Just How Bad Is The Vikings Super Bowl Drought?

The Vikings were an expansion team in 1961, making them the NFL's 14th franchise at the time. This was one year after the formation of the AFL, which started 8 teams that would eventually become part of the NFL. All 13 of the NFL teams at the time except for the Cowboys, Steelers, and 49ers had won an NFL championship at the time. However, these three teams would capture their first championships in Super Bowls VI, IX, and XVI, respectively. On top of that, every one of the original AFL teams has won a Super Bowl except for the Chargers and Bills, and Oilers/Titans* who would win their first and only title(s) in the pre-merger AFL Championship Games. This makes the Vikings the oldest NFL team that has not won an ultimate title. In addition, they are older than the equivalent teams in the other 3 major sports.

MLB: Washinton Senators/Texas Rangers, 1961

NHL: St. Louis Blues, 1967

NBA: Phoenix Suns*, 1968

One caveat to this is that the Vikings did beat the Browns in the 1969 NFL Championship, but would go one to lose to the Chiefs in Super Bowl IV that same year, meaning that they did not win the highest possible title in their sport. The other stipulation is that while the Senators/Rangers did play their first game 5 months before the Vikings did, the Vikings franchise was created in January of 1960 whereas the Senators were not formed until October of the same year.

Interestingly, the team that held this distinction last before the Vikings was the New England Patriots, as they were the last AFL team that had not won a league championship until their victory in Super Bowl XXXVI. The Patriots have, of course, now won 5 championships since then.

Super Bowl droughts of at least 20 seasons:

(Team, length of drought, last Super Bowl appearance)

Lions (51 seasons, have never played in the Super Bowl)

Browns (51 seasons, have never played in the Super Bowl)

Jets (48 seasons, Super Bowl III)

Chiefs (47 seasons, Super Bowl IV)

Vikings (40 seasons, Super Bowl XI)

Dolphins (32 seasons, Super Bowl XIX)

Bengals (28 seasons, Super Bowl XXIII)

Redskins (25 seasons, Super Bowl XXVI)

Bills (22 seasons, Super Bowl XXVIII)

Jaguars (22 seasons, have never played in the Super Bowl)

Chargers (22 seasons, Super Bowl XXIX)

Cowboys (21 seasons, Super Bowl XXX)

If you've ever hung out with a Cowboys fan before, you're probably well aware of the fact that their favorite thing to do is talk about the Cowboys, their second-favorite thing to talk about is how the Cowboys are going to win the Super Bowl, and their third-favorite thing to talk about is how the Cowboys should've won the Super Bowl in any season where they don't actually win it.