It’s a list that a team in the National Football League doesn’t want any part of. In the 59-year history of the Super Bowl (1966-2024), 20 different clubs have won at least one title. The list is led by the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots, both who have won six times on Super Sunday.
Meanwhile, there’s the other end of the spectrum. Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports ranked the 12 franchises that still haven’t hoisted a Lombardi Trophy. The Cleveland Browns, one of four teams that have never made a trip to the Super Bowl, have the longest odds. The Buffalo Bills, who still hold the record for most consecutive Super Bowl appearances (4)—albeit without a victory—are atop this list.
What about these current Carolina Panthers ? Well, according to Benjamin, only the Browns have longer odds. “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.”
The first overall pick in the 2023 draft really came into his own after an early-season benching by Carolina’s new head coach. Young responded positively to the move, and was one reason the Panthers won four of their final nine games this past season after a 1-7 start. Of course, getting to a Super Bowl is a team accomplishment. Carolina’s defense has a long way to go when it comes to contending for a championship.
Is it realistic to think that Canales and company could wind up Super Bowl LX, and could the Panthers shock the world by winning a Lombardi Trophy—something the franchise failed to do in 2003 (Super Bowl XXXVIII) and 2015 (Super Bowl 50 )? The last team to finish with a losing season and win an NFL title the following year were the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who captured Super Bowl LV after finishing 7-9 in 2019.
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