Week 13: The CarolinaNew Orleans game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET, was moved to 4:25 p.m. ET (still on Fox), while the Cincinnati–Cleveland game was "cross-flexed" from CBS to Fox (still at 1:00 p.m. ET).[77]
  • Week 14: The New EnglandHouston game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS, was flexed into the 8:30 p.m. ET slot on NBC's Sunday Night Football, in place of the originally scheduled SeattleBaltimore game, which was moved to 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox.[78]
  • Week 15: The Arizona–Philadelphia game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox, was flexed into the 8:30 p.m. ET slot on NBC's Sunday Night Football, in place of the originally scheduled Cincinnati–San Francisco game, which was moved to 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS, while the BuffaloWashington game was "cross-flexed" from CBS to Fox (still at 1:00 p.m. ET).[79]
  • Week 16: The New York Giants–Minnesota game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox, was flexed into the 8:30 p.m. ET slot on NBC's Sunday Night Football, in place of the originally scheduled Pittsburgh–Baltimore game, which was moved to 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS, while the IndianapolisMiami game was "cross-flexed" from CBS to Fox (still at 1:00 p.m. ET). In addition, the Jacksonville-New Orleans game was moved from 1:00 p.m. ET to 4:05 p.m. ET (still on CBS).[80]
  • Week 17:[81]
    • The Minnesota–Green Bay game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox, was selected as the final 8:30 p.m. ET NBC Sunday Night Football game of the season, which decided the NFC North division champion.
    • The Baltimore–Cincinnati game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS, was "cross-flexed" to Fox (keeping the same kickoff time).
    • The Tampa Bay–Carolina game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET on Fox, was moved to 4:25 p.m. ET (still on Fox).
    • The Oakland–Kansas City game, originally scheduled at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS, was "cross-flexed" to 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox.
    • The St. Louis–San Francisco game, originally scheduled at 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox, was "cross-flexed" to CBS (keeping the same kickoff time).

Regular season standings

[edit]

Division

[edit]

Conference

[edit]

Postseason

[edit]

The 2015 playoffs opened with the Wild Card playoff round on the weekend of Saturday, January 9 and Sunday, January 10, 2016, with the winner of each of the games visiting the top two seeded teams in each conference. The Divisional round games were then played on the weekend of Saturday, January 16 and Sunday, January 17, 2016. The Conference championships were held on Sunday, January 24, 2016, with the AFC Championship Game and the NFC Championship Game.

The 2016 Pro Bowl was held on January 31, 2016, at the Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game continued the "unconferenced/draft" format that was started in 2014, with Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin serving as the alumni captains. Team Irvin defeated Team Rice 49–27.

Super Bowl 50 decided the 2015 NFL Champion and was played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Sunday, February 7, 2016. Instead of naming it Super Bowl L with Roman numerals like in previous Super Bowls, this game was marketed with the Arabic numeral "50".[2] According to Jaime Weston, the league's vice president of brand and creative, the primary reason was that the league's graphic designers had difficulty designing a suitable, aesthetically pleasing logo with only the Roman numeral "L".[2]

Playoffs bracket

[edit]
Jan 10 – FedExField Jan 16 – University of Phoenix Stadium
5 Green Bay 35
5 Green Bay 20
4 Washington 18 Jan 24 – Bank of America Stadium
2 Arizona 26*
NFC
Jan 10 – TCF Bank Stadium 2 Arizona 15
Jan 17 – Bank of America Stadium
1 Carolina 49
6 Seattle 10 NFC Championship
6 Seattle 24
3 Minnesota 9 Feb 7 – Levi's Stadium
1 Carolina 31
Wild Card playoffs
Divisional playoffs
Jan 9 – NRG Stadium N1 Carolina 10
Jan 16 – Gillette Stadium
A1 Denver 24
5 Kansas City 30 Super Bowl 50
5 Kansas City 20
4 Houston 0 Jan 24 – Sports Authority Field at Mile High
2 New England 27
AFC
Jan 9 – Paul Brown Stadium 2 New England 18
Jan 17 – Sports Authority Field at Mile High
1 Denver 20
6 Pittsburgh 18 AFC Championship
6 Pittsburgh 16
3 Cincinnati 16
1 Denver 23


* Indicates OT victory

Notable events

[edit]

Some NFL-related events that made headlines in 2015 include:

Aftermath of Deflategate scandal

In May, after a lengthy investigation led by Ted Wells, the external investigator appointed by the NFL, the league levied its punishment against the Patriots in the so-called "Deflategate" scandal. The scandal stemmed from the discovery that several of the footballs used by the Patriots during the previous season's AFC championship game were not within the league's inflation guidelines. The Patriots were fined $1 million and stripped of their first-round selection in the 2016 NFL draft and their fourth-round selection in the 2017 NFL draft. Quarterback Tom Brady, who the league's report determined was likely aware of a scheme to manipulate inflation levels, was suspended for four games. Additionally, two locker room attendants employed by the Patriots were suspended indefinitely.[82]

While the team agreed not to appeal the fine and draft pick revocation, Brady appealed his suspension. League commissioner Roger Goodell heard the appeal and confirmed the sentence on July 28. Immediately upon the announcement of the appeal verdict, the league filed suit against the NFL Players Association in civil court in an effort to gain a ruling upholding the punishment.[83] Judge Richard M. Berman pushed the two sides hard to reach a settlement, but when they were unable to he ruled for Brady and the union vacating the suspension imposed by the league. Although the league appealed Judge Berman's ruling, Brady's suspension was lifted clearing the way for him to play in the season opener.[84][85]

The two Patriots employees, assistant equipment manager John Jastremski and officials locker room attendant Jim McNally, who had previously been suspended by the team were allowed by the league to be reinstated in September. As a condition for the lifting of the suspensions, neither employee is allowed to be involved with the handling or preparation of game balls.[86]

Surprising retirements of several players

A number of relatively young NFL players walked away from the game prior to the 2015 season. The San Francisco 49ers lost three potential starters as linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland and offensive tackle Anthony Davis all announced their retirements. Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Jason Worilds and Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker also both retired despite having yet to reach the age of 30.

Willis, who was regarded as one of the best middle linebackers in the league, played in just six games in 2014 as he dealt with a toe injury. He announced in March his decision to retire at age 30 due to the chronic nature of the foot injuries he had endured in his eight-year career.[87]

Borland led the 49ers with 107 tackles in his rookie season in 2014 despite starting just eight games after being selected in the third round of the 2014 draft. Borland cited concerns over the potential long-term impact to his brain health in continuing to play the game in announcing his retirement which he did in March just days after Willis' announcement.[88]

Davis missed four games in 2014 with his first diagnosed concussion. In announcing his retirement in June, he said that he planned to take "a year or so away from the NFL" to "allow my brain and body a chance to heal."[89]

Worilds was entering free agency after playing for the Steelers the previous five seasons. He turned down contract offers worth tens of millions of dollars in order to devote more time to his Jehovah's Witnesses faith.[90]

Locker played four years for the Titans after they made him the eighth overall selection in 2011 draft. He was a free agent when he announced that he would be retiring because he had lost "the burning desire necessary to play the game for a living."[91]

First female coach and on-field official

The 2015 season marked the hiring of the first female NFL coach and first female NFL on-field official. Jen Welter was hired by the Arizona Cardinals as a coaching intern. Welter worked with the team's inside linebackers through the off-season and pre-season.[92] Welter's internship with the Cardinals expired after the team's third preseason game on August 30.[93]

Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first female on-field official when she was hired by the league in April.[note 1] Thomas had previously become the first female to officiate a major college football game as well as the first to officiate a bowl game.[95]

Official suspended one game due to timekeeping gaffe

The NFL suspended side judge Rob Vernatchi (from Pete Morelli's crew) for Week 6 of the regular season due to a timekeeping blunder that occurred during a game the previous week. The host San Diego Chargers kicked a field goal to take a 3-point lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers with 2:56 remaining in the fourth quarter. The subsequent kickoff was a touchback, which shouldn't have resulted in any time coming off the game clock. However, when the Steelers took over on offense the scoreboard clock read 2:38. Vernatchi was responsible for keeping the official game time, but he did not notice the 18-second discrepancy. The Steelers ended up scoring a touchdown to secure a win with no time left on the clock.[96]

Referee crew demoted following questionable calls

The referee crew led by Pete Morelli had been assigned to officiate a Sunday Night Football game between the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13, but was reassigned to a different game (Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots), due to heavy criticism for questionable calls made during the previous week's Arizona CardinalsSan Francisco 49ers game. Morelli's crew drew the ire of Cardinals' head coach Bruce Arians and 49ers' safety Eric Reed, including a botched roughing-the-passer call on Cardinals' quarterback Carson Palmer that aided the Cardinals' eventual game-winning drive, as well as a missed delay-of-game penalty. Morelli's crew had previously been the subject of criticism, following a clock error during a Week 5 game – see above.[97] In addition, Morelli's crew was involved in a missed call at the end of the Jacksonville JaguarsBaltimore Ravens game in Week 10, where they missed a false start penalty against the Jaguars before the final snap that resulted in a facemask penalty against the Ravens when time expired, allowing the Jaguars to gain 15 yards and kick the game-winning field goal.[98]

Discipline for off-field incidents

[edit]

A total of 26 players were suspended by the league as of the season's first week. Most of these suspensions were for violations of the league's performance-enhancing drug (PED), substance abuse and personal conduct policies.[99]

Browns GM suspended for texting scandal

Cleveland Browns general manager Ray Farmer was suspended by the league for the first four games of the 2015 season due to a texting scandal which occurred in 2014. The league found that Farmer had used a cellphone to communicate with personnel on the Browns' sideline "on multiple occasions during games" in violation of league rules which prohibit such communications. In addition to Farmer's suspension, the team was assessed a fine of $250,000.[100]

Falcons stripped of draft pick after being caught supplementing crowd noise

The league stripped the Atlanta Falcons of their selection in the fifth round of the 2016 draft after it was determined that they had been using pre-recorded crowd noise during the team's home games throughout 2013 and into 2014. In addition to losing the draft pick the franchise was fined $350,000 and team president Rich McKay was suspended from his post as chairman of the league's Competition Committee for three months starting in April. The team fired event marketing director Roddy White who they determined was directly responsible for the violation.[101][102]

Bills suspend assistant coach Aaron Kromer after assault arrest

Buffalo Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer was suspended by the team for the first six weeks of the season after he was arrested for an altercation during which Kromer allegedly punched a teenager. The incident occurred in July near Kromer's home in Florida. Charges in the matter were eventually dropped.[103][104][105]

Browns assistant coach Andy Moeller suspended following an alleged domestic incident

Cleveland Browns offensive line coach Andy Moeller was suspended indefinitely by the Browns in September after in incident in which police were called to Moeller's house after a female houseguest alleged that Moeller physically assaulted her.[106] Prosecutors declined to press charges related to the incident despite their conclusion that "it is quite clear an incident of volatile nature took place."[107] On September 29, 2015, the Browns officially parted ways with Moeller.[108]

