With Super Bowl season almost upon us, it’s a good time to look at which top-of-the-top NFL players are unfortunately bound to retire without a ring.
Factoring in their ages, team circumstances, and cap situations, we came up with a list of the best NFL players at every position who will NOT win a Super Bowl. Dan Marino, Randy Moss, and Eric Dickerson, you’ll have more company soon!
Without further ado, let’s dive right into it!
Will these NFL players never have a chance to win the Super Bowl?
OFFENSE – Quarterback: Justin Herbert
This is a risky selection, we know. But someone has to occupy the spot…
We could just point out how Justin Herbert is stuck on a perennially snake-bitten Los Angeles Chargers team. I mean, he’s put up five excellent seasons as their starting QB and has zero playoff victories to show for it.
It’s not Herbert’s fault that the Chargers have continuously underachieved. But that four-interception outing in the humiliating Wild Card Round loss to the Houston Texans had us wondering if Herbert really is cut out for the big moment.
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It’s not just that Herbert hasn’t proven himself on the big stage or that the Chargers have underwhelmed every year since he entered the league in 2020.
He has to deal with Patrick Mahomes and now Bo Nix in the AFC West. The Bolts also reside in the same conference as Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills, Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens, and Joe Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals.
So yeah, Herbert’s path to a Super Bowl will always be difficult. His predecessor, Philip Rivers, could never overcome the hurdles of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, or Ben Roethlisberger in the AFC.
A similar fate awaits Herbert in the unforgiving AFC.
Wide Receiver: CeeDee Lamb
Love or hate the Dallas Cowboys, it’s not up for debate that CeeDee Lamb has been a top-three receiver in football since he burst onto the scene in 2020.
Unfortunately for Lamb, Jerry Jones’s incompetence means he won’t have the opportunity to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, at least not as a member of Dallas.
Before the season, Lamb signed a four-year contract extension worth $136 million. That keeps him under contract through his age-29 season in 2028, meaning he has already committed to wasting the rest of his prime years on a Dallas team that won’t sniff a Super Bowl as long as Jones keeps calling the shots.
If Lamb requests a trade within the next four years, though, then it’s a different story. For now, we’re confident in already putting him down as a ringless all-time great.
Tight End: George Kittle
As great as Kittle has been since his 2018 breakout year with the San Francisco 49ers, the clock is rapidly ticking on the six-time Pro Bowler and LIKELY Hall of Famer.
Kittle’s 49ers have lost two Super Bowls — both against the Kansas City Chiefs — and a pair of NFC Championship games since 2019. Unfortunately for Kittle, it just already feels like he’s missed the opportunity to win it all.
Kittle will be 32 next season, a popular age for pass-catchers to decline. Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey, and other key 49ers players are also getting up there in age, and Brock Purdy’s looming contract extension is about to put a serious dent in the 49ers’ long-term cap situation.
If Kittle were a few years younger, we’d exclude him from this list. But he’s got no more than three prime years left, and the odds are against an aging and cap-strapped 49ers team from making another run with this core as currently constructed.
Running Back: Alvin Kamara
Most of today’s top running backs are either veterans on a legitimate championship contender OR young and just entering their primes. Alvin Kamara doesn’t fall under either category here.
Credit Kamara for staying loyal, but he signed away his chance at a Super Bowl when he agreed to a two-year extension during the 2024 season that has him under contract through his age-31 2026 season.
The Saints haven’t made the playoffs since Drew Brees’ retirement in 2021. Yet they continuously refuse to rebuild and try to “win now” with fading veterans like Derek Carr, Cameron Jordan, DeMario Davis, and Tyrann Mathieu.
New Orleans isn’t a serious team without Brees and Sean Payton. Kamara is a model of consistency with eight straight seasons of over 1,000 scrimmage yards to begin his career, but he’s got no shot of winning a ring with the only NFL team he’s ever known.
Offensive Tackle: Trent Williams
Not trying to hoard on 49ers offensive players here…but Williams is still the best offensive tackle in football…even as he prepares to enter his age-37 season.
The 11-time Pro Bowler has suffered two heartbreaking NFC Championship Game defeats AND a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58. But with Williams about to turn 37, you do wonder how much longer he plans to play.
Like we said on the Kittle slide, the 49ers’ window with this current core is rapidly closing. Unless San Fran did the unthinkable by trading Williams to a real Super Bowl contender, he’s destined to go down as perhaps the greatest offensive lineman to never win a Super Bowl.
Center: Ryan Kelly
There’s a small number of “elite” centers in football. Kelly is on that list, but he also faces astronomical odds of winning a Super Bowl at this phase of his career.
The four-time Pro Bowler and longtime Indianapolis Colts’ mainstay needs a new deal after completing his four-year, $50 million extension. If he stays loyal and commits to a mediocre Colts team for the rest of his career, he’s not going to win a darn thing.
But if Kelly DOES leave Indianapolis this offseason? Even then, he’ll be 32, and most Super Bowl contenders are set at center. Add it all up, and it looks like Kelly’s otherwise impressive career will culminate with no championships.
Guard: Zack Martin
Offensive linemen, in general, don’t get enough love, but Zack Martin may very well be the greatest Dallas Cowboy of the 21st century…so far. And we assume you’ve heard the mind-boggling stat that he has more career Pro Bowl nods than holding penalties.
But the Cowboys haven’t come close to a Super Bowl despite fielding a top-tier o-line led by Martin. In fact, they’ve only won three playoff games since he stepped onto the field as a rookie in 2014.
