| Regular season | |
|---|---|
| Duration | September 5, 1993 – January 3, 1994 |
| Playoffs | |
| Start date | January 8, 1994 |
| AFC Champions | Buffalo Bills |
| NFC Champions | Dallas Cowboys |
| Super Bowl XXVIII | |
| Date | January 30, 1994 |
| Site | Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia |
| Champions | Dallas Cowboys |
| Pro Bowl | |
| Date | February 6, 1994 |
| Site | Aloha Stadium |
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League (NFL). It was the only season in league history where all NFL teams were originally scheduled to play their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks and did so (the league again played 16 games over 18 weeks in 2001, but this was caused by the postponement of a week of games due to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks), where all of the Week 2 scheduled games were moved to an 18th week and the entire postseason was delayed by 7 days before starting). After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new schedule would generate even more revenue. This was also done to avoid scheduling playoff games on January 1 and competing with college football bowl games. The NFL's teams, however, felt that having two weeks off during the regular season was too disruptive for their weekly routines, and thus the regular season reverted to 17 weeks immediately after the season ended. 2021 marked the first season where an 18-week schedule would include 17 regular-season games.
On March 1, 1993, the current free agent system was introduced to the league, replacing the Plan B system instituted in 1989.[1][2]
The season ended with Super Bowl XXVIII when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Buffalo Bills 30–13 for the second consecutive season at the Georgia Dome. This remains the only time both Super Bowl participants have been the same in successive seasons. The Cowboys became the first team to win a Super Bowl after losing their first two regular season games. This game also marked the fourth consecutive Super Bowl loss by the Bills, who remain the only team to reach four straight Super Bowls.
- ^ "Jury rules in favor of NFL players: 'Plan B is dead'". UPI.com. September 10, 1992. Archived from the original on March 25, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
- ^ Springer, Steve (March 2, 1993). "Freedom Comes to NFL : Pro football: On first day of free agency, 484 players become eligible to sign with new teams". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 2, 2018.