Repeat championships in the NFL used to be more common.
Over the first 39 Super Bowls, it happened eight times. But no team has done it since Tom Brady and the New England Patriots won two in a row following the 2003-04 seasons.
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are aiming to become the first back-to-back Super Bowl champs in 19 years when they face the San Francisco 49ers on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.
The Chiefs had a chance to do it three years ago, but lost 31-9 to Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Two other teams — the 2017 Patriots and the 2014 Seattle Seahawks — also have failed in their repeat bid since the feat was last accomplished.
There hasn't been a back-to-back champion in major league baseball since the New York Yankees won three straight World Series from 1998-2000. The Golden State Warriors last did it in the NBA in 2017-18. It was accomplished more recently in the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning capturing the Stanley Cup in 2020-21.
Here are the NFL’s repeat champions in the Super Bowl era:
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Vince Lombardi’s team won the first two Super Bowls and a few years later the iconic coach’s name was put on the trophy awarded to the winner. The Packers dominated the Chiefs in the first Super Bowl on Jan. 15, 1967, winning 35-10. They followed up with a 33-14 victory over the Oakland Raiders in 1968.
Quarterback Bart Starr was the MVP in both wins. He tossed two touchdown passes against Kansas City and threw for 202 yards and one TD vs. Oakland.
MIAMI DOLPHINS After losing to Dallas in Super Bowl 6, the Dolphins went 14-0 in 1972 and capped off the NFL’s only undefeated season with a 14-7 win over Washington on Jan. 14, 1973.The Dolphins defeated the Vikings 24-7 the following year for the franchise’s most recent Super Bowl victory. It was the second of four Super Bowl losses for Minnesota in a seven-year span.Safety Jake Scott had two interceptions and was the MVP in the win over Washington. Larry Csonka ran for 145 yards and two scores to earn MVP honors against Minnesota. PITTSBURGH STEELERS Chuck Noll, Terry Bradshaw and the Steel Curtain won their first of four Super Bowls in six years, defeating Minnesota 16-6 on Jan. 12, 1975, in Super Bowl 9. Franco Harris was the MVP of that game after rushing for 158 yards and one TD.The Steelers beat the Dallas Cowboys 21-17 the following season. Lynn Swann earned MVP honors with four catches for 161 yards and one TD.Pittsburgh’s bid for a three-peat fell two games short when the Steelers lost the AFC championship game to eventual champion Oakland in December 1976.The Steelers returned to the Super Bowl following the 1978 season and again defeated Tom Landry, Roger Staubach and the Cowboys 35-31. Bradshaw threw for 318 yards and four TDs to win the MVP award.Pittsburgh defeated the Los Angeles Rams 31-19 on Jan. 20, 1980, to repeat. Bradshaw again was the MVP after throwing for 309 yards and two TDs. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and the 49ers capped off the 1980s with their third and fourth titles in the decade. The Niners defeated Cincinnati 20-16 on Jan. 22, 1989, beating the Bengals in a Super Bowl for the second time. Rice was the MVP after catching 11 passes for 215 yards and one TD.The 49ers routed Denver 55-10 to win it again the next season. Montana had 297 yards passing and five TDs to earn his third Super Bowl MVP award. DALLAS COWBOYS Jimmy Johnson teamed up with Jerry Jones to bring the Lombardi Trophy back to “America’s Team” after a 15-year drought. With Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin leading the way, the Cowboys dominated Buffalo 52-17 on Jan. 31, 1993. Aikman won MVP honors with 273 yards passing and four TDs.The rematch was closer but the Cowboys prevailed 30-13, handing coach Marv Levy, QB Jim Kelly and the rest of the Bills their fourth straight Super Bowl defeat. Smith had 132 yards rushing and two scores to earn the MVP award. DENVER BRONCOS After losing three Super Bowls in a four-year span to finish the 1980s, John Elway waited eight years to go back and prevented Brett Favre and the Packers from repeating. The Broncos beat Green Bay 31-24 on Jan. 25, 1998. Terrell Davis had 157 yards rushing and three TDs to earn the MVP award.The Broncos defeated Atlanta 34-19 to repeat. Elway threw for 336 yards and one TD to get MVP honors. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS Brady and Bill Belichick won six Super Bowls together in 20 seasons with their second and third titles coming back to back.Adam Vinatieri kicked a 41-yard field goal with 4 seconds remaining to give the Patriots a 32-29 win over Carolina on Feb. 1, 2004. Brady threw for 354 yards and three TDs to win the second of his five MVP awards and seven rings.New England held off coach Andy Reid’s Philadelphia Eagles the following season, 24-21. Deion Branch had 11 catches for 133 yards to earn the MVP award. Terrell Owens had nine catches for 122 yards for the Eagles after defying his doctor’s advice and returning to play just six weeks after ankle surgery.
