{"id":630,"date":"2024-09-13T10:37:35","date_gmt":"2024-09-13T14:37:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/?p=630"},"modified":"2026-01-23T14:19:53","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T18:19:53","slug":"longest-nfl-playoff-drought","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/09\/longest-nfl-playoff-drought\/","title":{"rendered":"Longest Playoff Droughts in NFL History"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(last updated on January 23, 2026)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Droughts Before the AFL\/NFL Merger<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a> to see who would represent the East in the title tilt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n \n Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a><\/span>\n Playoff History<\/span>\n \n <\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\n\t

Team Names:<\/strong> Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Steelers<\/p>\n\t

Seasons:<\/strong> 93 (1933 to 2025)<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tRecord (W-L-T):<\/strong> \n\t\t691-592-22\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

Playoff Record:<\/strong> 36-30<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tSuper Bowls Won:<\/strong>\n\t\t6 \n\t\t(8 Appearances)\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tChampionships Won*<\/span>:<\/strong>\n\t\t6\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Passing Leader<\/strong>: Ben Roethlisberger<\/a> 5,440\/8,443, 64,088 yds, 418 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Rushing Leader<\/strong>: Franco Harris<\/a> 2,881 att, 11,950 yds, 91 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Receiving Leader<\/strong>: Hines Ward<\/a> 1,000 rec, 12,083 yds, 85 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Scoring Leader<\/strong>: Gary Anderson<\/a> 1,343 points\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time AV Leader<\/strong>: Ben Roethlisberger<\/a> 208 AV\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tWinningest Coach (including playoffs)<\/strong>: Chuck Noll<\/a> 209-156-1\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n \n\t\t\n\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

24 seasons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\"Arizona\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

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\n \n Arizona Cardinals<\/a><\/span>\n Playoff History<\/span>\n \n <\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\n\t

Team Names:<\/strong> Chicago Cardinals, Chi\/Pit Cards\/Steelers, St. Louis Cardinals, Phoenix Cardinals, Arizona Cardinals<\/p>\n\t

Seasons:<\/strong> 106 (1920 to 2025)<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tRecord (W-L-T):<\/strong> \n\t\t596-826-41\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

Playoff Record:<\/strong> 7-10<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tSuper Bowls Won:<\/strong>\n\t\t0 \n\t\t(1 Appearance)\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tChampionships Won*<\/span>:<\/strong>\n\t\t2\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Passing Leader<\/strong>: Jim Hart<\/a> 2,590\/5,069, 34,639 yds, 209 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Rushing Leader<\/strong>: Ottis Anderson<\/a> 1,858 att, 7,999 yds, 46 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Receiving Leader<\/strong>: Larry Fitzgerald<\/a> 1,432 rec, 17,492 yds, 121 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Scoring Leader<\/strong>: Jim Bakken<\/a> 1,380 points\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time AV Leader<\/strong>: Larry Fitzgerald<\/a> 138 AV\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tWinningest Coach (including playoffs)<\/strong>: Bruce Arians<\/a> 50-32-1\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n \n\t\t\n\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

25 seasons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a> 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\"Washington\n\t\t\n\t\t\t

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\n \n Washington Commanders<\/a><\/span>\n Playoff History<\/span>\n \n <\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\n\t

Team Names:<\/strong> Boston Braves, Boston Redskins, Washington Redskins, Washington Football Team, Washington Commanders<\/p>\n\t

Seasons:<\/strong> 94 (1932 to 2025)<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tRecord (W-L-T):<\/strong> \n\t\t646-660-29\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

Playoff Record:<\/strong> 25-21<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tSuper Bowls Won:<\/strong>\n\t\t3 \n\t\t(5 Appearances)\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tChampionships Won*<\/span>:<\/strong>\n\t\t5\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Passing Leader<\/strong>: Joe Theismann<\/a> 2,044\/3,602, 25,206 yds, 160 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Rushing Leader<\/strong>: John Riggins<\/a> 1,988 att, 7,472 yds, 79 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Receiving Leader<\/strong>: Art Monk<\/a> 888 rec, 12,026 yds, 65 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Scoring Leader<\/strong>: Mark Moseley<\/a> 1,206 points\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time AV Leader<\/strong>: Darrell Green<\/a> 152 AV\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tWinningest Coach (including playoffs)<\/strong>: Joe Gibbs<\/a> 171-101-0\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n \n\t\t\n\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

25 seasons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a> season led by legendary coach Vince Lombardi<\/a>. Still, he needed help getting them past a Capitol Division rival, the Dallas Cowboys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Droughts After the AFL\/NFL Merger<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s kick off this era with the longest current streak of not making the playoffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n \n New York Jets<\/a><\/span>\n Playoff History<\/span>\n \n <\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\n\t

