The Arizona Cardinals hold the longest active championship drought in North American professional sports
In short: Established in 1898, the Arizona Cardinals are the oldest continuously operating professional football franchise in the United States. Despite their longevity and status as an NFL charter member, the team has endured a 78-season championship drought, a record-setting dry spell that has fueled fan theories about a lingering historical curse.
The franchise began as the Morgan Athletic Club in Chicago, eventually joining the NFL in 1920. Their last championship victory occurred in 1947, nearly two decades before the inaugural Super Bowl. This title remains a point of contention for some, as the 1925 championship was awarded to the Cardinals only after the Pottsville Maroons were suspended for playing in another team's territory. The Cardinals themselves faced scrutiny that year for scheduling games against teams that had already disbanded, including one match featuring high school players.
Following their time in Chicago, the team relocated to St. Louis in 1960, where they struggled to gain traction against the local baseball team of the same name. After 28 years of relative mediocrity, owner Bill Bidwill moved the franchise to Arizona in 1988. The team has since navigated various stadium changes, from Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe to their current home at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, which opened in 2006. Despite these transitions, the team has only reached the Super Bowl once, in 2009, where they narrowly lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The team's modern history is marked by significant fluctuations in performance. They set a franchise-best 13–3 record in 2015 but have also endured multiple seasons with double-digit losses. As of the conclusion of the 2025 season, their all-time record stands at 603–836–41. While they remain the only NFL team to have never lost a home playoff game, their overall championship drought has now reached 78 seasons, leaving fans to wonder if the long-standing rumors of a curse regarding the disputed 1925 title hold any weight.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Arizona Cardinals
- Also: Wikidata — Arizona Cardinals · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — history of the Arizona Cardinals · CC0
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