A look at all the uniforms in the NFL and a ranking from worst to best, which team looks the best on the field
There is no denying that the NFL is one of the most popular sports, and one of the biggest draws is the appeal of the uniforms. From throwbacks, to alternate jerseys to the recently released and heavily discussed “color rush” uniforms, fans are into the looks of their favorite teams.
Some feature modern looks, which may or may not have been a good idea. Others are more into the throwback style, which usually seems to resonate higher with the fans.
One thing that is for sure, there is no better feeling for a fan of any NFL team than to wear the colors of their squad with pride. Surely each team’s fan base believes their guys sport the best colors, the best helmets and the best jerseys. I’m sure they all even believe their team features the throwback, or alternate jersey that every other fan base desires. Well, except the Denver Broncos fans, even they had to know the yellow and brown throwbacks were awful.
Of course, there can’t be 32 teams ranked number one overall in style. Instead, there are some teams who have the look others desire and other teams that need to find a new design and marketing department to get them ready for the field rather than the circus.
So which team has the best look? Which has the worst? Let’s check the rankings and see how each team fares. Without any further ado, we are off…
Next: #32 Cleveland Browns
32. Cleveland Browns
Options seem to be the theme of most newly designed uniforms, and the Cleveland Browns have plenty of options when it comes to dressing for a Sunday outing. The problem is that each and every one of those options are painful to the eyes.
In what seemed like a joke when the team announced they had a new logo during the offseason, the team rolled out a new logo that was simply a different shade of orange. Apparently the Browns powers that be decided a different font was a big change.
Then the joke turned into a harsh realty when the team took to the field looking like an arena football team that was forced to design a uniform with only two colors.
In fairness to the Browns, the uniform looks better with the orange alternate jersey and white pants, or the white jersey on white pants. Unfortunately though pairing those colors with the orange helmets takes all the “brown” out of the “Browns.”
Thinking deeper on that, taking the brown out may not be a bad idea…it worked for Art Modell.
Next: #31 Jacksonville Jaguars
31. Jacksonville Jaguars
The mustard look of their “color rush” uniform was bad, but sadly it wasn’t that much worse than what the Jaguars wear on a weekly basis. The problem starts from the top down, so let’s start where it begins.
The helmet is simply ugly. The logo needs to be reworked as it looks an awful lot like one of the awful generic options given to you whenever you relocate your team in Madden. To top that off, it is reminiscent of an Easter egg only half dipped into the coloring bowl. The gold/mustard or whatever that is needs to go. It still wouldn’t be perfect, but that would help.
The rest of the jersey does incorporate some nice colors as the teal and black play off one another nicely, but it feels like they tried too hard to use each color as much as possible.
The designers could reboot the scheme by either making the pants a solid color, or eliminating the different colored sleeves. Unfortunately, this is one of the newer looks for a team that has changed their uniform an awful lot for a franchise so young.
I wonder if the uniform has anything to do with why the league sends them away to England so much.
Next: #30 San Diego Chargers
30. San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers feature a star quarterback in Philip Rivers who can light up the score boards with his arm. The offense can be exciting to watch, but unfortunately, the uniforms are anything but exciting.
It isn’t really that it is an ugly look, it just is kind of boring. The city of San Diego is a beautiful place, and had so much more available to play off of, rather than a simple bolt of electricity.
They overuse the logo by putting a lightning bolt on the helmet, the sleeves and the pants. The shade of blue used is not exciting, which makes it even more confusing that they don’t stick with their alternate powder blue jersey more often, which is a much cleaner look.
Perhaps if they move in the near future they will decide to tweak the look to fit their new home. It could be possible with a new nickname and look they can begin to fill their new stadium up, something they haven’t really done in San Diego.
Next: #29 New England Patriots
29. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots do nothing but win. They win more games than anyone during the regular season, and they win more games in the post season. They also win each offseason by dumping players (looking at you Vince Wilfork) at the perfect time to let a different team down.
They’re lucky they are able to look so good in the win columns and even better with their player moves, because on the field they don’t look so pretty.
I guess they went for the red, white and blue color scheme of the American flag, which makes sense with them being the “Patriots.” The problem is the colors aren’t right, especially the blue.
