Earlier than any group can get too carried away about Tremendous Bowl aspirations, it must make the playoffs first.
It has by no means been simpler to make the NFL postseason. With an extra wild card group added for every convention in 2020, 14 of the 32 NFL squads get to play within the playoffs annually.
Regardless of the league providing its greatest playoff discipline ever, many organizations have didn’t capitalize. Three groups haven’t made the playoffs for the reason that NFL instituted its expanded playoff format, and one group even has a playoff drought that spans over a decade.
Right here’s a take a look at the league’s longest postseason droughts, together with the latest playoff look for every franchise:
What’s the longest playoff drought in NFL historical past?
The three longest playoff droughts in league historical past started effectively earlier than the primary Tremendous Bowl was performed.
Two groups have gone 25 straight seasons with out making a postseason look. Washington’s drought went from 1946 by 1970, whereas the Chicago/St. Louis Cardinals’ drought went from 1949 by 1973.
The Pittsburgh Steelers nearly had a 25-year playoff drought of their very own. The group was based in 1933 because the Pittsburgh Pirates and didn’t attain the postseason till 1947. It wasn’t till the 1972 season that the Steelers then ended a 24-year drought earlier than beginning a dynasty in the course of the decade.
The longest playoff drought in current historical past got here to an finish in 2020 when the Cleveland Browns earned a wild card berth after failing to achieve the playoffs within the 17 earlier seasons. The Buffalo Payments snapped their very own 17-year streak in the course of the 2016 season.
Which NFL group has the longest lively playoff drought?
The New York Jets personal the longest lively playoff drought at 14 seasons after they have been formally eradicated from postseason rivalry with 4 weeks left within the 2024 common season.
The group has not reached the postseason since making consecutive AFC Championship Recreation appearances in the course of the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Since then, New York have posted a 82-146 file with seven last-place finishes within the AFC East and just one above-.500 season throughout 14 years.
After the Jets, the next-longest droughts which might be nonetheless occurring belong to the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers, who haven’t reached the playoffs since 2017.
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey discusses the specter of Payments quarterback Josh Allen and compares him to Lamar Jackson.
Each NFL group’s most up-to-date playoff look
Right here’s a look on the final time each NFL franchise was within the playoffs:
Arizona Cardinals: 2021
Atlanta Falcons: 2017
Baltimore Ravens: 2024
Buffalo Payments: 2024
Carolina Panthers: 2017
Chicago Bears: 2020
Cincinnati Bengals: 2022
Cleveland Browns: 2023
Dallas Cowboys: 2023
Denver Broncos: 2024
Detroit Lions: 2024
Inexperienced Bay Packers: 2024
Houston Texans: 2024
Indianapolis Colts: 2020
Jacksonville Jaguars: 2022
Kansas Metropolis Chiefs: 2024
Las Vegas Raiders: 2021
Los Angeles Chargers: 2024
Los Angeles Rams: 2024
Miami Dolphins: 2023
Minnesota Vikings: 2024
New England Patriots: 2021
New Orleans Saints: 2020
New York Giants: 2022
New York Jets: 2010
Philadelphia Eagles: 2024
Pittsburgh Steelers: 2024
San Francisco 49ers: 2023
Seattle Seahawks: 2022
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2024
Tennessee Titans: 2021
Washington Commanders: 2024
