TEAM SUPER BOWL HISTORY
How Many Super Bowls Have the Pittsburgh Steelers Won?
The Pittsburgh Steelers have won six Super Bowls in eight appearances.
Four titles came during a six-season stretch under Chuck Noll. The other two arrived more than a quarter-century later with Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback and different head coaches on the sideline. Pittsburgh did not reach six by protecting one great era in memory; it built another championship team after the first group was gone.
Records reviewed through Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026.
- Super Bowl Titles
- 6
- Super Bowl Appearances
- 8
- Super Bowl Record
- 6–2
- Last Appearance
- 2011 / Super Bowl XLV
Six Championships Built in Two Separate Runs
The 1970s Steelers won with a defense full of Hall of Famers, Franco Harris controlling games and Terry Bradshaw becoming more dangerous as the postseason stakes grew. Minnesota, Dallas and the Rams each tested a different part of that team, but Pittsburgh finished four Super Bowl trips with four wins.
The later run looked different. Bill Cowher’s team lost Super Bowl XXX before finally winning XL, and Mike Tomlin won XLIII in his second season before returning two years later. Roethlisberger linked those appearances, but the championship moments belonged to a wide receiver throwing a pass, a linebacker running the length of the field and another receiver holding his feet inside the corner of the end zone.
COMPLETE APPEARANCE RECORD
Every Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl Appearance
| Year | Super Bowl | Opponent | Result | Final score | MVP | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Super Bowl IX | Minnesota Vikings | Win | Minnesota Vikings 6, Steelers 16 | Franco Harris | Tulane Stadium |
| 1976 | Super Bowl X | Dallas Cowboys | Win | Dallas Cowboys 17, Steelers 21 | Lynn Swann | Orange Bowl |
| 1979 | Super Bowl XIII | Dallas Cowboys | Win | Dallas Cowboys 31, Steelers 35 | Terry Bradshaw | Orange Bowl |
| 1980 | Super Bowl XIV | Los Angeles Rams | Win | Los Angeles Rams 19, Steelers 31 | Terry Bradshaw | Rose Bowl |
| 1996 | Super Bowl XXX | Dallas Cowboys | Loss | Dallas Cowboys 27, Steelers 17 | Larry Brown | Sun Devil Stadium |
| 2006 | Super Bowl XL | Seattle Seahawks | Win | Seattle Seahawks 10, Steelers 21 | Hines Ward | Ford Field |
| 2009 | Super Bowl XLIII | Arizona Cardinals | Win | Arizona Cardinals 23, Steelers 27 | Santonio Holmes | Raymond James Stadium |
| 2011 | Super Bowl XLV | Green Bay Packers | Loss | Green Bay Packers 31, Steelers 25 | Aaron Rodgers | Cowboys Stadium |
Super Bowl XLV Was Pittsburgh’s Closest Loss
Green Bay led 21–3 in the second quarter, but Pittsburgh cut the margin to four and crossed midfield early in the fourth. The comeback was real until Clay Matthews knocked the ball from Rashard Mendenhall at the Packers’ 33. Green Bay turned the fumble into the touchdown that restored an eleven-point lead.
The Steelers still had one final possession down 31–25. Roethlisberger completed two passes, then the drive ended on fourth down at the Pittsburgh 33. The six-point margin made it the closest of the franchise’s two Super Bowl losses and the only trip in which a seventh title remained possible on the last drive.
GAME-BY-GAME HISTORY
Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl Results, Explained
1975 · Minnesota Vikings
Super Bowl IX
Minnesota Vikings 6, Steelers 16
- Location
- Tulane Stadium · New Orleans, Louisiana
- MVP
- Franco Harris
Turning point: Minnesota fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half, and Franco Harris scored six plays later.
The Steelers led only 2–0 at halftime despite holding Minnesota to almost nothing on offense. The fumble gave Pittsburgh the short field it needed, and Harris powered in for the first touchdown. The defense allowed no offensive points, giving the franchise its first championship without requiring Bradshaw to chase the game.
1976 · Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl X
Dallas Cowboys 17, Steelers 21
- Location
- Orange Bowl · Miami, Florida
- MVP
- Lynn Swann
Turning point: Reggie Harrison blocked a punt for a safety, starting a fourth-quarter run that turned a 10–7 deficit into a Pittsburgh lead.
