4 NFL Teams Have Never Reached the Super Bowl

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While 20 NFL teams have won a Super Bowl, there are still 4 teams that have never made it to the big game - the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars. The Lions came the closest most recently, reaching the NFC championship game last season before losing. The Jaguars' last appearance in an AFC championship game was in 2017, while the Browns haven't made it to a conference title game since 1989. The Texans are the only team to never make it to a conference championship game.

Why it matters

The lack of Super Bowl appearances for these 4 teams highlights the difficulty of sustained success in the NFL, where even the most passionate fan bases have had to wait decades to see their team reach the sport's biggest stage. This drought also underscores the competitive parity in the league, where small-market teams can struggle to build consistent winners.

The details

Of the 4 teams that have never been to a Super Bowl, the Detroit Lions came the closest most recently, reaching the NFC championship game last season before losing to the San Francisco 49ers. The Jacksonville Jaguars' last appearance in an AFC championship game was after the 2017 season, while the Cleveland Browns haven't made it to a conference title game since 1989 when they lost to the Denver Broncos. The Houston Texans are the only team in this group that has never even reached a conference championship game.

• The Detroit Lions reached the NFC championship game last season (2025-26).
• The Jacksonville Jaguars last appeared in an AFC championship game after the 2017 season.
• The Cleveland Browns last reached a conference title game in 1989, when they lost to the Denver Broncos.