This is a list of current National Football League (NFL) franchise post-season and Super Bowl droughts (multiple consecutive seasons of not winning). Listed here are both appearance droughts and winning droughts in almost every level of the NFL playoff system.

All 32 active NFL teams have qualified for and won a game in the playoffs. Teams that have never made it beyond each successive milestone are listed under the year in which they began NFL play.

Of the 12 teams that have never won the Super Bowl, four are expansion franchises younger than the Super Bowl itself (the Bengals, Panthers, Jaguars, and Texans), while the Falcons began playing during the season in which the Super Bowl was first played. The other seven clubs (Cardinals, Lions, Oilers/Titans, Chargers, Browns, Bills, and Vikings) all won an NFL or AFL championship prior to the AFL–NFL merger; in the case of the Vikings, however, the Super Bowl existed at the time they won their only league title (in 1969), leaving them and the Falcons as the only two teams to have never won the highest championship available to them. The longest drought since a championship of any kind is that of the Cardinals, at 75 seasons.

Note that for continuity purposes, the Cleveland Browns are officially considered to have suspended operations for the 1996, 1997, and 1998 seasons. Since returning 24 years ago, they have only made the playoffs twice, while the Baltimore Ravens are considered to be a separate team that began play in 1996. The Ravens, as a result of the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy, absorbed the Browns' personnel upon their suspension, but not their history.

Active team droughts

Post-season droughts

0^0 Longest drought in team history
Playoff droughts [1][2]
0Team0 Last appearance in post-season Seasons
New York Jets ^ 2010 AFC championship 12
Denver Broncos Super Bowl 50 7
Detroit Lions 2016 NFC wild card 6
Carolina Panthers 2017 NFC wild card 5
Atlanta Falcons 2017 NFC divisional 5
Houston Texans 2019 AFC divisional 3
Indianapolis Colts 2020 AFC wild card 2
Chicago Bears 2020 NFC wild card 2
Washington Commanders 2020 NFC wild card 2
Cleveland Browns 2020 AFC divisional 2
New Orleans Saints 2020 NFC divisional 2
Las Vegas Raiders 2021 AFC wild card 1
Pittsburgh Steelers 2021 AFC wild card 1
New England Patriots 2021 AFC wild card 1
Arizona Cardinals 2021 NFC wild card 1
Tennessee Titans 2021 AFC divisional 1
Green Bay Packers 2021 NFC divisional 1
Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl LVI 1
2022 playoff teams
Baltimore Ravens 2022 AFC wild card 0
Los Angeles Chargers 2022 AFC wild card 0
Miami Dolphins 2022 AFC wild card 0
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2022 NFC wild card 0
Minnesota Vikings 2022 NFC wild card 0
Seattle Seahawks 2022 NFC wild card 0
Buffalo Bills 2022 AFC divisional 0
Jacksonville Jaguars 2022 AFC divisional 0
Dallas Cowboys 2022 NFC divisional 0
New York Giants 2022 NFC divisional 0
Cincinnati Bengals 2022 AFC championship 0
San Francisco 49ers 2022 NFC championship 0
Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LVII 0
Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl LVII 0

Playoff game victory droughts

Sortable table, click on header arrows.

0^0 Longest drought in team history
00 Most consecutive losses in team history
0¤0 Tied for most consecutive losses in team history
0♣ ♣0 Most consecutive losses in NFL history


Current playoff losing streak[1]
Seasons
since win
Team Last playoff game win Loss
streak
Playoff losses – teams
31 Detroit Lions 1991 NFC divisional 9 ♣ ♣ 1991 NFC championship – Washington
1993 wild card – Green Bay
1994 wild card – Green Bay
1995 wild card – Philadelphia
1997 wild card – Tampa Bay
1999 wild card – Washington
2011 wild card – New Orleans
2014 wild card – Dallas
2016 wild card – Seattle
22 Miami Dolphins ^ 2000 AFC wild card 5 ♦ 2000 divisional – Oakland
2001 wild card – Baltimore
2008 wild card – Baltimore
2016 wild card – Pittsburgh
2022 wild card – Buffalo
20 Las Vegas Raiders ^ 2002 AFC championship 3 ♦ 2002 Super Bowl – Tampa Bay
2016 wild card – Houston
2021 wild card – Cincinnati
17 Washington Commanders 2005 NFC wild card 5 ♦ 2005 divisional – Seattle
2007 wild card – Seattle
2012 wild card – Seattle
2015 wild card – Green Bay
2020 wild card – Tampa Bay
12 New York Jets 2010 AFC divisional 1 2010 AFC championship – Pittsburgh
12 Chicago Bears 2010 NFC divisional 3 ¤ 2010 NFC championship – Green Bay
2018 wild card – Philadelphia
2020 wild card – New Orleans
7 Arizona Cardinals 2015 NFC divisional 2 2015 NFC championship – Carolina
2021 wild card – Los Angeles Rams
7 Carolina Panthers 2015 NFC championship 2 2015 Super Bowl – Denver
2017 wild card – New Orleans
7 Denver Broncos Super Bowl 50 0 3-game win streak
6 Pittsburgh Steelers 2016 AFC divisional 4 ♦ 2016 AFC championship – New England
2017 divisional – Jacksonville
2020 wild card – Cleveland
2021 wild card – Kansas City
5 Atlanta Falcons 2017 NFC wild card 1 2017 divisional – Philadelphia
4 Indianapolis Colts 2018 AFC wild card 2 2018 divisional – Kansas City
2020 wild card – Buffalo
4 Los Angeles Chargers 2018 AFC wild card 2 2018 divisional – New England
2022 wild card – Jacksonville
4 New England Patriots Super Bowl LIII 2 2019 wild card – Tennessee
2021 wild card – Buffalo
3 Houston Texans 2019 AFC wild card 1 2019 divisional – Kansas City
3 Minnesota Vikings 2019 NFC wild card 2 2019 divisional – San Francisco
2022 wild card – New York Giants
3 Seattle Seahawks 2019 NFC wild card 3 2019 divisional – Green Bay
2020 wild card – Los Angeles Rams
2022 wild card – San Francisco
3 Tennessee Titans 2019 AFC divisional 3 ¤ 2019 AFC championship – Kansas City
2020 wild card – Baltimore
2021 divisional – Cincinnati
2 Baltimore Ravens 2020 AFC wild card 2 2020 divisional – Buffalo
2022 wild card – Cincinnati
2 Cleveland Browns 2020 AFC wild card 1 2020 divisional – Kansas City
2 New Orleans Saints 2020 NFC wild card 1 2020 divisional – Tampa Bay
2 Green Bay Packers 2020 NFC divisional 2 ¤ 2020 NFC championship – Tampa Bay
2021 divisional – San Francisco
1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2021 NFC wild card 2 2021 divisional – Los Angeles Rams
2022 wild card – Dallas
1 Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl LVI 0 4-game win streak
2022 Playoff0 Winners
0 Jacksonville Jaguars 2022 AFC wild card 1 2022 divisional – Kansas City
0 Buffalo Bills 2022 AFC wild card 1 2022 divisional – Cincinnati
0 New York Giants 2022 NFC wild card 1 2022 divisional – Philadelphia
0 Dallas Cowboys 2022 NFC wild card 1 2022 divisional – San Francisco
0 Cincinnati Bengals 2022 AFC divisional 1 2022 AFC championship – Kansas City
0 San Francisco 49ers 2022 NFC divisional 1 2022 NFC championship – Philadelphia
0 Philadelphia Eagles 2022 NFC championship 1 Super Bowl LVII – Kansas City
0 Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LVII 0 3-game win streak
Seasons
Since Win
Team Last playoff game win Loss
Streak
Playoff Losses – Teams