To make matters even worse, they sure don’t have a solid alternate uniform to wear (but what do you expect from a team owned by a guy with only one shirt in his closet). Admittedly, this uniform is better than the one they wore during the days Bill Parcells was coaching and Drew Bledose was lined up under center.
Still, to be perfectly honest, this is a team that would be best served to return to their roots. A throwback to their original uniforms would be much better. The Patriot snapping the ball on the helmet was a thing of beauty, sometimes it’s better not to change.
Maybe there is a petition we can all get started on Change.org or something, who knows maybe everyone will stop hating on the Pats if they go back to their original look. Oh…and if they stop the whole cheating thing. That would help too.
Next: #28 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Like with New England Patriots, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers never should have changed their uniforms from their original look. Sure, the creamsicle uniform made them stand out on the field in a unique way, but it wasn’t as bad as their play on the field. Still, all things come back in style and the Buccaneer with the knife in his mouth would be far more entertaining than their version of the Jolly Roger.
Let’s be honest though, the Bucs uniform isn’t terrible, it really is designed with some solid ideas, but the finish could have been better. The color scheme is good, but the logo on the helmet reminds me of when you click the wrong button on Microsoft Word and the font becomes too big to read.
The good news for Bucs fans is they have a young quarterback they believe in with Jameis Winston and a new head coach in Dirk Koetter. Things are looking better in Tampa Bay, and really all they would need to do to look better while playing is make a few minor tweaks here and there to the uniform.
Then again the considering this writer’s history of never designing a uniform, they probably won’t be taking my advice. That’s probably a good thing, because then there would probably be a crab on the helmet anyway.
Next: #27 Arizona Cardinals
27. Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals have one of the best stadiums in the entire NFL, and in fact they could be credited for the turnaround in designs for football stadiums across the United States. University of Phoenix Stadium opened in 2006 and has some amazing features like a retractable roof and a field that actually rolls out of the stadium to get maximum sunlight on the real grass field.
This stadium was a huge upgrade from playing their home games in Tempe, Arizona at Arizona State University’s Sun Devil Field. Other stadiums have come after this one and when looking at them side-by-side, it is easy to see the inspiration this stadium has had on modern domes in the NFL.
Unfortunately, their uniforms haven’t had the same kind of changing power. Instead, they just feature a rather strange look of an attempt at a new aged uniform and old school helmet.
The helmet is plain, just white with the Cardinal logo, which is totally fine. The problem though is it doesn’t match the pants and jersey which have much more going on.
Sure, it is only two colors with the red and white (well three if you count the black trim) but it feels like they tried too hard to incorporate the colors together. Their home red jerseys aren’t as over the top and I actually like the black alternate tops they wear.
The one that lands them this far down the list is their road jersey, which is supposed to be white, but has almost the same amount of red in it as well. There is a large red stripe down the side of the shirt, a large stripe down the pants and the shoulders are red too. It feels like too much, especially when they play a team wearing the same color.
The Cardinals have turned it around on the field, stepped it up big time in stadium design and now they could use a little of that same infusion in their style.
Next: #26 Tennessee Titans
26. Tennessee Titans
Music city, Nashville, Tennessee. Known for its beautiful downtown and country music, but they also are home to the NFL’s Tennessee Titans. This team however, gives the residents less to be excited about than the city’s musical connections do.
The look offered by their uniform doesn’t help too much. The team was featured last year in a “color rush” game on Thursday Night Football, and their “Smurf” look was only outdone by the mustard-centric Jacksonville Jaguars uniform.
The only difference in this look though, was wearing the same color pants and jersey. Usually the team features blue on top and white on bottom, or vice versa. This time though, they just went all blue, and it made the fans feel rather blue.
The “color rush” aside, the team could really use a new look. The nave blue-on-baby blue jersey isn’t an upgrade from their previous baby blue-on-navy blue uni that they started with after moving to Tennessee in 1997.
The vintage Oilers jersey looks much cleaner, and a return to this style (or at least color scheme) probably would do the team some good.
Next: #25 Denver Broncos
25. Denver Broncos
I give Denver credit for going full-time orange jersey as this is a huge upgrade over the look from quarterback John Elway’s final days in Denver, but still this doesn’t really stand out as one of the better jersey’s in the NFL. Instead, it feels like another team that falsely believed they had to change their look to fit in with the changing league.
