Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY
·1 min read
Some NFL franchises routinely reach the playoffs and others aren’t so lucky. No NFL franchise is immune to playoff droughts, although some are longer than others.
The St. Louis Cardinals (now Arizona Cardinals) and Washington (now Washington Commanders) are tied for the dubious record of longest playoff drought in NFL history. The Cardinals (1949-1974) and Washington (1946-1971) each went 25 years without earning a playoff berth.
The Pittsburgh Steelers (1948-1972) are next on the list with 20 seasons without securing a playoff spot.
The New York Jets are the owners of the league's longest active playoff drought. Here’s a look at the longest active playoff droughts in the NFL.
TITLE LESS: The 12 NFL teams that have never captured a Super Bowl championship
New York Jets — 13 seasons
The Jets have the longest active playoff drought in the NFL as well as North American team sports (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS). The Jets last made the playoffs in 2010. The Jets reached the AFC championship game in their two most recent postseason appearances (2010 playoffs and 2009 playoffs).
Denver Broncos — 8 seasons
The Broncos last reached the postseason in 2015. Coincidentally, the Broncos also won Super Bowl 50 that same season. Denver has three Super Bowl titles in franchise history (1997, 1998, 2015).
Carolina Panthers — 6 seasons
The Panthers’ playoff drought streak started in 2018. The Panthers have eight playoff appearances since their inception in 1995.
Atlanta Falcons — 6 seasons
The Falcons haven’t made the postseason since the 2017 season. The Falcons have a total of 14 playoff appearances.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Longest NFL playoff droughts: Teams with longest postseason dry spells
