NFL Longest Losing Streak Record

Lore & Background

The franchise was established in Chicago in 1898 as the Morgan Athletic Club and joined the NFL as a charter member on September 17, 1920. The Cardinals are the oldest continuously run professional football franchise in the United States and, along with the Chicago Bears, are the only NFL charter member franchises still in operation. The team moved to St. Louis in 1960, then to Tempe, Arizona before the 1988 season, and to their current home in Glendale in 2006. They have won two NFL championships (1925 and 1947), both while in Chicago. As of 2025, the Cardinals have the longest active championship drought in North American sports at 78 seasons.

In Their Own Story

The stadium lights hummed over the emptying stands of Sun Devil Stadium, casting long shadows across the turf. It was another late night in Arizona, the kind where hope feels distant against the scoreboard's finality. A lone groundskeeper walked the sideline, sweeping up debris from a game that had slipped away. Yet, beneath the silence, the red and gold remained on the bench, waiting for the next morning.

Reader's Guide

The Cardinals have an all-time win–loss record (including regular season and playoffs) of 603–836–41 through the 2025 season. They have made 11 playoff appearances and won seven playoff games, including three in the 2008–09 playoffs. They won their only NFC Championship since the 1970 merger in that season and reached Super Bowl XLIII, losing 27–23 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team has won five division titles (1974, 1975, 2008, 2009, 2015) since their 1947–48 championship game appearances. They are the only NFL team that has never lost a playoff game at home (5–0 record).

Did You Know?

• The Cardinals are the oldest continuously run professional football franchise in the United States.
• The team has won two NFL championships, both while based in Chicago (1925 and 1947).
• As of 2025, the Cardinals have the longest active championship drought in North American sports at 78 seasons.
• The Cardinals have lost home playoff games, including the 2009 NFC Wild Card Game and the 2015 NFC Championship Game.