Records, milestones, and notable statistics

[edit]
Week 1
  • Tom Brady became the quarterback with the most regular season wins for a single franchise in NFL history (161 victories), breaking the record held by Brett Favre.[109]
  • Marcus Mariota became the first quarterback in NFL history to gain a perfect 158.3 passer rating in his NFL debut and the first quarterback in NFL history to throw four TD passes in the first half of his NFL debut.[110] He also became the youngest quarterback to gain a perfect passer rating (21 years, 318 days) surpassing Robert Griffin III.[111]
  • Brandon McManus became the second kicker in NFL history to make multiple field goals of 56 or more yards in the same game, joining Greg Zuerlein, who did it in 2012.[112]
Week 2
  • Peyton Manning became the second quarterback in NFL history to reach 70,000 regular season passing yards, joining Brett Favre.[113]
  • The Denver Broncos set a new NFL record for consecutive division away wins with 13, surpassing the previous record that the San Francisco 49ers set between 1987 and 1990.[114]
  • The New York Giants became the first team in NFL history to start a season 0–2 while holding double digit leads in the fourth quarter in both games.[115]
  • Marcus Mariota became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw six TD passes in his first two career games.[116]
Week 3
Week 4
  • Drew Brees became the fifth quarterback in NFL history to throw 400 touchdown passes and became also the third quarterback in NFL history to reach 5,000 pass completions in his career.[117][118]
  • Adam Vinatieri became the first player in NFL history to score 1,000 points with two different teams.[121]
Week 5
  • The Indianapolis Colts recorded an NFL record 16th consecutive division win.[122]
  • Matthew Stafford and Dan Orlovsky combined to tie an NFL record for most pass attempts by one team in a game with 70 pass attempts during the Lions' loss to the Arizona Cardinals.[123]
  • Devonta Freeman became the first player in the Super Bowl era to rush for at least seven touchdowns in his first three starts to begin a career.[124]
  • Antonio Gates caught his 100th receiving touchdown and became the ninth player and second tight end to reach this mark in NFL history.[125]
  • Peyton Manning surpassed Brett Favre as the NFL's all-time leader in combined regular season and postseason passing yards.[126]
Week 6
  • Aaron Rodgers became the fastest quarterback in NFL history to throw for 30,000 yards, needing only 3,652 attempts to reach the mark.[127]
Week 7
  • Five teams (the Panthers, Packers, Broncos, Bengals, and Patriots) started the season 6–0, setting a new NFL record for most teams to start a season 6–0 or better.[128]
  • Ryan Tannehill set the NFL record for consecutive completed passes with 25, completing his first 18 passes his Week 7 game and the final seven of his previous game.[129]
  • Tom Brady became the fifth quarterback in NFL history to pass for over 55,000 yards.[128]
Week 8
  • In a game between the New York Giants and the New Orleans Saints, the two teams combined for 13 touchdown passes, setting a new NFL record for the most combined passing touchdowns between both teams in a single game. The Saints defeated the Giants, 52–49. Drew Brees became the eighth quarterback to throw seven TD passes in a single game and Eli Manning became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw six TD passes with no interceptions but lose the game.[130] Brees also joined Ben Roethlisberger as one of only two quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for at least 500 yards in a game at least twice in a career.[131] The combined score of 101 points was, at the time, the third highest scoring game in NFL history (although it has since moved to the fourth highest scoring game). In addition, the Giants' 49 points tied the NFL record for the most points scored by a losing team (with the Houston Oilers).
  • Peyton Manning tied Brett Favre for the record of most regular season career victories all-time by a starting quarterback with the Broncos' 29–10 win against the Packers with 186 wins.[132]
  • Four teams started the season 7–0, setting a new NFL record.[133]
Week 9
Week 10
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
  • Russell Wilson became the first quarterback in NFL history to have at least three touchdown passes and no interceptions in five straight games.[153]
  • Cam Newton became the first player in NFL history to rush for at least 100 yards and pass for at least 300 yards with five touchdowns in a single game.[154]
  • Tom Brady became the second quarterback in NFL history to throw at least 35 touchdown passes in a season four times, joining Peyton Manning.[155]
  • Drew Brees became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to reach at least 60,000 regular season passing yards, joining Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, and Dan Marino. Brees became both the youngest and fastest quarterback to reach this mark in NFL history. Brees also set new NFL records for most consecutive seasons with at least 4,000 passing yards (ten straight seasons) and most regular season games with at least 300 passing yards in a career (94 games).[154]
  • Antonio Brown set a new NFL record for the most receptions by any player in any three consecutive seasons in NFL history (355 receptions), breaking Marvin Harrison's record of 354 receptions during the 2000–02 seasons.[156]
  • The Kansas City Chiefs became the first team in NFL history to follow up a five-game losing streak with an eight-game winning streak.[154]
Week 16
  • Brandon Marshall reached 100 catches for an NFL record sixth season. He also became the first Jets player to reach 100 catches in a season.[157]
  • Anquan Boldin became the 13th player in NFL history to reach 1,000 career catches.[157]
  • In their loss to the St. Louis Rams, the Seattle Seahawks never gained a lead at any time, which ended their NFL record streak of 70 consecutive games (both regular season and playoff games) in which they had held a lead at any point during a game. This was the first time that the Seahawks failed to gain a lead at any point during a game since the final week of the 2011 season.[158]
  • The Kansas City Chiefs became the second team since the AFL-NFL merger to clinch a playoff berth after going 1–5 over the first six games of a season, joining the 1970 Cincinnati Bengals.[159]
  • Cam Newton became the first player in NFL history to throw at least 30 touchdown passes and score at least eight rushing touchdowns in a season.[157]
  • Antonio Brown became the second player in NFL history to record 1,600 receiving yards in back to back seasons, joining Calvin Johnson, who accomplished the feat in 2011–12. Brown also became the second player in NFL history to record 120 catches in back to back seasons, joining Cris Carter (1994–95).[160]
  • Adam Vinatieri became the third placekicker in NFL history to make 500 field goals in a career, joining Morten Andersen and Gary Anderson.[161]
  • As of the end of week 16, the New Orleans Saints had surrendered 43 total passing touchdowns during the season, setting a new NFL record for most passing touchdowns surrendered during a season.[162]
  • Kirk Cousins finished the season posting the highest completion percentage (74.7) in home games in NFL history, with a minimum of 100 attempts.[163]
Week 17
  • Russell Wilson became the first quarterback in NFL history to have 4,000 or more passing yards, 30 or more passing touchdowns, and 500 or more rushing yards in the same season.[164]
  • Antonio Brown set an NFL record of 265 receptions over the last two NFL seasons and became the first wide receiver in NFL history to record at least 1,700 yards from scrimmage in back-to-back seasons.[165]
  • Frank Gore became the 15th player in NFL history to reach 12,000 career rushing yards.[166]
  • Drew Brees finished the season with 4,870 passing yards, his NFL-record sixth consecutive season with at least 4,500 yards. Brees has seven career 4,500-yard passing seasons, the most in NFL history. Brees also led the league in passing for the sixth time in his career, setting an NFL record for most seasons leading the league, breaking the record of five that was shared by Sonny Jurgensen and Dan Marino.[167] In addition, Brees tied Tom Brady for third most all-time regular season passing touchdowns after Brady failed to throw a TD pass during the Patriots' loss to the Miami Dolphins.[168]
  • Eleven different quarterbacks passed for 30 or more touchdowns setting an NFL single season record. The previous record was nine quarterbacks set in 2014.[169]
Divisional Round
Super Bowl 50

Regular season statistical leaders

[edit]
Individual[176]
Scoring leader Stephen Gostkowski, New England (151)
Most field goals made Blair Walsh, Minnesota (34 FGs)
Touchdowns Doug Baldwin, Seattle, Devonta Freeman, Atlanta, Brandon Marshall, New York Jets and Allen Robinson, Jacksonville (14 TDs)
Rushing Adrian Peterson, Minnesota (1,485 yards)
Passing yards Drew Brees, New Orleans (4,870 yards)
Passing touchdowns Tom Brady, New England (36 TDs)
Passer rating Russell Wilson, Seattle (110.1 rating)
Pass receptions Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh and Julio Jones, Atlanta (136 catches)
Pass receiving yards Julio Jones, Atlanta (1,871 yards)
Combined tackles NaVorro Bowman, San Francisco (154 tackles)
Interceptions Reggie Nelson, Cincinnati and Marcus Peters, Kansas (8)
Punting Johnny Hekker, Los Angeles (4,601 yards, 47.9 average yards)
Sacks J. J. Watt, Houston (17.5)

Awards

[edit]

Individual season awards

[edit]

The 5th Annual NFL Honors, saluting the best players and plays from 2015 season, was held at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, California on February 6, 2016.[177]

Award Winner Position Team
AP Most Valuable Player Cam Newton Quarterback Carolina Panthers
AP Offensive Player of the Year Cam Newton Quarterback Carolina Panthers
AP Defensive Player of the Year J. J. Watt Defensive end Houston Texans
AP Coach of the Year Ron Rivera Coach Carolina Panthers
AP Assistant Coach of the Year Wade Phillips Defensive coordinator Denver Broncos
AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Todd Gurley Running back St. Louis Rams
AP Defensive Rookie of the Year Marcus Peters Cornerback Kansas City Chiefs
AP Comeback Player of the Year Eric Berry Safety Kansas City Chiefs
Pepsi Rookie of the Year Jameis Winston Quarterback Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Anquan Boldin Wide receiver San Francisco 49ers
PFWA NFL Executive of the Year Mike Maccagnan General Manager New York Jets
Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Von Miller Linebacker Denver Broncos

All-Pro team

[edit]

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

Offense
Quarterback Cam Newton, Carolina
Running back Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
Doug Martin, Tampa Bay
Fullback Mike Tolbert, Carolina
Wide receiver Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh
Julio Jones, Atlanta
Tight end Rob Gronkowski, New England
Offensive tackle Joe Thomas, Cleveland
Andrew Whitworth, Cincinnati
Offensive guard Marshal Yanda, Baltimore
David DeCastro, Pittsburgh
Center Ryan Kalil, Carolina
Defense
Defensive end J. J. Watt, Houston
Khalil Mack, Oakland
Defensive tackle Aaron Donald, St. Louis
Geno Atkins, Cincinnati
Outside linebacker Von Miller, Denver
Khalil Mack, Oakland
Thomas Davis, Carolina
Inside linebacker Luke Kuechly, Carolina
NaVorro Bowman, San Francisco
Cornerback Josh Norman, Carolina
Patrick Peterson, Arizona
Safety Tyrann Mathieu, Arizona
Eric Berry, Kansas City
Special teams
Placekicker Stephen Gostkowski, New England
Punter Johnny Hekker, St. Louis
Kick returner Tyler Lockett, Seattle

Players of the week/month

[edit]

The following were named the top performers during the 2015 season:

