What NFL Teams Have Never Been in a Super Bowl?
Super Bowl Sunday is upon us once again, and while many fans will be focused on the big game itself, there’s always the question of which teams have never made it to the big dance. So, without further ado, here are the five NFL teams who have never been to a Super Bowl.
Introduction
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league. It was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL agreed to merge with the American Football League (AFL) in 1966, and the first Super Bowl was held at the end of that season; the merger was completed in 1970. Today, the NFL has the highest average attendance (67,591) of any professional sports league in the world and is the most popular sports league in the United States.
As of 2019, there are 32 teams in the NFL (with two more to be added for the 2021 season), divided into two conferences: the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). Each conference is further divided into four divisions: East, West, North, and South.
Through 2020, only 52 different teams have reached the Super Bowl. Of these, 31 have won at least one Super Bowl.
NFL Teams That Have Never Been in a Super Bowl
There are eight NFL teams that have never been to a Super Bowl. This includes the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans, and Washington Redskins. These teams have a combined record of 0-8 in the big game.
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football franchise based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Cardinals were founded as the Morgan Athletic Club in 1898, and are the oldest continuously run professional football team in the United States. The Cardinals play their home games at State Farm Stadium, which opened in 2006 and is located in Glendale, Arizona. Since the franchise’s inception, two Cardinals coaches have won the NFL Coach of the Year: Don Coryell in 1973 and Ken Whisenhunt in 2012.
The team has also produced two NFL Rookie of the Year winners: Paul Hornung in 1957 and Tim Brown in 1987. As well as two Defensive Players of the Year: Neil Smith in 1996 and Albert Lewis in 1998. Despite their long history, they have yet to win a Super Bowl or even make it to one.
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL), and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.
The Lions have not won a NFL championship since 1957, when they shared the title with the Cleveland Browns. They have only made ten appearances in the Super Bowl, with their most recent appearance coming in 1991. They have never won a Super Bowl, and their lone victory came against the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVIII.
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member club of the American Football Conference South division. The team plays its home games at NRG Stadium.
The Texans were established in 2002 as the Houston Texans expansion team, and played their first game in 2004 as an inaugural member of the AFC South. They qualified for the playoffs four times in their first 14 seasons, with Wild Card berths in 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2016, but they have never advanced further than the Divisional Round. They have won their divisional championship three times (2011, 2012, 2018) and have appeared in one AFC Championship Game (2012).
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1995. The Jaguars have yet to make an appearance in a Super Bowl.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers franchise was founded in 1959 as a charter member of the American Football League. The team played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum through the 2016 season, after which they moved to StubHub Center in Carson, California. They currently play in the AFC West division. The Chargers have never appeared in a Super Bowl.
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams have never been to a Super Bowl. They were in one NFL Championship game, which was the 1960 NFL Championship game.
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League (NFL) as an expansion team in 1960, and first took the field for the 1961 season. They have played in four Super Bowls, but lost each one.
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are one of the most popular teams in the NFL, but they have never won a Super Bowl. The Saints have been to the playoffs 20 times in their 52-year history, but they have only made it to the Super Bowl once, in 2010. The Saints have had some great players over the years, including Drew Brees, Sean Payton, and Deuce McAllister.
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays its home games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which it shares with the New York Jets in a unique arrangement. The Giants hold their summer training camp at the State University of New York at Albany.
The Giants were one of five teams that joined the NFL in 1925, and is one of only two remaining franchises from that inaugural season.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football franchise based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) East division. In the 2017 season, the team won Super Bowl LII, their first Super Bowl win in franchise history and their fourth NFL title overall, after winning the Championship Game in 1948, 1949, and 1960.
The Eagles have made 22 playoff appearances, won six division championships (1947–49 NFL Championships, 1954–58 NFL Eastern Conference Championships), three conference championships (1980, 2004, 2018), and have an overall record of 304–302–33 (.500).
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers, who joined the National Football League (NFL) in 1933, have appeared in more conference championship games (8) than any other NFL team. As of 2019, the Steelers have won 6 conference championships, tied with the Denver Broncos for second-most all-time behind the Green Bay Packers (13). They have also played in more AFC Championship Games than any other team. The Steelers have advanced to the Super Bowl ten times, winning six of them to tie with the New England Patriots for the most Super Bowl wins by any franchise.
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers have never been in a Super Bowl. They have been to five NFC Championship games, most recently in 2012, but they have never made it to the big game. The 49ers have a long history of success, winning five Super Bowls, but they have never been able to get back to the top since their last win in 1994.
Seattle Seahawks
While the Seattle Seahawks have never been in a Super Bowl, they have been to the big game once before. In 2005, they lost 21-10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XL.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Along with the Seattle Seahawks, the team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team. The Bucs played their first season in the American Football Conference (AFC) West division as part of an NFL realignment plan that placed each of the league’s newly-expanded teams into a pre-determined geographical conference and division.
The Buccaneers are one of four teams to have never made a Super Bowl appearance, along with the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, and Houston Texans. They are also one of two teams never to have won a conference championship, along with the Lions.
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans have never been to a Super Bowl. They made it to the AFC Championship game in 1999 and 2000, but lost both times.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are a total of eight NFL teams that have never been in a Super Bowl. These teams are the Detroit Lions, the Cleveland Browns, the Houston Texans, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Minnesota Vikings, the Atlanta Falcons, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Los Angeles Chargers.
