Active NFL Players We'd Love to See Win 1st Super Bowl Ring
When J.J. Watt retired at the end of the 2022 NFL season, he solidified himself as one of the greatest players in NFL history without a Super Bowl ring. The Pro Football Hall of Fame lock was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year but experienced just four playoff victories in his 12-year career with the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals.
Most sports fans without axes to grind probably would have liked to see a legendary player like Watt raise the Vince Lombardi Trophy, but he's just the latest member of a club that includes Dan Marino, Fran Tarkenton, Jim Kelly, Barry Sanders and Bruce Smith.
Now, the following 10 highly accomplished veterans are trying to avoid the same fate. And unless you're supporting a rival, it's hard not to pull for 'em.
Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow
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It's hard to believe Joe Burrow is just three years into his career, but he's accomplished so much already that the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback is on track to become one of the best ever.
The 26-year-old finished fourth in MVP voting in 2022, one year after taking the Bengals to the Super Bowl. That was a close loss to the Los Angeles Rams, but it'd be surprising if Burrow doesn't get more shots to win a championship. At the moment, he's the fourth-highest-rated qualified passer in NFL history and he probably has yet to see his prime.
That's a big reason I gave him an edge here over less consistent or effective passers on paper, like Dak Prescott, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert and Jared Goff, all of whom deserve mention in this spot but aren't listed in the interest of not dominating this list with quarterbacks.
Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry
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Former Offensive Player of the Year and two-time rushing champion Derrick Henry leads all active running backs with 8,335 rushing yards. And in 2022, the seven-year Tennessee Titans veteran became the 12th back in league history to compile 1,500-plus yards on the ground in three separate professional seasons.
He's also gone over 150 yards in all three of his playoff wins during his tenure with the Titans, who unfortunately haven't been able to get past the AFC Championship Game in that span.
Now, the fear based on precedents at a position with a typically short shelf life is that Henry's prime might be behind him. In other words, the clock could be running out and the Titans aren't exactly a prime contender.
Maybe he'll defy the odds there or elsewhere, just as he often has as a running back who is often an offensive centerpiece in an era dominated by quarterbacks.
Free Agent WR Julio Jones
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It's not looking promising for Julio Jones, who ranks No. 1 among "active" players in receiving yards as a result of an incredibly productive 12-year run with the Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
That's because the 34-year-old Jones is looking for his fourth team in a four-year span following a third consecutive season in which he was limited to 10 games or fewer.
That doesn't mean Jones can't find a home as a role player and capture his first ring with that team, but he's certainly not in high demand four years removed from a six-year stretch in which he put up more than 9,000 yards and 37 touchdowns.
Atlanta's astonishing 28-3 choke against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI might eventually go down as what cost the seven-time Pro Bowler his shot at having a championship on his record.
Arizona Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins
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Not far behind Jones in terms of receptions and yardage is DeAndre Hopkins, who was a first-team All-Pro three years a row in his prime but has been held to 10 or fewer appearances in each of his last two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.
Hopkins is still just 30, but his best season on paper took place when he was with the Houston Texans back in 2018 and he's stuck on a Cardinals roster that is far from Super Bowl-worthy at the moment.
It also doesn't look as though that'll change anytime soon, so Hopkins' chances of landing a much-deserved ring are dwindling by the day. It's a shame. One day, we might wonder how much better he could have been with better offenses around him.
Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams
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A run of wide receivers concludes with Davante Adams, who has been a first-team All-Pro in three consecutive seasons and scored a ridiculous 43 touchdowns during that span for the Green Bay Packers and Las Vegas Raiders.
Adams just turned 30 in December, but only 14 players in NFL history have more touchdown receptions than Aaron Rodgers' former favorite target. He's easily on a Hall of Fame track and hasn't slowed down like the other wideouts on this list.
Still, Adams has never played in a Super Bowl and has been a part of just two postseason victories the last six seasons. And although the Raiders could be competitive this year, let's keep in mind they won just six games in 2022 and are in an incredibly tough division in the stronger of the two conferences.
It won't be easy in Vegas.
Dallas Cowboys OLs Tyron Smith and Zack Martin
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Considering that Dak Prescott was an honorable mention and Ezekiel Elliott would have made a slightly larger list of this nature, current or recent Dallas Cowboys are certainly well represented in the "awesome without a ring" club. Because there's really no doubt both offensive tackle Tyron Smith and guard Zack Martin have to be included.
The two have earned eight Pro Bowl nods each in a combined 21 seasons, all with Dallas. Martin has also been named a first-team All-Pro a jaw-dropping six times, while Smith has two such honors.
In fact, only 25 players in league history have been first-team All-Pros more than Martin, who has missed just nine games in nine seasons.
Smith appears to be fading at age 32 after missing extensive time in two of the last three seasons, but there's still hope for both of these guys if they and Prescott can put it together soon because the Cowboys still have the talent to make a run or two.
Los Angeles Chargers Edge Khalil Mack
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Khalil Mack might no longer be the player he used to be, but he did enough to establish himself as a legend with seven Pro Bowl nods, three first-team All-Pro honors and a Defensive Player of the Year award in 2016.
And even at 32, he remains effective. The former Oakland Raiders and Chicago Bears standout edge defender put up eight sacks in a Pro Bowl campaign with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2022.
Incredibly, Mack has been a part of zero playoff wins in nine NFL seasons. But the good news is that could certainly change in his twilight years with a Chargers team that has and should continue to be competitive with quarterback Justin Herbert.
Atlanta Falcons DE Calais Campbell
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Calais Campbell might never have peaked as high as the guys mentioned thus far, but the six-time Pro Bowler has been wreaking havoc on NFL offenses for 15 years.
When it comes to Pro Football Reference's Approximate Value (AV)—defined by that outlet as "an attempt to put a single number on the seasonal value of a player at any position from any year"—he's the highest-ranking active player currently on an NFL roster without a ring.
Problem is he was stuck on some dud teams with the Arizona Cardinals and Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Baltimore Ravens couldn't get it done during his three-year run there.
There's still a little time left for the 36-year-old, but his recent move to the not-exactly-contending Atlanta Falcons doesn't bode well.
Pittsburgh Steelers CB Patrick Peterson
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Speaking of longtime Arizona Cardinals who have excelled individually but not on a team level, Patrick Peterson has been a part of just one playoff win in his 12 years as an awesome NFL cornerback.
During that stretch, the eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro has intercepted 34 passes. As a result, he's almost definitely on a path to Canton.
But he's also almost definitely nearing the end of his career path, and his new team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, aren't exactly a heavy Super Bowl favorite.
That elusive ring appears to be far from Peterson's reach.
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