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The NFL is celebrated for its parity, which plays out with “any given Sunday” spirit. Football is demanding. Advances are fragile. Week-to-week results stay consistently inconsistent.
But there are clear haves and have-nots when it comes to titles and trophies. Through 59 Super Bowls, the two winningest franchises combine for 12 championships — while 12 others are totally ringless. The 2025 playoffs had five entrants going for their first Super Bowl, but all five were eliminated before conference championship weekend. The haves stay having.
Ahead of the 60th big game, we’re sorting all 32 franchises by their Super Bowl bona fides. Within each tier, teams are ordered by total appearances, then alphabetically in case of a tie.
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Tier I: The most wins
James White punched in the Patriots’ walk-off overtime touchdown at Super Bowl LI. The numbers 28 and 3 will never be the same. (Tom Pennington / Getty Images)
New England Patriots (11 appearances, 6-5 record)
- Wins (6): 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016, 2018
- Losses (5): 1985, 1996, 2007, 2011, 2017
Pittsburgh Steelers (8 appearances, 6-2 record)
- Wins (6): 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 2005, 2008
- Losses (2): 1995, 2010
Between the 2001 and 2018 seasons, the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick duo made the Super Bowl nine times. Nine times! Of those six wins, five were supremely exciting and improbably close. All three of their losses raised blood pressures and dropped jaws.
Consider how it all went down. In 2001, St. Louis Rams receiver Ricky Proehl caught a game-tying touchdown with 1:30 left on the clock, but Adam Vinatieri hit a buzzer-beating field goal to end it. Two years later, Carolina Panthers receiver Ricky Proehl caught the game-tying TD with 1:08 left, and Vinatieri came through again.
The dynasty’s second phase gave us Malcolm Butler intercepting Russell Wilson at the goal line in Super Bowl XLIX, then James White winning it in overtime in Super Bowl LI. Spliced between all that gold is The Helmet Catch, Manning-to-Manningham and the “Philly Special.” Whoa.
New England is the Alfred Hitchcock of Super Bowl suspense. We’ll forgive the snoozer over the Rams in the 2018 season, plus the pre-Brady shortcomings of 1985 (Tony Eason) and 1996 (Drew Bledsoe). It’s a brain-melting stat, but get this: The Patriots have a total Super Bowl point differential of minus-36.
Pittsburgh’s six titles are just as impressive, but with far more spacing. Terry Bradshaw and the “Steel Curtain” Steelers won back-to-back in Super Bowls IX and X, then re-upped in XIII and XIV. Bradshaw threw a dime to Lynn Swann for a 64-yard TD at the Orange Bowl in the 1975 championship. He found John Stallworth for a 73-yard score at the Rose Bowl four years later. Chuck Noll held the headset for all four victories.
After the turn of the century, the towel-wavers claimed two more with two coaches and one QB. Ben Roethlisberger and Bill Cowher got the job done in Super Bowl XL, then Roethsliberger and Mike Tomlin delivered another championship in Super Bowl XLIII. Receivers earned MVP honors in those games — Hines Ward for his sturdiness, and Santonio Holmes for his acrobatics.
Cowher’s Steelers fell to the Dallas Cowboys for the 1995 crown; Tomlin’s team lost to the Green Bay Packers in 2010’s finale. Pittsburgh’s eight appearances fall short of New England’s 11, but it has a far better (and more sensible) Super Bowl point differential of plus-29.
Tier II: One away from the top
Dallas Cowboys (8 appearances, 5-3 record)
- Wins (5): 1971, 1977, 1992, 1993, 1995
- Losses (3): 1970, 1975, 1978
San Francisco 49ers (8 appearances, 5-3 record)
- Wins (5): 1981, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1994
- Losses (3): 2012, 2019, 2023
Dallas and San Francisco are natural foils at 5-3 (and Charles Haley, whose five individual wins is second all-time to Brady at seven, played for both). These sides crested together during the early 1990s. They each had repeat reigns. They introduced overlapping swaggers as Super Bowls got bigger, brighter and louder.
