You’re Nuts: Which Former Ohio State Player Do You Most Want To See Win A Super Bowl?

The 2025-26 NFL season ended with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the Seattle Seahawks beating TreVeyon Henderson and the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX. No matter who won the game, we would have seen a former Buckeye win their first Super Bowl title, as the Patriots had TreVeyon Henderson and Thayer Munford Jr. on the field. New England was coached by Mike Vrabel, who earned three Super Bowl rings as a player, but is still searching for his first championship as a head coach.

Since there were three former Ohio State players vying for their first Super Bowl victory, as the 2026 NFL preseason is underway, we figured we’d look at some Buckeyes who haven’t won a Super Bowl but are beyond deserving of feeling the joy of reaching the NFL’s mountain-top. We want to know who your favorite Buckeye is who hasn’t won a Super Bowl. There are plenty of deserving options since starting in the year 2000; there have only been 19 Ohio State players who have gone on to win a Super Bowl.

Even if your choice dates farther back than 2000, there are still plenty of choices that would make sense. Maybe it’s a player who gave it all on the field in Columbus and deserved better during their NFL career. It could be a former Buckeye who landed on your favorite NFL team but wasn’t able to help their pro squad win an elusive Super Bowl. Or it could just be an Ohio State alum who you were a fan of and didn’t care where they played since you were always going to support them.

Today’s question: Which former Ohio State player do you most want to see win a Super Bowl?

We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.

Brett’s answer: Justin Fields

You really have to feel for Justin Fields. After transferring into the program following a year at Georgia, Fields immediately won the starting quarterback job, taking over for Dwayne Haskins in Ryan Day’s first season as head coach. Fields showed why he was one of the top recruits coming out of high school, throwing 41 touchdowns. Unfortunately, Ohio State couldn’t overcome the officials in the Fiesta Bowl, losing a heartbreaker to Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl.

Then in 2020, it looked for a while like Fields would only be on the field for one season as Ohio State’s quarterback since COVID-19 threatened to cancel the season for the Buckeyes. Luckily, they found a way to get on the field for a few games, and the Buckeyes went on to win the Big Ten and earn a spot in the College Football Playoff. After gaining some revenge on Clemson in the semifinals, the Buckeyes were throttled by Alabama in the title game.

Following his two seasons at Ohio State, Fields was drafted in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. Imagine how legendary Fields could have been had he been able to take the Bears to their first Super Bowl win in almost 40 years. Instead, Chicago gave up on him after three seasons, as they held the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after making a trade the previous year that gave the Carolina Panthers the first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Prior to drafting Williams, the Bears traded Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, where it looked like he would back up Russell Wilson and work to get his career back on track. Fields actually played well, leading the Steelers to a 4-2 record over the six games, but once Wilson was healthy, he immediately was handed the starting quarterback job, moving Fields to the bench. Pittsburgh would finish the regular season 10-7 and looked inept in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round.

During the offseason, the New York Jets showed they were willing to see what Fields could do for them, signing him to a two-year contract to replace Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. Unfortunately for Fields, the Jets were an even bigger mess than many expected them to be. Fields only ended up starting nine games this season after suffering a number of injuries during the season.

If there is any former Buckeye who deserves something good, it’s Fields. Just look at the franchises he has played for and how they have done him wrong. Even though Pittsburgh is considered one of the best organizations in the NFL, they are a shadow of what they used to be. Maybe Fields and the Jets will agree to part ways during the offseason so he can find a new home as a backup for a perennial playoff contender. If anyone deserves a little happiness, it’s Fields since he has dealt with a lot since turning professional.

Matt’s answer: Cameron Heyward

There are former Ohio State players whose success in the NFL I follow more closely than Cameron Heyward’s. There are Buckeyes playing more glamorous positions, competing for better teams, and producing highlights that are far more likely to take over social media on Sunday afternoons. But when it comes to the former Buckeye I most want to see win a Super Bowl, there really isn’t much of a debate. With Malcolm Jenkins having been retired for the past five years, the only answer I could possibly come up with is Heyward.

Admittedly, this is not an easy thing for me to say. As someone born and raised in Ohio, rooting for the Pittsburgh Steelers feels fundamentally wrong. I am not specifically a Browns or Bengals fan, but apparently decades of geographical osmosis have still conditioned me to recoil at the sight of those black-and-gold uniforms. Honestly, I wish Pittsburgh would stop drafting and signing so many former Buckeyes, so I could honor my late Browns-loving grandfather’s memory and go back to hating all things Steelers. It is truly a cruel act for the Rooney family to continually force Ohio State fans into these sorts of morally compromising situations.

However, Heyward is worth making an exception.

On the field, he has put together the type of career that should eventually end with a gold jacket. Heyward has become one of the defining defensive players of his generation, remaining productive long after most players at his position begin declining and/or retiring. He has spent his entire professional career in Pittsburgh, becoming one of the most accomplished defenders in the franchise’s storied history, earning near-universal respect for his toughness, consistency, and leadership. He is not merely a great former Buckeye; he is one of the best defensive linemen of his era.

His legacy extends well beyond sacks, tackles, and Pro Bowl selections, though. Heyward was named the 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, the league’s most meaningful individual honor because it recognizes both excellence on the field and a genuine commitment to serving others. That award feels particularly fitting for a player who has spent his career earning admiration from teammates, opponents, coaches, media members, and communities alike.

That is ultimately why I want to see him win. Heyward does not need a championship to validate his career; his résumé, reputation, and impact have already secured his place among the best Buckeyes ever to play in the NFL, and I fully expect him to be enshrined in Canton not too much longer than five years after he hangs it up.

But a Super Bowl would provide the perfect final piece. It would allow one of football’s most respected players to finish his career with the only major accomplishment he has yet to experience.

I just wish he could somehow do it without the Steelers winning their seventh Lombardi Trophy.