Week/
Month
Offensive
Player of the Week/Month
Defensive
Player of the Week/Month
Special Teams
Player of the Week/Month
AFC NFC AFC NFC AFC NFC
1 Marcus Mariota[178]
(Titans)
Julio Jones[179]
(Falcons)
Aqib Talib[178]
(Broncos)
Aaron Donald[179]
(Rams)
Jarvis Landry[178]
(Dolphins)
Tavon Austin[179]
(Rams)
2 Ben Roethlisberger[180]
(Steelers)
Larry Fitzgerald[181]
(Cardinals)
Darrelle Revis[180]
(Jets)
Sean Lee[181]
(Cowboys)
Travis Benjamin[180]
(Browns)
David Johnson[181]
(Cardinals)
3 A. J. Green[182]
(Bengals)
Aaron Rodgers[183]
(Packers)
Preston Brown[182]
(Bills)
Tyrann Mathieu[183]
(Cardinals)
Pat McAfee[182]
(Colts)
Darren Sproles[183]
(Eagles)
Sept. Tom Brady[184]
(Patriots)
Julio Jones[185]
(Falcons)
DeMarcus Ware[184]
(Broncos)
Josh Norman[185]
(Panthers)
Stephen Gostkowski[184]
(Patriots)
Tyler Lockett[185]
(Seahawks)
4 Philip Rivers[186]
(Chargers)
Drew Brees[187]
(Saints)
T. J. Ward[186]
(Broncos)
Josh Norman[187]
(Panthers)
Justin Tucker[186]
(Ravens)
Robbie Gould[187]
(Bears)
5 Josh McCown[188]
(Browns)
Eli Manning[189]
(Giants)
Mike Adams[188]
(Colts)
Fletcher Cox[189]
(Eagles)
Mike Nugent[188]
(Bengals)
Bobby Rainey[189]
(Buccaneers)
6 DeAndre Hopkins[190]
(Texans)
Calvin Johnson[191]
(Lions)
Cameron Wake[190]
(Dolphins)
Kawann Short[191]
(Panthers)
Chris Boswell[190]
(Steelers)
Michael Mauti[191]
(Saints)
7 Ryan Tannehill[192]
(Dolphins)
Kirk Cousins[193]
(Redskins)
Telvin Smith[192]
(Jaguars)
Michael Bennett[193]
(Seahawks)
Stephen Gostkowski[192]
(Patriots)
Dwayne Harris[193]
(Giants)
Oct. Andy Dalton[194]
(Bengals)
Devonta Freeman[195]
(Falcons)
Charles Woodson[194]
(Raiders)
Kawann Short[195]
(Panthers)
Brandon McManus[194]
(Broncos)
Johnny Hekker[195]
(Rams)
8 Tom Brady[196]
(Patriots)
Drew Brees[197]
(Saints)
Derek Wolfe[196]
(Broncos)
Kwon Alexander[197]
(Buccaneers)
Justin Tucker[196]
(Ravens)
Marcus Sherels[197]
(Vikings)
9 Marcus Mariota[198]
(Titans)
Cam Newton[199]
(Panthers)
Darius Butler[198]
(Colts)
Linval Joseph[199]
(Vikings)
Ryan Quigley[198]
(Jets)
Josh Brown[199]
(Giants)
10 Ben Roethlisberger[200]
(Steelers)
Kirk Cousins[201]
(Redskins)
Bacarri Rambo[200]
(Bills)
Terence Newman[201]
(Vikings)
Stephen Gostkowski[200]
(Patriots)
Ameer Abdullah[201]
(Lions)
11 Brock Osweiler[202]
(Broncos)
Cam Newton[203]
(Panthers)
J. J. Watt[202]
(Texans)
Lavonte David[203]
(Buccaneers)
Dustin Colquitt[202]
(Chiefs)
Mason Crosby[203]
(Packers)
12 C. J. Anderson[204]
(Broncos)
Russell Wilson[205]
(Seahawks)
Leon Hall[204]
(Bengals)
Luke Kuechly[205]
(Panthers)
Will Hill[204]
(Ravens)
Sam Martin[205]
(Lions)
Nov. Antonio Brown[206]
(Steelers)
Adrian Peterson[207]
(Vikings)
J. J. Watt[206]
(Texans)
Tyrann Mathieu[207]
(Cardinals)
Adam Vinatieri[206]
(Colts)
Graham Gano[207]
(Panthers)
13 Brandon Marshall[208]
(Jets)
Cam Newton[209]
(Panthers)
Tyvon Branch[208]
(Chiefs)
Malcolm Jenkins[209]
(Eagles)
Antonio Brown[208]
(Steelers)
Dan Bailey[209]
(Cowboys)
14 Ryan Fitzpatrick[210]
(Jets)
Eli Manning[211]
(Giants)
Khalil Mack[210]
(Raiders)
Aaron Donald[211]
(Rams)
Rashad Greene[210]
(Jaguars)
Chandler Catanzaro[211]
(Cardinals)
15 Antonio Brown[212]
(Steelers)
Cam Newton[212]
(Panthers)
Marcus Peters[212]
(Chiefs)
Deone Bucannon[212]
(Cardinals)
Carlos Dunlap[212]
(Bengals)
Benny Cunningham[212]
(Rams)
16 Ryan Fitzpatrick[213]
(Jets)
Julio Jones[213]
(Falcons)
Robert Mathis[213]
(Colts)
Dwight Freeney[213]
(Cardinals)
Marquette King[213]
(Raiders)
Blair Walsh[213]
(Vikings)
Dec. Antonio Brown[214]
(Steelers)
Kirk Cousins[214]
(Redskins)
Whitney Mercilus[214]
(Texans)
Kawann Short[214]
(Panthers)
Chris Boswell[214]
(Steelers)
Tyler Lockett[214]
(Seahawks)
17 Ronnie Hillman[215]
(Broncos)
Cam Newton[215]
(Panthers)
J. J. Watt[215]
(Texans)
Everson Griffen[215]
(Vikings)
D. J. Alexander[215]
(Chiefs)
Tyler Lockett[215]
(Seahawks)
Week FedEx Air
Player of the Week[216]
(Quarterbacks)
FedEx Ground
Player of the Week[216]
(Running Backs)
Pepsi Next
Rookie of the Week[217]
Castrol Edge
Clutch Performer
of the Week[218]
1 Philip Rivers
(Chargers)
Carlos Hyde
(49ers)
Marcus Mariota
(Titans)
Tony Romo
(Cowboys)
2 Tom Brady
(Patriots)
Matt Jones
(Redskins)
Jameis Winston
(Buccaneers)
Derek Carr
(Raiders)
3 Aaron Rodgers
(Packers)
Devonta Freeman
(Falcons)
Kwon Alexander
(Buccaneers)
Julio Jones
(Falcons)
4 Philip Rivers
(Chargers)
Chris Ivory
(Jets)
Todd Gurley
(Rams)
Kam Chancellor
(Seahawks)
5 Eli Manning
(Giants)
Doug Martin
(Buccaneers)
Jameis Winston
(Buccaneers)
Tyrod Taylor
(Bills)
6 Philip Rivers
(Chargers)
Chris Ivory
(Jets)
Stefon Diggs
(Vikings)
Damarious Randall
(Packers)
7 Ryan Tannehill
(Dolphins)
Lamar Miller
(Dolphins)
Amari Cooper
(Raiders)
Tom Brady
(Patriots)
8 Drew Brees
(Saints)
Todd Gurley
(Rams)
Kwon Alexander
(Buccaneers)
Drew Brees
(Saints)
9 Marcus Mariota
(Titans)
DeAngelo Williams
(Steelers)
Amari Cooper
(Raiders)
Antonio Brown
(Steelers)
10 Ben Roethlisberger
(Steelers)
Adrian Peterson
(Vikings)
Mario Edwards Jr.
(Raiders)
Stephen Gostkowski
(Patriots)
11 Jameis Winston
(Buccaneers)
Doug Martin
(Buccaneers)
Jameis Winston
(Buccaneers)
Aaron Rodgers
(Packers)
12 Russell Wilson
(Seahawks)
Adrian Peterson
(Vikings)
Amari Cooper
(Raiders)
Derek Carr
(Raiders)
13 Ben Roethlisberger
(Steelers)
DeAngelo Williams
(Steelers)
Thomas Rawls
(Seahawks)
Jameis Winston
(Buccaneers)
14 Russell Wilson
(Seahawks)
Eddie Lacy
(Packers)
Tyler Lockett
(Seahawks)
Khalil Mack
(Raiders)
15 Ben Roethlisberger
(Steelers)
David Johnson
(Cardinals)
Amari Cooper
(Raiders)
Antonio Brown
(Steelers)
16 Drew Brees
(Saints)
Tim Hightower
(Saints)
Preston Smith
(Redskins)
Ryan Fitzpatrick
(Jets)
17 Ryan Tannehill
(Dolphins)
Rashad Jennings
(Giants)
Tyler Lockett
(Seahawks)
Peyton Manning
(Broncos)
Month Rookie of the Month
Offensive Defensive
Sept. Marcus Mariota[219]
(Titans)
Ronald Darby[219]
(Bills)
Oct. Todd Gurley[220]
(Rams)
Eric Kendricks[220]
(Vikings)
Nov. Jameis Winston[221]
(Buccaneers)
Damarious Randall[221]
(Packers)
Dec. David Johnson[214]
(Cardinals)
Marcus Peters[214]
(Chiefs)

