Welcome to This Week in NFL History! Every week, the Research team will spotlight the anniversaries of notable events and birthdays.

July 5

-- Notable Birthdays: HOF James Lofton (65), LV DC Gus Bradley (55), GB DC Joe Barry (51), & PIT WR Diontae Johnson (25)

July 6

-- Notable Birthdays: CB Nnamdi Asomugha (40) & RB Brandon Jacobs (39)

July 7

-- The Falcons acquired HOF Eric Dickerson from the Raiders in exchange for a conditional 1994 6th-Rd pick in 1993

• 26 carries & 91 rush yards in 4 games with the Falcons in 1993 (final season at age 33 of Dickerson's 11-season HOF career)
• 3rd trade of Dickerson's career (would be traded one more time in career, making him the most traded player since at least 1980)

-- Notable Birthday: PIT WR Chase Claypool (23)

July 8

-- HOF George Halas & George Marshall pushed through a proposal that divided the NFL into two divisions with the winner to meet in an annual championship game in 1933

• Eventually evolved to an "AFL-NFL World Championship" after AFL-NFL agreement in 1966 (Officially named Super Bowl after the merger in 1970)

-- The Steelers franchise is founded by Arthur Joseph Rooney & called the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1933

• The team was known as the Pirates until 1940
• 6 Super Bowl wins are T-most among NFL teams with the Patriots

-- Notable Birthday: HOF Jack Lambert (69)

July 9

-- The NFL awarded George Preston Marshall, Vincent Bendix, Jay O'Brien & M. Dorland Doyle a franchise for Boston in 1932

• Moved to Washington prior to 1937 season
• 610-612-28 W-L-T in 89 seasons (5th-most wins in NFL history behind Bears, Packers, Giants & Steelers)

-- Notable Birthdays: O.J. Simpson (74) & QB Trent Green (51)

July 10

-- The Chiefs promoted co-director of player personnel Brett Veach to GM in 2017

• The Chiefs have made at least the conference title game every season since 2018 & have appeared in the last 2 Super Bowls (won Super Bowl LIV)
• Both Andy Reid & Brett Veach were signed to 6-year contract extensions in 2020
• Notable Chiefs Transactions since July 10, 2017: Traded QB Alex Smith to WAS in 2018 (made Patrick Mahomes starter in Year 2); Signed S Tyrann Mathieu to a 3-year, $42M deal in 2019; Extended QB Patrick Mahomes (10 years, $450M), TE Travis Kelce (4 years, $57.3M) & DT Chris Jones (4 years, $80M) in 2020; Signed G Joe Thuney to a 5-year, $80M deal & traded for T Orlando Brown in 2021

-- Notable Birthdays: Roger Craig (61), TB WR Antonio Brown (33) & NO DE Cameron Jordan (32)

July 11

-- HOF Michael Irvin retired in 2000

• 3-time Super Bowl Champion, 5-time Pro Bowl selection, 1991 1st-Team All-Pro (led NFL with 1,523 rec yards) & 1990's All-Decade Team after 12 seasons (1988-1999) with the Cowboys
• Retired as Cowboys all-time leader in receptions (750, now 2nd behind Jason Witten) & receiving yards (11,904, now 2nd behind Jason Witten)

-- LB Mike Vrabel retired in 2011

• 3-time Super Bowl Champion with the Patriots, 2007 1st-Team All-Pro & 2008 Pro Bowl selection in 14 seasons with the Steelers (1997-2000), Patriots (2001-2008) & Chiefs (2009-2010)

-- Notable Birthdays: WR Andre Johnson (40), MIN CB Patrick Peterson (31) & LAC DE Joey Bosa (26)