Longest Playoff Droughts in NFL History

(last updated on January 23, 2026)

The NFL playoffs are where legends are born, stories are etched in history, and glory awaits. But for some franchises, that stage feels like a distant dream. This article dives into the NFL’s longest playoff droughts, exploring the team’s yearning to return to the postseason spotlight. We’ll uncover their struggles, the years of frustration, and perhaps even a glimmer of hope for their playoff return. So, snap up your chinstraps and join us as we delve into the world of NFL teams yearning to break free from their playoff exile.

Droughts Before the AFL/NFL Merger

This first selection of teams will look at the streaks of missing the NFL postseason since the inception of a championship game in 1933. One must remember that from 1933 to 1966, the only postseason contest in the NFL was the championship contest, as the top two teams in the two divisions would face off in a title game. There were a couple of exceptions, such as in 1947 when the Steelers and Eagles ended the season in a virtual tie and had a play-in game to see who would represent the East in the title tilt.

24 seasons

The Pittsburgh Steelers (1948-1971), for a total of 24 seasons, went without a sniff of a game after their last scheduled regular-season contest. Of course, when they broke that streak, they knocked out four Super Bowl championships in the 1970s.

---

25 seasons

The Cardinals endured a lengthy playoff drought spanning from 1949 to 1973. This 25-year stretch was a period of frustration for the franchise. Despite fielding some talented players, the Cardinals consistently fell short of postseason contention. Factors, including injuries, coaching changes, and competitive imbalances within the league, contributed to their prolonged absence from the playoffs. Heck, the franchise in 1960 changed cities from Chicago to St. Louis! This dry spell would eventually end in 1974 when QB Jim Hart helped lead the team to a 10-4 record to win the NFC East, but they bowed out in the Divisional Round of the playoffs to the Vikings.

---

25 seasons

A quarter of a century was this drought in which the Washington franchise (then the Redskins) did not capture enough wins to be awarded any extra-season games (1946-1970). They came close a few times to reaching the postseason, including the 7-5-2 1969 season led by legendary coach Vince Lombardi. Still, he needed help getting them past a Capitol Division rival, the Dallas Cowboys.

The previously mentioned squads were mostly old-school seasons before the modern expanded playoffs of the Super Bowl era. A few of those stretched past 1966, but since the bulk were played before the merger, we will classify the droughts as pre-Super Bowl era.

---

Droughts After the AFL/NFL Merger

In this next category of spans, we will consider only teams from the Super Bowl era to find the NFL teams with the longest playoff droughts. We are writing this before the 2026 season, so streaks mainly contained in the seasons of 1966 through 2025 are under consideration.

Let’s kick off this era with the longest current streak of not making the playoffs.

15 seasons

Fifteen years have passed since head coach Rex Ryan and QB Mark Sanchez led Gang Green into the postseason of the AFC. The last time the Jets made the playoffs was 2010. They have had plenty of talent along the way. Still, a particular division rival near Boston often locked up the division at the start of the streak, and, more recently, another opponent they face twice per year in Western NY has stymied them as well. New York Jets fans are hoping coach Aaron Glenn can end this unflattering distinction in 2026.

---

17 seasons

One of the most heart-wrenching sagas of franchises not making the playoffs has to be the Buffalo Bills’ teams from 2000 to 2016. The team was a juggernaut in the early 1990s, appearing in four consecutive Super Bowls and suffering gut-punching losses in the big game. Cap that heartbreak with 17 consecutive seasons of taking a back seat to the Patriots and missing the postseason, and you have a drought of epic proportions.

---

20 seasons

The Saints came Marching In … to the NFL in the 1967 season with high hopes, but their fans did not get to enjoy playoff games with their franchise in it for two long decades! It was brutal most of the way, and it even got to a point where disgusted fans wore paper bags on their heads to hide their identity and fondly called their team the “Aints.” These 20 years of New Orleans suffering is the longest NFL playoff drought in modern times.

---

17 seasons

Another dramatic story of struggle is the fate of the Cleveland Browns from 2003 through 2019. The Browns were resurrected and started from scratch in the late 1990s after the original team left town for Baltimore. High hopes were in the air in Eastern Ohio when the young Cleveland squad made the playoffs in 2002 and were up big on rival Pittsburgh in their first playoff game as a new franchise. This came unraveled with a second-half Steelers rally and started a tailspin of 17 playoff-less years for the Browns fans.

---

17 seasons

The New York Giants endured a challenging period from 1964 to 1980, marked by consistent playoff absences despite competitive efforts. Despite fielding talented rosters and notable players like Fran Tarkenton, the team needed more consistency and managerial changes that hindered their postseason aspirations. The era witnessed promising seasons interspersed with setbacks, reflecting the franchise’s efforts to find stability and success amid a competitive NFL landscape. Despite their playoff drought, the Giants’ resilience and enduring fan support underscored their determination to reclaim prominence in the league eventually.

---

Other Long Streaks

Some other teams have had long periods of time without a postseason win, which are noteworthy.

The last time the Raiders made the playoffs, they were housed in a different State. The team under the Oakland banner last played a playoff game in 2021, in which they lost 26-19 at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals. Since 2002, the Raiders have only made the postseason twice (2016 and 2021). The last time the Raiders won a playoff game was that season. The silver and black last grabbed a postseason “W” when they knocked off the Tennessee Titans, 41 to 24, in the 2002 AFC Championship Game on January 19, 2003.

The Washington Commanders franchise also had some time between wins in the NFL playoffs. Prior to winning two playoff games in 2024, the last Washington playoff win took place on January 7, 2006, in the NFC Wild Card game against Tampa Bay.

---

FAQs

---

Join our Sports Reference Community

Of Statheads:

Subscribe to Stathead, the most powerful research tools in sports, and find any player, team, season, game, and any play. With over 80 different search tools for baseball, basketball, football, and hockey, you’ve got infinite answers at your finger tips.

With Our Email Newsletters:

Sign up for our newsletter and get curated stats, recaps, and more from the Pro Football Reference to your inbox every morning. No commitment, unsubscribe at any time.

On Social Media:

Stay connected with Pro Football Reference on social media! Bringing you stats, trivia, and more on all our channels daily.

Twitter – Instagram – Facebook – TikTok – YouTube – Reddit – LinkedIn

Follow the rest of the Sports Reference sites on social here.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 13th, 2024 at 10:37 am and is filed under NFL History. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.