5 NFL Conspiracy Theories That Might Be True

With a lot of psychological bias involved in sports, including the NFL, conspiracy theories unsurprisingly thrive. When you overthink certain situations, you might find yourself drawing conclusions that may or may not be true.

In the NFL, there are several conspiracy theories. Some are political, others stem from unchecked psychological and emotional bias, and some are based on a general distrust of the system.

The intriguing thing about these conspiracy theories is that many come with seemingly logical explanations. As a result, when you think about them, you might find yourself believing them.

However, no one can definitively say whether there’s any truth to these NFL conspiracy theories, which is exactly what makes them conspiracy theories. They sound logical, but there’s no evidence to back them up.

We may never know whether they are true or not. Here are five NFL conspiracy theories that are so popular that they just might be true.

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1 The Pottsville Maroons Curse

The Arizona Cardinals might be suffering from a 1925 curse

The Pottsville Maroons defeated the Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals) 21-7 to win the 1925 NFL Championship. However, the then-NFL Commissioner Joseph Carr suspended them afterward for a policy violation. The Maroons had an exhibition game in Philadelphia.

The problem here was the Frankford Yellow Jackets claimed they were the only ones with the right to play a game in Philadelphia. Carr took action against the Maroons and suspended them from the league for a year.

The Maroons defended their decision to play the exhibition game in Philadelphia, claiming they had oral approval. Their pleas fell on deaf ears, and the NFL withdrew their championship and handed it to the Cardinals.

The suspension enraged the Maroons and made them feel cheated. Although the NFL reinstated the Maroons the following year, things were never the same.

When they won the 1925 NFL Championship, they were among the elite franchises in the league. After the suspension, they struggled to reach those levels. In 1929, the team moved to Boston and became known as the Boston Bulldogs.

In 1963, the NFL ruled that the Maroons were not entitled to the championship. They also refused to renew the investigation in 2003. So, the Cardinals remain the winners of the 1925 NFL championship to date.

Here’s why this conspiracy theory seems to have an element of truth: The Cardinals have struggled ever since. They have only two NFL championships, including the 1925 championship.

They have yet to win a Super Bowl. They have just seven Division Championships and one Conference Championship.

2 The NFL Planned the Power Interruption in Super Bowl XLVII

The power outage was a plan to prevent a blowout

Super Bowl XLVII, featuring the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers, experienced an unexpected power outage lasting approximately 34 minutes.

Before the power outage, the Ravens held a commanding 28-6 lead in the game. The game looked one-sided after halftime, as the Ravens were in complete dominance.

Once the light returned and the game restarted, the 49ers picked up pace and started dominating. Although they couldn’t turn the game around, they only lost by a tight scoreline of 34-31.

The authorities said the power outage was caused by an “abnormality” in the system, but they couldn’t find any real reason. That talk didn’t go down well with fans and lovers of the sport.

Considering how the game went after the restart, many feel it was all a planned event to prevent a blowout. The Super Bowl represents the peak of NFL games. It is highly anticipated and viewed globally.

A blowout in that kind of high-level match is disappointing for fans. It reduces the competitiveness of the game and has the potential to reduce future Super Bowl viewing.

This, in turn, reduces the NFL’s revenue from the Super Bowl. For context, the 2013 Super Bowl tickets where this blackout happened cost an average of $1,500. The ticket prices rise yearly, with the 2024 ticket averaging $9,024.

Spending thousands of dollars only to witness a one-sided game is truly disappointing. Conspiracy theorists believe that the NFL wanted to prevent this situation and “save the game,” so they interrupted the game with the power outage.

3 David Tepper Wants to Force a Relocation for the Carolina Panthers

Tepper is sabotaging the team to justify the need for a relocation

David Tepper acquired the Carolina Panthers from its founder, Jerry Richardson, in 2018.

Since Tepper purchased the Panthers, they have only had bad seasons. They have a 31-68 record since 2018. This downturn in the Panthers’ fortunes has led many to call out the owner, saying he is the worst owner ever in NFL history.

