The Super Bowl, recognized as the pinnacle of competition in the NFL is an annual event that marks the culmination of the NFL season. The winner of the Super Bowl takes home the Lombardi trophy, named after Vince Lombardi, former American professional football coach, and executive who in his NFL head coaching career never had a single losing season.
The Super Bowl features a final face-off between the leading teams from each of the two conferences in the NFL; National Football Conference (NFC) and American Football Conference (AFC). Qualifying teams battle it out on the field in a one-game knockout structure to the Super Bowl game, where they compete for one last time to earn the prestigious Lombardi trophy and player rings.
Which teams have no Super Bowl appearances or long active droughts?
As of January 2025, only four out of the 32 NFL franchises in NFL history have never appeared in the NFL Super Bowl game. These four teams as per CBS Sports are:
Jacksonville Jaguars
Houston Texans
Detroit Lions
Cleveland Browns
Aside from these four teams, there are a few teams that have had extremely long droughts since they last appeared in a Super Bowl game (as of January 2025). The 7 of those teams that have not appeared in a Super Bowl in the 21st century are as follows (via CBS Sports):
New York Jets - 56-year drought - Last appeared in the Super Bowl in 1969
Minnesota Vikings - 48-year drought - Last appeared in the Super Bowl in 1977
Miami Dolphins - 40-year drought - Last appeared in the Super Bowl in 1985
Washington Commanders - 33-year drought - Last appeared in the Super Bowl in 1992
Buffalo Bills - 31-year drought - Last appeared in the Super Bowl in 1994
Los Angeles Chargers - 30-year drought - Last appeared in the Super Bowl in 1995
Dallas Cowboys - 29-year drought - Last appeared in the Super Bowl in 1996
Of the 4 teams who have never been to the Super Bowl game, the Jaguars and Texans have only been around for the past three decades. On the other hand, the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions have been in the league for a significant amount of time. Both of these teams held National Championships in the NFL before the Super Bowl was introduced.
FAQs on Teams with No Super Bowl Appearances or Long Active Droughts
A. There are 4 teams without a single Super Bowl appearance. These 4 teams are the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Houston Texans (via CBS Sports).
A. 8 teams have Super Bowl appearances without victories. These teams are the Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals.
A. The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers are tied for the most number of Super Bowl wins with 6 wins each.
A. The New England Patriots and Denver Broncos are tied for the most number of Super Bowl losses. Each team has 5 losses each.
