Who has the longest all-time playoff drought in the NFL?
Some teams have had really hard runs without making the playoffs in NFL history. The New Orleans Saints failed to make the playoffs for 20 years between 1967 and 1987. This era, known to fans as the ‘Aints, haunted the fan base until Drew Brees exorcised that demon in 2009.
Some teams appear multiple times on the all-time list, the Detroit Lions have had separate streaks of 11, 11 and 10 years, whilst the Cleveland Browns only broke their 17-year hiatus from the playoffs in 2020. The New York Jets are the only active streak on the top all-time list.
Check out the longest all-time playoff droughts in the NFL below:
Longest All-Time NFL Playoff Droughts
| Team | Years | From | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | 20 | 1967 | 1987 |
| Cleveland Browns | 17 | 2003 | 2020 |
| Buffalo Bills | 17 | 2000 | 2017 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 17 | 1961 | 1978 |
| New York Giants | 17 | 1964 | 1981 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 15 | 1983 | 1998 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 14 | 1983 | 1997 |
| St Louis Cardinals | 14 | 1960 | 1974 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 14 | 1991 | 2005 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 14 | 1972 | 1986 |
| Chicago Bears | 13 | 1964 | 1977 |
| San Diego Chargers | 13 | 1966 | 1979 |
| Oakland Raiders | 13 | 2003 | 2016 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 12 | 1960 | 1972 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 12 | 2008 | 2020 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 12 | 1966 | 1978 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 12 | 2005 | 2017 |
| Detroit Lions | 11 | 1971 | 1982 |
| Detroit Lions | 11 | 2000 | 2011 |
| New York Jets | 11 | 1970 | 1981 |
| Denver Broncos | 11 | 1966 | 1977 |
| Washington Commanders | 11 | 1960 | 1971 |
| New York Jets | 11 | 2011 | – |
| Green Bay Packers | 10 | 1983 | 1993 |
| Detroit Lions | 10 | 1960 | 1970 |
More playoff questions:
Who has the longest all-time NFL Playoffs drought?
The New Orleans Saints didn’t make the playoffs for 20 consecutive seasons between the 1967 and 1987 seasons.
What is the longest active NFL Playoff drought?
The New York Jets haven’t made the playoffs in over a decade, last playing in the post-season after the 2011 season, the longest active NFL playoff drought.
What’s the longest an NFL team has gone without winning a playoff game?
The Detroit Lions haven’t won a playoff game since 1992, which is over 30 years, the longest active playoff win drought in the NFL. View all playoff win droughts here.