Team Names:<\/strong> New York Titans, New York Jets<\/p>\n\t

Seasons:<\/strong> 66 (1960 to 2025)<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tRecord (W-L-T):<\/strong> \n\t\t436-573-8\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

Playoff Record:<\/strong> 12-13<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tSuper Bowls Won:<\/strong>\n\t\t1 \n\t\t(1 Appearance)\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tChampionships Won*<\/span>:<\/strong>\n\t\t1\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Passing Leader<\/strong>: Joe Namath<\/a> 1,836\/3,655, 27,057 yds, 170 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Rushing Leader<\/strong>: Curtis Martin<\/a> 2,560 att, 10,302 yds, 58 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Receiving Leader<\/strong>: Don Maynard<\/a> 627 rec, 11,732 yds, 88 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Scoring Leader<\/strong>: Pat Leahy<\/a> 1,470 points\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time AV Leader<\/strong>: Don Maynard<\/a> 132 AV\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tWinningest Coach (including playoffs)<\/strong>: Weeb Ewbank<\/a> 73-78-6\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n \n\t\t\n\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

15 seasons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fifteen years have passed since head coach Rex Ryan<\/a> and QB Mark Sanchez<\/a> led Gang Green into the postseason of the AFC. The last time the Jets made the playoffs was 2010<\/a>. 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<\/a> can end this unflattering distinction in 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n \n Buffalo Bills<\/a><\/span>\n Playoff History<\/span>\n \n <\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\n\t

Team Names:<\/strong> Buffalo Bills<\/p>\n\t

Seasons:<\/strong> 66 (1960 to 2025)<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tRecord (W-L-T):<\/strong> \n\t\t498-510-8\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

Playoff Record:<\/strong> 22-23<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tSuper Bowls Won:<\/strong>\n\t\t0 \n\t\t(4 Appearances)\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tChampionships Won*<\/span>:<\/strong>\n\t\t2\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Passing Leader<\/strong>: Jim Kelly<\/a> 2,874\/4,779, 35,467 yds, 237 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Rushing Leader<\/strong>: Thurman Thomas<\/a> 2,849 att, 11,938 yds, 65 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Receiving Leader<\/strong>: Andre Reed<\/a> 941 rec, 13,095 yds, 86 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Scoring Leader<\/strong>: Steve Christie<\/a> 1,011 points\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time AV Leader<\/strong>: Bruce Smith<\/a> 201 AV\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tWinningest Coach (including playoffs)<\/strong>: Marv Levy<\/a> 123-78-0\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n \n\t\t\n\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

17 seasons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n \n New Orleans Saints<\/a><\/span>\n Playoff History<\/span>\n \n <\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\n\t

Team Names:<\/strong> New Orleans Saints<\/p>\n\t

Seasons:<\/strong> 59 (1967 to 2025)<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tRecord (W-L-T):<\/strong> \n\t\t423-491-5\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

Playoff Record:<\/strong> 10-13<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tSuper Bowls Won:<\/strong>\n\t\t1 \n\t\t(1 Appearance)\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tChampionships Won*<\/span>:<\/strong>\n\t\t1\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Passing Leader<\/strong>: Drew Brees<\/a> 6,017\/8,742, 68,010 yds, 491 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Rushing Leader<\/strong>: Alvin Kamara<\/a> 1,674 att, 7,250 yds, 61 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Receiving Leader<\/strong>: Marques Colston<\/a> 711 rec, 9,759 yds, 72 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Scoring Leader<\/strong>: Morten Andersen<\/a> 1,318 points\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time AV Leader<\/strong>: Drew Brees<\/a> 228 AV\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tWinningest Coach (including playoffs)<\/strong>: Sean Payton<\/a> 161-97-0\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n \n\t\t\n\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

20 seasons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n \n Cleveland Browns<\/a><\/span>\n Playoff History<\/span>\n \n <\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\n\t

Team Names:<\/strong> Cleveland Browns<\/p>\n\t

Seasons:<\/strong> 77 (1946 to 2025)<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tRecord (W-L-T):<\/strong> \n\t\t567-560-14\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

Playoff Record:<\/strong> 17-22<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tSuper Bowls Won:<\/strong>\n\t\t0 \n\t\t(0 Appearances)\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tChampionships Won*<\/span>:<\/strong>\n\t\t8\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Passing Leader<\/strong>: Brian Sipe<\/a> 1,944\/3,439, 23,713 yds, 154 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Rushing Leader<\/strong>: Jim Brown<\/a> 2,359 att, 12,312 yds, 106 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Receiving Leader<\/strong>: Ozzie Newsome<\/a> 662 rec, 7,980 yds, 47 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Scoring Leader<\/strong>: Lou Groza<\/a> 1,608 points\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time AV Leader<\/strong>: Clay Matthews<\/a> 125 AV\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tWinningest Coach (including playoffs)<\/strong>: Paul Brown<\/a> 167-53-8\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n \n\t\t\n\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

