Teams That Waited the Longest to Win a Super Bowl

The Buccaneers won the 2021 Super Bowl in what turned out to be the final Super Bowl win in quarterback Tom Brady’s illustrious career. The Bucs won one other Super Bowl, in 2003, when they routed the Oakland Raiders. Tampa Bay advanced to the NFC Championship Game in 2000 but lost to the St. Louis Rams, 11-6.

The New England Patriots were no strangers to the postseason before Tom Brady and Bill Belichick arrived in New England more than 20 years ago. The Pats had been to two Super Bowls, in 1997, and 1986, and were beaten soundly by the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears, respectively. Then Brady and Belichick rewrote the record books. The Patriots have won six Super Bowls during the Brady-Belichick era, and appeared in three others, losing them by a total of 15 points. All told, the Patriots have been to the Super Bowl 11 times, more than any other team. They also got to the AFC Championship Game four other times. Their most recent loss was in 2016 to the Denver Broncos.

Before the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2018 by defeating the dynastic New England Patriots, the franchise, founded in 1933, was burdened with the reputation of failing to win the big game. The Eagles appeared in two previous Super Bowls — in 2005 against the New England Patriots, and 1981 against the Oakland Raiders, and lost both times. They went to four other NFC Championship Games between 2002 and 2009 and lost them all. They had greater success prior to the NFL-AFL merger, winning three NFL championships.

The Denver Broncos dealt with big-game adversity throughout much of their existence. They’ve appeared in eight Super Bowls, beginning in 1978, but they were defeated badly in their first four appearances. But quarterback John Elway and running back Terrell Davis changed the narrative, leading the Broncos to back-to-back NFL championships in 1998 and 1999. Denver also won the 2017 Super Bowl by defeating the Carolina Panthers. Two years earlier, they were wiped out by the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII. Denver got to the AFC Championship Game two other times, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006, and the Buffalo Bills in 1992.

The Seattle Seahawks have played in three Super Bowls since they joined the NFL in 1976. They won their lone Lombardi Trophy in 2014 by thrashing the Denver Broncos, 43-8. Seattle made its first appearance in the big game eight years earlier and fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Their other loss in 2015 was a heartbreaker, as the New England Patriots intercepted a pass at the goal line to prevent a go-ahead touchdown.

Seattle appeared in the NFC Championship Game in 1984 and was defeated by the Los Angeles Raiders.

The Baltimore Ravens, originally the Cleveland Browns, have won both of their Super Bowl appearances. Four years after the franchise moved from Cleveland and became the Ravens, Baltimore used an intimidating defense to vanquish the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV in 2001. Twelve years later, the Ravens held on to beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. John Harbaugh of the Ravens and Jim Harbaugh of the 49ers became the first two brothers to face each other as head coaches in the Super Bowl. The Ravens lost the AFC Championship Game twice – to the New England Patriots in 2012 and to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009.

The New York Giants, one of the NFL’s earliest teams, have made five trips to the Super Bowl and won four of them. Two of the victories were won in stirring fashion. In 1991, they won after Buffalo Bills placekicker Scott Norwood missed a field goal as time ran out, and in 2008, the Giants upset the previously undefeated New England Patriots. The Giants defeated the Patriots four years later in Super Bowl XLVI, with quarterback Eli Manning winning a second MVP. Their other Super Bowl triumph was over the Denver Broncos in 1987. Their lone loss was a rout at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens in 2001. In the pre-merger years, the Giants won four NFL titles.

The Green Bay Packers, under legendary coach Vince Lombardi, put their imprint on the Super Bowl by winning the first two big games, routing the Kansas City Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders. It would be exactly 30 years before the Packers won the Super Bowl again, beating the New England Patriots in 1997. Green Bay also won the 2011 Super Bowl over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Their only Super Bowl loss was to the Denver Broncos in 1998. Recent history has not been kind to the renowned franchise. The Packers have lost six NFC Championship Games, including five since 2008.

Before the merger, Green Bay won nine NFL championships.

The New Orleans Saints won their lone Super Bowl in 2010 by rallying for 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to defeat the Indianapolis Colts. Quarterback Drew Brees completed 32 of 39 passes and two touchdowns in the Saints’ victory. Postseason accomplishments have been hard to come by for the Saints. New Orleans has appeared in two other NFC Championship Games, losing to the Los Angeles Rams in 2019 and the Chicago Bears in 2007.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, along with the New England Patriots, have each won six Super Bowls, more than any other team. The Steelers, with some of the greatest players in the history of the game like receiver Lynn Swann, quarterback Terry Bradshaw, and defensive tackle Joe Greene, dominated the NFL in the 1970s, winning four Super Bowls during that decade. They won Super Bowls in 2006 over the Seattle Seahawks and a nail-biter over the Arizona Cardinals in 2009. The Steelers lost the big game twice – to Dallas in 1997, and to the Green Bay Packers in 2011.

