Four NFL teams have never played in a Super Bowl: the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans. The Browns and Lions are two of the league’s oldest franchises and won NFL championships before the Super Bowl existed, while the Jaguars and Texans are two of the newest. Every other team has reached at least one of the 60 Super Bowls played through February 2026.
The Four Teams
| Team | First season | Closest calls |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | 1946 (joined NFL 1950) | Four NFL titles, the last in 1964; lost AFC title games after the 1986, 1987 and 1989 seasons |
| Detroit Lions | 1930 | Four NFL titles, the last in 1957; lost NFC title games after the 1991 and 2023 seasons |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 1995 | Lost AFC title games after the 1996, 1999 and 2017 seasons |
| Houston Texans | 2002 | Have never reached a conference championship game |
Cleveland Browns
The Browns won their last NFL championship in 1964 and lost NFL Championship Games after the 1965, 1968 and 1969 seasons, before the merger created the AFC. They lost three AFC Championship Games to John Elway’s Broncos in four seasons in the late 1980s, including the games remembered as The Drive and The Fumble. The franchise was suspended from 1996 through 1998 after the original team moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens.
Detroit Lions
Detroit won four NFL titles, the last in 1957. The Lions reached NFC Championship Games after the 1991 and 2023 seasons, and in the second, under Dan Campbell, blew a 24 to 7 halftime lead in San Francisco.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars reached the AFC Championship Game in just their second season, after 1996, and returned after the 1999 and 2017 seasons without winning it.
Houston Texans
The Texans, the NFL’s newest franchise, began play in 2002 and have never advanced past the divisional round, most recently losing to New England there last January.
More Super Bowl History
Teams that have never won a Super Bowl · Super Bowl winners by year · Longest Super Bowl droughts
Source: ESPN Super Bowl winners and results.