Dallas has the best differential of any franchise at plus-89 in eight games, starting in the 1970s. Tom Landry took the Cowboys to five Super Bowls that decade. He prevailed with Roger Staubach (MVP of VI), then the “Doomsday Defense” (Harvey Martin and Randy White as the game’s only co-MVPs for XII). The Hall of Fame triplets of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin added three more titles, which feels appropriate.
The 49ers brought home a fistful of rings from 1981 to 1994. That blitz through the sport passed hardware from Joe Montana to Steve Young under center, and from Bill Walsh to George Seifert on the sideline. The 5-0 Super Bowl start has been somewhat spoiled by three tough defeats since 2012 — the Superdome blackout and a pair of Patrick Mahomes stingers.
Tier III: Four in hand
Travis Kelce has become a sensation. Chris Jones seems bound for Canton. The Chiefs are this era’s standard-bearers. (Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
Kansas City Chiefs (7 appearances, 4-3 record)
- Wins (4): 1969, 2019, 2022, 2023
- Losses (3): 1966, 2020, 2024
Green Bay Packers (5 appearances, 4-1 record)
- Wins (4): 1966, 1967, 1996, 2010
- Losses (1): 1997
New York Giants (5 appearances, 4-1 record)
- Wins (4): 1986, 1990, 2007, 2011
- Losses (1): 2000
This is a mid-tier status that most of the league would trade for in a heartbeat. For decades, Kansas City was one of those franchises that watched from the lower rung. Then Mahomes magic went worldwide, and Andy Reid went from misunderstood mastermind to all-time great. Len Dawson and Hank Stram felt the very first hurt in Super Bowl I, but they got right versus the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth installment.
The Chiefs then went sans-Super Bowl for a full 50 years, only to appear in five of six between 2019-24. In this stretch, K.C. beat San Francisco twice and split with Philadelphia. It was also Brady’s last Super Bowl victim in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2020 title.
Of course, Vince Lombardi put his name on the silver prize, imprinted from Super Bowls I and II with Bart Starr. Green Bay later modernized its glory through two era-clinching wins. Brett Favre snapped the drought in 1996 and could’ve notched two in a row had John Elway not turned into a helicopter. Aaron Rodgers brought fresh cheese to the marquee in 2010, as the Packers survived the Steelers’ comeback try.
The Giants’ championship tenure glows with good fortune, from David Tyree’s head to Scott Norwood’s foot. New York slew the Brady-Belichick dragon in Super Bowl XLII, when the Pats were 18-0, and did it again in 2011.
Tier IV: Three times a winner
Denver Broncos (8 appearances, 3-5 record)
- Wins (3): 1997, 1998, 2015
- Losses (5): 1977, 1986, 1987, 1989, 2013
Las Vegas Raiders (5 appearances, 3-2 record)
- Wins (3): 1976, 1980, 1983
- Losses (2): 1967, 2002
Washington Commanders (5 appearances, 3-2 record)
- Wins (3): 1982, 1987, 1991
- Losses (2): 1972, 1983
The Broncos summited around Elway and Dan Reeves in 1986, 1987 and 1989, but wiped out at the top with crossed skis in all three attempts. Redemption came consecutively in Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII. Denver got its third ring thanks to Peyton Manning and the remixed “Orange Crush” defense in 2015.
The Raiders fashioned an ultra-popular brand around, uh, just winning. John Madden and Ken Stabler did it for them first in 1976. Tom Flores and Jim Plunkett did it twice to open the 1980s.
Washington’s Ws were put together by Joe Gibbs and the blocking hogs from 1982-91. He did it with a new quarterback every time, a sequence of Joe Theismann to Doug Williams to Mark Rypien.
One three-ring winner rolled through mud. The other shined in silver. And they’ve combined for a singular Super Bowl cameo since the early ’90s: Bill Callahan missed the Al Davis memo in 2002, when the Raiders were routed by Jon Gruden’s Bucs.