Apart from the Panthers’ terrible performance during games, Tepper has done some questionable things himself. In 2022, Tepper halted building a practice facility for the team in Rock Hill, South Carolina. He alleged that the city did not keep up its end of the contract, had his real estate business declare bankruptcy over the failing project, and was forced to demolish the half-built facility.

He has also had violent bouts with fans. In 2023, he hurled his drink at a fan from his suite during a game in which the Jacksonville Jaguars dominated the Carolina Panthers 26-0. He received a $300,000 fine for the incident.

To contribute to their woes, the Panthers have had six different coaches from 2018, when Tepper resumed ownership. The most recent was Chris Tabor, who managed only one win in six games coached.

But does Tepper have a hand in the team underperforming? A franchise’s ownership significantly impacts the team’s performance on the field.

Conspiracy theorists believe that the negative impact of Tepper’s reign is all part of a plan to infuriate the fans, reduce the franchise’s supporter base, and drop the viewership. Once these happen, the theorists believe Tepper will claim the Panthers are not yielding enough proceeds and relocate them to a more lucrative market.​​​​​​​

4 Miami Dolphins and the Indian Burial Ground Curse

The Hard Rock Stadium was formerly a Tequesta Indian burial ground

Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins, was previously a Native American burial ground. The Tequesta used the site as a burial ground around 800 AD. After that, another Native American tribe, the Seminole, surrounded the area with artifacts believed to be of spiritual importance.

The Dolphins enjoyed most of their significant successes in the 1970s. The Miami Orange Bowl served as the franchise’s stadium at the time.

They won consecutive Super Bowls in 1972 and 1973, five AFC Championships, and nine of their 13 AFC East Division Championships. But since they moved to Hard Rock Stadium, things have only gotten tougher for the franchise.

They have failed to register a Super Bowl appearance, which is a high contrast to the five appearances they achieved before relocating. Although they have had 13 playoff appearances since moving to the Hard Rock Stadium, many believe their failure to turn up at the biggest stage is due to a curse.

It is even worse in spooky places like a burial ground. Many people believe the Dolphins placed themselves under a curse when they acquired that land for their stadium.

When things go wrong for the team, fans immediately point to the fact that the team is under an Indian curse. The Miami Hurricanes also utilize the stadium and haven’t had a chance at winning anything significant. This only corroborates “the conspiracy theorists’ The Curse of the Tequesta” story.

5 Virginia McCaskey Cursed for Kinslaying

Many believe the Chicago Bears’ owner has put the team under a curse

It is usually easy to blame misfortunes on a curse. It’s where the Chicago Bears find themselves. The story is thought-provoking.

George Halas, the father of Virginia Halas McCaskey, was the founder and owner of the Bears. He doubled as the team’s head coach in four different spells. Under his leadership, the team won eight National Football League championships.

Ordinarily, George Halas Jr., McCaskey’s brother, was next in line to inherit the franchise after their father’s passing, but Halas Jr. died even before his father. He died from a heart attack in 1979 at only 54 years old.

There are rumors, with no facts at all, that suggest that McCaskey killed her brother to inherit the franchise. When Halas died in 1983, McCaskey became the owner.

Since McCaskey took over, the Bears have failed to continue the successes they achieved under the Halas family. They’ve only won one Super Bowl, the Super Bowl XX in 1985, just two years after McCaskey became owner.

They fell to the​​​​​​​ Indianapolis Colts in their previous Super Bowl trip 2007. They have only 14 playoff appearances under McCaskey’s ownership, with the last coming in 2020.

Conspiracy theorists believe that the Halas family cursed McCaskey and the Bears for killing Halas Jr. and stealing the franchise from them. While the circumstances surrounding Halas Jr.’s death weren’t too suspicious, the team’s failure to impress is glaring and might be a pointer to an existing curse.​​​​​​​

All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.

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