The 1952 NFL season was the 33rd regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, New York Yanks owner Ted Collins sold his team back to the NFL. A few days later, an ownership group in Dallas, Texas, purchased the Yanks from the NFL, relocated them to Dallas, Texas, and renamed them the Dallas Texans. However, the new Dallas Texans went 1–11, and were sold back to the league midway through the season. For the team's last five games, the league operated the Texans as a road team, becoming the final traveling team to date in NFL history, using Hershey, Pennsylvania, as a home base. One of their final two "home" games were held at the Rubber Bowl in Akron, Ohio, the other one played at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan. After the season ended, the Texans folded, becoming the final NFL team to do so, however, all of the 1952 Dallas Texans players and assets were given to Carroll Rosenbloom for the following year, becoming the expansion Baltimore Colts, choosing the blue and white color scheme worn by the Texans, and the assets of the Dayton Triangles franchise ultimately never missing a season in some form. This left Dallas without a professional football franchise until the births of the NFL Dallas Cowboys and the AFL version of the Dallas Texans in 1960. The Detroit Lions defeated the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Championship Game. This was the last NFL season prior to the introduction of regular season overtime in 1974 that there were no ties in the regular season.

Draft

The 1952 NFL draft was held on January 17, 1952, at Philadelphia's Hotel Statler. With the first pick, the Los Angeles Rams selected quarterback Bill Wade from Vanderbilt University.

Major rule changes

Regular season

Highlights

Division races

Final standings

Playoffs

The Lions hosted and won the National Division playoff. The Browns hosted the NFL Championship Game but were defeated by the Lions.

League leaders

Coaching changes

Offseason

In-season

Stadium changes