The NFL is an entity that prides itself on parity. Or at least it seems that way.
Every year, 32 teams enter the campaign hoping to find a way to emerge from the fog of war unscathed and victorious, hands wrapped tightly around the Lombardi Trophy — a seven-pound slab of silver sporting greatness.
Just one team can call itself champion when the dust settles on the season. But the pursuit of such a prize — and the fact that so many teams seemingly have a chance to snatch it away — makes the sport one of America’s most popular.
And yet, numerous sides haven’t been able to get their bandaged hands raised. Football’s pinnacle may be desirable, but it certainly isn’t accessible to everyone — especially not the sport’s most snakebitten franchises.
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So, come one, come all. The Sporting News takes you through the league’s have-nots; those who have failed to get their hands raised in the biggest game in American sports, the Super Bowl.
NFL teams that have never won a Super Bowl
Twelve teams have failed to capture football’s greatest prize: the Vikings, Bills, Bengals, Falcons, Panthers, Cardinals, Titans, Chargers, Browns, Lions, Jaguars and Texans.
Those tortured 12 have made 18 Super Bowl appearances between them, the most recent of which came with Cincinnati in 2022. Still, all 12 are still yearning for a grasp of that sterling silver artifact.
| Team | Super Bowl appearances | Last Super Bowl appearance |
| Minnesota Vikings | 4 | 1977 |
| Buffalo Bills | 4 | 1994 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 3 | 2022 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 2 | 2017 |
| Carolina Panthers | 2 | 2016 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 1 | 2009 |
| Tennessee Titans | 1 | 2000 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 1 | 1995 |
| Cleveland Browns | 0 | N/A |
| Detroit Lions | 0 | N/A |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 0 | N/A |
| Houston Texans | 0 | N/A |
NFL teams to never play in a Super Bowl
Just four league sides have failed to make a Super Bowl appearance since its inception in 1967. The four teams are as follows: the Browns, Lions, Jaguars and Texans.
Jacksonville and Houston haven’t been around for too long, existing for 29 and 22 years, respectively. It’s been a frigid winter for Cleveland and Detroit, however. Neither side has captured a title in the Super Bowl era, with the Browns’ most recent NFL championship coming in 1964 and the Lions last claiming an NFL title in 1957 (when they beat the Browns).
Most Super Bowl appearances without a win
Fortune favors the bold across the NFL. Still, some franchises, even when blessed with multiple rosters brimming with All-Pro-caliber talent, have failed to ascend to football’s promised land. The Vikings and Bills have the joint-highest number of Super Bowl appearances without a win, each coming away empty from football’s biggest game four times.
Minnesota’s four appearances came during the 1970s, an era defined by their harrowing front seven — immortalized with one of the great monikers of its time, the Purple People Eaters. Led by Hall of Famers Alan Page, Carl Eller, Paul Krause and QB Fran Tarkenton, The Vikings earned spots in the Super Bowl in 1970, 1974, 1975 and 1977. They were never able to hoist the Super Bowl’s iconic hardware, however, falling to the Chiefs, Dolphins, Steelers and Raiders, respectively.
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Buffalo enjoyed an even more impressive run of consistency during its heyday in the early 1990s, finding itself on the cusp of football immortality not one, not two, not three but four straight seasons from 1991-1994. The Bills were never able to break through, however; Scott Norwood’s potential game-winner strayed wide right in 1991, Mark Rypien and Washington set Buffalo’s stoic defense on fire in 1992, then the Bills met the seemingly unstoppable Cowboys in 1993 and 1994. How unfortunate…
Oldest NFL team without a Super Bowl win
No franchise has been held without a Super Bowl win longer than the Cardinals, who have existed in some capacity as an NFL franchise since 1920, picked up an NFL title in 1947, and have proceeded to set off on nearly 80 years of futility since. Arizona has appeared in one Super Bowl since the turn of the century. And it almost made it worth its while. If not for a shocking James Harrison pick-six and Santonio Holmes’ delicate footwork, perhaps the Cards might have more to show for all their years of struggle.
