Believe it or not, there are still 12 NFL teams that have never won a Super Bowl in their franchise's history. Winning the Super Bowl is extremely difficult, although dynasties like the Patriots and Chiefs in recent decades have made it look easy.
Getting to the top in the NFL requires so much to go right and frankly, it involves quite a bit of luck on top of building a great roster. You've got to stay healthy. You've got to have good coaching. You've got to have a quarterback who can be a difference-maker (at least in most cases). Let's take a look at the teams that have never won the Super Bowl as of the 2024 season and rank them from worst to best.
NFL Power Rankings: Teams without a Super Bowl win ranked worst to best
12. Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers came very close to winning the first Super Bowl in franchise history back in the 2015 season but Cam Newton and their incredible offense that year ran into the buzzsaw that was the Denver Broncos' defense. The Panthers had the worst record in the NFL last year and have a lot of major question marks remaining in 2024, especially when it comes to the development of QB Bryce Young.
11. Tennessee Titans
The Titans are another reloading team after firing head coach Mike Vrabel and replacing him with Brian Callahan. There are a lot of really good pieces on this Titans roster and if Will Levis can have a breakout season, they are going to be an interesting team in the AFC South. But the unknown with Levis and a new coaching staff have us skeptical in the dead of the offseason.
10. Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings have had some great teams throughout their history, a couple of which have gotten extremely close to bringing home a title. Unfortunately, they don't appear as close this year as they were two seasons ago when Kevin O'Connell had them absolutely on fire in his first season as head coach. The Vikings are going to be trotting out either Sam Darnold or JJ McCarthy this year at QB. We'll see how it goes.
9. Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals could be a surprise team in the 2024 NFL season. If Kyler Murray is healthy, he's one of the most dangerous playmakers at the quarterback position in the entire NFL. Jonathan Gannon had his guys ready to play all throughout last season and it wouldn't shock me at all to see this Arizona team win nine games and back into the playoffs.
8. Los Angeles Chargers
After the hiring of Jim Harbaugh, it feels like it will only be a matter of time before the Chargers are truly relevant again. This is a team that felt like it was close to being a contender in the AFC before things went off the rails at the end of the Brandon Staley era. The Chargers have a good head coach who preaches toughness in the trenches, and one of the most talented QBs in the league. They might not be far off.
7. Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are the most infamous Super Bowl losers in recent NFL history. They won't live down 28-3 until they finally win one. General manager Terry Fontenot certainly got as aggressive as we've seen him this offseason, hiring Raheem Morris as his head coach, spending $180 million on Kirk Cousins, and then using the 8th overall pick on Michael Penix Jr.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are a strong candidate for a bounce-back season in 2024. If the offense can get back to more of what we saw in 2022, the defense should be improved with Ryan Nielsen now in place as the defensive coordinator. The Jaguars collapsed down the stretch last year but they are a better, more well-rounded roster now.
5. Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL and arguably the best defenses in the league. The reason they are only 5th on this list is because I'm extremely skeptical of Deshaun Watson at this point. We haven't seen him play at a high level consistently now for four years.
4. Buffalo Bills
After so much roster turnover in 2024, we're about to find out exactly what Josh Allen is made of. With Stefon Diggs gone, this is truly Allen's show to run and he's going to have to rely on a lot of new faces around him to produce. Not to mention, Sean McDermott's defense lost a lot of key pieces in 2024. How will the Bills rebound from all of the offseason change?
3. Houston Texans
Drafting the Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year in the same year is the ultimate general manager flex. Nick Caserio has done an awesome job with this Houston roster and DeMeco Ryans proved last year he's the perfect guy to lead them. CJ Stroud now has Stefon Diggs and Will Anderson Jr. is now being paired up off the edge with Danielle Hunter. The Texans are ready to contend.
2. Cincinnati Bengals
If Joe Burrow is healthy, I don't know that anyone in the NFL poses as significant of a threat to the Kansas City Chiefs other than the Bengals. Burrow is one of the best playmakers at QB in the league, but staying healthy has been a struggle. If he is on the field, the Bengals will be in contention.
1. Detroit Lions
The time for the Detroit Lions is now. The Lions have waited decades for a true contender, and now they've got one. Hats off to GM Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell for what they've built. The Lions are one of the most well-constructed rosters in the league and they have made such good use of all their assets, whether we're talking about the draft, trades, or free agency. This team is loaded.