Current:Home > MarketsWhich NFL teams have never played in the Super Bowl? It's a short list. -MarketStream
Which NFL teams have never played in the Super Bowl? It's a short list.
View
Date:2025-04-26 09:41:55
Only four NFL teams have never played in the Super Bowl.
Out of 32 NFL franchises: 20 different teams have won the Super Bowl, and eight others have played in the big game but never won the championship.
That leaves four franchises that are still vying for their first trip to the Super Bowl.
Two of the NFL’s most historic franchises – the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions – won NFL championship games prior to the Super Bowl’s creation. But they have yet to even play in the Super Bowl.
And there are two relatively new NFL franchises – the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars – are still looking for their first Super Bowl trip.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
Here’s what you need to know about the four teams who have never reached the Super Bowl.
NFL PLAYOFF FORMAT:How many teams make it, how many rounds are there and more
WHO'S FEELING SUPER?Which teams will be playing in Super Bowl 58? Breaking down the NFL playoff bracket
Detroit Lions
The Lions won four NFL championship games in 1935, 1952, 1953 and 1957, but they have yet to reach the Super Bowl since it was created in 1966.
The Lions have reached the playoffs just 13 times since their last championship. They snapped a 31-season drought without a postseason victory by beating the Los Angeles Rams in the 2023 wild-card round. Detroit's only other playoff win during that stretch allowed them to reach the NFC championship game against Washington during the 1991 postseason. The Lions lost that game 41-10, and Washington went on to win Super Bowl 26 that year.
But the Lions have not gotten any closer to the Super Bowl.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns won four championships in the All-America Football Conference in 1946, 1947, 1948 and 1949. They also won four NFL championships in 1950, 1954, 1955 and 1964.
But Cleveland also hasn't reached the Super Bowl since its inception in 1966.
The Browns reached the conference championship games in 1967, 1969, 1986, 1988 and 1989. The latter three trips ended in heartbreaking fashion against John Elway and the Denver Broncos, against whom the team suffered "The Drive," and "The Fumble."
The Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens after the 1995 season, but they returned in 1999. They've only been to the playoffs three times since coming back, most recently falling short against the Houston Texans in the 2023 wild-card round.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars’ first season was in 1995, and the franchise has not reached the Super Bowl in its 29 seasons in the NFL.
The Jaguars have had eight postseason appearances in 29 years and reached the conference championship game in 1997 and 2017, falling both times to the New England Patriots.
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are the youngest NFL franchise, joining the league in 2002.
The Texans have not reached the Super Bowl in 21 seasons, but they're still alive in the 2023 postseason after beating the Cleveland Browns in the wild-card round. It marked the fifth time in the Texans' seven postseason appearances that they won a playoff game. They've lost in the divisional round the other four times (2011, 2012, 2016, 2019).
veryGood! (4)
Related
- 'Meet me at the gate': Watch as widow scatters husband's ashes, BASE jumps into canyon
- Pennsylvania’s Senate wants an earlier 2024 presidential primary, partly to have a say on nominees
- Ukraine, Russia and the tense U.N. encounter that almost happened — but didn’t
- UN chief warns of ‘gates of hell’ in climate summit, but carbon polluting nations stay silent
- The GOP and Kansas’ Democratic governor ousted targeted lawmakers in the state’s primary
- Detroit Auto Show underway amid historic UAW strike
- 'Just doing my job': Stun-gunned band director says Alabama cops should face the music
- Zelenskyy avoids confrontation with Russian FM at UN Security Council meeting
- Sonya Massey's family keeps eyes on 'full justice' one month after shooting
- These parts of California are suffering from poor air quality from wildfire smoke
Ranking
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- Shots fired outside US embassy in Lebanon, no injuries reported
- Russell Brand's assault, rape allegations being investigated: What his accusers say happened
- Gigi Hadid Gives Glimpse Into Birthday Celebrations for Her and Zayn Malik's 3-Year-Old Daughter Khai
- RFK Jr. closer to getting on New Jersey ballot after judge rules he didn’t violate ‘sore loser’ law
- Judge dismisses charges against Vermont deputy in upstate New York brawl and shootout
- Man set to be executed for 1996 slaying of University of Oklahoma dance student
- Quavo meets with Kamala Harris, other political figures on gun violence after Takeoff's death
Recommendation
51-year-old Andy Macdonald puts on Tony Hawk-approved Olympic skateboard showing
After leaving bipartisan voting information group, Virginia announces new data-sharing agreements
Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf has died at 64. He shot themes from gay nightlife to the royal family
Singapore police uncover more gold bars, watches and other assets from money laundering scheme
'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
Brian Austin Green Shares Update on His Co-Parenting Relationship With Megan Fox
50 years ago today, one sporting event changed my life. In fact, it changed everything.
Iconic Budweiser Clydesdales will no longer have their tails shortened