Andrew Buller-Russ
It took them decades, but the New York Knicks finally won the NBA Finals again, ending a 53-year championship drought in the biggest sports market in America.
The Knicks didn’t enter the season as favorites. Sure, they were in the running as contenders after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, but there was never an expectation that they would win it all until the NBA Finals began with the Knicks taking a commanding 2-0 series lead.
Still, after the Knicks ended a five-decade drought, it got me thinking, which NFL team can follow them? There are still 12 teams that have never even won a Super Bowl, so naturally, they’re included here too. Aside from that, we set a 30-year standard. In other words, you won’t see any team that’s won a Super Bowl in the last 29 or fewer years making this list. On we go.
Minnesota Vikings
As one of seven teams that have never won a Super Bowl to make this list, the Minnesota Vikings have a lot of work to do. Last year, they didn’t even reach the playoffs. However, the Vikings have won over 13 games in two of coach Kevin O’Connell’s seasons as head coach.
One of the Vikings’ biggest issues in their down years was not having a reliable quarterback, but that could change after signing two-time Pro Bowl QB Kyler Murray, who now has the best supporting cast of his career.
Retaining defensive coordinator Brian Flores was supremely important after ranking seventh in points allowed. While there are questions in the secondary. Minnesota believes they’ve made improvements on that side of the ball, too. Overall, the Vikings could be much improved, and the sky is the limit.
Related: Bleacher Report Says Minnesota Vikings’ Super Bowl Window is ‘Closed’
Houston Texans
A lot went wrong for the Houston Texans last season. Yet, coach DeMeco Ryans still managed to lead the team to a 12-win season. Yet for the second consecutive season, the Texans lost in the Divisional Round Playoffs.
But the team believes they’ve taken strides on both sides of the ball. For one, they’re getting Tank Dell back from injury after he missed all of 2025. He’ll make life easier on C.J. Stroud, who now will be working behind a remade and likely improved offensive line.
Defensively, the Texans didn’t need to do much after allowing the second-fewest points in the NFL, yet they’ve reinforced the defensive interior while adding depth at every level. Ryans and Stroud haven’t missed the playoffs in their three seasons together; who’s to say they can’t take it up a few notches in Year 4? The Texans have never won a Super Bowl. Could that change soon?
San Francisco 49ers
It feels like the San Francisco 49ers are always on the doorstep. General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan are some of the best at what they do. They’ve been to the Super Bowl twice together, but that competitive fire to win is still lit.
Last year, the 49ers managed to reach the playoffs even though starting QB Brock Purdy missed eight games to injury. Now they’ve added a pair of receivers in future Hall of Famer Mike Evans, plus second-round speedster De’Zhaun Stribling. It could be an improved unit, especially with better health.
Defensively, the 49ers are replacing Robert Saleh again, which certainly carries risk. Yet, they’ve hired another top-notch defensive coordinator in Raheem Morris, who’s motivated after being fired as the head coach in Atlanta. Already a strong unit, the 49ers have reunited with Dre Greenlaw while adding some potential impact players to the trenches too. The 49ers haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1994, and that drought could very well end in February.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Head coach Liam Coen sparked a change in his first season leading the Jacksonville Jaguars to 13 wins, the second-highest total in their 32-year franchise history. If he could take a team that won four games in 2024 and lead them to 13 in 2025, what can he do in his second season?
Two-way player Travis Hunter now has a much better idea of what to expect on both sides of the ball. We could see him take a bigger leap toward becoming the superstar many expected from him coming out of college. Plus, there’s no doubt Trevor Lawrence has more confidence than ever, working with the best, deepest receiver group in his NFL career.
Defensively, the Jaguars will be relying on replacements, just as they are at running back after Travis Etienne’s departure. Yet, the Jaguars allowed the eighth-fewest points in the NFL a season ago. If they can maintain that momentum despite losing linebacker Devin Lloyd, the Jaguars could once again emerge as top contenders, possibly even with an outside shot at the first Super Bowl in franchise history.
Chicago Bears
Just how much can Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams accomplish together? Coach Johnson led a seven-win improvement over the previous season. Now he gets to take what he’s learned and move forward with more confidence in his decisions.
Even though he’ll have a different offensive coordinator, Williams will likely be more relaxed heading into his third season, and hopefully more consistent too. The Bears have given him the weapons, now it’s just a matter of Williams reaching his superstar potential, which could involve an MVP award.
Defensively, the Bears are returning with former NFL head coach Dennis Allen for the second season in a row, and he’s added a few toys to the toolbox. The Bears invested a first-round pick in the athletic, versatile safety Dillon Thieneman, and they made a splash in free agency with middle linebacker Devin Bush. Will it lead to a defense that performs better than last year’s unit, which ranked 23rd in points allowed? If so, there’s a chance that this team can accomplish what hasn’t been done since the ’85 Bears: win a Super Bowl.
Related: 2026 NFL QB Rankings After Aaron Rodgers Re-Joins Steelers
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals have been around for 59 years. They’ve been to the Super Bowl three times, but have never won the big game. Head coach Zac Taylor is likely entering the season on the hot seat after missing the playoffs for three consecutive years. It may not seem like it, but there’s a lot of pressure brewing in Cincinnati.
