15 NFL Superstars Who will Never Win a Super Bowl

For most professional athletes, just being able to play a game for a living is enough. But for the so-called stars, winning defines the player.

And in the NFL, with careers so short on average, it is all about the ring for these superstars. Winning a Super Bowl separates the men from the boys.

Consider an NFL quarterback, for example. Often, if that player has a great career yet fails to win the big one, he is deemed a loser.

There are exceptions, most notably Dan Marino. But even with Marino, the fact that he never won a title is largely why he is almost never mentioned as the best QB of all time, despite some terrific stats.

Looking at today's game, which of the stars of the league will probably never taste ultimate victory, either due to their own failings or how their teams are performing?

These have all been good players in the league, some better than others, but all will share one common attribute when all is said and done—none of them will win a Super Bowl.

Brian Urlacher

Urlacher has been one of the most dominant middle linebackers of his generation. Yet while Ray Lewis was an MVP in a Super Bowl, Urlacher has only appeared once, losing to the Colts.

For sure, Urlacher is special—the kind of talent that allows him to play MLB in a cover-2 defensive scheme that often takes away from his statistics, forcing him to cover more and blitz less.

But there is no debating that the man has had an outstanding career and is likely to be Hall of Fame bound.

Yet with these Bears, who have made the playoffs only once in the last five years, and with Urlacher getting long in the tooth, it appears he will join Ernie Banks among Chicago sports icons who never win a ring.

Champ Bailey

Bailey was selected to his 11th Pro Bowl on Tuesday, extending his own record for cornerbacks.

Yet despite being one of his generation's finest corners, he has not won a title and most likely never will. Bailey is 33, and plays for a team in Denver that does not appear to be heading in a championship direction.

Bailey leads all NFL cornerbacks (third among all players) with 50 interceptions since his rookie year in 1999, and he is no stranger to the postseason.

In fact, he turned in one of the most dramatic plays in NFL postseason history when he returned an interception 100 yards in an AFC Divisional Playoff Game against New England (Jan. 14, 2006), marking the longest non-scoring interception return in league playoff history.

Too bad he won't be able to show off that talent on a Super Bowl winner. What irony for a guy named "Champ."

LaDainian Tomlinson

Tomlinson spent most of his career with San Diego, always a great team that never failed to disappoint.

And now with the Jets, who played in the AFC Championship game last season, he just finished a year that will not result in another postseason run. 

He is a free agent following this season, so perhaps he will finally get his chance to get a ring. But he will turn 33 in June and he is no longer a featured back.

But there is no doubt that the man is a Hall of Famer. Here are just some of his accomplishments:

• Holds the all-time NFL record for single season touchdowns (31).
• Holds the all-time NFL record for single season rushing touchdowns (28).
• Holds the all-time NFL record for the most points scored in a single season (186).
• Holds the all-time NFL record for the most consecutive games with a rushing touchdown (18).
• Holds the all-time NFL record for the most games with 200+ yards from scrimmage in a season (5) in 2003
• AP NFL MVP in 2006.
• Sixth leading rusher of all time.

Too bad he won't be able to add "Super Bowl winner" to that list.

Donovan McNabb

There is no question that McNabb has had some very nice seasons, yet he will mostly be remembered as not being a winner in crunch time.

Fair or not, that is the perception of many NFL fans. Now he is currently without a team, and his career could be over. If not, it is getting near the end.

Nevertheless, let's not forget how good of a career he has had, even though it may end without a ring.

USA Today's Tom Weir wrote a piece asking if McNabb is a future Hall of Famer and included the following verbiage.

"He's a six-time Pro Bowl player with 37,227 passing yards (17th all-time), 234 touchdown passes (No. 22) and 3,170 completions (No. 14). And let's not forget that he also was a rambling-scrambling man, running for 3,459 yards."

He never won a Super Bowl, though he did get there once. Is he a Hall of Famer? I don't know about that, but those are eye-opening stats. It probably would have helped his case if he had won a ring.

Tony Gonzalez

It's not that Atlanta couldn't win a Super Bowl, as they have another good team this year and he may re-sign with the Falcons.

It's just that he hasn't yet won one, and he will turn 36 next season.

Gonzalez is one of the best tight ends to play the game, and he will go into the Hall of Fame eventually. With Tuesday's selection, he now has 11 Pro Bowl nominations.

He holds the NFL record for most catches by a tight end in a single season (102 in 2004) and in a career (1,119).

He also holds the career tight end records for TDs (95) and receiving yards (13,024). But he may be too old to realize his dream of winning a Super Bowl.