The result is a stripe running top to bottom (the trend in the late 1990’s apparently) which looked as different as possible from their old look. The Blue-on-blue was a little hard to look at, and the team always seemed to look more professional when they would wear their alternate orange with the white pants.
This became the regular look after a change was made in 2012, getting the original color of the Broncos back in the fold.
This positive change coincided with the team also luring in one of the biggest free agent acquisitions ever in quarterback Peyton Manning. All of a sudden they looked better, they played better, heck everything seemed better.
So why still so low on this list? Simple, the uniform still needs something different because it clashes with that huge purple mark on Peyton’s head that he has from wearing a helmet that must be two sizes too small.
Next: #24 Cincinnati Bengals
24. Cincinnati Bengals
Who dey! Put that into a Google search and the Cincinnati Bengals come popping up. The team is exciting to watch, their fans are intense and they play in the freaking jungle! What is not to love?
The helmets. The helmets are what there is not to love.
The Cincinnati Bengals are so close to so many things, they are close to having an elite quarterback, close to having an unstoppable offense, heck for a while they were close to having Jon Gruden (they had his brother who obviously keeps getting jobs because of who he is related to, because it sure can’t be from what he is putting on the field in Washington).
They are also incredibly close to having a really cool uniform. The black the orange, the orange-on-white, the white-on-white, they are all great! But then, there are the stripes.
Sure, they are the Bengals, as in Tigers, but so are the Detroit Tigers, the LSU Tigers and the Auburn Tigers (yeah weird isn’t it, most people thought they were War Eagles too, no one can explain that oddity). What do all those teams have that Cincy doesn’t? A stripe-less helmet (or hat in the baseball Tigers case in Detroit).
It just feels cartoonish, and something should change on that. The answer isn’t 100 percent obvious on what to do, but the team should be open to brainstorming. One cool thing though, if the team decided they wanted to see how the outfit would look with no stripes and just a plain orange helmet, all they have to do is look at quarterback Andy Dalton when he takes his helmet off.
Next: #23 St. Louis Rams
23. Los Angeles Rams
Broken record alert…this team should have never changed from their old uniforms. Yes, the bright yellow and blue worn by players like Eric Dickerson and Jerome Bettis were gaudy, but that’s what made them so perfect.
In 2000 the team was coming off a Super Bowl win over the Tennessee Titans and the “Greatest Show on Turf” was one of the most exciting teams in the entire NFL.
They played fast, super fast, with stars like running back Marshall Faulk, receivers Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce and of course the franchise-altering quarterback (he changed team’s fortunes in both St. Louis and Arizona) Kurt Warner.
Then the powers that be decided that the old style of blue and yellow was just too outdated and in came the darker navy blue and gold look the team features to this day. The look isn’t awful, but the helmet has a near college feel and the colors are nowhere near as exciting as watching a 250-pound bull like Jerome Bettis running over defenders in his banana yellow pants.
At least they kept the helmet close enough to the original color that they can switch the gold sticker on the side out for the yellow. This allows them to keep using their alternate jersey’s, which a lot of teams who updated their looks (like the Tampa Bay Bucs, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots) cannot do due to the changes in helmet rules following the concussion lawsuit.
The rule that a player has to keep the same helmet is understandable, but does take some of the fun away from the alternate uniforms. It also begs the question as to why the team allows trades, waiver claims, etc. if these players need new helmets. What’s the difference there?
Next: #22 New York Jets
22. New York Jets
J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets Jets! The crowd gets excited for their New York Jets, one of the two-teams that gets credit for being in New York, even though they aren’t.
Still, the New Jersey Jets and their faithful fans are all-in on their lovable losers affectionately known as gang green. Not many teams would want to own a nickname that conjures images of a dead skin tissue, but hey, it works for the Jets.
You know what else works for the New Jersey Jets? Their bland color scheme of green and white. It isn’t really bad, it’s just kind of boring and honestly, rather unoriginal. The designers behind this uniform couldn’t even think of a logo, so they just wrote out the team name and circled it. Then they threw a few stripes down the middle, called it a day and started cashing their checks.
