Ranking the NFL's 11 Most Cursed Franchises Entering 2026 Season

Now that we're on the brink of true NFL football action for 2026, it makes sense to broadly check in on the state of the league's franchises a quarter-century into this millennium. 

In this case, we're looking with the glass half-empty. 

Here's a rundown of the NFL's most cursed franchises heading into the second quarter of the 21st century. 

This list spotlights 11 franchises that either have never won a Super Bowl despite decades in the league or are riding championship droughts that now stretch beyond 50 years.

11. Miami Dolphins

AP Photo/J Pat Carter

The Curse: Now 54 years removed from the only perfect season in modern NFL history, the Dolphins haven't made a single Super Bowl appearance since 1984. 

The Number(s): The team has won 12 playoff games since its last Super Bowl win in 1973, zero of which have come this century. 

Light at the End of the Tunnel: They've embraced a proactive rebuild by poaching from the successful Packers, and it's entirely possible Malik Willis becomes an elite franchise quarterback. 

The Reality Check: They have the worst Super Bowl odds in the AFC entering 2026.

10. Tennessee Titans 

AP Photo/Stew Milne

The Curse: They won the championship in 1960 and 1961 (their first two years as a franchise back in Houston) and haven't won it since. 

The Number(s): Since falling a single yard short of a potential Super Bowl victory in 1999, they've won just five playoff games. And prior to that memorable season, they had won just three in the previous 19 campaigns. 

Light at the End of the Tunnel: Top 2025 draft pick Cam Ward flashed late in his rookie season and could be the next franchise quarterback in Tennessee. The team also has a new coaching staff in place. 

The Reality Check: The Titans are 12-39 over the course of three consecutive last-place seasons entering 2026. 

9. Cincinnati Bengals 

AP Photo/Jeff Dean

The Curse: One of just three franchises with three-plus Super Bowl appearances and zero wins, the Bengals lost seven consecutive playoff games between 2005 and 2015. Frequent victims of heartbreak defeats, they've more recently fallen on their face three years in a row despite considerable core talent. 

The Number(s): Their three Super Bowl losses have come by a total of 12 points. 

Light at the End of the Tunnel: This very core won five playoff games in 2021 and 2022 combined and certainly has the ability to make a championship run if the key guys can stay healthy in 2026. 

The Reality Check: A team that has gone just 24-27 the last three seasons may have peaked with that 2021 Super Bowl run. The defense is still a huge liability, and contending again could require a considerable shakeup in the 2027 offseason. 

8. Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

The Curse: A master of blown leads and improbable defeats in critical games, the Chargers have made only one Super Bowl appearance in 60 years. It's astonishing when you consider just how much talent they've had in key positions, historically and recently. 

The Number(s): They haven't won a game beyond the Wild Card round since 2007 and are currently mired in a four-game postseason losing streak dating back to 2018. It's been 17 years since they last won the AFC West. 

Light at the End of the Tunnel: They do seem to have something potentially special in Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert, and a healthy offensive line combined with the addition of Mike McDaniel has them favored by many to win the division in 2026. 

The Reality Check: Herbert has not been able to get it done in six seasons, and it's sometimes hard to believe this team can stay healthy and avoid blowups. 

7. Arizona Cardinals 

AP Photo/Ralph Freso

The Curse: Another franchise with just one Super Bowl appearance in 60 years, the Cardinals haven't won a title of any kind since they were in Chicago in 1947. 

The Number(s): Their .425 winning percentage during the Super Bowl era is the worst among all franchises without a championship. No franchise—including much younger organizations like the Texans, Jaguars and Panthers—has participated in fewer playoff games (15) in the Super Bowl era.

Light at the End of the Tunnel: They're building something with some extremely talented offensive weapons, and a new coaching staff could provide a breath of fresh air. 

The Reality Check: With only bridges at quarterback and a lack of talent across the board, a Cardinals team that hasn't had any playoff success in over a decade has by far the worst Super Bowl odds in the league entering 2026. 

