The most talented teams that have never won a Super Bowl - an updated list
The Super Bowl era started almost six decades ago, and even after this long, the series has been dominated only by a few teams. It becomes more perplexing and puzzling that there are some teams that have never won a Super Bowl, even though they have been present in the league for such a long time.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Out of the 58 Super Bowls, the winners have been just 20 of the 32 teams, with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots having the most trophies, six times each. Today, we are looking at the teams that have never won a Super Bowl, with details sourced from factual sources.
The 12 NFL teams that have never won a Super Bowl
| Team | Number of Super Bowl appearances |
| Minnesota Vikings | 4 |
| Buffalo Bills | 4 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 3 |
| Carolina Panthers | 2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 2 |
| Tennessee Titans | 1 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 0 |
| Houston Texans | 0 |
| Detroit Lions | 0 |
| Cleveland Browns | 0 |
In the NFL's starry past, the Super Bowl is the champion goal of every team, and currently, most NFL teams have won this prize. What NFL teams have never won this Lombardi Trophy?
1. Minnesota Vikings
Source: Getty Images
Of all the teams mentioned, the Minnesota Vikings are the most successful. They have more regular-season wins than losses and have been competitive since the late 1960s.
Being among the teams with the best NFL power rankings, the Vikings' regular-season win percentage of 54.5% is in the top 10 of all-time. They have made it to four Super Bowls, which is also the thirteenth-highest in NFL history.
In addition, the team played in Super Bowls IV, VIII, IX, and XI, but it could not win any of them. Furthermore, the Vikings have lost in their last six NFC Championship Game appearances, stretching back to 1978. The Vikings have 15 members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
2. Buffalo Bills
Source: Getty Images
Several teams on this roster have had tough years, and the Buffalo Bills are foremost among them. The Buffalo Bills came to the stage in 1960 after being a member of the American Football League (AFL) and winning AFL titles in 1964 and 1965 as a charter team.
From 1991 to 1994, the Bills appeared in four consecutive Super Bowls but lost all four. Despite a 14–2 regular-season record against the NFC, their repeated failures led to many jokes from rival fans.
3. Cincinnati Bengals
Source: Getty Images
The Bengals made it to the championship game twice in the 1980s, in Super Bowl XVI in the 1981 season and Super Bowl XXIII in the 1988 season, but they were the losing side both times against the San Francisco 49ers.
During the 1990s and early 2000s, the Bengals faced indisputable hardships. At that time, they were sometimes called "The Bungles," a term introduced by Steelers broadcaster Myron Cope, as they experienced challenges and performed poorly.
They nearly moved past this reputation on February 13, 2022, when Joe Burrow led his team to Super Bowl LVI. Nevertheless, the Los Angeles Times revealed that the Rams defeated Cincinnati 23-20.
4. Carolina Panthers
Source: Getty Images
Every year since they started their journey in 1995, the Panthers have been able to reach the Super Bowl twice in their short life. However, they failed to take home the Lombardi Trophy on both occasions. Thus, they are in 12 NFL teams yet to win a Super Bowl.
In 2004, Brady and the Patriots narrowly defeated Carolina, 32-29, in Super Bowl XXXVIII. Twelve years after this incident, Peyton Manning took the Broncos to a 24-10 victory over the Panthers, his second Super Bowl win and the last game of his outstanding career.
Despite these defeats, Carolina is the only team on this list with a winning playoff record (9-8) and one of 13 teams to have made multiple Super Bowl appearances this century.
5. Atlanta Falcons
Source: Getty Images
Despite joining the NFL in 1966, the Atlanta Falcons are yet to be winners in the Super Bowl. They made it to the playoffs 14 times.
While some teams on this list have reached more Super Bowls, none suffered a collapse quite like the Falcons did in 2017. Atlanta held a commanding 28-3 lead over the New England Patriots in the third quarter of Super Bowl LI, with a win probability as high as 99.7%.
Nevertheless, that all changed when Tom Brady executed the defining comeback of his career, guiding his team in the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history and the only overtime victory in the game's 58-year history.