Not sure where Martin will play in 2025 and beyond, but he’ll be 35 by the end of next season. The odds are against him winning a championship at this phase, whether he returns to Dallas or pursues a ring elsewhere.
What can we say? He shouldn’t have been this loyal for this long to a team renowned for choking on an annual basis.
DEFENSE – Defensive End: Myles Garrett
In the eyes of most, Garrett is the best defensive end in football right now. He’s also stuck on a lousy Cleveland Browns team that doesn’t seem to know what it’s doing anymore.
We ask Myles to save himself and seek a trade while he’s still in his prime. Committing any more seasons to Cleveland means putting himself in danger of joining the Mt. Rushmore of ringless-NFL icons.
Defensive Tackle: Quinnen Williams
Williams is only 27 and keeps getting better with each passing year. So why is he on this list?
Well, there’s a case to be made that he’s the league’s best defensive tackle NOT named Chris Jones. And when Williams signed that four-year extension worth $96 million in the 2023 offseason? That was when he, like most of us, thought the New York Jets were about to emerge as Super Bowl contenders with Aaron Rodgers coming to town.
Instead, the Jets have gotten progressively worse, with no signs of improvement in sight. Unless Woody Johnson sells the team, that is. Sorry, Quinnen, but signing that extension unfortunately meant signing away from your chances of touching the Lombardi Trophy.
Off-Ball Linebacker: C.J. Mosley
The ex-Baltimore Raven and current New York Jets star has aged beautifully like a fine wine. With five Pro Bowl nods, 12 interceptions, 53 pass breakups, 10 forced fumbles, and 12 sacks, Mosley has an outside shot at the Hall of Fame.
Baltimore had two playoff runs with Mosley, but they only won a single playoff game. The Jets wasted the rest of his prime. Even if he leaves in 2025, a 33-year-old Mosley has little hope now of winning a championship.
Not sure if any real title contenders will want to sign an aging and injury-prone Mosley to start for them. So, unfortunately, that means there will be no Super Bowl for this longtime workhorse.
Outside Linebacker: T.J. Watt
As hard as it is to believe, the Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t won a single playoff game in the TJ Watt era. Think about that for a minute.
Incredibly and tragically, they’ve lost six straight playoff games dating back to the 2016 AFC Championship Game. Watt has helped them to five postseason appearances since his 2017 rookie year, but there isn’t a single playoff W to show for it.
The Steelers have been held back by inept quarterback play for most of Watt’s career. And unfortunately, the front office and ownership seem content with simply avoiding losing seasons with Mike Tomlin instead of pursuing Super Bowls.
Watt’s not getting any younger, either. Since he seems committed to finishing his career — or at least his prime years in Steel City — it looks like he and brother JJ will both retire ringless. What a shame it would be if the family didn’t get to celebrate at least one Super Bowl together.
Cornerback: Denzel Ward
Other elite cornerbacks like Trent McDuffie and Jalen Ramsey already have a ring. Youngsters like ‘Sauce’ Gardner and Patrick Surtain are young and have plenty of opportunities ahead.
But the Cleveland Browns’ four-time Pro Bowl cornerback is already on borrowed time here. He’s not going to win a championship on a dysfunctional and mismanaged team that kicked its opportunity out the door by trading for Deshaun Watson.
Ward is signed through 2027, his age-30 season. Unless he switches teams at the tail end of his career, he won’t even see another playoff game. Let alone win a Super Bowl.
Strong Safety: Derwin James Jr.
The 2018 first-round pick has been a godsend for the Chargers defense. It’s a true shame he has only celebrated one playoff win, which by the way happened in his rookie season.
James is making a compelling Canton case with four Pro Bowl nods and a pair of selections to first and second-all-pro teams. He’s a one-of-a-kind safety with 17 sacks, nine interceptions, and 39 pass breakups.
But James isn’t getting any younger, and the Chargers haven’t at all proven that they’re close to competing in the gauntlet that is the AFC. With the clock ticking on his prime years, James was an easy choice here.
Free Safety: Minkah Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick is still in his prime. But if he retired today, there would be a compelling Hall of Fame case. Five Pro Bowl nods, three First-team All-Pro selections, and 20 interceptions through your first seven seasons speak for itself.
But where is Pittsburgh’s path to a Super Bowl again? Fitzpatrick is approaching 30, which is ancient for a defensive back in today’s NFL. Unless something out of the ordinary happens, you’ll look back on him, Wat,t and Cam Heyward as an all-time great defensive trio that never won it all together.
SPECIAL TEAMS – Kicker: Chris Boswell
Betcha didn’t know that at the conclusion of the 2024 regular season, Boswell sat fourth in career field goal percentage at 88.026 percent. Justin Tucker remains the career leader at 89.103 percent, so Boswell could realistically catch him when all’s said and done.
But as we stated on the TJ Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick entries, the Steelers aren’t anywhere close to winning a Super Bowl right now. Even if you think Tomlin is the solution as head coach, just which quarterback will save this franchise and make them competitive with the AFC’s top dogs?
Exactly. And Boswell, who’s signed through his age-35 2026 season, is one of several key Steelers who must accept that there will be no championship to celebrate before he hangs up the cleats.
Punter: A.J. Cole
For those who don’t follow this man, die-hard Las Vegas Raiders fans will tell you how much of a special teams weapon Cole has been for the Black and Silver.
Cole is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time First-team All-Pro. And through 2024, his career 48.6 yards per punt placed second all-time behind only active Detroit Lions punter Jack Fox.
Cole is as good as it gets as a punter. But can you see him winning a ring on a hapless Raiders team led by one of football’s worst owners, Mark Davis? Neither can we.
