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The need to win the Super Bowl consumes practically every starting NFL quarterback. Ultimately, while they spend their offseason working meticulously on their game and honing their skills to perfection, for many, achieving their life-long goal will simply never happen.
As we scour through several of the best signal-callers in the game today, many have crafted a Hall of Fame career, despite the absence of a Super Bowl championship.
So, which of those Hall of Fame-bound quarterbacks will ultimately leave the game ringless and their chase to win a title will end in pain and agony? Sit back and relax as we dissect it.
Lamar Jackson
Although Lamar Jackson’s career appears to be heading towards the Hall of Fame, the multi-faceted dual-threat QB was forced to wait his turn. Blessed with unreal wheels and a cannon for an arm, Jackson easily snagged the league MVP in just his first full season as the Baltimore Ravens quarterback.
However, while Jackson placed himself on the map with his historic season in 2019, countless defensive coordinators began carefully analyzing his game. In an effort to never be caught off guard by Jackson again, the league as a whole has forced him to stay in the pocket while limiting the time he spends outside of it.
So far, although it’s still incredibly early in his career, Jackson will be forced to adjust his game if he hopes to lead Baltimore to the promised land. This past season, at the age of 24, Jackson endured his worst year yet, racking up just 2,882 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
Outside of his pedestrian numbers, Jackson was also blasted on countless occasions as he finished his year on the sidelines, a direct result of the 38 sacks that were laced upon his body.
Unwilling to allow the rigors of the NFL to truncate his career, Jackson has bulked up considerably, going from a slender and lean 205 pounds to a bulky 230-pound frame. While Jackson might be able to withstand more of a pounding this season and for the foreseeable future, the rest of his game could suffer.
Matt Ryan
The light at the end of Matt Ryan’s NFL tunnel is getting incredibly close. As the former league MVP sits back and attempts to enjoy his final few years in the spotlight, he’ll do so while donning a different uniform for the first time in his career.
For 14 incredibly productive seasons, Ryan did his best to pull and drag the Atlanta Falcons to the forefront of the NFL world. And while his attempts to win a Super Bowl resulted in broken promises and transient playoff runs, in 2016, he was on the edge of quarterback immortality.
Nevertheless, Ryan, infamously, led the charge as the Falcons suffered a complete meltdown against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl that year. The Falcons were leading 28-3 with just 2:15 minutes remaining in the third quarter. However, the Patriots were able to force the game into overtime and steal the win.
Since then, Ryan has spent most of his time sequestered on the sidelines as postseason play has raged on without him.
Ultimately, the Indianapolis Colts have invested heavily in Ryan. In the here and now, the Super Bowl-deprived franchise is hopeful that Ryan will be the missing piece in their championship puzzle.
However, much like his time in Atlanta, Ryan could suffer countless shortcomings and meltdowns in Indianapolis, resulting in his departure from the league without winning it all.
Kirk Cousins
Whether anyone likes it or not, Kirk Cousins will likely have his name glittered in gold as he enters the NFL Hall of Fame once he hangs up his cleats for good. Currently, at the young age of 33, Cousins ranks in the top 40 in both passing yards (32,593) and passing touchdowns (223).
His ability to lead a docile group of NFL players to the promised land, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired. In seven seasons as a full-time starter, Cousins has guided his ball clubs to the playoffs on just two occasions. Only once during that stretch has he reached the second round.
Unless something drastic happens, and Cousins finds himself surrounded by countless otherworldly talents, it’s likely that he will end his career without a Super Bowl ring, despite putting up Hall of Fame worthy numbers.
