NFL: AFC Divisional Round-Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills
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The 2025 NFL season promises plenty of fireworks, especially as the Kansas City Chiefs look to rebound from an ugly Super Bowl LIX loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and reclaim their throne as this generation's football dynasty. Is it possible the Eagles will swipe that honor, too, after making two of the last three Super Bowls themselves? Perhaps Philly's upstart rival, the Washington Commanders, will steal the show instead. Or the Green Bay Packers, another NFC regular in the playoffs.

Those clubs are all widely expected contenders. But what about those who've literally never gone the distance? What about the 12 NFL teams who've never won a Super Bowl? Is there any hope for them? Which of the unfortunate dozen might have the pieces to make NFL history and challenge current top dogs like the Chiefs and Eagles, hoisting their first Lombardi Trophy?

Here's our early-offseason ranking of all 12 teams without Super Bowl hardware, sorted in order of least to most likely to claim their first modern-day championship during the 2025 NFL season:

Note: Super Bowl championship odds are courtesy of FanDuel.

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Jeff Kerr
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12. Cleveland Browns

Odds: +29000 | Super Bowl appearances: 0

Unless Joe Flacco transcends a mostly barren lineup to recreate his Baltimore Ravens run of 13 years ago, or one of their other quarterback darts pans out in a major way, the Browns are going to struggle to stay afloat in a crowded AFC North.

11. Carolina Panthers

Odds: +10000 | Super Bowl appearances: 2

Dave Canales may have Bryce Young on the right track, and the young quarterback has seen big stages before. We're still not sure about Young's NFL ceiling, though, and his pass-catching corps still feels like a major work in progress. 

10. Tennessee Titans

Odds: +22000 | Super Bowl appearances: 1

No rookie quarterback has ever won a Super Bowl, but Jayden Daniels at least sniffed the big game in 2024. Can Cam Ward do the same with veteran weapons in Tennessee? The division should be open, but it's still quite a tall task.

9. Atlanta Falcons

Odds: +6000 | Super Bowl appearances: 2

Michael Penix Jr. is surrounded with young weapons, including Bijan Robinson and Drake London, giving the Falcons a potentially balanced attack. Penix is a total projection, though, and coach Raheem Morris had an iffy start in 2024.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars

Odds: +7500 | Super Bowl appearances: 0

Of all the teams listed, the Jags might have the most underrated upside. If Trevor Lawrence finally stays upright and plays smarter under new coach Liam Coen, he could have two dynamic targets in Brian Thomas Jr. and newcomer Travis Hunter. The AFC South is also perpetually up for grabs. The challenge will be making everything click in Year 1 of a fresh regime.

7. Arizona Cardinals

Odds: +4200 | Super Bowl appearances: 1

Does Kyler Murray have a clutch run in him? The former No. 1 pick has been too inconsistent as a passer to warrant title hopes, but if he can finally make strides airing it out to Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride, coach Jonathan Gannon should have the defense to support him, overhauling basically the entire front, which is now headlined by rookie Walter Nolen.

6. Minnesota Vikings

Odds: +2700 | Super Bowl appearances: 4

If we could guarantee top quarterback play in Minnesota, the Vikings might be a favorite to go the distance, because they have everything else: a beloved coach in Kevin O'Connell, electric playmakers in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, a freshly fortified offensive front, an exotic defense led by Brian Flores. Winning 14 games with Sam Darnold in 2024 may have inflated expectations, however, putting undue pressure on J.J. McCarthy, who's 22 and set to take his first NFL snaps under center. If he's as poised as they believe him to be, perhaps the Vikings can outlast their rough schedule, after all.

5. Los Angeles Chargers

Odds: +2600 | Super Bowl appearances: 1

Both of Justin Herbert's postseason appearances have been scarily unsteady, but the quarterback has a proven winner calling the shots in Jim Harbaugh, plus a bit more speed opposite Ladd McConkey out wide. This team still registers as an old-school, run-first operation, and the AFC West is tough to escape intact, but the Bolts should have the requisite grit to make a run.

4. Houston Texans

Odds: +2500 | Super Bowl appearances: 0

C.J. Stroud quickly went from sterling rookie to shaky second-year starter at quarterback, but a rebound should be in order after Houston reworked his front and added help out wide. The real driving force here is DeMeco Ryans' defense, which might be the most imposing unit in the NFL by the end of the year. C.J. Gardner-Johnson's addition on the back end just gives them more bite.

3. Cincinnati Bengals

Odds: +1900 | Super Bowl appearances: 3

Not even Joe Burrow's MVP-level passing production could get the Bengals into the playoffs last time around, which is real cause for concern. But the defense can't be much worse with Al Golden now atop that staff, and we won't have contract drama surrounding Ja'Marr Chase or Tee Higgins going into September. If somehow Zac Taylor can get his team ready to roll out of the gate rather than halfway through the year, the Bengals should return to form as a challenger to the AFC powerhouses.

2. Detroit Lions

Odds: +1000 | Super Bowl appearances: 0

There's a case to be made that the Lions have already peaked in their current form, squandering a No. 1 seed in 2024 and then losing both of their top coordinators to other jobs. Still, it's hard to deny the talent that helped them go from nine to 12 to 15 wins over Dan Campbell's last three seasons. Jared Goff may need to find an extra gear in January to reach a second career Super Bowl, but his skill support is still elite, with Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, etc. And Campbell won't lose his aggressive touch just because Ben Johnson is no longer holding a clipboard for him.

1. Buffalo Bills

Odds: +750 | Super Bowl appearances: 4

Keep playing with fire, and you're bound to get burned. The Bills have made a record-tying four Super Bowls without actually winning one, and their current regime is mirroring that close-call identity, with Josh Allen and Sean McDermott making six straight playoff appearances ... and claiming zero AFC titles. Allen is a walking highlight reel as the reigning MVP, though, and McDermott's tenure is starting to resemble that of his old mentor, Andy Reid, who famously approached the big stage for years before finally getting over the hump. There are fair questions about the level of playmakers on the perimeters -- out wide and at cornerback -- on this roster, but the Bills will also enjoy a light schedule in 2025, all but demanding another surge into January.