Due to the exodus of players who had left to serve in World War II, the Cleveland Rams were granted permission to suspend operations for this season, while the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers merged for this one season, with the combined team (known as Phil-Pitt and called the "Steagles" by fans) playing four home games in Philadelphia and two in Pittsburgh.

Despite the eventual hiatus of the Cleveland Rams franchise for 1943 and merger of operations of the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers, all ten teams participated in the 1943 draft, selecting a total of 300 players.

[3] "Free substitution" allowed players to shuttle in and out of the game without such restriction and would eventually give rise to offensive and defensive specialization — the so-called two-platoon system.

[6] With the United States beginning to draft fathers into the military, league officials were concerned about the potential impact of expanded conscription upon their rosters and the player limit was increased from 25 to 28 in an effort to avoid crippling disruption.

The game pitted the 1942 NFL champion Washington Redskins against a select college all-star team that featured Northwestern tailback Otto Graham.

[8] Ironically, the future Hall of Famer Graham made his greatest mark in the game as a defender, picking off a pass from Redskins' trigger-man Sammy Baugh and taking it back 97 yards for a touchdown.

[8] Star of the game was Wisconsin fullback Pat Harder, the second overall pick in the 1944 NFL draft, who scored once by air and once by land, successfully kicking two extra points to boot.

In Week Five, the division leaders played each other on October 17, with the Bears beating the Steagles 48–21 and the Redskins defeating the Packers 33–7, leaving the two winners in first place.

Washington and the New York Giants ended the regular season by playing against each other on two consecutive Sundays, December 5 and 12 (the second game, originally scheduled on October 3 had been postponed due to heavy rain).

For the third straight weekend, New York and Washington faced each other, with the Redskins winning the final game 28–0 and earning the right to play the Bears for the league championship.

[12] The Bears stretched the lead to 14–7 at halftime when fullback Bronco Nagurski hit paydirt on a 3-yard run through the left side of the line.

[12] Luckman the game a laughter with his fourth and fifth touchdown passes in the final frame, however, connecting with end Jim Benton on a 29-yarder and with Harry Clarke for 16.