What NFL Teams Have Never Won a Super Bowl?

The Complete List of NFL's Championship Drought Franchises

I've been watching football for as long as I can remember, and every February, I find myself thinking about the same thing: which teams are still chasing that elusive Lombardi Trophy? With 32 franchises in the NFL, you'd think every team would have hoisted the hardware at some point. But that's far from the truth.

There are 12 NFL teams that have never won a Super Bowl. Some have come agonizingly close, while others have never even sniffed the big game. Let me break down each one and explain why their championship droughts continue to haunt fans across the country.

The 12 Teams Without a Super Bowl Win

Here's the full list of franchises still searching for their first championship in the Super Bowl era:

1. Buffalo Bills (0-4 in Super Bowls)

2. Minnesota Vikings (0-4 in Super Bowls)

3. Cincinnati Bengals (0-3 in Super Bowls)

4. Atlanta Falcons (0-2 in Super Bowls)

5. Carolina Panthers (0-2 in Super Bowls)

6. Arizona Cardinals (0-1 in Super Bowls)

7. Los Angeles Chargers (0-1 in Super Bowls)

8. Tennessee Titans (0-1 in Super Bowls)

9. Cleveland Browns (0 appearances)

10. Detroit Lions (0 appearances)

11. Houston Texans (0 appearances)

12. Jacksonville Jaguars (0 appearances)

The Heartbreak Kings: Buffalo Bills

I don't think any franchise embodies Super Bowl heartbreak quite like the Buffalo Bills. From 1991 to 1994, Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, and Bruce Smith led Buffalo to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances. They lost every single one.

The first loss was the most painful. In Super Bowl XXV against the New York Giants, Scott Norwood lined up for a 47-yard field goal with eight seconds left. The kick sailed wide right, and Giants won 20-19. That image of Norwood's miss has become synonymous with Buffalo's Super Bowl suffering.

Things got worse from there. The Washington Redskins demolished them 37-24 in Super Bowl XXVI. Then came back-to-back losses to the Dallas Cowboys, including a brutal 52-17 beatdown in Super Bowl XXVII where Buffalo committed a Super Bowl-record 9 turnovers.

It's been over 30 years since the Bills last appeared in a Super Bowl. They've built competitive teams with Josh Allen under center, but the AFC Championship game continues to be a roadblock. Head coach Sean McDermott was recently fired after the 2025 season ended with another playoff exit.

The Purple People Eaters: Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings match Buffalo's 0-4 Super Bowl record, but their losses came in a different era. Minnesota made four trips to the big game between 1970 and 1977, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Oakland Raiders.

What makes the Vikings' drought even more frustrating is the talent they've wasted over the decades. The 1998 team went 15-1 with an explosive offense led by Randall Cunningham and rookie Randy Moss. They scored a then-NFL-record 556 points during the regular season. But kicker Gary Anderson, who hadn't missed a field goal all year, shanked a potential game-winner in the NFC Championship against Atlanta.

The 2009 squad with Brett Favre came within inches of the Super Bowl before a late interception sealed their fate against the Saints in overtime. Minnesota's playoff history reads like a Greek tragedy.

The Bengals' Super Bowl Curse

Cincinnati has reached the Super Bowl three times and lost each one. Joe Burrow led them to Super Bowl LVI after the 2021 season, but a late sack sealed their fate against the Rams. Before that, the Bengals lost Super Bowls XVI and XXIII to the San Francisco 49ers. Both games were decided in the final minutes.

The franchise has invested heavily in keeping Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins together, but injuries have derailed their championship window. As I discussed in our piece about NFL ref salaries, officiating decisions in big moments can swing championships. Bengals fans know this all too well.

28-3: The Falcons' Super Bowl Nightmare

Atlanta has appeared in two Super Bowls and lost both, but it's Super Bowl LI that will forever haunt Falcons fans. Leading 28-3 against the Patriots in the third quarter, the Falcons seemed destined for their first championship. MVP quarterback Matt Ryan was carving up New England's defense.

Then Tom Brady happened.

The Patriots scored 25 unanswered points to force the first overtime in Super Bowl history. New England won the coin toss and marched right down the field for the game-winning touchdown. It remains the largest comeback in Super Bowl history, and the Falcons haven't been the same since. That collapse set the franchise back years and became a punchline that will follow Atlanta forever.

NFL Teams That Have Never Made the Super Bowl

Four franchises have never even appeared in a Super Bowl: the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars.

1. Detroit Lions: One of the NFL's oldest franchises (founded in 1930), the Lions have arguably the worst postseason resume in league history. Their 2023 run to the NFC Championship Game was a huge moment for the franchise. They hadn't won a playoff game since 1992 before that season. The San Francisco 49ers erased a 17-point deficit to end Detroit's dream, continuing their championship drought.

2. Cleveland Browns: The Browns have suffered through decades of futility since returning to the league in 1999. They've reached the AFC Championship three times in their history but haven't made it since 1989. The original Browns franchise moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens, who have won two Super Bowls since then. That's salt in an already deep wound.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jags made the AFC Championship in 2017 and blew a double-digit fourth-quarter lead to Brady's Patriots. They've had stretches of success, including four playoff appearances in their first five seasons, but the Super Bowl has always eluded them.

4. Houston Texans: As the league's newest franchise (2002), they've never reached a conference championship game. However, young quarterback C.J. Stroud gives them hope for the future.

Pre-Merger Champions Still Chasing

Here's something interesting: seven of these 12 teams actually have NFL or AFL championships from before the Super Bowl era. The Bills won back-to-back AFL titles in 1964 and 1965. The Browns were a dynasty in the 1950s and 60s. The Lions last won a championship in 1957. The Vikings captured the 1969 NFL Championship, though they lost Super Bowl IV two weeks later.

These pre-merger titles matter to longtime fans, but in today's NFL, the Super Bowl is the only championship that counts.

Who Has the Best Chance to Break Through?

Looking at the current landscape, the Bills have the talent and playoff experience to finally get over the hump, though coaching changes bring uncertainty. The Lions built a legitimate contender and should compete for years. The Bengals have a championship-caliber quarterback when healthy.

The others face longer odds. The Vikings remain stuck in quarterback purgatory. The Falcons are rebuilding. The Browns, Jaguars, and Texans need more pieces to truly compete for a title.

Final Thoughts

Every season, I watch these franchises battle through 17 games hoping this will finally be their year. The truth is, winning a Super Bowl requires talent, coaching, luck, and perfect timing. Some teams seem cursed, while others just haven't had the right combination yet.

For fans of these 12 teams, the wait continues. But hey, the Eagles went 57 years between their last NFL Championship and their first Super Bowl win. The Chiefs spent 50 years between titles before Patrick Mahomes arrived. Even in other sports, championship droughts eventually end.

Someone on this list will hoist the Lombardi Trophy eventually. I just hope I'm still watching when it happens.

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Sources:

• ESPN: Which NFL teams have never won a Super Bowl?

• NBC New York: NFL teams that have never been to or won a Super Bowl

• Fox Sports: What NFL teams have never won a Super Bowl?

• NFL.com: Most likely to win first Super Bowl