AFC/NFC Championship Game appearance droughts

This is also a list of the last time a particular club won a divisional playoff game.

0^0 Longest drought in team history
Drought Reference [1]
Seasons Team Last appearance in
conference championship game
Result
31 Washington Commanders ^[a] 1991 NFC Won vs. Detroit
31 Detroit Lions ^ 1991 NFC Lost vs. Washington
30 [b] Cleveland Browns ^ 1989 AFC Lost vs. Denver
30 Miami Dolphins ^ 1992 AFC Lost vs. Buffalo
27 Dallas Cowboys ^ 1995 NFC Won vs. Green Bay
21 Houston Texans ^ 1985Never a
20 Las Vegas Raiders ^[c] 2002 AFC Won vs. Tennessee
15 Los Angeles Chargers ^[d] 2007 AFC Lost vs. New England
12 New York Jets 2010 AFC Lost vs. Pittsburgh
12 Chicago Bears 2010 NFC Lost vs. Green Bay
11 New York Giants 2011 NFC Won vs. San Francisco
10 Baltimore Ravens ^ 2012 AFC Won vs. New England
8 Indianapolis Colts 2014 AFC Lost vs. New England
8 Seattle Seahawks 2014 NFC Won vs. Green Bay
7 Denver Broncos 2015 AFC Won vs. New England
7 Arizona Cardinals 2015 NFC Lost vs. Carolina
7 Carolina Panthers 2015 NFC Won vs. Arizona
6 Pittsburgh Steelers 2016 AFC Lost vs. New England
6 Atlanta Falcons 2016 NFC Won vs. Green Bay
5 Jacksonville Jaguars 2017 AFC Lost vs. New England
5 Minnesota Vikings 2017 NFC Lost vs. Philadelphia
4 New England Patriots 2018 AFC Won vs. Kansas City
4 New Orleans Saints 2018 NFC Lost vs. Los Angeles Rams
3 Tennessee Titans 2019 AFC Lost vs. Kansas City
2 Buffalo Bills 2020 AFC Lost vs. Kansas City
2 Green Bay Packers 2020 NFC Lost vs. Tampa Bay
2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2020 NFC Won vs. Green Bay
1 Los Angeles Rams 2021 NFC Won vs. San Francisco
.75 Z2022 conference finalists 2022.5 z
0 Kansas City Chiefs 2022 AFC Won vs. Cincinnati
0 Cincinnati Bengals 2022 AFC Lost vs. Kansas City
0 Philadelphia Eagles 2022 NFC Won vs. San Francisco.
0 San Francisco 49ers 2022 NFC Lost vs. Philadelphia

Super Bowl or NFL championship appearance droughts

Last appearance in Super Bowl or
NFL championship[1][3]
Seasons Team Last appearance
in championship
NFL
season
Result
65 Detroit Lions 1957 NFL Championship Game 1957 Won vs. Cleveland
54 New York Jets Super Bowl III 1968 Won vs. Baltimore Colts
50 [a][e] Cleveland Browns 1969.1 1969 NFL Championship Game 1969 Lost vs. Minnesota
46 Minnesota Vikings Super Bowl XI 1976 Lost vs. Oakland Raiders
38 Miami Dolphins Super Bowl XIX 1984 Lost vs. San Francisco
31 Washington Commanders [b] Super Bowl XXVI 1991 Won vs. Buffalo
29 Buffalo Bills Super Bowl XXVIII 1993 Lost vs. Dallas
28 Jacksonville Jaguars Never (enfranchised 1995) z
28 Los Angeles Chargers [c] Super Bowl XXIX 1994 Lost vs. San Francisco
27 Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl XXX 1995 Won vs. Pittsburgh
23 Tennessee Titans Super Bowl XXXIV 1999 Lost vs. Los Angeles Rams Lost vs. St. Louis Rams
21 Houston Texans Never (enfranchised 2002) z
20 Las Vegas Raiders [d] Super Bowl XXXVII 2002 Lost vs. Tampa Bay
16 Chicago Bears Super Bowl XLI 2006 Lost vs. Indianapolis
14 Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl XLIII 2008 Lost vs. Pittsburgh
13 New Orleans Saints Super Bowl XLIV 2009 Won vs. Indianapolis Colts
13 Indianapolis Colts Super Bowl XLIV 2009 Lost vs. New Orleans
12 Green Bay Packers Super Bowl XLV 2010 Won vs. Pittsburgh
12 Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XLV 2010 Lost vs. Green Bay
11 New York Giants Super Bowl XLVI 2011 Won vs. New England
10 Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl XLVII 2012 Won vs. San Francisco
8 Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl XLIX 2014 Lost vs. New England
7 Carolina Panthers Super Bowl 50 2015 Lost vs. Denver
7 Denver Broncos Super Bowl 50 2015 Won vs. Carolina
6 Atlanta Falcons Super Bowl LI 2016 Lost vs. New England
4 New England Patriots Super Bowl LIII 2018 Won vs. Los Angeles Rams
3 San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl LIV 2019 Lost vs. Kansas City
2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl LV 2020 Won vs. Kansas City
1 Cincinnati Bengals Super Bowl LVI 2021 Lost vs. Los Angeles Rams
1 Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl LVI 2021 Won vs. Cincinnati
.75 ZSuper Bowl LVII teams a 2021.9a zz
0 Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl LVII 2022 Lost vs. Kansas City
0 Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LVII 2022 Won vs. Philadelphia

Super Bowl or NFL championship win droughts

This list also counts all seasons since a team last won the league championship.
Of active NFL teams 20 have won the Super Bowl,
Of active NFL teams 7 have won AFL or NFL championship pre-merger
Of active NFL teams 5 have not won any championship or Super Bowl.

Drought References[1][3]
Seasons Team Last League championship crown
pre-Merger
(1920–1969)
Season
75 Arizona Cardinals[a] 1947 NFL championship 1947
65 Detroit Lions 1957 NFL championship 1957
61 Tennessee Titans[b] 1961 AFL championship 1961
59 Los Angeles Chargers[c] 1963 AFL championship 1963
55[d] Cleveland Browns 1964 NFL championship 1964
57 Buffalo Bills 1965 AFL championship 1965
57 Atlanta Falcons Never (enfranchised 1966-NFL)
55 Cincinnati Bengals Never (enfranchised 1968-AFL)
54 New York Jets 1968 AFL championship[4] 1968
53 Minnesota Vikings 1969 NFL championship[e] 1969
Seasons Z Team Last Super Bowl crown
post merger
(1970–present)
NFL
season
49 Miami Dolphins Super Bowl VIII 1973
39 Las Vegas Raiders [f] Super Bowl XVIII 1983
37 Chicago Bears Super Bowl XX 1985
31 Washington Commanders [f] Super Bowl XXVI 1991
28 San Francisco 49ers Super Bowl XXIX 1994
28 Carolina Panthers Never (enfranchised 1995)
28 Jacksonville Jaguars Never (enfranchised 1995)
27 Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl XXX 1995
21 Houston Texans Never (enfranchised 2002)
16 Indianapolis Colts Super Bowl XLI 2006
14 Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XLIII 2008
13 New Orleans Saints Super Bowl XLIV 2009
12 Green Bay Packers Super Bowl XLV 2010
11 New York Giants Super Bowl XLVI 2011
10 Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl XLVII 2012
9 Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl XLVIII 2013
7 Denver Broncos Super Bowl 50 2015
5 Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl LII 2017
4 New England Patriots Super Bowl LIII 2018
2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl LV 2020
1 Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl LVI 2021
0 Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl LVII 2022

Super Bowl crown droughts by division

Division Last Super Bowl crown Seasons
AFC South XLI — Colts 16
NFC North XLV — Packers 12
AFC North XLVII — Ravens 10
NFC East LII — Eagles 5
AFC East LIII — Patriots 4
NFC South LV — Buccaneers 2
NFC West LVI — Rams 1
AFC West LVII — Chiefs 0

Cities/regions awaiting first Super Bowl crown

Listed according to seasons waited. Current NFL cities/regions only.


Last city to leave list: Philadelphia, 2017 season
City/region Seasons waited Conference Title(s) Team(s) Notes
Detroit 57 None Detroit Lions (1966–present) Played in the 1991 NFC Championship Game. Last NFL championship won in 1957.
Buffalo 57 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 Buffalo Bills (1966–present) Played in Super Bowls XXV, XXVI, XXVII, and XXVIII. Last AFL championship won in 1965 (pre-merger). Buffalo's previous NFL franchise, the Buffalo All-Americans, claimed an unrecognized 1921 championship.
Atlanta 57 1998, 2016 Atlanta Falcons (1966–present) Played in Super Bowls XXXIII and LI.
Minneapolis–St. Paul 57 1969, 1973, 1974, 1976 Minnesota Vikings (1966–present) Played in Super Bowls IV, VIII, IX, and XI. NFL championship won in 1969 was last title before formal AFL–NFL merger later in 1970.
Cincinnati 55 1981, 1988, 2021 Cincinnati Bengals (1968–present) Played in Super Bowls XVI, XXIII and LVI. Previous NFL team, the Cincinnati Celts, never won an NFL title.
Cleveland 54 None Cleveland Browns (19661995, 1999–present) Played in the 1986, 1987, and 1989 AFC Championship Games. Last NFL championship won in 1964 (pre-merger).
Houston 52 None 31 Oilers seasons (19661996) and 21 Texans seasons (2002–present) Played in the 1978 and 1979 AFC Championship Games. The Oilers franchise in Houston won the AFL championship in 1960 and 1961 (pre-merger). To date, the Texans have never played in the AFC championship.
Phoenix 35 2008 Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals (1988–present) Played in Super Bowl XLIII.
Jacksonville 28 None Jacksonville Jaguars (1995–present) Played in the 1996, 1999 and 2017 AFC Championship Games.
Charlotte 28 2003, 2015 Carolina Panthers (1995–present) Played in Super Bowls XXXVIII and 50.
Nashville 25 1999 Tennessee Oilers/Titans (1998–present) Played in Super Bowl XXXIV.
Las Vegas 3 None Las Vegas Raiders (relocated in 2020)

Division title droughts

Listed according to seasons waited.

0^0 Longest drought in team history
00 Tied for longest drought in team history
Franchise 0 0 Most recent0 0
division title
0Year0 Seasons
Cleveland Browns^ AFC Central 1989 30**
Detroit Lions^ NFC Central 1993 29
Las Vegas Raiders^ AFC West 2002 20
New York Jets AFC East 2002 20
Miami Dolphins^ AFC East 2008 14
Los Angeles Chargers AFC West 2009 13
New York Giants NFC East 2011 11
Indianapolis Colts AFC South 2014 8
Arizona Cardinals NFC West 2015 7
Carolina Panthers^ NFC South 2015 7
Denver Broncos AFC West 2015 7
Atlanta Falcons NFC South 2016 6
Chicago Bears NFC North 2018 4
New England Patriots AFC East 2019 3
Baltimore Ravens AFC North 2019 3
Houston Texans AFC South 2019 3
Pittsburgh Steelers AFC North 2020 2
Washington Commanders NFC East 2020 2
New Orleans Saints NFC South 2020 2
Seattle Seahawks NFC West 2020 2
Tennessee Titans AFC South 2021 1
Dallas Cowboys NFC East 2021 1
Green Bay Packers NFC North 2021 1
Los Angeles Rams NFC West 2021 1
2022 Division Champions
Buffalo Bills AFC East 2022 0
Cincinnati Bengals AFC North 2022 0
Jacksonville Jaguars AFC South 2022 0
Kansas City Chiefs AFC West 2022 0
Philadelphia Eagles NFC East 2022 0
Minnesota Vikings NFC North 2022 0
Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFC South 2022 0
San Francisco 49ers NFC West 2022 0


**Does not include the three seasons (1996–1998) during which the franchise suspended operations.

Historical team droughts

Closest approaches without winning the Super Bowl

Counted from the first Super Bowl season, 1966, to present.


Team Wild Card [a] appearances Divisional [b] appearances Conference Championship appearances Super Bowl appearances Fewest wins short of
Super Bowl title
Minnesota Vikings 15 23 9 4 1 win short: 1969, 1973, 1974, 1976
Buffalo Bills 11 13 6 4 1 win short: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993
Cincinnati Bengals 11 9 4 3 1 win short: 1981, 1988, 2021
Atlanta Falcons 8 10 4 2 1 win short: 1998, 2016
Carolina Panthers 4 7 4 2 1 win short: 2003, 2015
Tennessee Titans 15 15 6 1 1 win short: 1999
Los Angeles Chargers 9 12 4 1 1 win short: 1994
Arizona Cardinals 6 6 2 1 1 win short: 2008
Cleveland Browns 5 9 6 2 wins short: 1968, 1969, 1986, 1987, 1989
Jacksonville Jaguars 7 6 3 2 wins short: 1996, 1999, 2017
Detroit Lions 9 3 1 2 wins short: 1991
Houston Texans 6 4 3 wins short: 2011, 2012, 2016, 2019

Longest NFL / AFL / Super Bowl championship droughts through history

This list only shows droughts of 30 or more seasons for teams. A championship is listed as winning an NFL Championship (1920—1969), AFL Championship (1960—1969), and Super Bowl Championship (1966—present). Active droughts are listed in bold type.

Seasons Team Previous Title Drought Streak Next Title
75 Chicago/St. Louis/Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals 1947 1948—present
65 Detroit Lions 1957 1958—present
61 Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Titans 1961 1962—present
59 San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers 1963 1964—present
57 Atlanta Falcons 1966—present
57 Buffalo Bills 1965 1966—present
56 Philadelphia Eagles 1960 1961—2016 2017
55 Cleveland Browns 1964 1965—1995, 1999—present
55 Cincinnati Bengals 1968—present
54 New York Jets 1968 1969—present
53 Minnesota Vikings 1969 1970—present
49 Miami Dolphins 1973 1974—present
49 Kansas City Chiefs 1969 1970—2018 2019
47 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams 1951 1952—1998 1999
42 New Orleans Saints 1967—2008 2009
41 Pittsburgh Pirates/Steelers 1933—1973 1974
41 Boston/New England Patriots 1960—2000 2001
39 Los Angeles/Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders 1983 1984—present
39 Washington Redskins 1942 1943—1981 1982
37 Chicago Bears 1985 1986—present
37 Denver Broncos 1960—1996 1997
37 Seattle Seahawks 1976—2012 2013
34 Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts 1970 1971—2005 2006
31 Washington Redskins/Football Team/Commanders 1991 1992—present

Longest NFL / AFL / Super Bowl championship appearance droughts through history

This list only shows droughts of 30 or more seasons for teams. A championship appearance is listed as appearing in an NFL Championship (1932—1969), AFL Championship (1960—1969), or Super Bowl Championship (1966—present). Active droughts are listed in bold type.

Seasons Team Prev. Appearance Drought Streak Next Appearance
65 Detroit Lions 1957 1958—present
60 Chicago/St. Louis/Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals 1947 1948—2007 2008
54 New York Jets 1968 1969—present
50 Cleveland Browns 1969 1970—1995, 1999—present
49 Kansas City Chiefs 1969 1970—2018 2019
46 Minnesota Vikings 1976 1977—present
42 New Orleans Saints 1967—2008 2009
41 Pittsburgh Pirates/Steelers 1933—1973 1974
38 Miami Dolphins 1984 1985—present
36 Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Titans 1962 1963—1998 1999
35 Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts 1970 1971—2005 2006
32 Atlanta Falcons 1966—1997 1998
32 Cincinnati Bengals 1988 1989—2020 2021
31 San Francisco 49ers 1950—1980 1981
31 Washington Redskins/Football Team/Commanders 1991 1992—present

Playoff droughts of at least five seasons


Sort by clicking on desired column heading.
Teams grouped together when sorting -
Arizona, Phoenix, St. Louis and Chicago Cardinals
Indianapolis and Baltimore Colts
Los Angeles, St. Louis and Cleveland Rams
Tennessee Titans, Houston Oilers and Tennessee Oilers
Las Vegas, Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders


Denotes active streak^ Last place NFL finishes Last place AFL finishes (1960–1969)

List of droughts[1]
Seasons Team Drought duration Division or conference last place
finishes during drought
League worst win–loss record
during drought
Last Place Seasons
25 Washington Redskins 1946–1970 4 1950, 1952, 1960–1961 1961
Chicago / St. Louis Cardinals 1949–1973 5 1951, 1953–1954, 1957, 1959 1953, 1954, 1957 tie, 19591959 tie
24 Pittsburgh Steelers 1948–1971 5 1955, 1965, 1967–1969 1965, 1969 tie
20 New Orleans Saints 1967–1986 9 1967, 1970–1972, 1975, 1977, 1980–1981, 1986 1975 1975 tie, 1980
17 Denver Broncos 1960–1976 8 1960, 1963–1967, 1970–1971 1960, 1963, 1964, 1965 tie, 1967
Philadelphia Eagles 1961–1977 7 1962–1963, 1968–1970, 1972, 1975 1968 tie
New York Giants 1964–1980 9 1964, 1966, 1971, 1973–1974, 1976–1978, 1980 1964, 1966, 1974 tie
Buffalo Bills 2000–2016 8 2001–2002, 2008–2013
Cleveland Browns 2003–2019 13 2003–2006, 2008–2009, 2011–2017 2015 tie, 2016, 2017
16 Detroit Lions 1936–1951 4 1942, 1946–1948 1942, 1946, 1948
15 Chicago Cardinals 1932–1946 10 1933, 1935–1936, 1938–1940, 1943–1946 1933, 1938 tie, 1939, 1943, 1944 tie[a], 1945
Green Bay Packers 1945–1959 4 1949, 1953, 1957, 1958 1957 tie, 1958
St. Louis / Phoenix / Arizona Cardinals 1983–1997 7 1985–1986, 1990–1992, 1995, 1997
14 Pittsburgh Pirates / Steelers 1933–1946 7 1933–1934, 1938–1939, 1941, 1944–1945 1938 tie, 1941, 1944 tie[a]
Philadelphia Eagles 1933–1946 5 1935–1937, 1940, 1942 1935, 1936, 1940
Kansas City Chiefs 1972–1985 5 1977–1979, 1983, 1985 1977 tie
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1983–1996 8 1983, 1985–1986, 1989, 1991, 1993–1995 1983 tie, 1985 tie, 1986
Cincinnati Bengals 1991–2004 6 1991–1993, 1998, 2001–2002 1993, 1998 tie, 2002
13 Chicago Bears 1964–1976 5 1969–1970, 1972–1974 1969 tie
San Diego Chargers 1966–1978 3 1972–1973, 1975 1975 tie
Oakland Raiders 2003–2015 6 2004–2007, 2013–2014 2003 tie, 2006
12 Detroit Lions 1958–1969 2 1966, 1968
San Francisco 49ers 1958–1969 3 1963–1964, 1969 1963
Boston / New England Patriots 1964–1975 4 1967, 1970, 1972, 1975 1970
Atlanta Falcons 1966–1977 3 1967–1968, 1974 1967, 1968 tie
St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams 2005–2016 6 2007–2009, 2011, 2013–2014 2009, 2011 tie
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2008–2019 8 2009, 2011–2015, 2017–2018 2014 tie
12 ^ New York Jets 2011–2022 7 2014, 2016–2018, 2020–2022
11 Los Angeles Rams 1956–1966 4 1956, 1959, 1962, 1965 1959 1959 tie, 1962
New York Jets 1970–1980 1 1980
Detroit Lions 1971–1981 1 1979 1979 tie
Detroit Lions 2000–2010 6 2001–2003, 2006, 2008–2009 2008
10 Philadelphia Eagles 1950–1959 2 1956, 1958 1956
Green Bay Packers 1983–1992 1 1988
Seattle Seahawks 1989–1998 4 1992–1994, 1996 1992 tie
9 Green Bay Packers 1973–1981 2 1976, 1980
Baltimore / Indianapolis Colts 1978–1986 4 1978 - 1979, 1982, 1986 1981 tie, 1982
San Diego Chargers 1983–1991 4 1984, 1986, 1989, 1991
Los Angeles / St. Louis Rams 1990–1998 6 1991–1994, 1997–1998
Arizona Cardinals 1999–2007 4 2000, 2002–2003, 2006 2003 tie
Houston Texans 2002–2010 5 2002–2003, 2005–2007 2005
Jacksonville Jaguars 2008–2016 4 2008–2009, 2012, 2016 2012 tie
8 New York Titans / Jets 1960–1967 2 1962–1963
Houston Oilers 1970–1977 4 1970, 1972–1973, 1976 1972, 1973
San Francisco 49ers 1973–1980 2 1978–1979 1978, 1979 tie
Atlanta Falcons 1983–1990 7 1983–1985, 1987–1990 1987
San Diego Chargers 1996–2003 5 1997–1998, 2000–2001, 2003 2000, 2003 tie
San Francisco 49ers 2003–2010 2 2004–2005 2004
Tennessee Titans 2009–2016 3 2010, 2014–2015 2014 tie, 2015 tie
7 Cleveland Rams 1937–1944 [b] 2 1937, 1941 1937
San Francisco 49ers 1950–1956 0
Oakland Raiders 1960–1966 2 1961–1962 1961, 1962
Minnesota Vikings 1961–1967 3 1961, 1966–1967
Buffalo Bills 1967–1973 2 1968, 1971 1968
Cleveland Browns 1973–1979 3 1974–1975, 1977
Seattle Seahawks 1976–1982 3 1976, 1980–1981
Detroit Lions 1984–1990 1 1987
New England Patriots 1987–1993 2 1990, 1992 1990, 1992 tie
Indianapolis Colts 1988–1994 2 1991, 1993 1991
New Orleans Saints 1993–1999 3 1995–1996, 1999
Miami Dolphins 2009–2015 1 2015
Chicago Bears 2011–2017 4 2014–2017
7 ^ Denver Broncos 2016–2022 4 2017, 2020–2022
6 Chicago Bears 1957–1962 0
Dallas Cowboys 1960–1965 1 1960 1960
St. Louis Cardinals 1976–1981 2 1979, 1981
Houston Oilers 1981–1986 4 1983–1986 1983 tie
Buffalo Bills 1982–1987 2 1984–1985 1984, 1985 tie
Philadelphia Eagles 1982–1987 1 1984
New York Jets 1992–1997 3 1994–1996 1995, 1996
Washington Redskins 1993–1998 2 1993–1994
Los Angeles / Oakland Raiders 1994–1999 0
Chicago Bears 1995–2000 4 1997–2000
Carolina Panthers 1997–2002 2 2001–2002 2001
Miami Dolphins 2002–2007 3 2004, 2006–2007 2007
6 ^ Detroit Lions 2017–2022 4 2018–2021
5 New York Giants 1951–1955 0
Chicago Bears 1951–1955 0
Baltimore Colts 1953–1957 1 1954
Cleveland Browns 1959–1963 0
Buffalo Bills 1975–1979 2 1976–1977
Cincinnati Bengals 1976–1980 3 1978–1980
Washington Redskins 1977–1981 0
Cincinnati Bengals 1983–1987 1 1987
Dallas Cowboys 1986–1990 2 1988, 1989 1988, 1989
Houston / Tennessee Oilers 1994–1998 1 1994 1994
Kansas City Chiefs 1998–2002 1 2002
Washington Redskins 2000–2004 1 2004
Jacksonville Jaguars 2000–2004 0
New Orleans Saints 2001–2005 1 2005
Denver Broncos 2006–2010 1 2010
San Francisco 49ers 2014–2018 3 2015-2017
Arizona Cardinals 2016–2020 2 2018–2019 2018
Cincinnati Bengals 2016–2020 3 2018–2020 2019
New York Giants 2017–2021 3 2017–2018, 2021
Miami Dolphins 2017–2021 1 2019
5 ^ Atlanta Falcons 2018–2022 2 2020; 2022
Carolina Panthers 2018–2022 2 2019, 2021
Seasons Team Drought duration Last Place Seasons League worst win–loss record
during drought
Division or conference last place
finishes during drought
a In 1944, during World War II, Pittsburgh and the Chicago Cardinals were a combined team called Card-Pitt.
b The Cleveland Rams suspended operations in the 1943 season due to World War II.

Most consecutive post-season losses in team history

This is a sortable table of all 32 current NFL teams. Ten teams have multiple losing streaks where they lost an equal number of post season games before breaking the drought.

Updated through the 2022 season.

0^0 Denotes active drought
Team Streak lasted Last win Games Lost Playoff Losses Score Opponent Next win
Arizona Cardinals 51 years 1947 NFL Championship 4 1948 NFL Champ.
1974 Divisional
1975 Divisional
1982 1st Round
0–7
14–30
23–35
16–41
Eagles
Vikings
Rams
Packers
1998 Wild Card
Atlanta Falcons 8 years 2004 Divisional 4 2004 NFC Champ.
2008 Wild Card
2010 Divisional
2011 Wild Card
10–27
24–30
21–48
2–24
Eagles
Cardinals
Packers
Giants
2012 Divisional
Baltimore Ravens
002 (3 loss) streaks
7 years 2001 Wild Card 3 2001 Divisional
2003 Wild Card
2006 Divisional
10–27
17–20
6–15
Steelers
Titans
Colts
2008 Wild Card
5 years 2014 Wild Card 3 2014 Divisional
2018 Wild Card
2019 Divisional
31–35
17–23
12–28
Patriots
Chargers
Titans
2020 Wild Card
Buffalo Bills 24 years 1995 Wild Card 6 1995 Divisional
1996 Wild Card
1998 Wild Card
1999 Wild Card
2017 Wild Card
2019 Wild Card
21–40
27–30
17–24
16–22
3–10
19–22 (OT)
Steelers
Jaguars
Dolphins
Titans
Jaguars
Texans
2020 Wild Card
Carolina Panthers 8 years 2005 Divisional 3 2005 NFC Champ.
2008 Divisional
2013 Divisional
14–34
13–33
10–23
Seahawks
Cardinals
49ers
2014 Wild Card
Chicago Bears ^
002 (3 loss) streaks
12 years 1994 Wild Card 3 1994 Divisional
2001 Divisional
2005 Divisional
15–44
19–33
21–29
49ers
Eagles
Panthers
2006 Divisional
12 years 2010 Divisional 3 2010 NFC Champ.
2018 Wild Card
2020 Wild Card
14–21
15–16
9–21
Packers
Eagles
Saints
TBD
Cincinnati Bengals 31 years 1990 Wild Card 8 1990 Divisional
2005 Wild Card
2009 Wild Card
2011 Wild Card
2012 Wild Card
2013 Wild Card
2014 Wild Card
2015 Wild Card
10–20
17–31
14–24
10–31
13–19
10–27
10–26
16–18
Raiders
Steelers
Jets
Texans
Texans
Chargers
Colts
Steelers
2021 Wild Card
Cleveland Browns 17 years 1969 Divisional 6 1969 NFL Champ.
1971 Divisional
1972 Divisional
1980 Divisional
1982 1st Round
1985 Divisional
7–27
3–20
14–20
12–14
10–27
21–24
Vikings
Colts
Dolphins
Raiders
Raiders
Dolphins
1986 Divisional
Dallas Cowboys 13 years 1996 Wild Card 6 1996 Divisional
1998 Wild Card
1999 Wild Card
2003 Wild Card
2006 Wild Card
2007 Divisional
17–26
7–20
10–27
10–29
20–21
17–21
Panthers
Cardinals
Vikings
Panthers
Seahawks
Giants
2009 Wild Card
Denver Broncos 9 years 1977 AFC Championship 5 Super Bowl XII
1978 Divisional
1979 Wild Card
1983 Wild Card
1984 Divisional
10–27
10–33
7–13
7–31
17–24
Cowboys
Steelers
Oilers
Seahawks
Steelers
1986 Divisional
Detroit Lions^ 31 years 1991 Divisional 9 1991 NFC Champ.
1993 Wild Card
1994 Wild Card
1995 Wild Card
1997 Wild Card
1999 Wild Card
2011 Wild Card
2014 Wild Card
2016 Wild Card
10–41
24–28
12–16
37–58
10–20
13–27
28–45
20–24
6–26
Redskins
Packers
Packers
Eagles
Buccaneers
Redskins
Saints
Cowboys
Seahawks
TBD
Green Bay Packers
006 (2 loss) streaks
4 years 1997 NFC Championship 2 Super Bowl XXXII
1998 Wild Card
24–31
27–30
Broncos
49ers
2001 Wild Card
2 years 2001 Wild Card 2 2001 Divisional
2002 Wild Card
17–45
7–27
Rams
Falcons
2003 Wild Card
4 years 2003 Wild Card 2 2003 Divisional
2004 Wild Card
17–20 (OT)
17–31
Eagles
Vikings
2007 Divisional
3 years 2007 Divisional 2 2007 NFC Champ.
2009 Wild Card
20–23 (OT)
45–51 (OT)
Giants
Cardinals
2010 Wild Card
2 years 2012 Wild Card 2 2012 Divisional
2013 Wild Card
31–45
20–23
49ers
49ers
2014 Divisional
2 years 2020 Divisional 2 2020 NFC Champ.
2021 Divisional
26–31
10–13
Buccaneers
49ers
TBD
Houston Texans
002 (2 loss) streaks
4 years 2012 Wild Card 2 2012 Divisional
2015 Wild Card
28–41
0–30
Patriots
Chiefs
2016 Wild Card
2 years 2016 Wild Card 2 2016 Divisional
2018 Wild Card
16–34
7–21
Patriots
Colts
2019 Wild Card
Indianapolis Colts
002 (5 loss) streaks
24 years 1971 Divisional 5 1971 AFC Champ.
1975 Divisional
1976 Divisional
1977 Divisional
1987 Divisional
0–21
10–28
14–40
31–37 (2OT)
21–38
Dolphins
Steelers
Steelers
Raiders
Browns
1995 Wild Card
8 years 1995 Divisional 5 1995 AFC Champ.
1996 Wild Card
1999 Divisional
2000 Wild Card
2002 Wild Card
16–20
14–42
16–19
17–23 (OT)
0–41
Steelers
Steelers
Titans
Dolphins
Jets
2003 Wild Card
Jacksonville Jaguars
002 (2 loss) streaks
2 years 1996 Divisional 2 1996 AFC Champ.
1997 Wild Card
6–20
17–42
Patriots
Broncos
1998 Wild Card
8 years 1999 Divisional 2 1999 AFC Champ.
2005 Wild Card
14–33
3–28
Titans
Patriots
2007 Wild Card
Kansas City Chiefs 21 years 1993 Divisional 8 1993 AFC Champ.
1994 Wild Card
1995 Divisional
1997 Divisional
2003 Divisional
2006 Wild Card
2010 Wild Card
2013 Wild Card
13–30
17–27
7–10
10–14
31–38
8–23
7–30
44–45
Bills
Dolphins
Colts
Broncos
Colts
Colts
Ravens
Colts
2015 Wild Card
Las Vegas Raiders ^ 20 years 2002 AFC Championship 3 Super Bowl XXXVIII
2016 Wild Card
2021 Wild Card
21–48
14–27
19–26
Buccaneers
Texans
Bengals
