50 Fun Facts About 2019 NFL Season

Which quarterback, in only his second NFL season, became the second unanimous MVP in league history for 2019?

Lamar Jackson led the NFL in touchdown passes and ran for 1,206 yards, breaking the single-season rushing record for a quarterback. He did it without playing in Baltimore's final regular-season game.

Which player was named MVP of Super Bowl LIV after his team rallied from 10 points down in the fourth quarter?

Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes in the final seven minutes as Kansas City erased a 20–10 deficit to beat San Francisco 31–20. It was the franchise's first title in 50 years.

Which singer and actress co-headlined the Super Bowl LIV halftime show in Miami Gardens alongside Shakira?

Jennifer Lopez brought her daughter Emme on stage to sing during the set. Bad Bunny and J Balvin also made guest appearances.

Which former first overall draft pick stunned the NFL by retiring at age 29, two weeks before the 2019 season began?

Andrew Luck walked away from the Indianapolis Colts after seven seasons, saying the cycle of injuries and rehabilitation had worn him down.

Which receiver got frostbite on his feet during cryotherapy and was released by the Raiders before playing a game?

Antonio Brown also fought the league that summer over his banned old helmet. He then signed with New England and appeared in a single game before being released again.

Which 42-year-old quarterback ended his long stay with one team by throwing a pick-six in a January 2020 playoff loss?

Tom Brady threw the interception from his own 1-yard line against Tennessee, then left New England after 20 seasons to sign with Tampa Bay.

Which quarterback, already a first-round pick of baseball's Oakland Athletics, went first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft?

Kyler Murray became the first player drafted in the first round of both sports. The Heisman Trophy winner from Oklahoma chose football and joined the Arizona Cardinals.

Which animal wandered onto the field at MetLife Stadium and halted a 2019 Cowboys–Giants game in the second quarter?

A black cat held up play, and the media joked that the stray had put a hex on both teams. Dallas went on to win 37–18.

Which Cleveland pass rusher was suspended indefinitely for striking Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph with a helmet?

Myles Garrett, the first overall pick of the 2017 draft, was banned for at least the rest of the 2019 season. The league reinstated him the following February.

To which city did the Raiders relocate after playing their final season in Oakland in 2019?

Las Vegas became the Raiders' home in 2020, once Allegiant Stadium was completed. The team had spent 47 non-consecutive years in Oakland.

Which quarterback broke the NFL career touchdown pass record in December 2019 while completing 29 of 30 throws?

Drew Brees threw his 540th touchdown pass in a 34–7 win over Indianapolis. His 96.7 percent completion rate that night was itself a single-game record.

Which New Orleans receiver caught 149 passes in 2019, breaking Marvin Harrison's single-season record?

Michael Thomas was named Offensive Player of the Year, the first wide receiver to win the award since Jerry Rice in 1993.

Which Carolina running back gained 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the 2019 NFL season?

Christian McCaffrey joined Roger Craig and Marshall Faulk as the only players to manage the double in a single season.

Which running back won the 2019 rushing title, then ran for 182 yards to knock New England out of the playoffs?

Derrick Henry finished the regular season with 1,540 yards and 16 touchdowns for Tennessee, despite missing a game with a hamstring injury.

Which 5,000-yard passer of 2019 became the first quarterback with 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in one season?

Jameis Winston led the league with 5,109 passing yards for Tampa Bay. His final throw of the season was intercepted and returned for a game-ending touchdown in overtime.

Which two-time Super Bowl MVP lost his starting job to rookie Daniel Jones two games into the 2019 NFL season?

Eli Manning announced his retirement in January 2020, having spent all 16 of his seasons with the New York Giants.

Which head coach, the winningest in NFL history without a championship, finally won one in Super Bowl LIV?

Andy Reid had lost his only previous Super Bowl as a head coach 15 years earlier, when his Philadelphia Eagles fell to New England.

Which three-time Super Bowl winner announced his retirement on Instagram in March 2019 at the age of 29?

Rob Gronkowski agreed to come out of retirement in April 2020 and joined Tampa Bay, where the tight end won a fourth title.

Which receiver, famous for a one-handed catch in 2014, did the New York Giants trade to Cleveland in March 2019?

Odell Beckham Jr. cost the Browns safety Jabrill Peppers plus their first- and third-round picks in the 2019 draft.

Which penalty became reviewable by replay for 2019 only, after a missed call in the previous NFC Championship Game?

Pass interference calls and non-calls were reviewed 101 times that season, but only 24 were overturned, and the rule was dropped before 2020.

Which former Miami quarterback took over as Tennessee's starter midway through 2019 and led the NFL in passer rating?

Ryan Tannehill was named Comeback Player of the Year after posting a 117.5 rating and steering the Titans to the AFC Championship Game.

Which sixth-round rookie with a famous mustache became Jacksonville's quarterback in Week 1 of 2019?

Gardner Minshew came on when the starter fractured his collarbone against Kansas City, and fans took to wearing fake mustaches to his games.

Which quarterback started 15 games for Indianapolis in 2019 after the team's franchise passer retired in August?

Jacoby Brissett had arrived two years earlier in a trade that sent receiver Phillip Dorsett to New England. The Colts went 7–8 in his 2019 starts.

Which backup quarterback won all five of his starts for New Orleans in 2019 after the starter injured his thumb?

Teddy Bridgewater had come over from the New York Jets a year earlier. His unbeaten run helped the Saints win the NFC South for a third straight season.

Which undrafted rookie quarterback, a champion duck caller, started six games for Pittsburgh in 2019?

Devlin Hodges earned the nickname Duck after winning a junior world duck calling contest at 13. He went 3–3 as a Steelers starter.

