The NFL’s Longest Super Bowl Droughts Might Just Shock You

As the NFL inches closer to Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the focus naturally lies on current events. Which teams will make it to the big game? Who will be favored? Who will actually win it? So on and so forth. 

Yet, this is also a time to reflect on the squads that failed to make a Super Bowl push. More than that, it’s a good time to look at the longest active Super Bowl droughts in NFL history.

Make no mistake, these extended absences from the big game directly impact the odds that will be offered at the best Super Bowl betting sites into the future. Even if one of these teams looks great on paper entering the 2026 NFL regular season, the length of their time away will factor into their projected chances of winning it all. Just ask the 2025 Detroit Lions. 

Before we dive into the franchises who have wandered outside the Super Bowl more than any other organizations, we have just a few housekeeping notes. First and foremost, the Super Bowl era in the NFL began in 1967, which is 58 years ago. This is the only gap we will be considering. Secondly, teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans will not be considered. They have never made a Super Bowl appearance, but they also haven’t been around long enough to rack up the absences of squads that have existed for many, many decades.

1. Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions (58 Years)

Both the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions won championships prior to the Super Bowl era. In fact, they won multiple titles apiece. Neither, however, has returned to the promised land for almost 60 years.

Technically speaking, the Browns have come closer than the Lions. Cleveland has racked up five conference championship appearances during this stretch to Detroit’s two.

At the same time, the Lions’ drought is perhaps less painful because they have more overall playoff berths. The Browns have just four postseason appearances over the past 35 years.

2. New York Jets (56 Years)

The only surprise here is that the New York Jets do not claim the top spot. They have become the NFL’s billboard for incompetence. 

Anecdotally, it feels as if they’ve been searching for a franchise quarterback since Joe Namath. That is a gross exaggeration, but it speaks to relative hopelessness they’ve espoused in recent vintage.

To wit: The Jets have not been back to the playoffs since 2010. During that time, they have just one season in which they finished with a winning record.

Any fans loyal enough to keep riding with this franchise shouldn’t hold their breath for things to change. New York just wrapped up a three-win season, and tallied only five victories in 2024. You read that correctly: The Jets regressed after a five-win season. This would be easier to stomach if there were clear barometers of hope. Unfortunately, silver linings are only visible if you squint really, really hard.

3. Minnesota Vikings (48 Years)

This is fairly shocking from the outside. The Minnesota Vikings have seemingly been involved in plenty of mission-critical games over the past five decades.

Of course, as any Vikings fan will tell you, that is part of the problem. 

In the 58 years that the Super Bowl era has spanned, Minnesota has 32 playoff appearances. Making the postseason over 55 percent of the time is no joke. Other franchises would kill for that hit rate.

And yet, this extended stretch has included a handful of conference championship losses. Their last Super Bowl appearance came in 1976, when they were absolutely trucked by the then-Oakland Raiders.

It would be a stretch to say the Vikings have been on the precipice of a championship. But with around half a dozen conference championship cameos in this period, they have delivered more than their fair share of close-but-not-close-enough heartache.

4. Miami Dolphins (40 Years)

Back in 1985, the Miami Dolphins faced off against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XIX. They got roundhouse kicked, losing 38-16. Miami has never come back to the big game since. 

Some of the paint of this drought is offset by the two Super Bowls that the Dolphins won during the Don Shula era. Then again, those victories came around 50 years ago. They aren’t softening the blow that much, unless you’re comparing Miami to the fate of the Jets.

If anything, older Dolphins fans might be reeling from their semi-recent descent into irrelevance. Miami consistently made the playoffs throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Since 2002, though, they have just four postseason appearances—and zero postseason wins.

5. Washington Commanders (33 Years)

In the decade spanning from 1982 through 1991, the Washington Commanders franchise rattled off three Super Bowl victories. Their last one came in Super Bowl XXVI, when they dispatched the Buffalo Bills. 

These championship seasons are recent enough that plenty of fans can still cling to Washington’s halcyon days. On the other hand, there has not been much to cheer about these past three-plus decades. The Commanders franchise has just eight playoff cameos over this stretch, and prior to 2024, they hadn’t won a single postseason contest for over 15 years.

On the bright side, Washington’s future outlook isn’t too shabby. As we already alluded to, they made it to the NFC Conference Championship game just last year. Though quarterback Jayden McDaniels’ season was cut short this year, he appears to be a superstar signal-caller in the making. It might not be long before Washington is a legit Super Bowl threat once again.