The Colts have won two Super Bowls, one when they were in Baltimore, beating the Dallas Cowboys in 1971, and one in Indianapolis, when they defeated the Chicago Bears in 2007. They lost two others – to the New Orleans Saints in 2010, and, most famously, to the New York Jets in 1969. The Colts have lost four AFC Championship Games, most recently in 2015 to the New England Patriots. When they played in Baltimore, the Colts were one of the best teams in the NFL. With stars such as Johnny Unitas and running back Alan Ameche, Baltimore won back-to-back NFL championships in 1958 and 1959.

The Houston Texans began playing in the NFL in 2002 and their postseason experience is limited. They’ve made the postseason six times but have never advanced past the divisional round.

The itinerant Rams began life in Cleveland in 1937, moved to Los Angeles in 1946, went to St. Louis in 1995, and returned to LA in 2016. Along the way, they played in three Super Bowls, winning one, in dramatic fashion over the Tennessee Titans in 2000 with a touchdown-saving tackle as time expired. They have a chance to win another Lombardi Trophy when they play the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13.

The Rams comported themselves well in their previous Super Bowl appearances, losing to the New England Patriots in 2019, and the juggernaut Pittsburgh Steelers in 1980. The Rams have lost six NFC Championship Games, including four in the 1970s. They most recently were beaten in 1990 by the San Francisco 49ers.

America’s Team has been a post-season fixture in the NFL playoffs, holding sway over the NFC in the 1970s and 1990s. Led by quarterback Roger Staubach and coached by Tom Landry, Dallas won Super Bowls in 1972 over Miami and Denver in 1977. More than a decade later, the Cowboys won three Super Bowls under coaches Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer in 1993 and 1994 (beating the Buffalo Bills each time), and in 1996 over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dallas has played in eight other NFC Championship Games and its most recent loss was to the San Francisco 49ers in 1995.

The Jacksonville Jaguars, who came into the league the same year as the Carolina Panthers, have not enjoyed the same level of success and have never been to the Super Bowl. They’ve been to three AFC Championship Games and lost to the New England Patriots in 2018, the Tennessee Titans in 2000, and the New England Patriots in 1997.

The Panthers have been in the league since 1995 and have appeared in two Super Bowls. They lost to the Denver Broncos in 2016, and were beaten on a field goal with 4 seconds left by the New England Patriots in 2004. The Panthers reached the NFC Championship Game in their second year of existence, losing to the Green Bay Packers in 1997. Carolina has played in one other NFC title game, falling to the Seattle Seahawks in 2006.

Helmed by Hall of Fame quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young, who threw to receiver and Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, the 49ers dominated the NFL in the 1980s and early 1990s, winning five Super Bowls. They beat the Cincinnati Bengals twice in two close games, and routed the Miami Dolphins, San Diego Chargers, and Denver Broncos. San Francisco appeared in two other Super Bowls and fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020, and the Baltimore Ravens in 2013. The 49ers have lost nine NFC Championship Games, four of them in the 1990s. Their last conference game loss was to the Green Bay Packers in 1998.

The team is now called the Commanders, but when they were the Redskins, Washington appeared in five Super Bowls and won three of them. Between 1983 and 1992, Washington won three Super Bowls by defeating the Miami Dolphins in 1983, the Denver Broncos in 1988, and the Buffalo Bills in 1992. Washington lost Super Bowls to Miami in 1973 and the Los Angeles Raiders in 1984. Washington lost the NFC Championship Game in 1987 to the New York Giants.

The Bears, one of the NFL’s oldest franchises, won seven championships before the merger of the NFL and AFL in 1966. Since the merger, they are not as dominant. The Bears have won one Super Bowl, in 1986, behind a powerful defense led by linebacker Mike Singletary and running back Walter Payton. They made one other Super Bowl appearance, in 2007, when they fell to the Indianapolis Colts, 29-17. The Bears have lost three NFC Championship Games. The most recent defeat was in 2011, to their ancient rivals, the Green Bay Packers.

The colorful and sometimes controversial Raiders have appeared in five Super Bowls when the team played in Los Angeles and Oakland. They won their first Super Bowl in 1977 over the Minnesota Vikings, defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in 1981, and routed Washington in 1984. The Raiders appeared in two other Super Bowls, losing to the Green Bay Packers in 1968 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003. The Raiders have lost nine AFC Championship Games, five of them in the 1970s.