Still, a new look would be good, but this team inspires no confidence that they could get that right. It took them several years and a punch in the face by a teammate to finally realize how incredibly awful Geno Smith was at quarterback. Which is sad considering everyone else in the world noticed it in his rookie season.
Next: #21 Houston Texans
21. Houston Texans
No team in the NFL has less history behind them than the Houston Texans, the team that first became a franchise in 2002. They also have had the least amount of changes to their primary uniform, which would be none. The only real adaptation at all has been adding an alternate red jersey in 2003.
Since their second year, no changes have been made to their uniform, color scheme, etc. except to nickname the day they wear all red the “Battle Red Day.” The nickname does nothing to make the uniform easier on the eyes, as the all red is simply bad.
While the “Battle Red” is an eye-sore, the regular look, whether blue on white, or white on blue, etc. is not really good, not really bad. It’s actually pretty average and kind of boring. I guess the good thing is that it at least matches the product they put on the field.
The Texans may be less than 15-years old, but it is way past time for Houston to make a change to its look. The logo may not be touched, but the color scheme should be altered, in some way.
Just like the Titans, a return to the roots could be very welcome. The former Houston football team, the Houston Oilers, had a classic NFL look to them. Maybe the Texans could find some kind of inspiration from the look they used to feature.
Someone has already taken the liberty of showing just how much potential could be there, and the results are rather awesome.
Next: #20 Atlanta Falcons
20. Atlanta Falcons
The dirty birds show up next with their uniform last redesigned in 2004, a season in which their quarterback was the electrifying Michael Vick. It was only the fourth season with the dual-threat Vick at the helm, and he was really coming into his own as an NFL player.
The uniform could have been a clown suit and it would have been exciting to watch this team which featured Vick, running back Warrick Dunn, fullback Justin Griffith, tight end Alge Crumpler, wide receiver Peerless Price and cornerback DeAngelo Hall.
Excitement in Atlanta didn’t last long as the Falcons never took that proverbial “next step,” and Vick was gone just a few seasons later as he was arrested for his illegal dog fighting operation. Since then, the team has been less “flash” and the uni has taken some heat, with some fans as recently as this offseason making noise for a new look.
Still, the look really isn’t terrible, as they found a way to incorporate the different color sleeve and side-stripes, which became the rage during the early 2000’s, without it being too gaudy.
What would make sense though is to look into possibly redesigning the look of the Falcons, and having that logo and uniform debut in the 2017 season when they enter their new home, the impressive looking Mercedes-Benz stadium. Hopefully they go with a more classic look on the field than the crazy design enclosing the turf.
Next: #19 Indianapolis Colts
19. Indianapolis Colts
Points should be given to the Indianapolis Colts for not changing from their original style, but sadly points are deducted because their original style isn’t that good to begin with.
A franchise which started in Baltimore with a simple blue and white look which featured a horseshoe logo kept that same look when they moved to Indianapolis before the 1984 season. The colors are okay, but there is nothing that offsets them. It is a simple plain blue on top of white, with no imagination at all.
The stripes on the sleeves feel a bit awkward, almost as awkward as their former hall of fame passer, Peyton Manning looked while running in one of these uniforms.
The team has recently been a high-powered offense, which has the ability to score quickly. They can be exciting and energetic (well, maybe not this year, but when they are healthy they can be), but not so much in their look.
At least for the 2015 season the look fit them. It feels old and in need of an overhaul. Kind of like a team that features quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, receiver Andre Johnson and running back Frank Gore. All these guys are well passed their prime, just like what they wear on Sunday.
Next: #18 Kansas City Chiefs
18. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs move ahead of the Colts here, and they begin the part of the uni-watch where the looks aren’t bad at all. They also become much harder to grade at this point because there is nothing that stands out as old, tired or bad.
So when you look at the Chiefs and say they don’t do too much, they stick to their roots and they have a nice old school feel, how is that different from the Colts? Simple, the Chiefs started with something that looked good.
Also, unlike their AFC counterparts, the Chiefs incorporated a third color to make their numbers and names “pop.” The yellow in those areas, as well as on the socks and down the pants is the difference between a boring red and white uniform and a neat style that is brought together nicely.