Meanwhile, Joe Burrow has done it before, not only in winning a championship in college at LSU. He, along with coach Taylor, led the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance in just their second season together. Despite losing by just three points, they’ve been fighting like hell to get back ever since. But Cincinnati’s offense remains elite, with the potential to be the best in the NFL, as long as Burrow and top receivers Ja’Marr Chase plus Tee Higgins stay healthy.
There have been bigger problems on defense for a Bengals team that ranked 30th in points allowed last season. However, there are reasons to believe Cincinnati has finally made strides on that side of the ball after trading its first-round pick for three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Trey Hendrickson’s loss will hurt, but Cincinnati believes that Lawrence’s addition, along with former Pro Bowl DT Jonathan Allen and the athletic edge rusher Boye Mafe, will be an overall improvement upon last season’s results. If so, Cincinnati could have something special here.
Los Angeles Chargers
Doubting Jim Harbaugh is not wise. He won a championship as a college football head coach. Next up, winning a Super Bowl as a head coach with the Los Angeles Chargers? Even though the Chargers have never won a Super Bowl in their 67 years of existence, it’s possible with Harbaugh.
Justin Herbert has taken strides in his two seasons under Harbaugh. What’s in store as he enters Year 3 with offensive wizard Mike McDaniel introducing new wrinkles? Herbert’s receiving corps, aside from Keenan Allen, is still intact from last season, and there’s reason to believe Ladd McConkey, Tre Harris, and Quentin Johnston will all take another step in their development. A bigger question is the rebuilt offensive line after Herbert took a career-high 54 sacks.
Meanwhile, the ‘Bolts have one of the NFL’s best defenses, and there’s reason to believe they’ll be better in 2026 after allowing the league’s ninth-fewest points a season ago. They’ve beefed up the interior with Dalvin Tomlinson, and the athletic Akheem Mesidor should provide more juice off the edge. This team may have the pieces in place to be a Super Bowl contender, but if not, we’d bet GM Joe Hortiz won’t be afraid to swing a deal if they’re within reaching distance.
Dallas Cowboys
There’s hype surrounding the Dallas Cowboys every year. Even though they’re coming off back-to-back seasons without a playoff appearance, the Cowboys are expected to be back in the race again in 2026. Dallas may have five Super Bowl wins, but they haven’t brought home the Lombardi Trophy since 1995. Can Brian Schottenheimer change that as he enters his second season as head coach?
Offensively, the Cowboys have the potential to rank first in scoring, just as they did in 2023 when coach Schottenheimer was the offensive coordinator. If Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and George Pickens can stay healthy, the Cowboys won’t have any trouble scoring over 25 points a game again.
Defensively, the Cowboys must be better. They’ll have to make major strides after ranking dead-last in points allowed to compete for a championship, yet Dallas has been busy upgrading the roster at every level of the defense. That includes trading for Rashan Gary and Dee Winters, two veteran starters from playoff teams, drafting a first-round edge rusher in Malachi Lawrence, and perhaps most importantly, finding a new playmaker in the secondary with potential superstar Caleb Downs. This team has a lot of potential, but can they put it all together for one great season?
Detroit Lions
Every preseason since the Detroit Lions broke out with a 12-win season in 2024, they’ve become a popular pick to finally win their first Super Bowl after being founded in 1930. Yet, after the Lions missed the playoffs in 2025, head coach Dan Campbell has a motivated bunch headed into 2026.
Jared Goff is one of the NFL’s premier QBs, and he has one of the best supporting casts with him. Amon-Ra St. Brown is a top receiver, and Jameson Williams broke the 1,000-yard barrier last season, but the Lions still believe there’s more untapped potential here, along with Isaac TeSlaa.
After ranking 22nd in points allowed, the Lions focused on overhauling their defensive depth this offseason. There’s hope that second-round rookie Derrick Moore can be the long-desired complementary pass-rusher the Lions have been waiting on opposite Aidan Hutchinson, but if he’s not ready right away, D.J. Wonnum and Payton Turner offer upside too. The Lions have something to prove, yet there’s no denying that this group has an outside chance at a Super Bowl.
Buffalo Bills
Feeling like Sean McDermott wasn’t capable of leading them to the promised land, the Buffalo Bills made a coaching change this offseason. But by hiring Joe Brady, they may not have a complete culture shock, which could lead to sustained success. For a Bills franchise with four Super Bowl appearances and no wins, there’s always pressure in Buffalo, and that certainly won’t change this year either.
Former MVP winner Josh Allen is clearly one of the best players in the NFL, impacting the game through the air and on the ground. After trading a second-round pick for DJ Moore, the Bills may finally have their playmaking replacement for Stefon Diggs. Can the rest of the offense keep up?
One area that faces further questions is defense. While they ranked 12th in points allowed last season, coach McDermott is gone. The hope is that new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard can find early consistency, and after adding Bradley Chubb and veterans on every level of the defense, this group could take a step forward rather than backward.
Related: Stefon Diggs Landing Spots: 5 Best Fits for 4x Pro Bowl WR