17 seasons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a> and were up big on rival Pittsburgh in their first playoff game as a new franchise<\/a>. This came unraveled with a second-half Steelers rally and started a tailspin of 17 playoff-less years for the Browns fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n \n New York Giants<\/a><\/span>\n Playoff History<\/span>\n \n <\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\n\t

Team Names:<\/strong> New York Giants<\/p>\n\t

Seasons:<\/strong> 101 (1925 to 2025)<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tRecord (W-L-T):<\/strong> \n\t\t728-676-34\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

Playoff Record:<\/strong> 25-26<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tSuper Bowls Won:<\/strong>\n\t\t4 \n\t\t(5 Appearances)\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tChampionships Won*<\/span>:<\/strong>\n\t\t8\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Passing Leader<\/strong>: Eli Manning<\/a> 4,895\/8,119, 57,023 yds, 366 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Rushing Leader<\/strong>: Tiki Barber<\/a> 2,217 att, 10,449 yds, 55 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Receiving Leader<\/strong>: Amani Toomer<\/a> 668 rec, 9,497 yds, 54 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Scoring Leader<\/strong>: Pete Gogolak<\/a> 646 points\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time AV Leader<\/strong>: Lawrence Taylor<\/a> 192 AV\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tWinningest Coach (including playoffs)<\/strong>: Steve Owen<\/a> 155-108-17\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n \n\t\t\n\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

17 seasons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Other Long Streaks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Some other teams have had long periods of time without a postseason win, which are noteworthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n \n Las Vegas Raiders<\/a><\/span>\n Franchise Encyclopedia<\/span>\n \n <\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\n\t

Team Names:<\/strong> Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Raiders, Las Vegas Raiders<\/p>\n\t

Seasons:<\/strong> 66 (1960 to 2025)<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tRecord (W-L-T):<\/strong> \n\t\t512-494-11\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

Playoff Record:<\/strong> 25-20<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tSuper Bowls Won:<\/strong>\n\t\t3 \n\t\t(5 Appearances)\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tChampionships Won*<\/span>:<\/strong>\n\t\t3\n\t<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Passing Leader<\/strong>: Derek Carr<\/a> 3,201\/4,958, 35,222 yds, 217 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Rushing Leader<\/strong>: Marcus Allen<\/a> 2,090 att, 8,545 yds, 79 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Receiving Leader<\/strong>: Tim Brown<\/a> 1,070 rec, 14,734 yds, 99 TD\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time Scoring Leader<\/strong>: Sebastian Janikowski<\/a> 1,799 points\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tAll-time AV Leader<\/strong>: Jim Otto<\/a> 163 AV\n\t<\/p>\n\t

\n\t\tWinningest Coach (including playoffs)<\/strong>: John Madden<\/a> 112-39-7\n\t<\/p>\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n \n\t\t\n\n\t\n\n\n\n\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a>. Since 2002, the Raiders have only made the postseason twice (2016<\/a> and 2021<\/a>). 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<\/a> on January 19, 2003.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a>, in the NFC Wild Card game against Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What is the longest active playoff drought in the NFL?<\/strong>

The New York Jets have the dubious distinction of not making the playoffs from 2011-2025 and currently hold the title of the team that has been denied the NFL postseason the longest.<\/p> <\/div>

What team has the longest playoff drought in NFL history?<\/strong>

This is a tie between the Cardinals (1949-1974) and the Washington franchise (1946-1971), each posting 25 seasons without a postseason appearance.<\/p> <\/div>

Which NFL team has gone the longest without a Super Bowl appearance?<\/strong>

It has been 60 long years for the Detroit Lions. This franchise has never been to a Super Bowl.<\/p> <\/div>

What NFL teams have never made it to the Super Bowl?<\/strong>

The Lions, Browns, Texans, and Jaguars have never been in the Super Bowl.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

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(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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[18,8,21,13],"class_list":["post-630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nfl-history","tag-football-history","tag-nfl","tag-nfl-history","tag-nfl-stats"],"yoast_head":"\nLongest Playoff Droughts in NFL History - Pro Football Reference<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"See the list of the longest NFL playoff droughts on Pro Football Reference.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/09\/longest-nfl-playoff-drought\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta 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This franchise has never been to a Super Bowl.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/09\/longest-nfl-playoff-drought\/#faq-question-1726237990631","position":4,"url":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/2024\/09\/longest-nfl-playoff-drought\/#faq-question-1726237990631","name":"What NFL teams have never made it to the Super Bowl?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The Lions, Browns, Texans, and Jaguars have never been in the Super Bowl.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=630"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1603,"href":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630\/revisions\/1603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/pfr-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}