Most Successful NFL Franchises
The year-round effort to build a competitive NFL team comes down to one thing: Winning the Super Bowl. Every trade, every draft selection, every contract extension and every free agent signing is done with the goal of winning a Super Bowl.
Some franchises have celebrated Super Bowl glory more than others. There are 12 active franchises who have never won a Super Bowl, four of which have never even made it to the Big Game.
13 of the Most Succesful NFL Franchises in History
Here are the most successful franchises in NFL history…
New England Patriots – 6
Before Bill Belichick and Tom Brady arrived, the New England Patriots were 0-2 in Super Bowls. What followed was one of the great dynasties in American sports.
The Pats won three of four from 2001 through 2004. Their invincibility was cracked with losses to Eli Manning in 2007 and 2011, but they bounced back to dominate again from 2014 to 2018, winning three and losing one.
They might be tied with the Steelers for Super Bowl wins, but New England’s three extra conference titles secure their status as the NFL’s most successful franchise.
Pittsburgh Steelers – 6
A perennially competitive franchise, the Pittsburgh Steelers have won two Super Bowls in the Ben Roethlisberger era. Wins in 2005 and 2008 were followed by a heart-breaking loss in 2010.
As the Steelers look to regain their status as the NFL’s most successful franchise, a new period in the team’s history beckons as Roethlisberger’s retirement nears.
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Dallas Cowboys – 5
Only the Patriots have more Big Game appearances than the Cowboys’ tally of eight. With no Super Bowl run since 1995, though, the pressure on Dallas to deliver is growing every season.
Dak Prescott has been unable to deliver for the Cowboys, who won three Super Bowls in four seasons in the early 1990s. With Prescott hitting free agency, there’s a big offseason coming up.
San Francisco 49ers – 5
Losses in 2012 and 2019 ended the Niners’ perfect Super Bowl record. They were five-for-five in the Super Bowl from 1981 through to 1994, the first four won by Joe Montana.
San Francisco has been overtaken by the Steelers and Patriots, and they find themselves in a difficult situation at quarterback. It will be fascinating to see what moves they make over the coming months.
Green Bay Packers – 4
The Packers are forever embedded in NFL history. Green Bay won the first two Super Bowls in the 1960s, and have featured in three more since then, winning in 1996, losing a year later and lifting the trophy for a fourth time in 2010.
Lambeau Field has been home to some of the greatest quarterbacks ever. Should they have won more Super Bowls?
New York Giants – 4
Eli Manning doubled the Giants’ Super Bowl tally with wins over the Patriots in 2007 and 2011. Manning’s postseason record will send him to the Hall of Fame, and it has moved the Giants into the mix as one of the NFL’s most successful franchises.
Daniel Jones has big cleats to fill. When will New York next be in serious contention?
Denver Broncos – 3
No NFL franchise has lost as many Super Bowls as the Denver Broncos. From their eight trips to the season finale, the Broncos have only recorded three victories.
If it’s any consolation for Denver fans, they remain one of the most successful teams of the last 25 years. All three of their Super Bowl wins have come since 1997.
Las Vegas Raiders – 3
A Super Bowl XXXVII loss to Tampa Bay is the Raiders’ last memory of a Super Bowl. They were based in Oakland then, of course, but their last Super Bowl win came in 1983 during the franchise’s stint in Los Angeles.
The Raiders’ five total Super Bowl appearances is the same tally as the Packers and Giants.
The Derek Carr era has not brought the success the Raiders would have hoped for, and the strength of the division makes a Super Bowl run unlikely in the near future.
Washington Football Team – 3
No NFL fan under 30 will remember Washington making a Super Bowl. They enjoyed glory in 1987 and 1991, following on from their Super Bowl XVII win over the Dolphins.
There’s reason for hope in the capital at the moment, but they’ve got a long way to go before they can rival the NFL’s elite.
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Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens – 2
The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are one of four teams with two Super Bowl wins to their name. The Colts appeared in the Big Game in 2006 and 2009, though they were only victorious in the former.
Baltimore is yet to reach its potential with Lamar Jackson under center, but they have recent happy Super Bowl memories from Joe Flacco’s 2012 MVP performance. It’s been a longer wait for the Dolphins, who haven’t won the Super Bowl since going back-to-back in the early 1970s.