6. Atlanta Falcons

AP Photo/Gregory Payan

The Curse: They suffered arguably the most extreme big-game choke in modern sports history in the 2016 Super Bowl, and they haven't won a division title since then. They've won just six playoff games this century. 

The Number(s): 28-3.

Light at the End of the Tunnel: Running back Bijan Robinson is a popular pick for 2026 Offensive Player of the Year, and they at least have two intriguing quarterback options for Kevin Stefanski to work with entering 2026. 

The Reality Check: They're still stuck in a slump of eight consecutive losing seasons, and only a handful of teams have worse Super Bowl odds this summer. 

5. New York Jets

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

The Curse: Ever since Joe Namath fulfilled his guarantee and led them to a shocking Super Bowl III victory in 1968, the Jets have won 10 playoff games in a 57-season span. 

The Number(s): They've won a league-low four division titles in the entire Super Bowl era. Even modern expansion franchises like the Texans (eight), Panthers (7) and Jaguars (5) have them beat in that category. 

Light at the End of the Tunnel: The rebuild continues for a franchise that now has elite first-round young talent at receiver (Garrett Wilson and Omar Cooper Jr.), offensive tackle (Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou) and on the edge (David Bailey). 

The Reality Check: A team that hasn't been to the playoffs since 2010 and is 8-26 the last two seasons is relying on 35-year-old turnover machine Geno Smith to quarterback the offense.

4. Minnesota Vikings

AP Photo/Scott Eklund

The Curse: The NFC's only team with four Super Bowl appearances and no victories is currently stuck in a six-game NFC Championship Game losing streak that spans 49 seasons. Wildly, they've reached the conference title game 11 times and have no Super Bowls to show for it. 

The Number(s): With 21 playoff victories, they are the winningest franchise in NFL postseason history without a Super Bowl title. 

Light at the End of the Tunnel: Kyler Murray joins the fray at quarterback for a team featuring one of the best receivers in the sport, a top-notch offensive line and an elite defense. 

The Reality Check: Murray and J.J. McCarthy remain major question marks for a team few consider a legit contender. 

3. Buffalo Bills 

AP Photo/Phil Sandlin

The Curse: Famously the only franchise ever to lose four consecutive Super Bowls, the first of that batch came on a missed 47-yard field goal that is etched in history. Throw in the Music City Miracle and it's a house of pain. 

The Number(s): The Bills are an NFL-best 73-27 this decade. The Chiefs are the only other team with more than 63 victories since 2020, but they've won two Super Bowls in that time frame. 

Light at the End of the Tunnel: They're a perennial prime Super Bowl contender with quarterback Josh Allen putting together a Hall of Fame-caliber career. 

The Reality Check: They've consistently fallen short throughout the Allen era, somehow not even making a Super Bowl despite consistently dominant regular-season showings. That has now led to the firing of longtime head coach Sean McDermott. 

2. Detroit Lions

AP Photo/Paul Sancya

The Curse: The Lions are the only franchise in the NFL that has been active for the entire 60-year Super Bowl era without playing in a single Super Bowl. 

The Number(s): They have won a grand total of three playoff games in their last 63 seasons (two of which came in 2023). No other active NFL franchise has fewer playoff wins over that span, and most have comfortably surpassed six.

Light at the End of the Tunnel: They might be the most talented all-around team in the NFL right now. 

The Reality Check: Despite that, they may have blown their best shot at making a Super Bowl appearance when they lost despite putting up 31 points in the 2023 NFC title game before doing the exact same thing in a one-and-done playoff showing after going 15-2 in 2024. 

1. Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith

The Curse: The Drive, The Fumble, The Move, 0-16, and an endless carousel of starting quarterbacks. It's really about the moments combined with the statistical futility. 

The Number(s): Their .349 winning percentage this century is dead-last in the NFL, with the 31st-ranked Raiders at .375. 

Light at the End of the Tunnel: They've at least got a slew of quarterbacks fighting for the starting job as a new coaching staff takes over the rebuild.

The Reality Check: With Myles Garrett now out of town, this franchise is still several years away from realistically competing.