Super Bowl Sunday is usually a joyous time for football fans. Unfortunately, this year’s big game is clouded by the recent losses of several former champions.
In the days leading up the 2026 event, which will see the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots face off, the NFL world learned of three Super-Bowl-winning athletes who have sadly passed away.
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1. Scott Laidlaw
Scott Laidlaw, a member of the 1977 champion Dallas Cowboys, died on Jan. 29, according to the team. The running back was known as a member of the “Dirty Dozen,” the nickname for the Cowboys’ 1975 draft class.
No details on his cause of death or place of death were made available as of press time. He was 72.
2. Barry Wilburn
Barry Wilburn died just two days before the NFL world came together for the Super Bowl. On Friday, the former Washington Redskins player died in a house fire in the Orange Mound area of Memphis, Tennessee. NBC affiliate WMC-TV says the cause of the fire is unknown.
Wilburn was a cornerback for the Redskins in Super Bowl XXII when the team defeated the Denver Broncos.
3. Chet Brooks
In a loss that will hit the Super Bowl host city close to home, San Francisco 49ers alum Chet Brooks died on Jan. 16. He passed away from cancer at age 60, according to his alma mater, Texas A&M.
Brooks was a safety with the 49ers when they defeated the Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV.