SAN FRANCISCO — The Super Bowl ring.
To everyone in the elite group who gets to wear it, it is more than just NFL bling, more than just a reward for a great season. Superstardom alone is no guarantee of ownership. They can almost touch it sometimes and then an unexpected play, a forward pass inches too far, a missed block -- any or all of that -- can leave the best of them with a naked ring finger.
Dan Marino never earned a Super bowl ring. Jim Kelly never earned a Super Bowl ring.