Ten NFL teams have either won it all for the first time or snapped a championship drought of at least 20 seasons this century, second-most among the four major North American pro sports leagues behind only Major League Baseball.
But the NFL is running behind Major League Baseball in terms of championships that brought upon a cathartic relief that could be appreciated by even those not rooting for the winners.
The Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox won the World Series for the first time in eight-plus decades in back-to-back seasons in 2004-05 before the San Francisco Giants won the World Series in 2010 — the franchise’s first championship since it was based in New York and Willie Mays patrolled centerfield in 1954 — and the Chicago Cubs ended the most storied drought in sports in 2016, when they won it all for the first time in 108 years.
In the NFL, only the Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs ended droughts that felt epic — and the magnitude of the Colts’ 2006 title, their first since 1970, was amplified because it marked the long-awaited championship breakthrough for Peyton Manning.
The Eagles’ title in 2017 — their first since 1960, six years before the first Super Bowl — inspired a great episode of “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.”
Two years later, the Chiefs finally ended a 50-year dry spell.
The others? Meh.
The Baltimore Ravens won it all just four years after being pried from the loving arms of Cleveland and rebooted. The New England Patriots went from cuddly underdogs with most of the nation rooting for them and their sixth-round quarterback to snap the franchise’s forever 41-year title drought in February 2002 to the Yankees of the NFL — disliked by everyone but their fans — by the end of their three titles in four years dynasty following the 2005 season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers ended the Patriots’ run by snapping their 26-year drought following the 2005 season with their fifth Super Bowl — tied at the time with the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys for the most all-time.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won it all within 30 years of being founded, the New Orleans Saints did so in their 42nd season and the Seattle Seahawks did so in their 38th season. The Los Angeles Rams’ title in 2021-22 snapped a drought that didn’t feel that old because it began following the Rams’ previous title, won while they were in St. Louis in January 2000.
But the wait might be over. As training camp approaches next month, there are at least five franchises with legitimate championship aspirations — and for whom a long-awaited Super Bowl would bring about a euphoria that would be understood even by those who don’t root for the team (sorry, Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals, maybe you’ll make this list year).
Here’s a look at 10 potential drought-busting candidates along with the long-starved franchise we like best to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy this season. All odds from DraftKings as of June 22.
Buffalo Bills +900 (last won the AFL title in 1965)
The Bills, who won one playoff game in the 26 seasons following their infamous run of four straight Super Bowl losses, are going to be championship contenders for as long as Josh Allen, who just turned 27, remains upright. But with Allen now on his second contract — and Stefon Diggs apparently unhappy with his role in the offense — there is some concern the Bills might have missed their window to unleash the greatest table-crashing celebration in human history.
San Francisco 49ers +1000 (last won in 1994)
This is hard to believe for those of us who grew up with the dynastic 49ers of the ‘80s, but San Francisco has the 15th-longest active championship drought. The 49ers almost broke through in 2012 with Colin Kaepernick and in 2019 with Jimmy Garoppolo and are all-in now with Christian McCaffrey as a do-everything weapon for quarterback whisperer Kyle Shanahan, who got San Francisco to the NFC title game last season with Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy.
Cincinnati Bengals +1100 (never won, founded in 1968)
As with the Bills, the Bengals will be good for however long Joe Burrow plays. But as Burrow closes in on his second contract, the near-miss against the Rams in Super Bowl 56 might be one to particularly lament in Cincinnati, where no one has ever accused Mike Brown of paying the market rate to keep his best players.
Dallas Cowboys +1400 (last won in 1995)
Jerry Jones is the anti-Mike Brown in that he’d likely spend every cent of his billions to finally win a title, or maybe even just make the NFC Championship Game again. But maybe Jones cares too much (and meddles too much) because how else to explain the Cowboys squandering the inexpensive primes of Tony Romo, who was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2003, and his successor Dak Prescott, a fourth-round pick in 2016?
