NFL Champions

The Super Bowl, the grand finale of the National Football League (NFL) season, is the stage upon which many football legends are born. Over the past 57 years, the Lombardi Trophy's journey has been diverse and dynamic, gracing the hands of various franchises across the United States.

With six victories apiece, the Steelers and Patriots are in a tie for the most Super Bowl victories. With five championships apiece, the 49ers and Cowboys are in hot pursuit. The total number of teams with multiple Super Bowl victories is fifteen. Twelve clubs have never won a Super Bowl, five have held up the Lombardi Trophy just once, and four have never appeared in the big game.
Here are the NFL clubs with three or more Super Bowl victories:

The Pittsburgh Steelers, with their rich history, have recorded six Super Bowl victories. This illustrious franchise, led during the 1970s by Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw and a legendary defensive line known as “The Steel Curtain,” dominated the NFL, making eight straight postseason appearances between 1972 and 1979. During this period, they amassed four Super Bowl titles (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979). They are regarded today as “The Team of the 70s.”

After a nearly three-decade-long championship drought, the Steelers returned to dominance in the 2000s. With young quarterback Ben Roethlisberger at the helm, they won the Super Bowl in his second season in 2005 and again in 2008. Despite losing his third Super Bowl appearance in 2010, Roethlisberger's contributions have ensured the Steelers' place at the top of the list of franchises with the most Super Bowl victories.

The New England Patriots share the top spot with the Steelers, boasting six Super Bowl championships. The franchise was relatively unknown until the dawn of the new millennium. The Patriots' fortune changed dramatically with the arrival of head coach Bill Belichick and the debut of quarterback Tom Brady in 2000. The dynamic duo went on to win their first Super Bowl in their second season together, initiating an unmatched era of dominance. This victory is still regarded as one of the Super Bowl’s biggest upsets, coming in as 14-point underdogs against Kurt Warner and the St. Louis Rams and beating them on a last-second field goal by Adam Vinatieri.

The Patriots began rolling from there, clinching victories in 2003 and 2004. In 2007, they became the second team in the Super Bowl era to finish a season undefeated but couldn’t finish the job, losing to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII. 

The Patriots started their second dynasty in the 2010s, winning championships in 2014, 2016, and 2018. The Patriots' success, however, has waned since Brady's departure after the 2019 campaign. The team has struggled to replicate its past performance, and it may be some time before New England lifts another Lombardi Trophy. Brady, however, went on to win a seventh Lombardi Trophy in 2020 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Patriots are still regarded as the “Team of the 2000s” and “Team of the 2010s.”

The Dallas Cowboys have managed five Super Bowl titles, etching their name in the annals of NFL history. The team's golden era was undeniably in the 1970s and 1990s.

Under the guidance of head coach Tom Landry and quarterback Roger Staubach in the 1970s, they clinched two Super Bowl victories, marking the zenith of a 20-season run of winning records and consistent playoff appearances.

After a brief slump in the 1980s, the Cowboys returned to their former glory in the 1990s. Masterminded by quarterback Troy Aikman, the team added three more Lombardi Trophies to their collection in 1992, 1993, and 1995. This earned them the moniker “Team of the 90s.” 

Unfortunately, the Cowboys have not advanced past the Divisional Round of the playoffs since that period, leaving their fans yearning for the glory days.

The San Francisco 49ers, another storied franchise, have also clinched five Super Bowl titles, all between the 1980s and 1990s. The team's first wave of success came under the leadership of Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, who piloted the Niners to four championships in 1981, 1984, 1988, and 1989, thus cementing his legacy as one of the all-time greats. For this, the 49ers are known today as the “Team of the 80s.” 

After Montana's departure, another Hall of Fame QB, Steve Young, stepped up, leading the 49ers to another Super Bowl victory in 1994. Despite reaching the Super Bowl twice since their last victory, the team hasn't been able to secure another title, keeping their tally at five. But this year, the 49ers are the current favorites to win Super Bowl LVIII, and their fans are hoping for a return to glory. 

The Green Bay Packers, with their storied history, have managed to capture the Lombardi Trophy four times. The Packers' victories are spread out over several decades, reflecting the team's enduring competence.
They clinched the first two Super Bowls ever played, in 1966 and 1967, under the leadership of legendary quarterback Bart Starr and head coach Vince Lombardi, whose name graces the Super Bowl trophy. It’s also important to note that the Packers also won three other NFL championships in the 1960s before the Super Bowl was introduced. Hence, the reason most regard the Packers as “The Team of the 60s.”

After Lombardi's departure, the team went through a prolonged slump, but they rose again to triumph in the 1996 Super Bowl with Brett Favre at the helm.

The Packers secured their fourth Super Bowl title in the 2010 season, led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers. They’ve knocked on the door since 2010, making four NFC Championship Games; however, they have not been able to get back to the Super Bowl.

The New York Giants, despite their fluctuating fortunes, are tied with the Packers with four Super Bowl titles to their name.

The team's golden era came in the late 1980s under the leadership of head coach Bill Parcells and quarterback Phil Simms, during which they clinched Super Bowl victories in 1986 and 1990.

The Giants' two most recent Super Bowl wins came as major upsets against the heavily favored Patriots in 2007 and 2011. The first of these victories famously ended New England's quest for an undefeated season. The 2011 title was particularly shocking, as it followed a mediocre 9-7 regular season. Both these championships came with head coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning at the helm.

The Denver Broncos, known for their steadfast resilience, have managed to secure the Lombardi Trophy three times.

Their journey to this achievement, however, was not without its share of tribulations, with the team enduring four Super Bowl losses before finally tasting victory in 1997. This breakthrough came with the synergy of quarterback John Elway and head coach Mike Shanahan, who repeated their success in the subsequent year, 1998.

After a 17-year hiatus, the Broncos stormed back to the top in 2015, upsetting the league MVP Cam Newton and his 15-1 Carolina Panthers. The defensive prowess of the Broncos, coupled with the veteran leadership of Peyton Manning in his final professional season, clinched them their third championship.

Despite this remarkable achievement, the Broncos have struggled to replicate their past success since Manning's retirement, failing to make the playoffs in the following years.

The Kansas City Chiefs, with their recent resurgence, have secured three Super Bowl titles and have dreams of a fourth Lombardi Trophy.

Their first victory came in 1969 under the leadership of head coach Hank Stram and quarterback Len Dawson. However, after this initial success, the Chiefs endured a five-decade drought without a Super Bowl appearance.

This changed dramatically in 2019, when head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, arguably one of the most dynamic duos in the league, steered the Chiefs to their second Super Bowl victory. The Chiefs continued to assert their dominance, clinching their third championship in the 2022 season. This season, their Super Bowl odds are still quite good, as they enter Super Bowl LVIII as slight underdogs against the 49ers.

With Mahomes contracted through 2031, the Chiefs are poised to be significant contenders in the years to come, potentially ushering in a new era of dominance in the NFL. While some more years need to play out, the Chiefs are the leading candidate to become “The Team of the 2020s.”

The Las Vegas Raiders, previously known as the Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Raiders, share a rich history with three Super Bowl victories to their name.

They first established their dominance in the late 1960s to mid-1980s, a period during which they made 15 playoff appearances in 19 seasons and won championships in 1976, 1980, and 1983. This remarkable run, however, was followed by a prolonged period of struggle, with just one Super Bowl appearance in the last four decades and no postseason game wins since 2002.

This decline in performance was a significant factor in the franchise's decision to relocate from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2020.