Head coach/front office personnel changes

[edit]

Head coach

[edit]

Offseason

[edit]
Team 2014 head coach 2014 interim head coach Reason for leaving 2015 replacement Story/Accomplishments
Atlanta Falcons Mike Smith Fired Dan Quinn Smith compiled a record of 67–50 (.573), including the postseason, in seven seasons with the Falcons. He is the only coach to lead the franchise to consecutive winning seasons and consecutive playoff berths.[222]

Quinn, who never held a head coaching position prior to 2015, had served as defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. Due to league anti-tampering rules, the Falcons had to wait until after the completion of the Seahawks' playoff run, before formally hiring Quinn.[223]

Buffalo Bills Doug Marrone Resigned Rex Ryan Marrone compiled a record of 15–17 (.469) in two seasons with the Bills and resigned on December 31, 2014.[224] His tenure was marked by the team's first winning season since 2004 but also by tensions with general manager Doug Whaley and players, especially Mike Williams, who requested a trade during the season. Marrone's contract had an opt-out clause which allowed him to resign his position within three days of the end of the season and still collect his full salary for the rest of the contract (he had one year remaining) if the team changed ownership which it did when the Bills were sold to the Pegula family in September. Marrone joined the Jacksonville Jaguars as offensive line coach.[225]

On January 12, 2015, the Bills hired Rex Ryan as their head coach. Ryan had spent the previous six seasons as head coach of the New York Jets.[226]

Chicago Bears Marc Trestman Fired John Fox Trestman compiled a record of 13–19 (.406) in two seasons with the Bears, and had finished the 2014 season with a 5–11 record. He and general manager Phil Emery were both dismissed on December 29, 2014.[227] Trestman then became offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens.[228]

Fox was hired on January 16, 2015, to become the head coach. Fox spent the past 4 seasons as the head coach of the Denver Broncos.[229]

Denver Broncos John Fox Mutual decision Gary Kubiak In four seasons with the Broncos, Fox compiled a record of 49–22 (.690) including postseason games, won his division all four seasons, and appeared in Super Bowl XLVIII, but was bounced from the playoffs in the divisional round the other three years. By mutual agreement, Fox left the team on January 12, 2015, following the most recent divisional playoff loss.[230]

Kubiak was hired on January 19, 2015, to become the head coach. Kubiak, formerly head coach of the Houston Texans from 2006 to 2013, spent the past season as the offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens.[231]

New York Jets Rex Ryan Fired Todd Bowles Ryan compiled a record of 50–52 (.490), including postseason games, in six seasons as head coach of the Jets. Ryan led the Jets to two AFC Championship Game appearances in his first two seasons, losing both, but failed to earn a winning season or playoff berth in his last four. He and general manager John Idzik, Jr. were both dismissed on December 29, 2014.[232]

Bowles was hired on January 14, 2015, to become their head coach after serving as defensive coordinator for Arizona Cardinals since 2013; he previously served as interim head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2011.[233]

Oakland Raiders Dennis Allen Tony Sparano Fired Jack Del Rio Allen was fired on September 29, 2014, after an 8–28 (.222) record as Raiders head coach, and an 0–4 start to the 2014 season.[234] Allen joined the staff of the New Orleans Saints for the 2015 season.[235]

Sparano, formerly head coach of the Miami Dolphins, finished the season as interim head coach, compiling a record of 3–9.[236] He then became tight ends coach for the San Francisco 49ers.[237]

Jack Del Rio was hired on January 14, 2015, to become their head coach after serving as defensive coordinator for Denver Broncos since 2012; he previously served as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2003 to 2011.[238]

San Francisco 49ers Jim Harbaugh Mutually Part Ways Jim Tomsula Harbaugh compiled a record of 49–22–1 (.688), including postseason games, in four seasons with the 49ers, and led the team to three NFC Championship Game appearances and a berth in Super Bowl XLVII. After a mediocre 8–8 season in 2014 (the first time his team did not make the playoffs) and amid tensions between Harbaugh and the 49ers front office, Harbaugh left to become head coach at his college alma mater, the University of Michigan.[239]

On January 14, 2015, Jim Tomsula was promoted to head coach after serving as defensive line coach with the team since 2007; it is his second time at the helm, as he previously served as the 49ers' interim head coach for one game, after Mike Singletary's firing in 2010.[240]

In-season

[edit]
Team 2015 head coach Reason for leaving Interim replacement Story/Accomplishments
Miami Dolphins Joe Philbin Fired Dan Campbell Philbin compiled a record of 24–28 (.462), with no playoff appearances, in 3¼ seasons as head coach of the Dolphins. The Dolphins were expected to be contenders for a playoff position in 2015 but grossly underachieved, starting the season 1–3, which led to Philbin's firing. Campbell, the team's tight ends coach, took over for the rest of the season.[241]
Tennessee Titans Ken Whisenhunt Mike Mularkey Whisenhunt compiled a record of 3–20 (.130), with no playoff appearances, in 1½ seasons as head coach of the Titans. After an impressive opening day win, the Titans lost six straight, resulting in Whisenhunt's dismissal. Mularkey, the team's tight ends coach, took over as interim head coach. Mularkey's previous head coaching experience includes two seasons with the Buffalo Bills (2004–05) and one season with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2012).[242]
Philadelphia Eagles Chip Kelly Pat Shurmur Kelly compiled a record of 26–21 (.553) in almost three years with the Eagles. He led the team to the playoffs in 2013, but lost in the Wild Card. He was fired from both his head coach and de facto general manager positions when the team, after its ninth loss of the season, was eliminated from postseason contention with one game remaining on the schedule. Shurmur, the Eagles' offensive coordinator, filled in as head coach for the team's last game; he previously coached the Cleveland Browns from 2011 to 2012.[243]