Julius Peppers

Julius Peppers is an animal, but he has played for the Panthers and the Bears, two teams that lose far more often than they win, at least in terms of playoffs, so he may end his career without a championship.

His next sack with be No. 100 of his career. And physically, the man is a freak.

But he will be playing next season at age 32, and defensive players with balky knees usually don't last much longer, so we could be looking at two or three more years for Peppers.

Clinton Portis

Portis turned 30 in September. After being released by Washington late in February, he seems to have lost his passion for the game.

With all of the injuries he has suffered, he may not have any football left in him. He was, however, the rookie of the year in 2002 and was a two-time Pro Bowl selection.

Despite the relatively brief career and the injuries, he has almost 10,000 yards rushing and 75 touchdowns.

But no Super Bowl ring.

Michael Vick

Vick is a QB who was a terrific runner but not a pure pocket passer before his arrest for dog fighting. But he came back from jail as a more accurate passer and had a great 2010.

But I just don't feel that Vick is the type of QB you win a title with. He does not make good decisions on the field, and takes far too many hits to continue playing late into his 30s.

He can be inconsistent and careless with the ball. Now, there is no denying his talent and the Eagles figure to be better next season.

Yet I don't see him as a Super Bowl winner.  

Jay Cutler

Jay Cutler is not a superstar. But he is a solid QB with as good of a talent base as anyone in the league, yet he seems to lack that something that will allow him to win.

It also doesn't help that he has played with the Broncos and now the Bears, who have no offensive line or wide receivers for him to work with.

So why is he on this list? Because I believe in his talent and he is young; however, he needs talent to work with, and there just seems to be this dark cloud that follows him around.

I believe that by the time his career is over, his numbers will look very good. but I don't believe he will be ever wear a Super Bowl ring on his finger.

Lance Briggs

Very quietly, Lance Briggs is making a case for the Hall of Fame. Don't believe me? Check out this argument.

With Tuesday's announcement, Briggs has made the Pro Bowl seven years in a row. Yet despite playing in the shadow of Brian Urlacher, Briggs doesn't have all the press clippings to promote him.

But make no mistake, if Urlacher is a Hall of Famer, then Briggs has to at least be in the conversation.

Consider the other Bears to be selected to participate in the Pro Bowl in seven consecutive years: Dick Butkus, Bill George and Mike Singletary.

All Hall of Famers. That's pretty good company.

Yet playing with Chicago may mean he will never win a title.

Philip Rivers

Before you say that Rivers isn't a superstar, check out his gaudy stats. I know stats aren't everything, but if his career picks up where he left off after 2010, and we chalk 2011 up to an aberration, he will be among the best when he is done.

Surprisingly, he was selected as a Pro Bowler for the fourth time on Tuesday despite a tough year. He has 24 TDs and a career-high 19 interceptions.

But over his career, he is averaging 3,971 yards passing per season. Extrapolate that average over another five seasons and we're looking at over 43,000 yards passing for his career.

That would rank Rivers around eighth all-time and a probable Hall of Fame bid.

Yet he will likely never win a title playing in San Diego. They always disappoint.

Jared Allen

Jared Allen really sealed his fate as a loser when he signed a contract that makes him a Viking until 2014. By then, he'll be 32 years old.

That means, despite being one of the best sack artists of the current generation, he may never win a title.

And that would be a shame, because there is no one more competitive than this guy.

Antonio Gates

Gates turns 32 next season, and playing for the Chargers likely means he will never win a Super Bowl ring.

He has had quite a career, with 7,677 yards receiving as a tight end, with 75 TDs. He has made eight Pro Bowls and will likely be a Hall of Famer someday.

Only six other tight ends have had 500 receptions.

Larry Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald has been one of the top wide receivers of his time, but he has no super Bowl rings and playing with the Cardinals could mean a career without a title.

Fitzgerald has been selected to five consecutive Pro Bowls and six overall. He has similar stats as a wideout—five consecutive seasons with 1,000 or more yards and six overall.

He does have time on his side as he is only 28, but he signed a contract that will keep him with Arizona through age 36.

Terrell Owens

I know that Owens isn't playing but there are no indications that he is retired, unless, of course, no team is willing to take him.

T.O. has had a great career but he has not won a ring. He is a six-time Pro Bowl selection. He is tied for the record for most seasons with six or more TDs (11) and he owns the record for most seasons with at least 750 receiving years (14).

But he is 38 so his end is near. Maybe if he were a better teammate and a better person, some team would give him another chance.