Pro Football 1944

The NFL's 1944 season was uniquely shaped by the challenges of World War II, which significantly impacted team rosters and operations. On April 21, 1944, a noteworthy decision was made: the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Cardinals were granted permission to merge for the upcoming season. This unusual merger resulted in the creation of a temporary team known as Card-Pitt.

The primary reason for this merger was the league's attempt to navigate the difficulties of scheduling with an odd number of teams (11) amidst wartime player shortages. With many players serving in the armed forces, both the Cardinals and the Steelers faced severe manpower issues, making it challenging to field competitive teams independently. The league, therefore, compelled the two franchises to combine their resources for the 1944 season to ensure a viable league schedule.

The merged team was based in Pittsburgh and was under the co-coaching leadership of Phil Handler of the Cardinals and Walt Kiesling of the Steelers. This arrangement, while a temporary solution, presented its own set of challenges, as combining players and coaching philosophies from two separate teams is rarely seamless. Despite the circumstances, the Steelers, according to the article, were clear that this was a temporary arrangement. They wanted to go back to being a single team for the 1945 season, having been in a similar merged situation with the Philadelphia Eagles the year before. The merger agreement stipulated that it would automatically dissolve at the end of the season, on December 3, 1944. Following the approval of the merger, the league owners then proceeded to finalize the 1944 season schedule, incorporating the Card-Pitt team.

The Card-Pitt experiment was not a resounding success on the field. The team finished with a record of 0 wins, 10 losses, and 0 ties, making them one of the worst-performing teams in NFL history. The challenges of integrating two disparate rosters and coaching staffs, combined with the overall difficulties of playing during wartime, contributed to their struggles.

The 1944 season was a unique chapter in NFL history, demonstrating the league's resilience and adaptability in the face of extraordinary circumstances. The Card-Pitt merger, while ultimately unsuccessful in terms of on-field performance, stands as a testament to the league's commitment to maintaining operations during a time of national crisis. It also highlights the challenges faced by professional sports leagues during wartime and the creative solutions they were forced to implement.