Having a good look in what they wear is imperative for the Chiefs, because as long as Alex Smith is the quarterback, they will probably feature one of the least explosive offenses in football, especially now that their only real weapon is out with running back Jamaal Charles injured.
Seeing some of the best players in the NFL like quarterback Joe Montana and running back Marcus Allen wearing this outfit at the end of their career may have helped it in the standings some, but having these players in their prime may have made it look even better.
Next: #17 New Orleans Saints
17. New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints haven’t changed much in terms of their look since their 1967 inception, and that has been a good thing. Perhaps when they did try something new they learned their lesson, as a gold jersey appeared briefly as an alternate and it was not a great idea.
Perhaps the front office realized they looked like a cheap imitation of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, which led to the quick ending of that experiment.
The Saints were smart to keep things simple, because not only does it look good, but reminding the great people of New Orleans of the team and the cities past is a great thing. After the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, there were rumors of the team leaving the great city, which would have been a tragedy.
In the end, the team stayed and their fortunes changed thanks to coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees. The 2009 Super Bowl champions would have looked weird in a new uniform and just bad in a new state.
However, the one negative dropping them this far on the list is the atrocity on the collar. For some reason, teams started to use these half-collar looks, and the Saints have kept it to this date. There is no explanation for why half the collar is black, or why it comes to an odd point. It just needs to go away.
Next: #16 Philadelphia Eagles
16. Philadelphia Eagles
This has to be said, the Kelly green uniforms of the past are absolutely awesome. Sure, they don’t look as good with the dark green helmets, but that is due to the new helmet rules to try to prevent concussions. The Eagles were rumored recently to be returning to this look and it is not something they should consider, but something they should simply do.
The return to the look of the days with quarterback Randall Cunningham running around and making highlight plays would make even the harshest critic of the team nod in approval.
Back to the current look, it was the turn of the century when the Eagles scrapped their beautiful look for the current version and while it is good, it isn’t the same.
They did do a good job of keeping the helmet unique and interesting with the wings of eagles spreading on either side. The eagle logo on the sleeves is a nice touch as well and the green on white is a nice look.
Two other uniform suggestions, ditch the black alternate because it doesn’t fit with the green helmet. Suggestion number two for the team in the city of brotherly love, wear the 1930s throwback jersey more. The yellow, the blue, the helmet! They are all so ugly that they are absolutely amazing. I understand the helmet rules, but there has to be a way to make this happen.
Next: #15 San Francisco 49ers
#15 San Francisco 49ers
15. San Francisco 49ers
Anyone born before 1990 should remember the Sega game Joe Montana Football. The best quarterback of his era, Montana was the face of the first step-up from Nintendo’s Tecmo Bowl. Ever since then, a soft spot for the 49ers uniform has nestled into the hearts of us football fans who remember this game.
Sure it helped that every contest in the Sega video game featured the 49ers. What also helped draw eyes nationally to the 49ers was their exciting offense. Head coach Bill Walsh brought in his west coast offense and the team was a joy to watch. Of course seeing them in so many Super Bowls helped to make their gold and red a fixture for years to come as well.
What makes this uniform one of the better ones is its simplicity and commitment to the past. The SF logo on the gold helmet has been featured since the 1970s and the uniform, while it has varied in years, has always featured the red, white and gold.
Well, red, white and gold were always the colors until the 2015 disastrous attempt at an alternate jersey. San Francisco kicked off this season with a black and red jersey that was simply bad. That uniform did a great job of reminding people what was so good about the regular look.
Another error in judgement came when the team spent part of the mid 90s wearing white pants, which looked odd while the team still wore gold helmets. In fairness, the white pants, jersey and gold helmet looked alright together. It really just looked bad with the red jersey.
The 49ers have a great look that should stay.
Next: #14 Oakland Raiders
14. Oakland Raiders
The Black Hole. Oakland, California. The Raiders home is an intimidating place with their imposing black and silver uniforms setting the tone. The fans embrace the dark atmosphere and do their best to create a hostile environment for opposing teams.
Football in Oakland unfortunately hasn’t been much to fear, but the uniform is still on point. The team originally had some color in the early 60s with some gold sprinkled in, but by 1967 they found their identity and put together a look which is very similar to today. Like the 49ers who came in before, the team has updated their look, but kept it true to their identity.
