List of NFL franchise post-season droughts
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.
As of the 2018 NFL season, every active NFL team has 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 (4) are expansion franchises younger than the Super Bowl itself (Bengals, Panthers, Jaguars, and the Texans). The Falcons began playing during the season in which the Super Bowl was first played. The seven (7) other 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 league title, leaving them and the Falcons as the only two teams to have existed for as long as or longer than the Super Bowl that have never secured the highest championship available to them. The longest drought since a championship of any kind is that of the Cardinals, at 72 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 21 years ago, they have only made the playoffs once, 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
Updated through the 2019–20 playoffs
| ^ | Longest drought in team history |
Playoff game victory droughts
Updated through the 2019–20 Playoffs
Sortable table, click on header arrows.
| ^ | Longest drought in team history |
| † | Tied for longest drought in team history |
| ♦ | Most consecutive losses in team history |
| ¤ | Tied for most consecutive losses in team history |
| ♣ ♣ | Most consecutive losses in NFL history |
| Seasons Since Win |
Team | Last playoff game win | Loss Streak |
Playoff Losses - Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | Cincinnati Bengals ^ | 1990 AFC Wild Card | 8 ♦ | 1990 Divisional - Los Angeles Raiders 2005 Wild Card - Pittsburgh 2009 Wild Card - New York Jets 2011 Wild Card - Houston 2012 Wild Card - Houston 2013 Wild Card - San Diego 2014 Wild Card - Indianapolis 2015 Wild Card - Pittsburgh |
| 28 | 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 |
| 24 | Buffalo Bills ^ | 1995 AFC Wild Card | 6 ♦ | 1995 Divisional - Pittsburgh 1996 Wild Card - Jacksonville 1998 Wild Card - Miami 1999 Wild Card - Tennessee 2017 Wild Card - Jacksonville 2019 Wild Card - Houston |
| 22** | Cleveland Browns [a] | 1994 AFC Wild Card | 2 | 1994 Divisional - Pittsburgh 2002 Wild Card - Pittsburgh[a] |
| 19 | Miami Dolphins ^ | 2000 AFC Wild Card | 4 ¤ | 2000 Divisional - Oakland 2001 Wild Card - Baltimore 2008 Wild Card - Baltimore 2016 Wild Card - Pittsburgh |
| 17 | Las Vegas Raiders ^ | 2002 AFC Championship | 2 ¤ | 2002 Super Bowl - Tampa Bay 2016 Wild Card - Houston |
| 17 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers † | Super Bowl XXXVII | 2 | 2005 Wild Card - Washington 2007 Wild Card - New York Giants |
| 14 | Washington Football Team | 2005 NFC Wild Card | 4 ¤ | 2005 Divisional - Seattle 2007 Wild Card - Seattle 2012 Wild Card - Seattle 2015 Wild Card - Green Bay |
| 9 | New York Jets | 2010 AFC Divisional | 1 | 2010 AFC Championship - Pittsburgh |
| 9 | Chicago Bears | 2010 NFC Divisional | 2 | 2010 NFC Championship - Green Bay 2018 Wild Card - Philadelphia |
| 8 | New York Giants | Super Bowl XLVI | 1 | 2016 Wild Card - Green Bay |
| 5 | Baltimore Ravens | 2014 AFC Wild Card | 3 ¤ | 2014 Divisional - New England 2018 Wild Card - Los Angeles Chargers 2019 Divisional - Tennessee |
| 4 | Arizona Cardinals | 2015 NFC Divisional | 1 | 2015 NFC Championship - Carolina |
| 4 | Carolina Panthers | 2015 NFC Championship | 2 | 2015 Super Bowl - Denver 2017 Wild Card - New Orleans |
| 4 | Denver Broncos | Super Bowl 50 | 0 | 3-game win streak |
| 3 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 2016 AFC Divisional | 2 | 2016 AFC Championship - New England 2017 Divisional - Jacksonville |
| 2 | Atlanta Falcons | 2017 NFC Wild Card | 1 | 2017 Divisional - Philadelphia |
| 2 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 2017 AFC Divisional | 1 | 2017 AFC Championship - New England |
| 1 | Indianapolis Colts | 2018 AFC Wild Card | 1 | 2018 Divisional - Kansas City |
| 1 | Los Angeles Chargers | 2018 AFC Wild Card | 1 | 2018 Divisional - New England |
| 1 | Dallas Cowboys | 2018 NFC Wild Card | 1 | 2018 Divisional - Los Angeles Rams |
| 1 | Philadelphia Eagles | 2018 NFC Wild Card | 2 | 2018 Divisional - New Orleans 2019 Wild Card - Seattle |
| 1 | New Orleans Saints | 2018 NFC Divisional | 2 | 2018 NFC Championship - Los Angeles Rams 2019 Wild Card - Minnesota |
| 1 | Los Angeles Rams | 2018 NFC Championship | 1 | 2018 Super Bowl - New England |
| 1 | New England Patriots | Super Bowl LIII | 1 | 2019 Wild Card - Tennessee |
| 2019 Playoff | Winners | |||
| 0 | Houston Texans | 2019 AFC Wild Card | 1 | 2019 Divisional - Kansas City |
| 0 | Minnesota Vikings | 2019 NFC Wild Card | 1 | 2019 Divisional - San Francisco |
| 0 | Seattle Seahawks | 2019 NFC Wild Card | 1 | 2019 Divisional - Green Bay |
| 0 | Tennessee Titans | 2019 AFC Divisional | 1 | 2019 AFC Championship - Kansas City |
| 0 | Green Bay Packers | 2019 NFC Divisional | 1 | 2019 NFC Championship - San Francisco |
| 0 | San Francisco 49ers | 2019 NFC Championship | 1 | 2019 Super Bowl - Kansas City |
| 0 | Kansas City Chiefs | Super Bowl LIV | 0 | 3-game win streak |
| Seasons Since Win |
Team | Last playoff game win | Loss Streak |
Playoff Losses - Teams |
a Franchise dormant 1996–1998. Since returning team is 0-1 in playoffs.
AFC/NFC Championship game appearance droughts
This is also a list of the last time a particular club won a Divisional playoff game.
| ^ | Longest drought in team history |
| † | Tied for longest drought in team history |
| Seasons | Team | Last appearance in Conference Championship Game |
Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Cincinnati Bengals ^ | 1988 AFC | Won vs. Buffalo |
| 28 | Washington Football Team ^[a] | 1991 NFC | Won vs. Detroit |
| 28 | Detroit Lions ^ | 1991 NFC | Lost vs. Washington |
| 27 [b] | Cleveland Browns ^ | 1989 AFC | Lost vs. Denver |
| 27 | Miami Dolphins ^ | 1992 AFC | Lost vs. Buffalo |
| 26 | Buffalo Bills ^ | 1993 AFC | Won vs. Kansas City |
| 24 | Dallas Cowboys ^ | 1995 NFC | Won vs. Green Bay |
| 18 | Houston Texans ^ | Never | — |
| 17 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2002 NFC | Won vs. Philadelphia |
| 17 | Las Vegas Raiders ^[c] | 2002 AFC | Won vs. Tennessee |
| 12 | Los Angeles Chargers †[d] | 2007 AFC | Lost vs. New England |
| 9 | New York Jets | 2010 AFC | Lost vs. Pittsburgh |
| 9 | Chicago Bears | 2010 NFC | Lost vs. Green Bay |
| 8 | New York Giants | 2011 NFC | Won vs. San Francisco |
| 7 | Baltimore Ravens ↑ | 2012 AFC | Won vs. New England |
| 5 | Indianapolis Colts | 2014 AFC | Lost vs. New England |
| 5 | Seattle Seahawks | 2014 NFC | Won vs. Green Bay |
| 4 | Denver Broncos | 2015 AFC | Won vs. New England |
| 4 | Arizona Cardinals | 2015 NFC | Lost vs. Carolina |
| 4 | Carolina Panthers | 2015 NFC | Won vs. Arizona |
| 3 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 2016 AFC | Lost vs. New England |
| 3 | Atlanta Falcons | 2016 NFC | Won vs. Green Bay |
| 2 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 2017 AFC | Lost vs. New England |
| 2 | Minnesota Vikings | 2017 NFC | Lost vs. Philadelphia |
| 2 | Philadelphia Eagles | 2017 NFC | Won vs. Minnesota |
| 1 | New England Patriots | 2018 AFC | Won vs. Kansas City |
| 1 | New Orleans Saints | 2018 NFC | Lost vs. Los Angeles Rams |
| 1 | Los Angeles Rams | 2018 NFC | Won vs. New Orleans |
| 2019 Conference Finalists | |||
| 0 | Tennessee Titans | 2019 AFC | Lost vs. Kansas City |
| 0 | Green Bay Packers | 2019 NFC | Lost vs. San Francisco |
| 0 | Kansas City Chiefs | 2019 AFC | Won vs. Tennessee |
| 0 | San Francisco 49ers | 2019 NFC | Won vs. Green Bay |
- a The Washington Football Team last appeared in the NFC Championship game as the Washington Redskins.
- b The Browns were dormant from 1996–1998. Since returning 21 years ago, the Browns have never played in an AFC Championship Game.
- c The Las Vegas Raiders last appeared in the AFC Championship game as the Oakland Raiders.
- d The Los Angeles Chargers last appeared in the AFC Championship game as the San Diego Chargers.
Super Bowl or NFL Championship appearance droughts
- a The Browns were dormant from 1996–1998. Since returning 19 seasons ago, Cleveland has never appeared in a Super Bowl.
- b The Washington Football Team last appeared in the Super Bowl as the Washington Redskins.
- c The Los Angeles Chargers last appeared in the Super Bowl as the San Diego Chargers.
- d The Las Vegas Raiders last appeared in the Super Bowl as the Oakland Raiders.
Super Bowl win droughts
This list also counts all seasons since a team last won the league championship.
- a Team won as the Chicago Cardinals in 1947.
- b Team won as the Houston Oilers in 1961.
- c Team won as the San Diego Chargers in 1963.
- d Browns suspended operations from 1996–1998. Since returning to the league, they have never appeared in or won a Super Bowl.
- e Super Bowl winner was not the NFL league champion till after 1970 merger (Super Bowl V).
- f Team won Super Bowl XVIII as the Los Angeles Raiders.
- g Team won Super Bowl XXXVI as the Washington Redskins.
- h Team won Super Bowl XXXIV as the St. Louis Rams.
Super Bowl crown droughts by division
| Division | Last Super Bowl crown | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| AFC South | XLI — Colts | 13 |
| NFC South | XLIV — Saints | 10 |
| NFC North | XLV — Packers | 9 |
| AFC North | XLVII — Ravens | 8 |
| NFC West | XLVIII — Seahawks | 6 |
| NFC East | LII — Eagles | 2 |
| AFC East | LIII — Patriots | 1 |
| AFC West | LIV — Chiefs | 0 |
Cities/regions awaiting first Super Bowl crown
Listed according to seasons waited.
Current NFL cities/regions only.
| City/region | Seasons waited | Conference Title(s) | Team(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | 54 | None | Detroit Lions (1966–present) | Played in the 1991 NFC Championship Game. Last NFL Championship won in 1957. |
| Buffalo | 54 | 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 | 54 | 1998, 2016 | Atlanta Falcons (1966–present) | Played in Super Bowls XXXIII and LI. |
| Minneapolis–St. Paul | 54 | 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 | 52 | 1981, 1988 | Cincinnati Bengals (1968–present) | Played in Super Bowls XVI and XXIII. Previous NFL team, the Cincinnati Celts, never won an NFL title. |
| Cleveland | 51 | None | Cleveland Browns (1966–1995, 1999–present) | Played in the 1986, 1987, and 1989 AFC Championship Games. Last NFL Championship won in 1964 (pre-merger). |
| Houston | 49 | None | 31 Oilers seasons (1966–1996) and 18 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). |
| Phoenix | 32 | 2008 | Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals (1988–present) | Played in Super Bowl XLIII. |
| Jacksonville | 25 | None | Jacksonville Jaguars (1995–present) | Played in the 1996, 1999 and 2017 AFC Championship Games. |
| Charlotte | 25 | 2003, 2015 | Carolina Panthers (1995–present) | Played in Super Bowls XXXVIII and 50. |
| Nashville | 22 | 1999 | Tennessee Oilers/Titans (1998–present) | Played in Super Bowl XXXIV. |
| Las Vegas | 0 | None | Las Vegas Raiders (relocated in 2020) |
Division title droughts
Listed according to seasons waited. Updated through the 2019 season.
| ^ | Longest drought in team history |
**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.
Updated through the divisional games.
| Team | Wild Card [a] appearances | Divisional [b] appearances | Conference Championship appearances | Super Bowl appearances | Fewest wins short of Super Bowl title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 14 | 23 | 9 | 4 | 1 win short: 1969, 1973, 1974, 1976 |
| Buffalo Bills | 8 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 win short: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 9 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 win short: 1981, 1988 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 8 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 win short: 1998, 2016 |
| Carolina Panthers | 4 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 win short: 2003, 2015 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 8 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1 win short: 1994 |
| Tennessee Titans | 14 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 1 win short: 1999 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 win short: 2008 |
| Cleveland Browns | 4 | 8 | 6 | 2 wins short: 1968, 1969, 1986, 1987, 1989 | |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 6 | 5 | 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 |
NFL Championship Game in which neither team had previously won a championship
In these instances, the matchup ensured that one team would win the first NFL or AFL playoff championship in its history.
| ♦ | Drought Continues |
| ^ | Both Teams in 1st Title game |
| Season - Super Bowl # | Won | Lost | Number of years till drought ended |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 - XVI ^ | San Francisco 49ers | Cincinnati Bengals ♦ | 38 |
| 1971 - VI | Dallas Cowboys | Miami Dolphins | 1 |
| 1963 AFL | San Diego Chargers | Boston Patriots | 38 |
| 1960 AFL ^ | Houston Oilers | Los Angeles Chargers | 3 |
| 1947 ^ | Chicago Cardinals | Philadelphia Eagles | 1 |
| 1936 ^ | Green Bay Packers | Boston Redskins | 1 |
| 1933 ^ | Chicago Bears | New York Giants | 1 |
Super Bowl Game in which neither team had previously won a Super Bowl
In these instances, the matchup ensured that one team would win the first Super Bowl championship in its history.
| ♦ | Drought Continues |
| ^ | Both Teams in 1st Super Bowl |
| Season - Super Bowl # | Won | Lost | Number of years till drought ended |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 - XXXIV | St. Louis Rams | Tennessee Titans ♦ | 20 |
| 1986 - XXI | New York Giants | Denver Broncos | 11 |
| 1985 - XX ^ | Chicago Bears | New England Patriots | 16 |
| 1981 - XVI ^ | San Francisco 49ers | Cincinnati Bengals ♦ | 38 |
| 1976 - XI | Oakland Raiders | Minnesota Vikings ♦ | 50 |
| 1974 - IX | Pittsburgh Steelers | Minnesota Vikings ♦ | 50 |
| 1972 - VII | Miami Dolphins | Washington Redskins | 10 |
| 1971 - VI | Dallas Cowboys | Miami Dolphins | 1 |
| 1970 - V | Baltimore Colts | Dallas Cowboys | 1 |
| 1969 - IV | Kansas City Chiefs | Minnesota Vikings ♦ | 50 |
| 1968 - III ^ | New York Jets | Baltimore Colts | 2 |
| 1966 - I ^ | Green Bay Packers | Kansas City Chiefs | 3 |
Playoff droughts of 5 plus seasons
- Updated through the 2019 season.
- 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
- Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders
| ^ | Denotes active streak |
| Last place NFL finishes | Last place AFL finishes (1960–1969) |
| 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 |
| 25 | Chicago / St. Louis Cardinals | 1949–1973 | 5 | 1951, 1953–1954, 1957, 1959 | 1953, 1954, 1957 tie, 1959 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 tie, 1980 |
| 17 | Denver Broncos | 1960–1976 | 8 | 1960, 1963–1967, 1970–1971 | 1960, 1963, 1964, 1965 tie, 1967 |
| 17 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1961–1977 | 7 | 1962–1963, 1968–1970, 1972, 1975 | 1968 tie |
| 17 | New York Giants | 1964–1980 | 9 | 1964, 1966, 1971, 1973–1974, 1976–1978, 1980 | 1964, 1966, 1974 tie |
| 17 | Buffalo Bills | 2000–2016 | 8 | 2001–2002, 2008–2013 | — |
| 17 ^ | 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 |
| 15 | Green Bay Packers | 1945–1959 | 4 | 1949, 1953, 1957, 1958 | 1957 tie, 1958 |
| 15 | 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] |
| 14 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1933–1946 | 5 | 1935–1937, 1940, 1942 | 1935, 1936, 1940 |
| 14 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1972–1985 | 5 | 1977–1979, 1983, 1985 | 1977 tie |
| 14 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1983–1996 | 8 | 1983, 1985–1986, 1989, 1991, 1993–1995 | 1983 tie, 1985 tie, 1986 |
| 14 | 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 |
| 13 | San Diego Chargers | 1966–1978 | 3 | 1972–1973, 1975 | 1975 tie |
| 13 | Oakland Raiders | 2003–2015 | 6 | 2004–2007, 2013–2014 | 2003 tie, 2006 |
| 12 | Detroit Lions | 1958–1969 | 2 | 1966, 1968 | — |
| 12 | San Francisco 49ers | 1958–1969 | 3 | 1963–1964, 1969 | 1963 |
| 12 | Boston / New England Patriots | 1964–1975 | 4 | 1967, 1970, 1972, 1975 | 1970 |
| 12 | Atlanta Falcons | 1966–1977 | 3 | 1967–1968, 1974 | 1967, 1968 tie |
| 12 | St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams | 2005–2016 | 6 | 2007–2009, 2011, 2013–2014 | 2009, 2011 tie |
| 12 ^ | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2008–2019 | 8 | 2009, 2011–2015, 2017–2018 | 2014 tie |
| 11 | Los Angeles Rams | 1956–1966 | 4 | 1956, 1959, 1962, 1965 | 1959 tie, 1962 |
| 11 | New York Jets | 1970–1980 | 1 | 1980 | — |
| 11 | Detroit Lions | 1971–1981 | 1 | 1979 | 1979 tie |
| 11 | Detroit Lions | 2000–2010 | 6 | 2001–2003, 2006, 2008–2009 | 2008 |
| 10 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1950–1959 | 2 | 1956, 1958 | 1956 |
| 10 | Green Bay Packers | 1983–1992 | 1 | 1988 | — |
| 10 | Seattle Seahawks | 1989–1998 | 4 | 1992–1994, 1996 | 1992 tie |
| 9 | Green Bay Packers | 1973–1981 | 2 | 1976, 1980 | — |
| 9 | Baltimore / Indianapolis Colts | 1978–1986 | 4 | 1978 - 1979, 1982, 1986 | 1981 tie, 1982 |
| 9 | San Diego Chargers | 1983–1991 | 4 | 1984, 1986, 1989, 1991 | — |
| 9 | Los Angeles / St. Louis Rams | 1990–1998 | 6 | 1991–1994, 1997–1998 | — |
| 9 | Arizona Cardinals | 1999–2007 | 4 | 2000, 2002–2003, 2006 | 2003 tie |
| 9 | Houston Texans | 2002–2010 | 5 | 2002–2003, 2005–2007 | 2005 |
| 9 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 2008–2016 | 4 | 2008–2009, 2012, 2016 | 2012 tie |
| 9 ^ | New York Jets | 2011–2019 | 4 | 2014, 2016–2018 | — |
| 8 | New York Titans / Jets | 1960–1967 | 2 | 1962–1963 | — |
| 8 | Houston Oilers | 1970–1977 | 4 | 1970, 1972–1973, 1976 | 1972, 1973 |
| 8 | San Francisco 49ers | 1973–1980 | 2 | 1978–1979 | 1978, 1979 tie |
| 8 | Atlanta Falcons | 1983–1990 | 7 | 1983–1985, 1987–1990 | 1987 |
| 8 | San Diego Chargers | 1996–2003 | 5 | 1997–1998, 2000–2001, 2003 | 2000, 2003 tie |
| 8 | San Francisco 49ers | 2003–2010 | 2 | 2004–2005 | 2004 |
| 8 | Tennessee Titans | 2009–2016 | 3 | 2010, 2014–2015 | 2014 tie, 2015 tie |
| 7 | Cleveland Rams | 1937–1944 [b] | 2 | 1937, 1941 | 1937 |
| 7 | San Francisco 49ers | 1950–1956 | 0 | — | — |
| 7 | Oakland Raiders | 1960–1966 | 2 | 1961–1962 | 1961, 1962 |
| 7 | Minnesota Vikings | 1961–1967 | 3 | 1961, 1966–1967 | — |
| 7 | Buffalo Bills | 1967–1973 | 2 | 1968, 1971 | 1968 |
| 7 | Cleveland Browns | 1973–1979 | 3 | 1974–1975, 1977 | — |
| 7 | Seattle Seahawks | 1976–1982 | 3 | 1976, 1980–1981 | — |
| 7 | Detroit Lions | 1984–1990 | 1 | 1987 | — |
| 7 | New England Patriots | 1987–1993 | 2 | 1990, 1992 | 1990, 1992 tie |
| 7 | Indianapolis Colts | 1988–1994 | 2 | 1991, 1993 | 1991 |
| 7 | New Orleans Saints | 1993–1999 | 3 | 1995–1996, 1999 | — |
| 7 | Miami Dolphins | 2009–2015 | 1 | 2015 | — |
| 7 | Chicago Bears | 2011–2017 | 4 | 2014–2017 | — |
| 6 | Chicago Bears | 1957–1962 | 0 | — | — |
| 6 | Dallas Cowboys | 1960–1965 | 1 | 1960 | 1960 |
| 6 | St. Louis Cardinals | 1976–1981 | 2 | 1979, 1981 | — |
| 6 | Houston Oilers | 1981–1986 | 4 | 1983–1986 | 1983 tie |
| 6 | Buffalo Bills | 1982–1987 | 2 | 1984–1985 | 1984, 1985 tie |
| 6 | Philadelphia Eagles | 1982–1987 | 1 | 1984 | — |
| 6 | New York Jets | 1992–1997 | 3 | 1994–1996 | 1995, 1996 |
| 6 | Washington Redskins | 1993–1998 | 2 | 1993–1994 | — |
| 6 | Los Angeles / Oakland Raiders | 1994–1999 | 0 | — | — |
| 6 | Chicago Bears | 1995–2000 | 4 | 1997–2000 | — |
| 6 | Carolina Panthers | 1997–2002 | 2 | 2001–2002 | 2001 |
| 6 | Miami Dolphins | 2002–2007 | 3 | 2004, 2006–2007 | 2007 |
| 5 | New York Giants | 1951–1955 | 0 | — | — |
| 5 | Chicago Bears | 1951–1955 | 0 | — | — |
| 5 | Baltimore Colts | 1953–1957 | 1 | 1954 | — |
| 5 | Cleveland Browns | 1959–1963 | 0 | — | — |
| 5 | Buffalo Bills | 1975–1979 | 2 | 1976–1977 | — |
| 5 | Cincinnati Bengals | 1976–1980 | 3 | 1978–1980 | — |
| 5 | Washington Redskins | 1977–1981 | 0 | — | — |
| 5 | Cincinnati Bengals | 1983–1987 | 1 | 1987 | — |
| 5 | Dallas Cowboys | 1986–1990 | 2 | 1988, 1989 | 1988, 1989 |
| 5 | Houston / Tennessee Oilers | 1994–1998 | 1 | 1994 | 1994 |
| 5 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1998–2002 | 1 | 2002 | — |
| 5 | Washington Redskins | 2000–2004 | 1 | 2004 | — |
| 5 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 2000–2004 | 0 | — | — |
| 5 | New Orleans Saints | 2001–2005 | 1 | 2005 | — |
| 5 | Denver Broncos | 2006–2010 | 1 | 2010 | — |
| 5 | San Francisco 49ers | 2014–2018 | 3 | 2015-2017 | — |
| 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 2019 season.
