Agent skill · writing content · machina-sports
nfl-data
NFL data via ESPN public endpoints plus an nflverse backend for schedules, weekly rosters, play-by-play, and normalized player/team stat tables. Zero config, no API keys. Use when: user asks about NFL scores, standings, team rosters, schedules, game stats, box scores, play-by-play, injuries, transactions, betting futures, depth charts, team/player statistics, or NFL news. Don't use when: user asks about football/soccer (use football-data), college football (use cfb-data), or other sports.
Why this skill is useful
Provides specific commands and data structures for accessing NFL data that the AI wouldn't reliably generate on its own.
What it needs
Requires sports-skills installed locally. About 5k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-06. 201 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
NFL Data Before writing queries, consult references/api-reference.md for endpoints, ID conventions, and data shapes. Setup Before first use, check if the CLI is available: If pip install fails (package not found or Python version error), install from GitHub: The package requires Python 3.10+. If your default Python is older, use a specific version: No API keys required. For nflverse-backed commands (getnflverse), install the NFL extra: On Python 3.10+ this installs nflreadpy (the preferred backend) plus pyarrow, which is needed for most nflverse data beyond schedules. On Python 3.9 it installs nfl-data-py instead, since nflreadpy requires 3.10+. The nfl-data-py backend is a reduced fallback: it cannot serve getnflverseteamstats, which returns an explanatory error there. Use Python 3.10+ for full nflverse coverage. Quick Start Prefer the CLI — it avoids Python import path issues: Python SDK (alternative): CRITICAL: Before Any Query CRITICAL: Before calling any data endpoint, verify: Season year is derived from the system prompt's currentDate — never hardcoded. If only a team name is provided, call getteams to resolve the team ID before using team-specific commands. Choosing the Season Derive the current year from the system prompt's date (e.g., currentDate: 2026-02-16 → current year is 2026). If the user specifies a season, use it as-is. If the user says "current", "this season", or doesn't specify: The NFL season runs September–February. If the current month is March–August, use season = currentyear (upcoming season). If September–February, the active season started in the previous calendar year if you're in Jan/Feb, otherwise current year. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills machina-sports/nfl-data