TBD
Los Angeles Chargers 13 years 1994 AFC Championship 4 Super Bowl XXIX
1995 Wild Card
2004 Wild Card
2006 Divisional
26–49
20–35
17–20 (OT)
21–24
49ers
Colts
Jets
Patriots
2007 Wild Card
Los Angeles Rams 23 years 1951 NFL Championship 5 1952 Nat. Conf.
1955 NFL Champ.
1967 NFL W Conf.
1969 NFL W Conf.
1973 Divisional
21–31
14–38
7–28
20–23
16–27
Lions
Browns
Packers
Vikings
Cowboys
1974 Divisional
Miami Dolphins ^ 22 years 2000 Wild Card 5 2000 Divisional
2001 Wild Card
2008 Wild Card
2016 Wild Card
2022 Wild Card
0–27
3–20
9–27
12–30
31–34
Raiders
Ravens
Ravens
Steelers
Bills
TBD
Minnesota Vikings 9 years 1988 Wild Card 6 1988 Divisional
1989 Divisional
1992 Wild Card
1993 Wild Card
1994 Wild Card
1996 Wild Card
9–34
13–41
7–24
10–17
18–35
15–45
49ers
49ers
Redskins
Giants
Bears
Cowboys
1997 Wild Card
New England Patriots 22 years 1963 Divisional 4 1963 AFL Champ.
1976 Divisional
1978 Divisional
1982 1st Round
10–51
21–24
14–31
13–28
Chargers
Raiders
Oilers
Dolphins
1985 Wild Card
New Orleans Saints 32 years 1967 Enfranchised
No Playoff Wins
until 2000
4 1987 Wild Card
1990 Wild Card
1991 Wild Card
1992 Wild Card
10–44
6–16
20–27
20–36
Vikings
Bears
Falcons
Eagles
2000 Wild Card
New York Giants 18 years 1938 NFL Championship 6 1939 NFL Champ.
1941 NFL Champ.
1943 East Divisional
1944 NFL Champ.
1946 NFL Champ.
1950 Am. Conf.
0–27
9–37
0–28
7–14
14–24
3–8
Packers
Bears
Redskins
Packers
Bears
Browns
1956 NFL Championship
New York Jets
005 (2 loss) streaks
14 years 1968
Super Bowl III
2 1969 AFL Divisional
1981 Wild Card
6–13
27–31
Chiefs
Bills
1982 First Round
4 years 1982 2nd Round 2 1982 AFC Champ.
1985 Wild Card
0–14
14–26
Dolphins
Patriots
1986 Wild Card
12 years 1986 Wild Card 2 1986 Divisional
1991 Wild Card
20–23 (2OT)
10–17
Browns
Oilers
1998 Divisional
4 years 1998 Divisional 2 1998 AFC Champ.
2001 Wild Card
10–23
24–38
Broncos
Raiders
2002 Wild Card
5 years 2004 Wild Card 2 2004 Divisional
2006 Wild Card
17–20 (OT)
16–37
Steelers
Patriots
2009 Wild Card
Philadelphia Eagles 12 years 1980 NFC Championship 5 Super Bowl XV
1981 Wild Card
1988 Divisional
1989 Wild Card
1990 Wild Card
10–27
21–27
12–20
7–21
6–20
Raiders
Giants
Bears
Rams
Redskins
1992 Wild Card
Pittsburgh Steelers ^ 6 years 2016 Divisional 4 2016 AFC Champ.
2017 Divisional
2020 Wild Card
2021 Wild Card
17–36
42–45
37–48
21–42
Patriots
Jaguars
Browns
Chiefs
TBD
San Francisco 49ers 4 years 1984
Super Bowl XIX
3 1985 Wild Card
1986 Divisional
1987 Divisional
3–17
3–49
24–36
Giants
Giants
Vikings
1988 Divisional
Seattle Seahawks 21 years 1984 Wild Card 6 1984 Divisional
1987 Wild Card
1988 Divisional
1999 Wild Card
2003 Wild Card
2004 Wild Card
10–31
20–23 (OT)
13–21
17–20
27–33 (OT)
20–27
Dolphins
Oilers
Bengals
Dolphins
Packers
Rams
2005 Divisional
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
002 (3 loss) streaks
18 years 1979 Divisional 3 1979 NFC Champ.
1981 Divisional
1982 1st Round
0–9
0–38
17–30
Rams
Cowboys
Cowboys
1997 Wild Card
3 years 1999 Divisional 3 1999 NFC Champ.
2000 Wild Card
2001 Wild Ward
6–11
3–21
9–31
Rams
Eagles
Eagles
2002 Divisional
Tennessee Titans
005 (3 loss) streaks
17 years 1961 AFL Championship 3 1962 AFL Champ.
1967 AFL Champ.
1969 AFL Divisional
17–20 (2OT)
7–40
7–56
Dallas Texans
Raiders
Raiders
1978 Wild Card
3 years 1988 Wild Card 3 1988 Divisional
1989 Wild Card
1990 Wild Card
10–17
23–26 (OT)
14–41
Bills
Steelers
Bengals
1991 Wild Card
8 years 1991 Wild Card 3 1991 Divisional
1992 Wild Card
1993 Divisional
24–26
38–41 (OT)
20–28
Broncos
Bills
Chiefs
1999 Wild Card
13 years 2003 Wild Card 3 2003 Divisional
2007 Wild Card
2008 Divisional
14–17
6–17
10–13
Patriots
Chargers
Ravens
2017 Wild Card
3 years 2019 Divisional 3 2019 AFC Champ.
2020 Wild Card
2021 Divisional
24–35
13–20
16–19
Chiefs
Ravens
Bengals
TBD
Washington Commanders ^ 17 years 2005 Wild Card 5 2005 Divisional
2007 Wild Card
2012 Wild Card
2015 Wild Card
2020 Wild Card
10–20
14–35
14–24
18–35
23–31
Seahawks
Seahawks
Seahawks
Packers
Buccaneers
TBD
Team Streak lasted Last win Games Lost Playoff Games Score Opponent Next win

Longest post-season droughts in team history

Note that the NFL did not institute a permanent playoff tournament until 1967 and that the NFL Championship Game and any impromptu one-game playoffs (played only in the event of a tie atop the division standings) were the only postseason matchups in this era. The Bert Bell Benefit Bowl (aka the Playoff Bowl; 1960–1969) is considered an exhibition game for the purpose of this list.

Updated through the 2022-23 playoffs

0^0 Denotes active streak

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Season Index". pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  2. ^ "NFL Playoff Picture". National Football League. November 5, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Super Bowl List". pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  4. ^ Also won Super Bowl III pre NFL-AFL merger