| ^ | Denotes active drought |
| Team | Streak lasted | Last win | Games Lost | Playoff Losses | Score | Opponent | Next win |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | 51 years | 1947 Championship |
4 | 1948 NFL Champ. 1974 Div. 1975 Div. 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 Div. 2011 Wild Card |
10–27 24–30 21–48 2–24 |
Eagles Cardinals Packers Giants |
2012 Divisional |
| Baltimore Ravens ^ 2 (3 loss) streaks | 7 years | 2001 Wild Card | 3 | 2001 Div. 2003 Wild Card 2006 Div. |
10–27 17–20 6–15 |
Steelers Titans Colts |
2008 Wild Card |
| 5 years | 2014 Wild Card | 3 | 2014 Div. 2018 Wild Card 2019 Div. |
31-35 17-23 12-28 |
Patriots Chargers Titans |
TBD | |
| Buffalo Bills^ | 24 years | 1995 Wild Card | 6 | 1995 Div. 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 |
TBD |
| Carolina Panthers | 8 years | 2005 Divisional | 3 | 2005 NFC Champ. 2008 Div. 2013 Div. |
14–34 13–33 10–23 |
Seahawks Cardinals 49ers |
2014 Wild Card |
| Chicago Bears | 12 years | 1994 Wild Card | 3 | 1994 Div. 2001 Div. 2005 Div. |
15–44 19–33 21–29 |
49ers Eagles Panthers |
2006 Divisional |
| Cincinnati Bengals^ | 29 years | 1990 Wild Card | 8 | 1990 Div. 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 |
TBD |
| Cleveland Browns | 17 years | 1969 Divisional | 6 | 1969 NFL Champ. 1971 Div. 1972 Div. 1980 Div. 1982 1st Round 1985 Div. |
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 Div. 1998 Wild Card 1999 Wild Card 2003 Wild Card 2006 Wild Card 2007 Div. |
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 Conference Championship | 5 | Super Bowl XII 1978 Div. 1979 Wild Card 1983 Wild Card 1984 Div. |
10–27 10–33 7–13 7–31 17–24 |
Cowboys Steelers Oilers Seahawks Steelers |
1986 Divisional |
| Detroit Lions^ | 28 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 5 (2 loss) streaks | 4 years | 1997 Conference Championship | 2 | Super Bowl XXXII 1998 Wild Card |
24–31 27–30 |
Broncos 49ers |
2001 Wild Card |
| 2 years | 2001 Wild Card | 2 | 2001 Div. 2002 Wild Card |
17–45 7–27 |
Rams Falcons |
2003 Wild Card | |
| 4 years | 2003 Wild Card | 2 | 2003 Div. 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 Div. 2013 Wild Card |
31–45 20–23 |
49ers 49ers |
2014 Divisional | |
| Houston Texans 2 (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 | 8-10 7–21 | Patriots Colts | 2019 Wild Card | |
| Indianapolis Colts 2 (5 loss) streaks | 24 years | 1971 Divisional | 5 | 1971 AFC Champ. 1975 Div. 1976 Div. 1977 Div. 1987 Div. |
0–21 10–28 14–40 31–37 (2 OT) 21–38 |
Dolphins Steelers Steelers Raiders Browns |
1995 Wild Card |
| 8 years | 1995 Divisional | 5 | 1995 AFC Champ. 1996 Wild Card 1999 Div. 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 2 (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 Div. 1997 Div. 2003 Div. 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 ^ 4 (2 loss) streaks | 3 years | 1970 Divisional | 2 | 1970 AFC Champ. 1972 Div. |
17–27 7–13 |
Colts Steelers |
1973 Divisional |
| 7 years | 1983 Super Bowl XVIII | 2 | 1984 Wild Card 1985 Div. |
7–13 20–27 |
Seahawks Patriots |
1990 Divisional | |
| 3 years | 1990 Divisional | 2 | 1990 AFC Champ. 1991 Wild Card |
3–51 6–10 |
Bills Chiefs |
1993 Wild Card | |
| 17 years | 2002 AFC Championship | 2 | Super Bowl XXXVIII 2016 Wild Card |
24-41 14-27 |
Bucs Texans |
TBD | |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 13 years | 1994 AFC Championship | 4 | Super Bowl XXIX 1995 Wild Card 2004 Wild Card 2006 Div. |
26–49 20–35 17–20 (OT) 21–24 |
49ers Colts Jets Patriots |
2007 Wild Card |
| Los Angeles Rams | 23 years | 1951 Championship | 5 | 1952 Nat. Conf. 1955 NFL Champ. 1967 NFL W Conf. 1969 NFL W Conf. 1973 Div. |