Tier V: Twice in a lifetime
Don Shula’s Dolphins are still the only team to win out from Week 1 to Super Bowl Sunday. (Long Photography / USA Today Sports)
Los Angeles Rams (5 appearances, 2-3 record)
- Wins (2): 1999, 2021
- Losses (3): 1979, 2001, 2018
Miami Dolphins (5 appearances, 2-3 record)
- Wins (2): 1972, 1973
- Losses (3): 1971, 1982, 1984
Philadelphia Eagles (5 appearances, 2-3 record)
- Wins (2): 2017, 2024
- Losses (3): 1980, 2004, 2022
Indianapolis Colts (4 appearances, 2-2 record)
- Wins (2): 1970, 2006
- Losses (2): 1968, 2009
Baltimore Ravens (2 appearances, 2-0 record)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2 appearances, 2-0 record)
The two-win tier is an eclectic mix. To date, Miami owns the only perfect season this league has ever seen, and it ended with Don Shula being carried off on the shoulders of his Dolphins players in Super Bowl VII. They defended their spot in VIII. Dan Marino almost went the distance in teal and orange, but his 1984 stat boom wilted against the 49ers.
The Rams have two wins representing two different cities. Mike Jones (who?!) made a superhero tackle for St. Louis; Matthew Stafford made a no-look throw for L.A. The same goes for the Colts. They eked out a Super Bowl V win for Baltimore behind quarterbacks Johnny Unitas and Earl Morrall, and dropped a banner in Indianapolis for Peyton Manning’s Super Bowl XLI breakthrough.
Philadelphia was mired in NFL futility for most of the 20th century. But the team has shown up for four Super Bowls since 2005, and three since Howie Roseman took the reins in the front office. In their wins, the Eagles turned Nick Foles into a wideout and Jalen Hurts into a battering ram. Dog masks went triple-platinum across Pennsylvania after Lane Johnson made it cool.
There are two squads with multiple championships and unblemished Super Bowl records. The Baltimore Ravens (non-Colts version) did it with gold-jacket defense in 2000 and Joe Flacco-Jacoby Jones revelations in 2012.
The regular-season Bucs have the worst win percentage of all 32 franchises. Yet playoff Tampa paraded to Disney World in both of its Super Bowl trips (another gold-jacket defense in 2002, and the inexplicable presence of Brady in 2020). Football is so weird.
Tier VI: Just the one
Malcolm Smith went from seventh-round draft pick to Super Bowl MVP.
Seattle Seahawks (3 appearances, 1-2 record)
- Wins (1): 2013
- Losses (2): 2005, 2014
Chicago Bears (2 appearances, 1-1 record)
- Wins (1): 1985
- Losses (1): 2006
New Orleans Saints (1 appearance, 1-0 record)
New York Jets (1 appearance, 1-0 record)
One trophy lift can define a franchise’s culture, like the “Super Bowl Shuffle” Bears of 1985. Soldier Field faithful still rock sweater vests and aviator shades. Maybe the keytar is due for a comeback. One triumph can sustain supporters for whole generations, like Joe Namath’s Jets from 1968. “Broadway Joe” in Times Square marked the first Super Bowl upset. The green half of the Meadowlands keeps chasing that high.
A lone Lombardi also clears the nuclear winters and vindicates the struggle. Seattle found catharsis with a “Legion of Boom” beatdown in Super Bowl XLVIII. And New Orleans finally got its answer to the question “Who Dat?” Sean Payton tucked the truth within a sneak-attack onside kick in Super Bowl XLIV.
Each team here has regrets — Marshawn Lynch definitely wants a do-over and the chance to run the ball from the 1-yard line — but one is a much bigger number than zero.
Tier VII: Still looking for a win
For some, good things come in threes. For Jim Kelly’s Bills, sad things came in fours. (George Rose / Getty Images)
Buffalo Bills (4 appearances, 0-4 record)
- Losses (4): 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993
Minnesota Vikings (4 appearances, 0-4 record)
- Losses (4): 1969, 1973, 1974, 1976
Cincinnati Bengals (3 appearances, 0-3 record)
- Losses (3): 1981, 1988, 2021
Atlanta Falcons (2 appearances, 0-2 record)
Carolina Panthers (2 appearances, 0-2 record)
Arizona Cardinals (1 appearance, 0-1 record)
Los Angeles Chargers (1 appearance, 0-1 record)
Tennessee Titans (1 appearance, 0-1 record)
It’s not the lowest tier, but it is the most painful. There’s dignity in any second-place finish. Reaching several Super Bowl stages means that memories were made, and conference pennants were put on walls.
