Three ways in. Pick the one that sounds like you. Each takes a few minutes, and every step is below with exactly what you'll see.
This season, right now, with every game through Sunday. Easiest.
Phone or computer · 2 minStart in 1985, 2007, any year from 1967 on, from preseason to draft day.
Phone or computer · 5 minHistory keeps happening: real schedules, drafts and careers.
Computer · 10 min onceYou get the real 2026 season as of Sunday: standings, stats, rosters, injuries, and all of NFL history since 1966 behind it. Works in regular Football GM, nothing to install.
Download this season's league file
Older or low-memory phone? Get the phone-friendly version (13 MB instead of 87): same season, leaves out long-retired role players.
Don't unzip it: Football GM reads it as it is.
Go to play.football-gm.com and tap New League at the top.
On the right, in the Customize box, change Default to Upload league file, then pick the file you downloaded.
The team list turns into the real NFL. Pick yours, tap Create league, and you're in the 2026 season as of today.
Build a league that starts in any season from 1967 to today, at any of five start points: preseason, week 1, the playoffs, after the playoffs, or draft day. It's built right into the NFL History site: no download needed to choose.
Go to the NFL History site and scroll to Build a league (or tap it in the menu).
Tap Load NFL history. It downloads all 60 years once (92 MB) and takes a moment.
Choose the season (named by the year it ends: 2008 = the 2007 season), a start point (Preseason, Week 1, Playoffs, After Playoffs or Draft), and which real events you want. Tap a team to preview its roster.
Same as Play today: play.football-gm.com → New League → Customize: Upload league file → choose your new file → pick a team → Create league.
nfl_season_selector.html and NFL_Master_1966_2026.json.gz from the release, open the selector and drop the master file on it.Everything above, plus history that keeps happening: the real schedule every season, real drafts, careers that follow the real one, real retirements and comebacks, and settings for all of it. It runs on your computer; your phone can play on it over Wi-Fi.
Download the mod
Unzip it anywhere, like your Desktop.
On Windows, double-click Install_and_Play.bat (on Mac or Linux, run install_and_play.sh). The first time, it installs what it needs and builds the game. That takes 5–10 minutes. After that it starts in seconds.
The game opens in your browser. Go to New League → Upload league file. The NFL History box asks for the master file once, then lets you pick any season, any start point and which events you want.
Leave the window open. On your phone, on the same Wi-Fi, open the address it shows (like http://192.168.1.20:3000). Your phone keeps its own leagues.
Install_and_Play again. It skips the setup and opens the game in seconds.A native Android version exists: Football GM's engine running inside a real app, no browser. Football GM's license doesn't allow distributing builds, so it can't be released, but I'd love to put it out someday.