Super Bowl Losers - Full Breakdown (Prize Money, Most Losses for a Coach, QB, and Team)

For most NFL players, getting the opportunity to play in a Super Bowl is a dream come true and a high point for their entire career. Of course, there is always a winner and a loser, meaning one team always goes home disappointed, unsure if they’ll ever get another opportunity again.

Obviously, there is a lot to be said for just getting to the Super Bowl. But there are also consequences for getting there and losing - both financially and otherwise. We felt it was important to share exactly what it means for players and coaches to lose a Super Bowl.

Our latest Super Bowl odds can be found here. Also, feel free to check out a similar breakdown of Super Bowl winners.

Do Super Bowl Losers Make Money?

While playing in the Super Bowl is a great honor, players don’t do it for free. The collective bargaining agreement negotiated between the NFL and players lays out a bonus schedule for Super Bowl participants. Naturally, players on the winning team make more money than those on the losing team.

In Super Bowl LIX, the Eagles beat the Chiefs. For winning the game, everyone on the Eagles earned $171,000, while members of the Chiefs took home $96,000 each. The collective bargaining agreement calls for an increase for Super Bowl LX between the Patriots and Seahawks. Players on the winning team will earn a $178,000 bonus, while players on the losing team will receive $103,000.

Players don’t even need to play in the game to get the bonus. Every active and inactive player on the roster and any player who appeared in at least eight games for a team but isn’t on the roster receives a Super Bowl bonus.

Super Bowl Losers Also Get a Ring

Among the many luxuries of winning a Super Bowl, players receive a ring to commemorate their accomplishments. However, players on the losing team in a Super Bowl don’t walk away empty-handed. They also receive a ring.

Don’t worry, it’s not a ring that says Super Bowl loser. Keep in mind that both teams in the Super Bowl won their conference championship. Winning either the AFC or NFC Championship Game is enough to earn a ring. Of course, Super Bowl winners get a conference championship ring as well, so they get two rings for winning the Super Bowl. Whether Super Bowl losers are eager to showcase their conference championship ring is another story.

How Many Teams Have Lost a Super Bowl?

There are 24 different franchises that have experienced a Super Bowl loss. Of the eight teams that have never lost a Super Bowl, four teams (Browns, Jaguars, Lions, and Texans) have never reached a Super Bowl. Four other teams have won all of their Super Bowl appearances. The Ravens and Buccaneers are 2-0 in Super Bowls, while the Jets and Saints have both won their only Super Bowl appearances. Of the 24 teams with a Super Bowl loss, 18 franchises have multiple Super Bowl losses.

What Teams Have Lost the Most Super Bowls?

Ironically, some of the most successful NFL franchises also have the most losses in Super Bowl history. The Broncos and Patriots are tied for the most Super Bowl losses with five each. Keep in mind that since they have earned a spot in Super Bowl LX, the Patriots are poised to play in their 12th Super Bowl, which is more than any other franchise. Meanwhile, the Broncos have appeared in eight Super Bowls, which is tied for the second-most of all time with the Steelers, Cowboys, and 49ers. 

The Bills and Vikings are close behind the Broncos and Patriots with four Super Bowl losses each. Unfortunately, the Bills and Vikings have only been to four Super Bowls each, losing each of them. The Bengals, Cowboys, Dolphins, Eagles, Rams, Chiefs, and 49ers have all suffered three Super Bowl defeats each. The Chiefs are the newest addition to that list after losing Super Bowl LIX, giving them three Super Bowl wins and two Super Bowl losses in a six-year span. Out of the teams with three Super Bowl losses, the Bengals are the only team that has never won a Super Bowl.

Head Coaches With the Most Super Bowl Losses

There are four coaches who have lost the Super Bowl a record four times. Those coaches are Don Shula, Bud Grant, Marv Levy, and Dan Reeves. Of those four coaches, Shula is the only coach who has also won a Super Bowl, doing so twice with the Dolphins.

Grant coached the Vikings in all four of their Super Bowl losses. Likewise, Levy coached the Bills when they lost the Super Bowl in four consecutive seasons. Reeves, meanwhile, coached the Broncos in three Super Bowl losses and then coached the Falcons in a Super Bowl that they ironically lost to the Broncos.

Legendary coaches Tom Landry, Bill Belichick, and Andy Reid all have three Super Bowl losses on their resumes. In fairness, Landry won two Super Bowls, Reid has won three, and Belichick has won six. Mike Holmgren also has two Super Bowl losses, creating a total of nine coaches with multiple Super Bowl losses. On the bright side, five of those nine coaches have won at least one Super Bowl during their coaching careers.

Quarterbacks With the Most Super Bowl Losses

No starting quarterback has lost the Super Bowl more times than Buffalo’s Jim Kelly. He led the Bills to the Super Bowl in four consecutive years, only to lose all four games. To date, he’s the only quarterback to lose the Super Bowl four times. Despite being a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, those four losses are a black mark on Kelly’s career.

There are three other quarterbacks who have lost three Super Bowls, and all are Hall of Famers or future Hall of Famers. Tom Brady, John Elway, and Fran Tarkenton have all been on the wrong side of a Super Bowl three times. Tarkenton, unfortunately, played in three Super Bowls and lost all three of them. Brady, of course, won seven Super Bowls despite losing three times. Elway lost three times but won the Super Bowl in each of his final two seasons in the league. He was also the GM of the Broncos when they won their third Super Bowl.

Who Was the Last Super Bowl Loser?

Super Bowl LX is the next Super Bowl. It is scheduled for February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the home of the 49ers. The game will be a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. The Patriots won that game 28-24 thanks to a last-minute interception by New England’s Malcolm Butler at the goal line in what was one of the most dramatic Super Bowl finishes ever.

This is Seattle’s first trip to the Super Bowl since that loss and the franchise’s fourth overall Super Bowl appearance. Meanwhile, the Patriots will be making their 12th Super Bowl appearance, adding to their record. Of course, New England’s last Super Bowl appearance was seven years ago at the tail end of the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick-led dynasty. This time around, they have a new head coach in Mike Vrabel and a new young quarterback in Drake Maye.

The Seahawks are the undeniable favorites in Super Bowl LX. They have the most balanced and complete team in the NFL. However, the Patriots are 9-0 in road games this season, so they will feel confident that they can win a neutral-site Super Bowl on the West Coast. With a win, the Patriots will break their tie with the Steelers for the most Super Bowl wins of all time, as each team currently has six. On the other hand, a loss by the Patriots will set a different record for the most Super Bowl losses of all time, dropping their all-time Super Bowl record to 6-6.