With the NFC Championship coming up, the Detroit Lions are two wins away from breaking one of the longest championship droughts in NFL history. Their opponents, the San Francisco 49ers, are looking to add to their trophy collection. The Niners haven’t been champs since the mid-90s.
In honor of the potential history on the table, we break down the longest active championship droughts in the NFL.
Length of drought: 77 years
Last championship: 1947 NFL Championship
What happened since last championship: The entire history of color television (1953)
Length of drought: 67 years
Last championship: 1957 NFL Championship
What happened since last championship: Alaska and Hawaii entered the United States (1959)
Length of drought: 60 years
Last championship: 1964 NFL Championship
What happened since last championship: Invention of the Sharpie (1964)
Length of drought: 56
Last championship: 1968 Super Bowl
What happened since last championship: The Moon Landing (1969)
Length of drought: 51 years
Last championship: 1973 Super Bowl
What happened since last championship: The invention of the personal computer (1980)
Length of drought: 41 years
Last championship: 1983 Super Bowl
What happened since last championship: Every current NFL quarterback was born (1983)
Length of drought: 39 years
Last championship: 1985 Super Bowl
What happened since last championship: The U.S. release of the Nintendo Entertainment System (1985)
Length of drought: 33 years
Last championship: 1991 Super Bowl
What happened since last championship: Launch of Hubble Telescope (1993)
Length of drought: 30 years
Last championship: 1994 Super Bowl
What happened since last championship: The entire run of Friends (1994)
Length of drought: 29 years
Last championship: 1995 Super Bowl
What happened since last championship: OJ Simpson trial (1995)
- Atlanta Falcons (founded 1966)
- Arizona Cardinals (joined the NFL as Chicago Cardinals in 1922)
- Buffalo Bills (founded 1960)
- Carolina Panthers (founded 1995)
- Cincinnati Bengals (founded 1968)
- Cleveland Browns (joined the NFL in 1950)
- Detroit Lions (joined NFL as Portsmouth Spartans in 1930)
- Houston Texans (founded 2002)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (founded 1995)
- Los Angeles Chargers (founded 1960)
- Minnesota Vikings (founded 1961)
- Tennessee Titans (founded as Houston Oilers in 1960)
