2004 NFL season

With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004, to January 2, 2005.

The playoffs began on January 8, and eventually the New England Patriots repeated as NFL champions when they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 24–21 in Super Bowl XXXIX at ALLTEL Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida on February 6.

Midway through the season, Johnny Grier, the NFL's first African-American referee, suffered a leg injury that forced him to retire.

He was permanently replaced by the back judge on his crew, Scott Green, who had previous experience as a referee in NFL Europe.

Although the Super Bowl, the championship round of the playoffs, is played at a neutral site, the designated home team is based on an annual rotation by conference.

ESPN play-by-play announcer Mike Patrick missed the first few broadcasts to recover from heart bypass surgery.