21–31 14–38 7–28 20–23 16–27 |
Lions Browns Packers Vikings Cowboys |
1974 Divisional |
| Miami Dolphins ^ 2 (4 loss) streaks | 9 years | 1973 Super Bowl | 4 | 1974 Div. 1978 Wild Card 1979 Div. 1981 Div. |
26–28 9–17 14–34 38–41 (OT) |
Raiders Oilers Steelers Chargers |
1982 First Round |
| 19 years | 2000 Wild Card | 4 | 2000 Div. 2001 Wild Card 2008 Wild Card 2016 Wild Card |
0–27 3–20 9–27 12–30 |
Raiders Ravens Ravens Steelers |
TBD | |
| Minnesota Vikings | 9 years | 1988 Wild Card | 6 | 1988 Div. 1989 Div. 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 Div. 1978 Div. 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 till 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 Championship | 6 | 1939 NFL Champ. 1941 NFL Champ. 1943 East Div. 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 Championship |
| New York Jets 5 (2 loss) streaks | 14 years | 1968 Super Bowl III | 2 | 1969 AFL Div. 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 Div. 1991 Wild Card |
20–23 (2 OT) 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 Conference Championship | 5 | Super Bowl XV 1981 Wild Card 1988 Div. 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 2 (3 loss) streaks | 5 years | 1989 Wild Card | 3 | 1989 Div. 1992 Div. 1993 Wild Card |
23–24 3–24 24–27 |
Broncos Bills Chiefs |
1994 Divisional |
| 4 years | 2010 AFC Championship | 3 | Super Bowl XLV 2011 Wild Card 2014 Wild Card | 25–31 23–29 17–30 | Packers Broncos Ravens | 2015 Wild Card | |
| San Francisco 49ers | 4 years | 1984 Super Bowl XIX | 3 | 1985 Wild Card 1986 Div. 1987 Div. |
3–17 3–49 24–36 |
Giants Giants Vikings |
1988 Divisional |
| Seattle Seahawks | 21 years | 1984 Wild Card | 6 | 1984 Div. 1987 Wild Card 1988 Div. 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 2 (3 loss) streaks | 18 years | 1979 Divisional | 3 | 1979 NFC Champ. 1981 Div. 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 Card |
6–11 3–21 9–31 |
Rams Eagles Eagles |
2002 Divisional | |
| Tennessee Titans 4 (3 loss) streaks | 17 years | 1961 AFL Championship | 3 | 1962 AFL Champ. 1967 AFL Champ. 1969 AFL Div. |
17–20 (2 OT) 7–40 7–56 |
Dallas Texans Raiders Raiders |
1978 Wild Card |
| 3 years | 1988 Wild Card | 3 | 1988 Div. 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 Div. 2007 Wild Card 2008 Div. |
14–17 6–17 10–13 |
Patriots Chargers Ravens |
2017 Wild Card | |
| Washington Football Team ^ 2 (4 loss) streaks | 10 years | 1972 NFC Championship | 4 | Super Bowl VII 1973 Div. 1974 Div. 1976 Div. |
7–14 20–27 10–19 20–35 |
Dolphins Vikings Rams Vikings |
1982 First Round |
| 14 years | 2005 Wild Card | 4 | 2005 Div. 2007 Wild Card 2012 Wild Card 2015 Wild Card |
10–20 14–35 14–24 18–35 |
Seahawks Seahawks Seahawks Packers |
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 2019 season.
| ^ | Denotes active streak |
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See also
- List of NFL franchise post-season streaks
- List of current National Football League consecutive playoff appearances
- List of last undefeated NFL teams by season
- List of NFL champions (1920–1969)
- List of Super Bowl Champions
- List of Major League Baseball franchise postseason droughts
- List of MLS club post-season droughts
- List of NBA franchise post-season droughts
- List of NHL franchise post-season droughts
References
- "Season Index". pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
- "NFL Playoff Picture". National Football League. November 5, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
- "Super Bowl List". pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
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