Front office

[edit]

Offseason

[edit]
Team Position 2014 office holder Reason for leaving 2015 replacement Story/Accomplishments
New York Jets GM John Idzik Fired Mike Maccagnan Idzik was fired after two seasons with the New York Jets.[232] He then joined the staff of the Jacksonville Jaguars as a consultant.[244]

On January 13, 2015, the Jets hired Maccagnan as new general manager of the team. He was the director of college scouting for the Houston Texans prior to his hiring.[245]

Chicago Bears GM Phil Emery Ryan Pace Emery was fired after three seasons in Chicago.[246]

Pace was hired on January 8, 2015, after serving as the director of player personnel with the Saints since 2013.[247]

Philadelphia Eagles EVP-FO Tom Gamble Howie Roseman Roseman, who served as General Manager of the Eagles from 2010 to 2014, was promoted up to Executive Vice President of Football Operations. The General Manager position Roseman leaves behind remained unfilled, and head coach Chip Kelly fulfilled the duties of that position until his Week 16 firing.[248]

In-season

[edit]
Team Position 2015 office holder Reason for leaving 2015 replacement Story/Accomplishments
Detroit Lions GM Martin Mayhew Fired Sheldon White (interim) After starting the season 1–6, the Lions fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi. One week later, after another loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, owner Martha Firestone Ford fired Mayhew and Lewland.[249]
President Tom Lewand Rod Wood
Philadelphia Eagles VP- Player Personnel Ed Marynowitz Tom Donahoe Vice President of Player Personnel Ed Marynowitz was fired alongside Head Coach Chip Kelly on December 29, 2015.[250] Donahoe last served as president and general manager of the Buffalo Bills from 2001 to 2005 but has largely been out of football in the ten years since his firing from that position.
GM (de facto) Chip Kelly Howie Roseman Roseman, who carried the title of "executive vice president of football operations" while Kelly handled general manager duties in 2015, reverted to his previous general manager duties after Kelly's firing.

Stadiums

[edit]
Tennessee Titans' venue renamed Nissan Stadium

The stadium in Nashville where the Tennessee Titans play their home games was renamed Nissan Stadium in an agreement with automobile manufacturer Nissan. Though financial terms remain undisclosed, the naming rights deal is expected to last for twenty years. Nissan operates two plants in Tennessee and is one of middle Tennessee's largest employers. Since 2006, the facility had been branded as "LP Field", under a naming rights agreement with Nashville-based building materials manufacturer Louisiana-Pacific. This is the third name change for the venue since its 1999 opening.[251]

Minnesota Vikings last season at TCF Bank Stadium

The Minnesota Vikings played at TCF Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis for the second straight season.[252] The Vikings arranged to play there for two years after their former home, the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, was closed after the 2013 season and demolished so U.S. Bank Stadium, their new stadium, could be built on the site.[253] In August, a construction worker who was working on the new stadium died in a fall from the structure's roof.[254]

NRG Stadium Convert to Turf

NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans, converted from a natural grass field to an artificial turf field after week 1. Despite various attempts to improve field conditions, players from both the Texans and the visiting Kansas City Chiefs complained of poor field conditions in their week 1 game. The decision to convert was made 5 days later, and the turf field was installed in time for the Texans next home game against Tampa Bay in Week 3.[255]

NFL relocation candidates

[edit]

Oakland Raiders

[edit]

The team's lease at the Oakland Coliseum expired after the 2013 season, and the Raiders after that point became tenants of the Coliseum on a year-to-year basis.[256]

San Antonio
[edit]

On July 29, 2014, reports surfaced that the Oakland Raiders might consider relocating to San Antonio in 2015 after owner Mark Davis met with San Antonio civic leaders the week before at the encouragement of former Raider Cliff Branch, whom Davis was in town to visit for a local ceremony for Branch. The Raiders themselves acknowledged Davis being in San Antonio for the event for Branch before news broke about a possible relocation, but would not confirm nor deny that Davis also mentioned being there discussing moving his team east.[257] Among the two existing NFL teams in Texas, Houston Texans' then-owner Bob McNair and Dallas Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones—the latter of which has San Antonio as part of his territorial rights and previously voiced support of an NFL team moving there when the New Orleans Saints temporarily played in San Antonio in 2005 due to damages to the Superdome following Hurricane Katrina – both favored an NFL team playing in San Antonio.[258]

On September 3, 2014, the city of Oakland reached a tentative deal to build a new football stadium in Oakland, which would have resulted in the Coliseum being demolished; Davis did not respond to the proposal, which would have also forced the Oakland Athletics to build a new stadium of their own (which they did not agree to do), while Alameda County (then co-owners of the coliseum) indicated they would probably not have supported the plan.[259] Davis, in the meantime, had team officials scout the Alamodome to determine if it would be suitable for the NFL.[260]

Shared stadium with the Chargers in Los Angeles
[edit]

On February 19, 2015, the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers announced plans for a privately financed $1.7 billion stadium that the two teams would build in Carson, California, if they were to move to the Los Angeles market.[261] Such a move would have marked a return to the nation's second-largest market for both teams; the Raiders played in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994 while the Chargers called LA home for their inaugural season in the American Football League. The Chargers were at the time the only NFL team to play in Southern California, with San Diego being a 125-mile (201 km) distance from Los Angeles and had Los Angeles as a secondary market. The Chargers had been looking to replace Qualcomm Stadium (which, like the O.co Coliseum opened in the late 1960s) since at least 2003, and had an annual out clause in which it could move in exchange for paying a fine to the city of San Diego for its remaining years on its lease.

Due to television contracts, NFL bylaws, and being in the same division if both of the longstanding division rivals moved to Los Angeles, one of the teams would have had to move to the National Football Conference and the NFC West, something that Mark Davis volunteered the Raiders to be willing to do. The Raiders' move to the National Football Conference and the NFC West would have been considered ironic because Davis's father Al Davis was a staunch opponent of the NFL during its rivalry and eventual merger with the AFL. If such a realignment had occurred, one of the existing NFC West teams would have taken their spot in the AFC West. The early rumor was that the Seattle Seahawks, who played in the AFC West from 1977 to 2001, would have been the favorite to switch conferences with the Raiders. However, that team's then growing rivalry with the San Francisco 49ers (who are assured of staying in the NFC West) pointed to either the Arizona Cardinals or the St. Louis Rams (if the latter had stayed in St. Louis) moving to the AFC West to take the Raiders' spot. If the Rams stayed in St. Louis, switching them to the AFC would have allowed for a yearly home-and-home with the cross-state Kansas City Chiefs.[262]

On October 23, 2015, Chargers spokesperson Mark Fabiani confirmed that the team planned to officially notify the NFL about its intentions to relocate to Los Angeles in January during the timetable for when teams can request to relocate.[263]

St. Louis Rams

[edit]

The Rams and the St. Louis CVC (Convention & Visitors Commission) began negotiating deals to get the Rams' home stadium, the Edward Jones Dome, into the top 25 percent of stadiums in the league (i.e., top eight teams of the thirty-two NFL teams in reference to luxury boxes, amenities and overall fan experience). Under the terms of the lease agreement, the St. Louis CVC was required to make modifications to the Edward Jones Dome in 2005. However, then-owner Georgia Frontiere waived the provision in exchange for cash that served as a penalty for the city's noncompliance. The City of St. Louis, in subsequent years, made changes to the scoreboard and increased the natural lighting by replacing panels with windows, although the overall feel remained dark. The minor renovations which totaled about $70 million did not bring the stadium within the specifications required under the lease agreement. On February 1, 2013, an arbitrator (3 panel) selected to preside over the arbitration process found that the Edward Jones Dome was not in the top 25% of all NFL venues as required under the terms of the lease agreement between the Rams and the CVC. The arbitrator further found that the estimated $700 million in proposed renovations by the Rams was not unreasonable given the terms of the lease agreement. Finally, the City of St. Louis was Ordered to pay the Rams attorneys' fees which totaled a reported $2 million.

