Wide receiver Brandin Cooks was in the Super Bowl last year with the Patriots, when New England was upset by the Eagles.  He was traded from New England to the Rams this offseason, and now his current team is up against his former team in Super Bowl LIII.  If the favorites win this time around, Cooks will have joined an exclusive club by playing in back-to-back Super Bowls with different teams… and losing both times.  And an even more exclusive club by starting in both games.

There are 8 players who have “ties” to the teams that lost in back to back Super Bowls (when they were different franchises).  Three of them have just loose ties: WR Kevin Norwood was on the 2014 Seahawks and also the 2015 Panthers for a game, but he did not make Carolina’s postseason roster. DB Anthony Madison was on the ’09 Colts roster for a hot minute, in between stints on the 2008 and 2010 Steelers. And WR Johnnie Barnes was on the ’94 Chargers (although he was inactive for the Super Bowl) and also the ’95 Steelers, but he was played on injured reserve in midseason.

Three other players were actually on the teams that made it to both Super Bowls, but did not actually play in both games.

• TE Stephen Spach was a reserve on the 2007 Patriots and also the 2008 Cardinals. He was inactive in the Patriots/Giants Super Bowl, and tore his ACL in Arizona’s playoff win against Carolina, and was played on injured reserve before the NFC Championship Game that season.

• QB Gale Gilbert made it to 5 straight Super Bowls with the ’90s Bills and then the ’94 Chargers. He was inactive for most of them, although he did make an appearance in the Chargers/49ers Super Bowl. Since he was on the roster for both games, I am including him here.

• DT John Parrella was also on the ’93 Bills (inactive in the Super Bowl) and ’94 Chargers (active).

And that leaves just two players to actually play in and lose back-to-back Super Bowls with different teams.

DB Aaron Francisco was a role player on the 2008 Cardinals — he was beaten by Santonio Holmes for the game-winning touchdown — and then a reserve defensive back for the 2009 Colts. He was active and played in both losing efforts in the Super Bowl.

And then there is one person who actually started both games.  Safety Eugene Robinson played in three consecutive Super Bowls, winning as a member of the 1996 Packers, and then losing as part of the ’97 Packers and ’98 Falcons. Robinson was a starter on all three teams, and is now mostly remembered for his pre-Super Bowl play.  Cooks, of course, is a starter for the Rams, and also started in last year’s Super Bowl.

A few years ago, I wrote Brandon Browner was trying to become the 5th player to win back-to-back rings with different teams. He did so, ^[1]As (perhaps?) did reserve lineman Caylin Hauptmann, who was a practice squad player for the ’13 Seahawks and ’14 Patriots. I am not inclined to include him since he was not on the active … Continue reading Since then, LeGarrette Blount and Chris Long have joined the list, making them the 6th and 7th players to be on different — but consecutive — Super Bowl champions. As it stands, the Robinson-Francisco club is even more exclusive, even if Cooks joins them on Sunday.