Dallas kept Bradshaw under pressure and led through three quarters. The blocked punt cut the margin to one, and Pittsburgh scored the next twelve points. Swann’s 64-yard touchdown gave the Steelers enough separation to survive a late Cowboys score and finish a second straight title.
1979 · Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XIII
Dallas Cowboys 31, Steelers 35
- Location
- Orange Bowl · Miami, Florida
- MVP
- Terry Bradshaw
Turning point: Bradshaw found John Stallworth for a 75-yard touchdown, then a turnover set up another Pittsburgh score moments later.
The Cowboys cut the lead to 21–17 and had chances to make the pressure heavier, including Jackie Smith’s dropped pass in the end zone. Pittsburgh answered with the game’s decisive burst. Dallas scored twice late, but the Steelers had already created the cushion that delivered a third title.
1980 · Los Angeles Rams
Super Bowl XIV
Los Angeles Rams 19, Steelers 31
- Location
- Rose Bowl · Pasadena, California
- MVP
- Terry Bradshaw
Turning point: Bradshaw hit Stallworth for a 73-yard touchdown that put Pittsburgh back in front early in the fourth quarter.
The Rams intercepted Bradshaw three times and led 19–17 entering the final period. Pittsburgh kept attacking downfield instead of shrinking the game. Stallworth ran past the coverage for the go-ahead score, and Bradshaw found him again on the drive that set up the final touchdown.
1996 · Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XXX
Dallas Cowboys 27, Steelers 17
- Location
- Sun Devil Stadium · Tempe, Arizona
- MVP
- Larry Brown
Turning point: Larry Brown’s second interception came after the Steelers had cut the deficit to 20–17 in the fourth quarter.
An onside-kick recovery helped Pittsburgh pull within three and shifted the pressure to Dallas. Neil O’Donnell then threw toward the sideline, but Brown was alone in the throwing lane and returned the interception to the Steelers’ 6. Emmitt Smith scored two plays later, ending the comeback and giving Dallas its third title in four seasons.
2006 · Seattle Seahawks
Super Bowl XL
Seattle Seahawks 10, Steelers 21
- Location
- Ford Field · Detroit, Michigan
- MVP
- Hines Ward
Turning point: Antwaan Randle El threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward on a reverse in the fourth quarter.
Willie Parker’s 75-yard run gave Pittsburgh breathing room, but Seattle pulled within four and had the ball before Ike Taylor’s interception. The Steelers then called the reverse pass, and Randle El found Ward behind the secondary. That touchdown let the defense finish the franchise’s first championship since the 1979 season.
2009 · Arizona Cardinals
Super Bowl XLIII
Arizona Cardinals 23, Steelers 27
- Location
- Raymond James Stadium · Tampa, Florida
- MVP
- Santonio Holmes
Turning point: Santonio Holmes secured the winning touchdown with both feet inside the back corner of the end zone with 35 seconds left.
James Harrison’s 100-yard interception return ended the first half and gave Pittsburgh a ten-point lead. Arizona still came back, moving ahead on Larry Fitzgerald’s 64-yard touchdown with 2:37 left. Roethlisberger answered with a final drive, and Holmes finished it with a catch that required almost no room for error.
2011 · Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl XLV
Green Bay Packers 31, Steelers 25
- Location
- Cowboys Stadium · Arlington, Texas
- MVP
- Aaron Rodgers
Turning point: Clay Matthews forced Mendenhall’s fumble on the opening play of the fourth quarter.
The Steelers recovered from an eighteen-point deficit and trailed 21–17 when Mendenhall took a handoff across midfield. Matthews struck the ball before the runner could secure the lane. Green Bay drove for a touchdown, and Pittsburgh’s last possession ended before Roethlisberger could create one more Super Bowl finish.
Pittsburgh Did Not Need One Era to Reach Six
The first four trophies are tied to Noll, Bradshaw, Harris and the Steel Curtain. The fifth and sixth belong to Cowher, Tomlin, Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, James Harrison and Santonio Holmes. The uniform and defensive expectations carried over, but the people and the ways Pittsburgh won changed.
That separation gives the record more weight. Plenty of teams have built one championship core. Pittsburgh rebuilt far enough to appear four more times after the 1970s and win twice, which is why the six titles cannot be filed under one dominant decade.