New York Jets +1800 (last won in 1968)
The Jets, who were a competent quarterback away from snapping the longest playoff drought in the NFL last year, are a popular pick to finally end the lengthiest Super Bowl drought of any team with a Lombardi Trophy in its lobby. Acquiring Aaron Rodgers was the no-duh move of the off-season, but he’s 39, hasn’t been great in the playoffs since his one Super Bowl run with the Green Bay Packers and is prone to being, well, a little weird. Plus, those of us in the New York area are doubly skeptical after watching the Mets flail about aimlessly even after signing all the can’t-miss veteran free agents guaranteed to bring them back to the World Series.
Detroit Lions +2200 (last won the NFL title in 1957)
The longest-suffering team in professional sports — the Lions have won ONE PLAYOFF GAME since their most recent championship — is an awfully interesting pick here. The Lions, who won eight of their last 10 games last season and missed out on the last wild card via a tiebreaker with the Seahawks, have selected five players in the top 50 picks over the last two seasons thanks to the Matthew Stafford trade with the Rams. And head coach Dan Campbell seems to be doing a nice job of offering a 21st-century delivery to old-school methodology. With the Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears all in various stages of rebuilding, the NFC Central, at the very least, is there for the taking.
Miami Dolphins +2200 (last won in 1973)
Dan Marino, who made his lone Super Bowl appearance following his first full season as a starter in 1984 and never went back, is the tale of woe that should keep fans of the Bills, Bengals and Los Angeles Chargers (we’re getting to you) awake at night. The Dolphins, who haven’t come close to replacing Marino over the last two-plus decades, might finally have a franchise quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa, but his history of concussions is frightening.
Los Angeles Chargers +2500 (last won the AFL title in 1963)
These seem like low odds for a team led by Justin Herbert, who looks like the next great Chargers QB. But maybe even the oddsmakers are leaning into the perpetually bad vibes for Los Angeles/San Diego/Los Angeles. After all, Dan Fouts and Philip Rivers combined for 102,311 passing yards, 651 touchdowns and no Super Bowl berths for the Chargers, who added to their legacy of misery by blowing a 27-0 lead in their wild card game loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars last season.
Jacksonville Jaguars +2500 (never won, founded in 1995)
It’s hard to see the Jaguars surging to the top of the quarterback-rich AFC this season. But with third-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence under center and a competent Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Pederson strolling the sideline, the Jaguars are an intriguing long-term candidate, especially in a division where they appear to have a clear path to the playoffs for the next few years.
Minnesota Vikings +3500 (never won, founded in 1961)
Only three other teams — the Jets, Lions and Browns — have gone longer without appearing in a Super Bowl than the Vikings, who lost four Super Bowls by an average of more than 15 points apiece from 1969 through 1976 and then just stopped going. That’s living under a bad sign. It’s probably going to be a while longer before the Vikings return, but we can’t rule out a twist ending to the Kirk Cousins Experience and Mr. Anti-Prime Time mounting a shocking run in a conference low on franchise quarterbacks.
THE NEXT DROUGHT-BUSTER: This is a little bit of the heart talking, but the Lions really looked like a team really about to break through last season. Their path to a Super Bowl is cleaner than those of the Bills and Bengals and the rest of the team is strong enough so that Jared Goff, good but not great, could be the kind of caretaker championship quarterback we used to see all the time in the 20th century.
THE FIELD
- Cleveland Browns +4000 (won the NFL in 1964)
- Chicago Bears +5000 (1985)
- Atlanta Falcons +6500 (never, founded in 1966)
- Las Vegas Raiders +6500 (1983)
- Washington Commanders +6500 (1991)
- Carolina Panthers +8000 (never, founded in 1995)
- Tennessee Titans +8000 (won the AFL in 1961)
- Arizona Cardinals +20000 (won the NFL in 1947)
- Houston Texans +20000 (never, founded in 2002)
