There’s only one thing harder than getting to a Super Bowl and that’s winning one. There are currently four NFL franchises that have never made it past their conference championships. After that, you have eight more that have never won a Super Bowl. That’s nearly 38 percent of the league that has yet to hoist a Vince Lombardi Trophy.
It should come as no surprise, then, that only one of the following list of quarterbacks doesn’t play for one of those 12 teams. These are all, unquestionably, franchise quarterbacks in a league that doesn’t currently have 32 of those guys. As of today, I’d say there are 22 and that’s a lot. If some draft picks work out, we could be in the greatest era of quarterbacking in NFL history, in which case this list will become even more significant.
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
Career: 95-63, 64.9 completion percentage, 41,796 yards, 260 touchdowns, 126 interceptions, four Pro Bowls, One All-Pro
Super Bowl Appearances: 1 (lost 34-28 to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI)
Matt Ryan should not be on this list and he, more than anyone else, knows it. The Falcons, famously, were up 28-3 in the third quarter of Super Bowl LI when Kyle Shanahan’s hubris got the best of them. He wanted to run up the score and not just play to win. Ryan could have vetoed any playcall coming in, but didn’t and they teamed up for the greatest choke-job in NFL history.
Ryan just recently reset the market in quarterback contracts for good reason. He’s probably one of the five best QBs currently playing and, of those five, he’s the youngest at 33. By blowing his one (and maybe only) shot, Ryan has a tough hill to climb to get back to the big game. As good as the Falcons are, they probably are no better than the fourth best team in the NFC and might not even be the best team in their own division when 2018 wraps up. Ryan could be at the top of his game for the next five years and never get through the NFC playoff bracket again. It’s happened to Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. You can’t blow your chances and Ryan did.
Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers
Career: 106-86, 64.2 completion percentage, 50,348 yards, 342 touchdowns, 166 interceptions, seven Pro Bowls
Super Bowl Appearances: 0
If you can be heartbroken for a successful multi-millionaire, Philip Rivers is a prime candidate for your sympathy. He’s been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL since he took over as a starter for the Chargers back in 2006. That first year, he led the Chargers to a 14-2 record and the AFC Championship where they ran into the SpyGate era New England Patriots. Still, the Chargers probably would have won that game if Rivers wasn’t bravely playing on a torn ACL.
Rivers entire career has been hampered by horrible coaching hires and poor front office support. This year is no different and while a handful of people are talking about the Chargers being real Super Bowl contenders. Don’t you believe it.
To be continued in Part 2.
