If you’re walking down Armed Forces Drive toward Lambeau Field, you can basically feel the history. It’s heavy. It’s also a little confusing if you’re just looking for a simple answer to what year did packers win super bowl because, honestly, the Packers don’t just count Super Bowls. They count "World Championships."
Titletown didn’t get its nickname by accident. While the rest of the NFL obsesses over the Super Bowl era, Green Bay fans will quickly remind you that they have 13 titles in the trophy case. But if we’re talking strictly about that silver Tiffany-crafted trophy named after their most famous coach, the number is four.
They’ve hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in 1967, 1968, 1997, and 2011.
The Early Dynasty: 1967 and 1968
Technically, these games were played in those years, but they were the culmination of the 1966 and 1967 seasons. People often get the dates mixed up.
Vince Lombardi was at the helm. He was a man who didn’t just demand perfection; he expected it as a baseline. In 1967, the Packers played in the first-ever AFL-NFL World Championship Game. We call it Super Bowl I now, but back then, it was just a high-stakes experiment. They dismantled the Kansas City Chiefs 35–10. Bart Starr, the kind of quarterback who played with a surgeon's precision, was the MVP.
Then came 1968.
Super Bowl II felt like an encore. They faced the Oakland Raiders in the heat of Miami. It was Lombardi’s final game as the Packers' coach, and the team sent him out on their shoulders after a 33–14 drubbing of the Silver and Black. Starr won MVP again. It felt like the Packers would win forever.
They didn't.
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A long, cold winter followed. For nearly thirty years, the "Frozen Tundra" felt more like a graveyard for playoff hopes. The 70s and 80s were... rough.
The Return to Glory: 1997
Everything changed when a gunslinger from Southern Miss named Brett Favre arrived, paired with a massive defensive end named Reggie White. By the time 1997 rolled around (the 1996 season), the drought was decades old.
Super Bowl XXXI in New Orleans was a party. Favre threw a 54-yard touchdown to Andre Rison on the second play from scrimmage. He literally ran off the field holding his helmet in the air like a kid who just won a bike.
But it wasn't Favre who took home the MVP.
Desmond Howard, the return specialist, broke the New England Patriots' backs with a 99-yard kickoff return. The final score was 35–21. The Lombardi Trophy was finally back in the place it was named after. Most experts, like those at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, point to this specific team as one of the most balanced in NFL history, ranking first in offense, defense, and special teams.
The Modern Era: 2011
The most recent time the Packers won the big one was 2011, following the 2010 regular season. This run was different.
The team was decimated by injuries. They were the sixth seed—the lowest possible spot in the playoffs. They had to win three straight road games just to get to the dance. Aaron Rodgers was playing out of his mind.
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In Super Bowl XLV, they met the Pittsburgh Steelers in North Texas. It was a collision of two blue-blood franchises. Rodgers threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns, cementing his own legacy and finally stepping out of Favre’s long shadow. They won 31–25.
Why the Years Get Confusing
When you search for what year did packers win super bowl, you’ll often see two different years for the same win. Here is the breakdown of the "Season" vs. the "Calendar Year" of the game:
- 1966 Season: Won Super Bowl I in January 1967.
- 1967 Season: Won Super Bowl II in January 1968.
- 1996 Season: Won Super Bowl XXXI in January 1997.
- 2010 Season: Won Super Bowl XLV in February 2011.
It’s a quirk of the NFL schedule. If you say "The 2010 Packers," everyone knows you mean the Super Bowl champs, even though they technically won the trophy in 2011.
The Ones That Got Away
The Packers have a 4–1 record in Super Bowls. Their only loss came in 1998 (the 1997 season). They were huge favorites against John Elway and the Denver Broncos. Most people expected a blowout.
Instead, Terrell Davis ran all over the Green Bay defense despite having a migraine so bad he could barely see. The Packers lost 31–24. It’s still a sore subject in Wisconsin.
A Quick Reality Check on Titles
Wait, didn't I mention 13 championships?
Yeah. Before the Super Bowl existed, the NFL had its own championship games. Curly Lambeau—the guy the stadium is named after—won six of them (1929, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1939, 1944). Then Lombardi won three more (1961, 1962, 1965) before the Super Bowl era even started.
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If you're talking to a die-hard fan, those count just as much.
How to Win Your Next Trivia Night
If someone asks you about the Packers' Super Bowl history, don't just give them a list of dates. Hit them with these nuances to show you actually know your stuff.
First, mention that Bart Starr is the only Packer to win Super Bowl MVP twice.
Second, point out that Desmond Howard is the only special teams player in NFL history to win Super Bowl MVP.
Third, remind them that the Packers won the first two Super Bowls ever played. They didn't just participate; they defined what the game was supposed to look like.
If you want to dive deeper into the stats, look at the turnover margins in those winning years. In Super Bowl XLV, for instance, the Packers won primarily because they forced three turnovers from Ben Roethlisberger. Efficiency is the Green Bay way.
To truly understand the legacy, you should visit the Packers Hall of Fame in Green Bay. Seeing those four trophies sitting together is a different experience than reading about them. You can also track the evolution of the game, from the "Power Sweep" of the 60s to the high-flying spread offenses of the Rodgers era.
The franchise has been defined by three legendary quarterbacks: Starr, Favre, and Rodgers. Each of them delivered at least one Super Bowl to the smallest market in professional sports. That’s a level of consistency most teams would trade their entire future for.