Led by quarterback Bob Griese and the running backs Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick, and Mercury Morris, the Miami Dolphins were one of the dominant football teams in the 1970s. They won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1973 and 1974, with the former victory completing the NFL’s only undefeated season in the modern era. The Dolphins have lost three other Super Bowls – to Dallas in 1972, Washington in 1983, and San Francisco in 1985. Since then, Miami has lost AFC Championship Games in 1986 and 1993.

The New York Jets, one of the original AFL teams originally called the Titans, have made one Super Bowl appearance, in 1969, but it was a history-making event. The Jets were 18-point underdogs to the Baltimore Colts, who had run roughshod over their opponents in the regular season. But cocky quarterback Joe Namath believed the Jets would win. The Colts committed five turnovers, and the Jets, behind a strong defense and cautious play-calling, upset Baltimore, 16-7, for the AFL’s first Super Bowl victory.

Success has eluded New York since then. The Jets have been to four AFC Championship Games, including back-to-back appearances in 2010 and 2011, but they lost all four games.

Since football genius Paul Brown shepherded the Cincinnati Bengals into the NFL in 1968, the franchise has appeared in two Super Bowls, in 1982 and 1989, losing to the San Francisco 49ers each time. The second loss put an exclamation point on the 49ers dynasty and cemented the legend of quarterback Joe Montana, as San Francisco drove 92 yards in 11 plays to score the winning touchdown in the closing moments of the game. The Bengals have a chance to win their first Super Bowl when they play the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13.

After moving to Nashville in 1997 from Houston, where they were called the Oilers, the Titans made their only Super Bowl appearance in 2000. It was a memorable game. On the final play, with six seconds remaining, quarterback Steve McNair’s pass was caught by Kevin Dyson at the St. Louis Rams five-yard line. He fought his way to near the goal line but was one yard short of the end zone, and the Titans fell, 23-16. The franchise has lost five AFC Championship Games, the last one in 2020, to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Buoyed by one of the NFL’s greatest all-time defenses and coached by the taciturn Bud Grant, the Minnesota Vikings reached four Super Bowls in the 1970s, and lost them all. The Vikes fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1969, the Miami Dolphins in 1974, the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1975, and the Oakland Raiders in 1977. Minnesota has lost six NFC Championship Games since then, the most recent one in 2018, to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Chargers, who originated in San Diego, have had plenty of offensive firepower over the years, with quarterbacks like Philip Rivers, Dan Fouts, and John Hadl, wide receivers Charlie Joiner and Lance Alworth, and running back LaDainian Tomlinson. But they’ve only gone to one Super Bowl. That was in 1995, when the San Francisco 49ers steamrolled them. The closest they’ve come since then was when they reached the AFC Championship Game in 2008, and lost to the New England Patriots.

The Detroit Lions have been playing professional football since 1930, but the closest they have ever gotten to the Super Bowl was in 1991, when they lost to the Washington Redskins in the NFC Championship Game. The Lions won four NFL championships, three in the 1950s, before the NFL-AFL merger.

The Cardinals, whose roots go back to 1920, have played in three different locations – Chicago, St. Louis, and Phoenix – and while their forebears in Chicago won one NFL championship in 1947, their descendants have never won a Super Bowl. The closest they came was when they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-23, in Super Bowl XLIII in 2009. The Cardinals also advanced to the NFC Championship Game in 2016, where they were defeated by the Carolina Panthers.

The Atlanta Falcons began play in 1966 and have appeared in two Super Bowls – most recently in 2017, when they lost to the New England Patriots, 34-28, in overtime. The Falcons held a 28-3 lead midway through the third quarter before they collapsed. In their first appearance in 1999, the Falcons lost to the Denver Broncos, 34-19. The Falcons have lost two NFC Championship Games – to the San Francisco 49ers in 2013 and to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2005.

The Buffalo Bills went to four straight Super Bowls, beginning in 1991, and lost them all. They were the favorite to beat the New York Giants in the first game, but lost when Scott Norwood’s field-goal try went to the right of the upright with a second left in the game. The other losses were one-sided defeats, once to Washington and twice to Dallas. The Bills also have lost three AFC Championship Games, the latest one was to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021. On the plus side, the Bills won back-to-back American Football League championships in the mid-1960s before the merger with the National Football League.

With players like Jim Brown, Clay Matthews, and Leroy Kelly, the Cleveland Browns are one of the NFL’s storied franchises. The Browns have won eight league championships – three in the NFL and five in the All-America Football Conference. Since the merger of the National Football League and American Football League in 1966, the Browns have never reached the Super Bowl, despite making the playoffs 15 times. They’ve appeared in five AFC Championship Games and lost all of them. The last defeat was at the hands of the Denver Broncos in 1990.