Which quarterback played only Carolina's first two games of 2019 before a foot injury ruled him out for the year?

Cam Newton, the league's MVP in 2015, never played again in his first spell with the Panthers and was released the following March.

Which quarterback played his final season for the Chargers in 2019 before signing with the Indianapolis Colts?

Philip Rivers and the Chargers mutually agreed in February 2020 that he would not be re-signed, and he reached the playoffs with his new team the next season.

Which quarterback's run of 136 consecutive regular-season starts ended in November 2019 because of a back injury?

Matthew Stafford had not missed a game since 2010. Detroit turned to Jeff Driskel and David Blough, and neither could deliver a single win.

Which New York Jets quarterback missed three 2019 games after being diagnosed with mononucleosis?

Sam Darnold was later caught by a sideline microphone saying he was seeing ghosts while he struggled in a game against New England.

Which Philadelphia quarterback left his first career playoff game with a concussion after nine snaps in January 2020?

Carson Wentz was hurt by a helmet-to-helmet hit from Seattle's Jadeveon Clowney, and backup Josh McCown played the rest of the 17–9 loss.

Which Minnesota quarterback won a January 2020 playoff game in New Orleans with an overtime touchdown pass?

Kirk Cousins found tight end Kyle Rudolph from four yards out for a 26–20 win, the Vikings' first road playoff victory since January 2005.

Which San Francisco running back ran for 220 yards and four touchdowns against Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game?

Raheem Mostert set a 49ers postseason rushing record in the 37–20 win, having been cut by both Philadelphia and Baltimore earlier in his career.

Which Ohio State pass rusher, taken second in the 2019 draft, was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year?

Nick Bosa helped the 49ers reach Super Bowl LIV in his first year. His father and his older brother Joey also played defensive end in the NFL.

Which running back ended a training camp holdout in September 2019 by signing a six-year, $90 million extension?

Ezekiel Elliott got $50 million guaranteed from the Dallas Cowboys, just before the regular season began.

Which former Super Bowl MVP quarterback did Baltimore trade to Denver in 2019 after a rookie took his job?

Joe Flacco had been the Ravens' starter since they drafted him 18th overall in 2008, and lost the role after a hip injury.

Which former 49ers quarterback called off an NFL-arranged workout in Atlanta in November 2019 over a liability waiver?

Colin Kaepernick had not had an NFL tryout since becoming a free agent, and scrapped this one about 30 minutes before its start, also objecting that it was closed to the public.

Which retired running back rejoined Seattle in December 2019 after injuries to three of the team's backs?

Marshawn Lynch, nicknamed Beast Mode, signed on December 23 alongside former teammate Robert Turbin for the regular-season finale and the playoff run.

Which head coach was named 2019 AP NFL Coach of the Year after guiding Baltimore to a franchise-best 14–2 record?

John Harbaugh had won Super Bowl XLVII with the same club. His top-seeded 2019 team was upset by Tennessee in its first playoff game.

Which team led Kansas City 24–0 in a January 2020 divisional playoff game before losing 51–31?

The Houston Texans then watched the Chiefs score touchdowns on seven straight drives, a playoff record, including 28 points in the last 10 minutes of the first half.

Which city hosted the 2019 NFL Draft, where a reported 600,000 people attended the three days of events?

Nashville staged the draft on Lower Broadway, and the reported crowd overtook 2017 as the best attended draft to that point.

Which cornerback was named 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, the first Patriots player to win the award?

Stephon Gilmore shared the league lead with six interceptions and returned two of them for touchdowns.

Which 2018 first-round quarterback did Arizona trade to Miami in April 2019 after drafting a passer first overall?

Josh Rosen fetched a second-round pick and a fifth-rounder, then struggled with the Dolphins and was released after a year.

Which cornerback did Jacksonville trade to the Los Angeles Rams in October 2019 for two first-round draft picks?

Jalen Ramsey left after a standoff with the Jaguars' front office, and went on to win Super Bowl LVI with the Rams.

Which Tampa Bay pass rusher, signed to a one-year contract in March 2019, led the NFL with 19.5 sacks?

Shaquil Barrett broke Warren Sapp's Buccaneers record for sacks in a season with three in the regular-season finale against Atlanta.

Which Oakland Raiders linebacker was suspended for the rest of 2019 after a helmet-to-helmet hit on Jack Doyle?

Vontaze Burfict was ejected for the hit against the Colts, and the league banned him without pay the next day, citing his history of fouls.

Which San Francisco offensive assistant became the first woman to coach in a Super Bowl, at Super Bowl LIV?

Katie Sowers, who had come out publicly before the 2017 season, was also the first openly gay coach to take part in the game.

Which Kansas City running back scored two touchdowns in Super Bowl LIV, the second on a game-sealing 38-yard run?

Damien Williams was the game's top rusher with 104 yards on 17 carries, and his other score came on a touchdown catch.

Which Seattle rookie gained 160 receiving yards in a January 2020 playoff win over Philadelphia, then a rookie record?

DK Metcalf caught seven passes in the 17–9 win, including a 53-yard touchdown from Russell Wilson.

Which pop singer performed the national anthem before Super Bowl LIV, the Chiefs–49ers game in Miami Gardens?

Demi Lovato sang The Star-Spangled Banner on a pregame bill that also featured Yolanda Adams performing America the Beautiful.

Which London soccer club's new stadium hosted its first NFL game in October 2019, Chicago against Oakland?

Tottenham Hotspur had agreed a 10-year deal to host at least two NFL games a year at the ground. A crowd of 60,463 watched the Raiders win the first, 24–21.