6. Tennessee Titans
Source: Getty Images
Until the late 1990s, the Tennessee Titans were called the Oilers. They made their sole Super Bowl appearance in 1999, losing to the then-St. Louis Rams 23-16 in Atlanta. The squad also made it to the AFC title games in 2002 and 2019 but were eliminated by the Raiders and Chiefs.
7. Los Angeles Chargers
Source: Getty Images
In 1995, the Chargers made it to the Super Bowl just to lose to Joe Montana's 49ers with a 49-26 score. The Chargers also advanced to the AFC title game in the 1980 and 1981 seasons, as well as in 2007, losing each time by a touchdown or more.
Even after achieving 10 or more wins six times in the last 20 years, they have only won five playoff games during that period. This has contributed to their 12-19 playoff record, which ranks fourth-worst all-time.
8. Arizona Cardinals
Source: Getty Images
The Arizona Cardinals are the oldest NFL team without a Super Bowl win since joining the league in 1920. They are in a nearly 80-year championship drought, as they last won an NFL title in 1947. This means they have never won the Super Bowl, as the first was played on January 15, 1967.
According to The New York Times, Arizona reached its first Super Bowl in 2009 when wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald scored a touchdown with 2:37 minutes remaining in Super Bowl XLIII. However, the Pittsburgh Steelers answered with a game-winning drive, killing the Cardinals' title hopes in the final seconds.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars
Source: Getty Images
The Jacksonville Jaguars have experienced mixed times over their almost 30-year existence. Once admitted to the NFL in 1995, the Jaguars showed initial success that lasted for a short period.
The Jaguars managed to reach the playoffs four times in the first five seasons with two losses in the AFC Championship Game. Although Jacksonville Jaguars had initial achievements, they failed to win the famous Lombardi Trophy.
They have not been in the Super Bowl race yet, which puts them in the category of NFL teams that are at the bottom of the list of teams that have never made it to the biggest stage.
10. Houston Texans
Source: Getty Images
Texans are the latest addition to the league, having started as an expansion team in 2002. The team has been among those that have been able to reach the playoffs six times in the last 21 years until the 2023 season, but they have always let the opportunity slip away.
Having zero Super Bowl titles, Houston is the only franchise in NFL history to have never won a road playoff game or appeared in a Conference Championship game.
11. Detroit Lions
Source: Getty Images
One of the oldest teams in the NFL, founded in 1930, the Lions have never played in a Super Bowl and have the worst postseason record of all time.
Under the guidance of head coach Dan Campbell and the help of the young talents in the team, Detroit was looking forward to new heights in their future after their successful journey to the 2023 NFC Championship Game.
But their dreams were broken in a sad way when they allowed the San Francisco 49ers to come back from 24-7 deficit as revealed by ESPN. They were just one game away from Super Bowl LIII.
12. Cleveland Browns
Source: Getty Images
The Browns' long history includes several championships, including wins in their inaugural NFL season in 1950 and again in 1954, 1955, and 1964. However, the franchise is among the NFL teams without a Super Bowl win, even through these times of early glory.
Cleveland was a real opponent in the 1980s, with Bernie Kosar as the leading figure, but the team lost all three AFC Championship games it played against the Denver Broncos.
How many teams have never played in the Super Bowl?
There are four teams that never made it to the Super Bowl: Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Which is the oldest NFL team without a Super Bowl win?
The Cardinals, founded in 1920, are the oldest NFL team which has not won a Superbowl.
Who has lost the most Super Bowls?
The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots share the record for any team's most Super Bowl losses. Each has lost five times.
Those are the teams that have never won a Super Bowl as of 2024. However, as there are a series of them to come, we might see the list drop as days go on, as that is all the fans would love to see.
READ ALSO: NFL referee salary: how much do NFL refs make?
Briefly.co.za published an article about the salary of NFL refs. Being an NFL referee is as prestigious as being a player, coach or manager.
These professionals are crucial, as a slight mistake could ruin a team's season. Given this responsibility, what is the average salary of an NFL referee?
Source: Briefly News
