When the Patriots dismissed the Texans on Sunday, it ended the last hope of a desperate group: No team will win their first Super Bowl in 2026. Just a dozen of the league's 32 teams have never hoisted the Lombardi trophy, and that number won't change this year. In fact, Seattle is the only remaining team that has just one Super Bowl victory. The Rams (2), Broncos (3) and Patriots (6) are just looking to add to their multiple titles. Meanwhile, the teams that have never won are still looking for answers.
You don't really hear about it in the NFL, but it's a much bigger deal in your fantasy league.
I understand why it's not as notable in the real game. Players and coaches turn over so frequently that the "same team" looks totally different just a few years later. Every title is the first one for many people in the organization. And for some teams, their last title was a long time ago. We're about the hit the 30th anniversary of the Cowboys' last championship, and I wasn't even alive when the Jets won their Super Bowl even though I qualify for some senior discounts today.
But it's different in fantasy. The players change, but it's the same manager every year. They never get fired, never have to justify their decisions and never endure criticism, except from other managers. And that last part is what matters. Everyone who is still searching for their first league championship feels the weight of it every year. They get reminded of it, even though they're well aware of their title drought. Until they finally win one, they'll always be on the losing side of any significant trash talk. An opponent can always point to an empty trophy case, and there’s no comeback for that.
On the other side of the ledger, we have the managers with multiple titles. Again, it's very different from the NFL. If the Patriots win another title, who's left over from their last championship? Josh McDaniels? But if the same fantasy manager keeps winning, they get all the credit from the first title to the last. And you'll definitely hear about it. They'll attribute it to skill, but I believe it's mostly preparedness (what many people label skill) and luck. Prepared managers hit on later-round picks, get the jump on the better waiver wire pickups and give more consideration to their lineups. They spend more time on the game, they know all the rules of the league, and they're ready to pivot when new information comes out. I consider that preparation more than skill, and I think people visit this site (though not necessarily this column) to enhance that preparation. And when two prepared managers face each other, luck often plays a role in determining the winner. But whatever you call it, some managers earn multiple trophies while others don't have any.
That's bad enough for a title-less manager, but then there's also that one team that somehow has a magical year and goes from annual mediocrity to a championship. All their picks hit, they didn't suffer any big injuries and luck seemed to always be on their side. They might go back to being a middling team every year, but that manager can always point to that one season where they won the title. Once you win, nobody can take it away. And until you win, you're always somehow below those who have.
I'm sure none of the teams still alive care much about what titles came before. It's all new to them. But as a fantasy manager, I feel for the Texans, Jaguars, Chargers, Panthers, and especially the Bills, for falling short of their first Super Bowl title. They made it to the playoffs but couldn't close the deal. Maybe next year. And if you fell short this season, at least you get an automatic contract extension. There's always next year for you as well.
Are there managers in your league who win constantly, while others can’t buy a trophy? What causes this success, or lack of it? What NFL team would you want to get their first Super Bowl victory? Share your thoughts below.