No Canadian football team is in the NFL. The league has no franchise based in Canada; Canadian teams play in the Canadian Football League (CFL), a separate professional league.
The confusion often comes from the Buffalo Bills playing regular-season games in Toronto, or from Canadian players joining NFL rosters. Neither makes an NFL team Canadian. Here’s how the NFL and CFL differ, which Canadian clubs compete in the CFL, and what the Bills’ Toronto games actually meant.
what canadian football team is in the nfl
There is no Canadian-based NFL team. The National Football League’s franchises are based in the United States. Canada’s top professional gridiron league is the Canadian Football League, which has its own teams, schedule, rules, and championship.
A Canadian city hosting a game, or a Canadian-born athlete playing in the NFL, does not change where a team is based. The NFL club remains an NFL franchise in its home market, while a CFL club remains part of a different league.
The closest source of confusion is the Buffalo Bills’ former regular-season series in Toronto. Those games were Bills home games staged across the border, not a Toronto NFL team or a transfer of the Bills’ franchise to Canada.
Which Canadian teams play professional football?
Canada’s current professional football teams compete in the CFL. The league has nine clubs, spread across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec.
- BC Lions — Vancouver, British Columbia
- Calgary Stampeders — Calgary, Alberta
- Edmonton Elks — Edmonton, Alberta
- Saskatchewan Roughriders — Regina, Saskatchewan
- Winnipeg Blue Bombers — Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Hamilton Tiger-Cats — Hamilton, Ontario
- Toronto Argonauts — Toronto, Ontario
- Ottawa Redblacks — Ottawa, Ontario
- Montreal Alouettes — Montreal, Quebec
These are Canadian football teams, but they are not NFL teams. Each competes in the CFL, whose clubs play for the Grey Cup. The NFL’s championship game is the Super Bowl, and its teams do not compete for the Grey Cup.
Why the Buffalo Bills played games in Toronto
The Bills played regular-season home games at Toronto’s Rogers Centre as part of the Bills Toronto Series, which ran from 2008 through 2013. The arrangement gave the NFL a regular-season presence in Canada and gave the Bills another way to reach fans in the region.
The games were still scheduled as Buffalo home games. The Bills kept their identity, ownership, league membership, and permanent home in Buffalo, New York. Toronto did not receive a franchise, and the Bills did not become a Canadian team.
This distinction is useful beyond the Bills. A team can play a game outside its usual home city without changing its league or home-market identity. NFL international games work on the same basic principle: a match played abroad is still an NFL game between NFL clubs.
How the CFL differs from the NFL
The CFL and NFL both play versions of North American gridiron football, but they are separate leagues with notable differences in field dimensions, team size, and downs. Those rules affect the pace and tactics of a game, so the CFL is not simply another name for the NFL.
| Feature | NFL | CFL | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Players on the field per team | 11 | 12 | The extra CFL player changes spacing and formation options. |
| Downs to gain 10 yards | 4 | 3 | CFL offenses generally have less time to earn a first down. |
| Field width | 53⅓ yards | 65 yards | The wider CFL field creates more room for routes and coverage. |
| Field length between goal lines | 100 yards | 110 yards | CFL teams have more field to cover before reaching the end zone. |
| End-zone depth | 10 yards | 20 yards | The deeper CFL end zone changes passing and scoring opportunities near the goal line. |
| League championship | Super Bowl | Grey Cup | Each league crowns its own champion. |
Those differences are why a CFL game can look more open, especially with the larger field and one fewer down. The leagues also use different rules for aspects of play such as motion and the timing of certain plays. Rules can be updated, so check each league’s current rulebook for a precise interpretation.
Can a Canadian player play for an NFL team?
Yes. Canadian athletes can join NFL teams, just as players from other countries can. A player’s birthplace or citizenship does not determine the nationality of the club. The team’s league membership and home location do.
For example, a Canadian-born player who signs with an NFL franchise is an NFL player on an American-based team. The same basic distinction applies when an American player signs with a CFL club: the player’s origin does not turn that club into an NFL franchise.
It also helps to separate an individual’s route into professional football from the identity of the team. Players may come through college football, the CFL, or other development routes. Their career path can cross leagues, but the clubs themselves remain members of their own leagues.
Does Toronto have an NFL team?
No. Toronto has no NFL franchise. It does have the Toronto Argonauts, a CFL club, and the city previously hosted Bills games, but neither fact makes Toronto an NFL market with its own team.
The Bills’ Toronto games were a limited series, not an ongoing relocation or a second home arrangement that created a separate club. Buffalo remains the Bills’ home city. Toronto’s professional football team is the Argonauts, which plays in the CFL.
It’s also worth distinguishing a team’s fan base from its official home. NFL fans live throughout Canada, and Canadian viewers can support any NFL club. A large number of fans in a city does not mean that city has an NFL franchise.
Do any NFL teams represent Canada?
No NFL club officially represents Canada as a country. NFL teams are tied to their own franchise markets, and Canadian fans can choose which team to follow. The Bills may be a natural choice for some fans in parts of Canada because of their proximity and past Toronto games, but they are the Buffalo Bills, based in New York State.
Likewise, the CFL is a Canadian league, but its teams represent individual cities rather than the whole country. The national character of the league does not make one of its clubs a Canadian national team. Professional club football and national-team football are different concepts.
Why the NFL and CFL are often confused
The leagues share a sport, familiar team structures, and many terms. Both have professional players, regular-season games, playoffs, and a final championship. Some athletes have played in both leagues, and major NFL events attract viewers in Canada.
Still, the names can cause confusion. “Canadian football” can mean the Canadian code of the sport or a team that plays in the CFL. “Football team in Canada” might instead mean an NFL club playing a game in Canada. Those descriptions point to different things.
A quick way to tell them apart is to check the club’s league and home city. If it is one of the nine teams listed above, it is a CFL club. If it is the Bills playing in Toronto, it is an NFL team playing a game outside its home city.
Could Canada get an NFL team in the future?
A Canadian NFL franchise is possible in theory, but there is no current Canadian team in the league. Starting a franchise would involve much more than scheduling games in a Canadian stadium. The league and ownership would need to address a suitable stadium, financing, market demand, travel, and other business and operational questions.
It is better not to treat international games or expansion speculation as confirmation that a team is coming. A regular-season game abroad is a one-off event or part of a planned series; an expansion franchise requires a formal league decision. Until an official franchise is established, the answer remains that the NFL has no Canadian-based club.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Calling the Bills a Canadian team: They are based in Buffalo, New York, even though they played home games in Toronto.
- Calling the Argonauts an NFL team: Toronto’s Argonauts compete in the CFL.
- Assuming a Canadian player means a Canadian franchise: Player nationality and team location are separate.
- Treating the CFL as an NFL division: The CFL is an independent league with its own clubs and championship.
- Confusing a game location with a home market: A venue in Canada does not automatically make the participating NFL club Canadian.
Practical tip: If a headline says an NFL team is “playing in Canada,” look for the club’s home city and league affiliation. That quick check tells you whether it is a Canadian franchise or simply an NFL game hosted north of the border.
No Canadian club currently plays in the NFL. Canada’s nine professional teams compete in the CFL, while the Buffalo Bills remain an NFL franchise based in New York.
For the simplest way to tell the leagues apart, check a team’s league and home city—not where a particular game is played or where an athlete was born. If you want Canadian professional football, start with the CFL schedule and the team nearest you.