Publicly, city, county and state officials expressed no interest in providing further funding to the Edward Jones Dome in light of those entities, as well as taxpayers, continuing to owe approximately $300 million more on that facility. As such, if a resolution was not reached by the end of the 2014–15 NFL season and the City of St. Louis remained non-compliant in its obligations under the lease agreement, the Rams were free to nullify their lease and relocate.

On January 31, 2014, both the Los Angeles Times and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Rams owner Stan Kroenke had purchased 60 acres of land adjacent to the Forum in Inglewood, Los Angeles County, California. It was, by the most conservative estimates, sufficient land on which an NFL-proper stadium could be constructed. The purchase price was rumored to have been US$90–100 million. Commissioner Roger Goodell represented that Kroenke informed the league of the purchase. As an NFL owner, any purchase of land in which a potential stadium could be built must be disclosed to the league. This development further fueled rumors that the Rams intended to return its management and football operations to Southern California. The land was initially targeted for a Walmart Supercenter but Walmart could not get the necessary permits to build the center. Kroenke is married to Ann Walton Kroenke, who is a member of the Walton family and many of Kroenke's real estate deals have involved Walmart properties.[264][265][266] On January 5, 2015, The Los Angeles Times reported that Kroenke Sports & Entertainment and Stockbridge Capital Group were partnering to develop a new NFL stadium owned by Kroenke. The project included a stadium of up to 80,000 seats and a performance venue of 6,000 seats while reconfiguring the previously approved Hollywood Park plan for up to 890,000 square feet of retail, 780,000 square feet of office space, 2,500 new residential units, a 300-room hotel and 25 acres of public parks, playgrounds, open space and pedestrian and bicycle access. In lieu of this the city of St. Louis responded on January 9, 2015, by unveiling an outdoor, open-air, riverfront stadium that could accommodate the Rams and an MLS team with the hopes that the NFL bylaws would force them to stay. On February 24, 2015, the Inglewood City Council approved the stadium and the initiative with construction on the stadium beginning in December 2015.

With the Chargers, Raiders and Rams proposing their own stadiums as part of their Los Angeles relocation contingency plans, the proposed Farmers Field project was permanently scrapped in March 2015.[267] Farmers Field was a proposal from Anschutz Entertainment Group to lure an NFL team to Los Angeles by promising a new stadium, but AEG placed restrictions on any relocation that the rest of the league found unacceptable, and the project had lain dormant since 2012.[268]

Super Bowl 50 promotion

[edit]

To mark the 50th Super Bowl, various gold-themed promotions and initiatives were held during the 2015 season, including gold-tinted logos across all NFL properties, the numbering of the 50-yard line on fields being painted in gold, sideline jackets and hats featuring gold-trimmed logos from week 7 onward, and Pro Bowl jersey designs incorporating gold numbering. Gold footballs were given to each high school that has had a player or coach appear in the Super Bowl, and "homecoming" events were held by teams at games.[269][1]

Through their first two home games, the Oakland Raiders declined to participate in the use of gold paint to mark the 50-yard line. On September 22, Sports Business Daily reported that NFL VP/Communications Brian McCarthy stated it was because the Oakland Athletics were still playing at the O.co Coliseum (the only stadium that is still shared by both an NFL team and a Major League Baseball team, which forces the Raiders to play on its dirt infield until the baseball season concludes), but the Coliseum's General Manager Chris Wright responded by saying that the Raiders told him not to apply the gold marks for the remaining regular season games.[270] One day later, Raiders owner Mark Davis confirmed that the gold markings would be used after the conclusion of the Athletics season, boasting that because they had appeared in five of them, "nobody respects the Super Bowl more than Raiders".[271]

New uniforms and patches

[edit]

After it had been leaked months before by the Packers that both teams were allowed to wear their colored jerseys for Thursday Night Football contests,[272] on October 30, 2015, the NFL announced "Color Rush", a series of four Thursday contests in which all eight teams will wear one-time, specially designed and monochromatic alternate uniforms.[273] The Carolina Panthers and Tennessee Titans wore their regular alternate uniforms (with the Panthers debuting "Carolina blue" pants), while the Dallas Cowboys revived their white "Double Star" uniforms from the mid-1990s (while debuting white pants) and the St. Louis Rams wore a gold version of their 1973–99 throwbacks for the games. The other four teams involved (Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers) wore all-new uniforms for the games. The November 12 game between the Bills and Jets was particularly problematic, with the Bills' all-red uniforms (the first time the team has ever worn a red jersey on the field) and the Jets' kelly green outfits being indistinguishable to those with color blindness.[274]

  • The Cleveland Browns unveiled new uniforms on April 14, 2015. There are three jersey colors and three pants colors: orange, brown, and white, allowing for nine possible uniform combinations. The uniforms have "Cleveland" above the numbers on the front, "Browns" down the leg, and "Dawg Pound" inside the collar. The uniforms are the first in the NFL to utilize contrast stitching and chainmail/raised numbers. The city name in front and team name down the leg are also NFL firsts.[275] On February 24, the Browns slightly tweaked their logo. The orange on their helmet is brighter and the facemask, which was gray, is now brown. The team also updated their secondary logo.[276]
  • The San Francisco 49ers unveiled a new black alternate uniform on May 1, 2015. The jerseys have red numerals with matching black pants. This is the first alternate uniform in the team's history.[277] In addition, the 49ers sported a helmet decal and lapel pin honoring Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bob St. Clair who died in April; the decal had St. Clair's number 79 in white inside a black football shape.[278]
  • The Tennessee Titans switched their primary colored jerseys from light "Titans Blue" to navy blue, the latter of which was the team's primary home jersey color from 1999 to 2007.[279]
  • The Green Bay Packers unveiled a new throwback uniform on July 28, 2015. The design features the same layout the Packers used between 1937 and 1949, and again in 1994. Like the previous 1920s-inspired throwbacks, the base colors will be brown, navy blue and yellow.[280]
  • The Miami Dolphins unveiled a new throwback uniform to commemorate the team's 50th season on July 29, 2015. The uniform is a throwback to the Dolphins' inaugural season in 1966. The team also wore a patch celebrating the anniversary during the entirety of the season.[278][281]
  • The Baltimore Ravens wore a patch to commemorate the team's 20th season.[278][282] On December 20, 2015, the team also unexpectedly debuted gold pants for the first time, wearing them with their regular purple jerseys against the Kansas City Chiefs. Although gold is an official accent color of the Ravens, the pants got an overwhelmingly negative response on social media by both Ravens fans and fans of other NFL teams, with some comparisons being made to the rival Pittsburgh Steelers pants.[283]
  • The Tampa Bay Buccaneers wore a patch to commemorate the team's 40th season.[278][284]
  • The Oakland Raiders upgraded their uniforms to incorporate Nike's "Elite 51" technology, which most teams had been using since 2012.[285]
  • The New England Patriots changed the logo on their jerseys from their traditional cursive wordmark to the serif block lettering they adopted when they updated their logo in 2013.[286]
  • The Philadelphia Eagles wore a helmet decal in honor of Hall of Fame center/linebacker Chuck Bednarik who died in March. The decal featured Bednarik's number 60 in white inside a black circle.[278]
  • The Atlanta Falcons wore a patch recognizing the team's 50th year in the league.[278]
  • The New York Giants honored the late Frank Gifford and Ann Mara by adding a number 16 helmet decal and patch for Gifford and Mara respectively.[287]