Super Bowl wins by team
| Rk | Tm | G | W | L | W-L% | PF | PA | PD | Starting QB(s) |
| 1. | Pittsburgh Steelers | 8 | 6 | 2 | .750 | 193 | 164 | +29 | Terry Bradshaw (4-0) Neil O’Donnell (0-1) Ben Roethlisberger (2-1) |
| 2. | New England Patriots | 11 | 6 | 5 | .545 | 246 | 282 | -36 | Drew Bledsoe (0-1) Tom Brady (6-3) Tony Eason (0-1) |
| 3. | San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 5 | 2 | .714 | 239 | 154 | +85 | Colin Kaepernick (0-1) Joe Montana (4-0) Steve Young (1-0), Jimmy Garoppolo (0-1) |
| 4. | Dallas Cowboys | 8 | 5 | 3 | .625 | 221 | 132 | +89 | Troy Aikman (3-0) Craig Morton (0-1) Roger Staubach (2-2) |
| 5. | Green Bay Packers | 5 | 4 | 1 | .800 | 158 | 101 | +57 | Brett Favre (1-1) Aaron Rodgers (1-0) Bart Starr (2-0) |
| 6. | New York Giants | 5 | 4 | 1 | .800 | 104 | 104 | 0 | Kerry Collins (0-1) Jeff Hostetler (1-0) Eli Manning (2-0) Phil Simms (1-0) |
| 7. | Oakland Raiders | 5 | 3 | 2 | .600 | 132 | 114 | +18 | Rich Gannon (0-1) Daryle Lamonica (0-1) Jim Plunkett (2-0) Ken Stabler (1-0) |
| 8. | Washington Redskins | 5 | 3 | 2 | .600 | 122 | 103 | +19 | Billy Kilmer (0-1) Mark Rypien (1-0) Joe Theismann (1-1) Doug Williams (1-0) |
| 9. | Denver Broncos | 8 | 3 | 5 | .375 | 147 | 259 | -112 | John Elway (2-3) Peyton Manning (1-1) Craig Morton (0-1) |
| 10. | Kansas City Chiefs | 5 | 3 | 2 | .600 | 102 | 65 | +5 | Len Dawson (1-1) Patrick Mahomes (2-1) |
| 11. | Baltimore Ravens | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 68 | 38 | +30 | Trent Dilfer (1-0) Joe Flacco (1-0) |
| 12. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 79 | 30 | +49 | Brad Johnson (1-0) Tom Brady (1-0) |
| 13. | Indianapolis Colts | 4 | 2 | 2 | .500 | 69 | 77 | -8 | Peyton Manning (1-1) Earl Morrall (0-1) Johnny Unitas (1-0) |
| 14. | Los Angeles Rams | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | 85 | 100 | -15 | Vince Ferragamo (0-1) Kurt Warner (1-1) Jared Goff (0-1) Matthew Stafford (1-0) |
| 15. | Miami Dolphins | 5 | 2 | 3 | .400 | 74 | 103 | -29 | Bob Griese (2-1) Dan Marino (0-1) David Woodley (0-1) |
| 16. | New Orleans Saints | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 31 | 17 | +14 | Drew Brees (1-0) |
| 17. | New York Jets | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 16 | 7 | +9 | Joe Namath (1-0) |
| 18. | Chicago Bears | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | 63 | 39 | +24 | Rex Grossman (0-1) Jim McMahon (1-0) |
| 19. | Philadelphia Eagles | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 | 107 | 122 | -12 | Nick Foles (1-0) Ron Jaworski (0-1) Donovan McNabb (0-1) Jalen Hurts (0-1) |
| 20. | Seattle Seahawks | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 | 77 | 57 | +20 | Matt Hasselbeck (0-1) Russell Wilson (1-1) |
| 21. | Buffalo Bills | 4 | 0 | 4 | .000 | 73 | 139 | -66 | Jim Kelly (0-4) |
| 22. | Minnesota Vikings | 4 | 0 | 4 | .000 | 34 | 95 | -61 | Joe Kapp (0-1) Fran Tarkenton (0-3) |
| 23. | Cincinnati Bengals | 3 | 0 | 3 | .000 | 57 | 69 | -12 | Ken Anderson (0-1) Boomer Esiason (0-1) Joe Burrow (0-1) |
| 24. | Atlanta Falcons | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | 47 | 68 | -21 | Chris Chandler (0-1) Matt Ryan (0-1) |
| 25. | Carolina Panthers | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | 39 | 56 | -17 | Jake Delhomme (0-1) Cam Newton (0-1) |
| 26. | Arizona Cardinals | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 23 | 27 | -4 | Kurt Warner (0-1) |
| 27. | Tennessee Titans | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 16 | 23 | -7 | Steve McNair (0-1) |
| 28. | Los Angeles Chargers | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 26 | 49 | -23 | Stan Humphries (0-1) |