So close, yet so far. Buffalo’s winless run is the saddest and most salient, as the Jim Kelly-Thurman Thomas Bills lost four straight Super Bowls from 1990-93. The Minnesota misery has more of a staccato rhythm to it. With Bud Grant on the clipboard and “Purple People Eaters” on the defensive line, the Vikings dropped the biggest game of the year in 1969, 1973, 1974 and 1976.
Cincinnati took Super Bowl losses with three different QBs. Ken Anderson was outdone by Joe Montana to wrap the 1981 season. Seven years later, Montana got the better of Boomer Esiason. If he got an extra tick of pocket time, Joe Burrow just might have realized the tiger-striped prophecy in 2021. Aaron Donald didn’t let that happen, of course.
The Panthers were denied by Von Miller in Super Bowl 50 (the one without a Roman numeral). Before that, John Kasay botched a kickoff at the worst imaginable moment to sour Carolina’s challenge for Super Bowl XXXVIII.
The Falcons … the, uh … the Falcons led 28-3 in Super Bowl LI, and they did not win Super Bowl LI.
The Arizona Cardinals almost won it all with Kurt Warner … before Santonio Holmes splashed cold water on desert dreams. (Chris McGrath / Getty Images)
The 1994 Chargers were blown out by Steve Young’s Niners in Super Bowl XXIX, but the other members of this tier fell just short of the revelry. Arizona felt the heartbreak of Pittsburgh’s last-second push in the 2008 closer. Holmes’ constricted game-winning grab is canon now, but the pass was a few inches from a deflection and his cleat was a few inches from white chalk. That catch relegated a stunning Kurt Warner-Larry Fitzgerald TD to prologue.
As for Tennessee, well, Super Bowls don’t get closer than Kevin Dyson’s lunge to the 1-yard line at the start of the millennium. Warner was on the winning side of that classic, as conductor of the “Greatest Show on Turf” Rams.
‘Tis better to have Super Bowled and lost than never to have Super Bowled at all. This group knows the “one shot, one opportunity” feeling, mom’s spaghetti and everything else.
Tier VIII: Still waiting for an invite
There are Lombardi Trophies everywhere for those with eyes to see. Four NFL franchises have yet to grow eyes. (Kirby Lee / USA TODAY Sports)
Cleveland Browns (0 Super Bowl appearances)
- AFC Championship Game losses (5): 1968, 1969, 1986, 1987, 1989
Detroit Lions (0 Super Bowl appearances)
- NFC Championship Game losses (2): 1991, 2023
Houston Texans (0 Super Bowl appearances)
- AFC Championship Game losses (0): No appearances
Jacksonville Jaguars (0 Super Bowl appearances)
- AFC Championship Game losses (3): 1996, 1999, 2017
An eighth of NFL teams have zero Super Bowl experience. Nary a single blade of confetti! These four don’t concern themselves with stuff like radio row or Gatorade color or eternal achievement.
At least the AFC South contingent has an excuse for lounging way down here. The Texans are the NFL’s youngest franchise, joining in 2002. The team’s 0-7 record in divisional playoff games might be a bummer, but Houston is working with a much smaller sample size. The Jaguars were part of league expansion in 1995. They’ve reached three conference championships across those three decades. Listen closely and we’ll still hear “Myles Jack wasn’t down!” echo from the Duval marsh.
That makes Cleveland and Detroit the true end point for our expedition. Between 1986-89, the Browns were one win from the Super Bowl three times. The Lions had the rarest of chances to climb the mountain in 2023, and Dan Campbell knew it. There’s always a next “next year” for this tier.
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