Media

[edit]

This was the second season under the league's broadcast contracts with its television partners. On May 12, 2015, it was announced that ABC would simulcast ESPN's wildcard game, marking the first time that ABC broadcast any NFL game in nearly 10 years.[288] ESPN also continued to carry Monday Night Football and the Pro Bowl. NBC continued to air Sunday Night Football, the annual Kickoff game, and the primetime Thanksgiving game. This was also the second year that included "cross-flexing" (switching) Sunday afternoon games between CBS and Fox before or during the season, regardless of whether the visiting team is in the AFC (which CBS normally airs) or the NFC (which is normally carried by Fox).

After its successful inaugural season under the arrangement, the NFL extended CBS's contract for Thursday Night Football into the 2015 season; as with the previous season, CBS produced all games, and the first seven games (weeks 2–7), as well as week 13, were broadcast by the CBS network. All games, including those not aired by CBS, were broadcast by NFL Network.[289] The package also included one Saturday game in Week 15 and one in Week 16, both exclusive to NFL Network

Under a new eight-year deal, DirecTV continued to be the exclusive distributor of the NFL Sunday Ticket service.[290][291]

Fox expanded its pre-game coverage by moving Fox NFL Kickoff to the main Fox network from Fox Sports 1, serving as a lead-in to Fox NFL Sunday.[292]

On March 23, 2015, league owners voted to, as an experiment, suspend the NFL's blackout rules for the 2015 season; no games were blacked out in their home markets because of insufficient ticket sales. These moves came after the Federal Communications Commission's September 2014 decision to stop enforcing blackout rules on terrestrial television stations, and the fact that, ultimately, no games were blacked out at all during the 2014 season.[293]

The NFL also experimented with online streaming as part of the International Series game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills. The game was streamed worldwide by Yahoo!, who handled hosting, promotion, and advertising sales for the stream, while CBS produced the telecast.[294] The game only aired on television in the team's home markets (in accordance with NFL policies), as well as in the United Kingdom on BBC Two and Sky Sports, and in China.[295] Brian Rolapp, the league's executive vice president of media, explained that the experiment was part of the NFL's efforts to attempt alternative distribution models for games, such as those that would appeal to viewers who do not subscribe to pay television.[294][296] Yahoo! was reported to have paid $15 million for the rights fees, plus an additional $2 million "marketing fee", and beat out Amazon.com, Twitter, and YouTube—some of whom had made higher bids but would have planned to place the broadcast behind a paywall, which the league resisted.[297]

The NFL entered into a social media partnership with Snapchat to present live stories with behind-the-scenes and fan perspectives from selected games.[298]

Television viewers and ratings

[edit]

Most watched regular season games

[edit]
Rank Date Matchup Network Viewers (millions) TV rating[299] Window Significance
1 November 26, 4:30 ET Carolina Panthers 33 Dallas Cowboys 14 CBS 32.5 14.3 Thanksgiving
2 November 1, 4:25 ET Seattle Seahawks 13 Dallas Cowboys 12 Fox 29.4 17 Late DH
3 December 13, 4:25 ET Dallas Cowboys 7 Green Bay Packers 28 28.9 16.5 Late DH Cowboys–Packers Rivalry
2014 NFC Divisional Round rematch
4 December 6, 4:25 ET Carolina Panthers 41 New Orleans Saints 38 28.6 16.3 Late DH[a]
5 November 15, 4:25 ET New England Patriots 27 New York Giants 26 CBS 28.3 16.3 Late DH[b] Super Bowl XLVI rematch
6 November 26, 8:30 ET Chicago Bears 17 Green Bay Packers 13 NBC 27.8 13.8 SNF Bears–Packers rivalry
7 December 27, 4:25 ET Green Bay Packers 8 Arizona Cardinals 38 Fox 27.8 15.5 Late DH[c]
8 November 22, 4:25 ET Green Bay Packers 30 Minnesota Vikings 13 27.4 16.2 Late DH[d] Packers–Vikings rivalry
9 September 10, 8:30 ET Pittsburgh Steelers 21 New England Patriots 28 NBC 27.4 16.2 Kickoff Game Patriots–Steelers rivalry
10 September 20, 4:25 ET Dallas Cowboys 20 Philadelphia Eagles 10 Fox 27.2 15.5 Late DH Cowboys–Eagles rivalry

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

  1. ^ CAR/NO was shown to 61% of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of Fox coverage.
  2. ^ NE/NYG was shown to 66% of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of CBS coverage.
  3. ^ GB/ARI was shown to 92% of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of Fox coverage.
  4. ^ GB/MIN was shown to 89% of the markets during the late doubleheader time slot of Fox coverage.

Playoff games

[edit]
Rank Game Date Matchup Network Viewers (millions) TV Rating[299]
1 Super Bowl 50 February 7, 2016, 6:30 ET Carolina Panthers 10 Denver Broncos 24 CBS 111.9 46.6
2 AFC Championship January 24, 2016, 3:05 ET New England Patriots 18 Denver Broncos 20 53.3 31.7
3 NFC Championship January 24, 2016, 6:40 ET Arizona Cardinals 15 Carolina Panthers 49 Fox 45.7 26.8
4 Divisional Round January 17, 2016, 4:40 ET Pittsburgh Steelers 16 Denver Broncos 23 CBS 43.0 26.2
5 Wild Card Round January 10, 2016, 4:40 ET Green Bay Packers 35 Washington Redskins 18 Fox 38.8 23.6
6 Divisional Round January 17, 2016, 1:05 ET Seattle Seahawks 24 Carolina Panthers 31 36.7 23.1
7 Wild Card Round January 10, 2016, 1:05 ET Seattle Seahawks 10 Minnesota Vikings 9 NBC 35.3 22.5
8 Divisional Round January 16, 2016 8:15 ET Green Bay Packers 20 Arizona Cardinals 26 33.7 20.3
9 Divisional Round January 16, 2016, 4:35 ET Kansas City Chiefs 20 New England Patriots 27 CBS 31.5 19.7
10 Wild Card Round January 9, 2016, 8:15 ET Pittsburgh Steelers 18 Cincinnati Bengals 16 31.2 19.2
11 Wild Card Round January 9, 2016, 4:20 ET Kansas City Chiefs 30 Houston Texans 0 ESPN/ABC 25.1 16.2

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Shannon Eastin was the first woman to officiate an NFL game as a temporary non-union official during the 2012 NFL referee lockout.[94]

References

[edit]
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