| Regular season | |
|---|---|
| Duration | September 17 – December 31, 1961 |
| East Champions | New York Giants |
| West Champions | Green Bay Packers |
| Championship Game | |
| Champions | Green Bay Packers |
The 1961 NFL season was the 42nd regular season of the National Football League (NFL). The league expanded to 14 teams with the addition of the Minnesota Vikings, after the team's founders declined to be charter members of the new American Football League. The schedule was also expanded from 12 games per team to 14 games per team where it would stay for 17 years. The Vikings were placed in the Western Division, and the Dallas Cowboys were switched from the Western Division to the Eastern Division. The addition of the Vikings returned the NFL to an even number of teams (and eliminated the bye week of 1960 until 1966 temporarily and 1990 on a permanent basis).
The season ended when the Green Bay Packers shut out the New York Giants 37–0 in the 1961 NFL Championship Game.