The helmet brings on thoughts of classic smash-mouth football, simply the team name with a Raider in the middle and two swords behind him. Then the simple jersey of black or white with no shadowing on the number. Yes, some uniforms were knocked for this, but with the Raiders, it looks right.
The pants are also simple, but effective. Silver with a small black stripe. Hey, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. And this look, it isn’t broke.
Next: #13 Baltimore Ravens
13. Baltimore Ravens
The possibilities became endless when the Cleveland Browns left Ohio prior to the 1996 season. The team owner at the time, Art Modell, was so ready to leave that he allowed all the history of the team to stay behind as they moved on.
The result was a much higher standing in the rankings of NFL team uniforms, and a couple of Super Bowls, which are okay too. The Baltimore Ravens were established in 1996 and the team has been a constant competitor ever since, winning their first Super Bowl in 2000.
That team featured one of the meanest defenses ever constructed, centered around linebacker Ray Lewis. They have since changed their identity, as their 2012 Super Bowl win centered around their young quarterback and his huge arm, Joe Flacco.
In-between those wins were seven more playoff appearances, with another in 2014. That is ten total playoff appearances in less than 20 NFL seasons. They may have altered how they win games, but they keep finding ways to do it.
One thing that hasn’t changed throughout the different approaches to their game is their look. The team came in with the purple and black colors being dominant features, and they remain so today. The gold highlights around the logo and numbers break up the two colors nicely and offer a great touch.
The crest on the sleeves is unique to the Maryland franchise and looks as cool on the sleeves as it does on their field. The only knock against the Ravens uniform comes when they wear the all black alternate jerseys. The shirts themselves are not the issues, but the pants look more like a cross between a ballet uniform and pajama bottoms. Those may need some changing.
Next: #12 Carolina Panthers
12. Carolina Panthers
1995 brought both the Jacksonville Jaguars into the NFL and they have since gone separate ways. Jacksonville was somewhat competitive for a short spell, but they are now one of the worst teams in the NFL. The Panthers meanwhile have made two Super Bowl appearances.
Another way they have been different is in their uniforms. The Jags are one of the worst and Carolina finds themselves much closer to the top ten. One of the reasons, Carolina hasn’t spent the last 20 years changing their look, but instead has only made a small tweak to the logo in 2012 when Nike took over clothing the NFL.
The black makes sense seeing as they are Panthers, and the mixing in of the baby blue not only looks great but is synonymous with North Carolina. The color is seen on the Tar Heels and of course the Charlotte Hornets as well.
Their choices of home uniforms include the black with blue stripes but the alternate uniform is even easier to look at with the blue being the prominent color and the black being used as the stripes.
The helmet stays simple, with the solid silver broken up with just small stripes down the middle. The logo is on each side, and doesn’t cover too much, They also kept it simple by choosing to put just the logo on the side.
Of course, their recent “color rush” uniform looked more like the Smurfs were let out in AT&T Stadium, but thankfully that isn’t their normal look.
Next: #11 Washington Redskins
11. Washington Redskins
Another longstanding franchise with a rich history dating back to the 1930s, the Washington Redskins have found a look that is respectful to the team’s past. The color scheme is as old as the franchise, and the logo dates back to the 1970s, although some modifications should be made, like getting rid of it and replacing it with the old R logo.
Even with some slight changes, the uniform still has ties to its original look. Check out the 1932 version of the team’s duds and it is easy to see the connection.
What is even better about their uniform is the recent return to the yellow pants, which was the norm in the team’s early days. While the white pants weren’t bad, these ones add some great character and life to their style. It also allows the team to have some great color when wearing their white jersey.
Of course, the product on the field hasn’t matched their look as of late, and off the field they have drawn a lot of heat for their name. Many find the nickname offense to Native Americans and want a change to be made.
Team owner Dan Snyder has been adamant that no change will happen while he owns the team, and he seems resolute in making sure that happens. Hopefully if the team is ever forced into a change, they keep a similar look, because this is one of the better styles in the league with the exception of the logo.
Next: #10 Detroit Lions
10. Detroit Lions
One of the oldest teams in the NFL comes in next, 1930 saw the Portsmouth Spartans take to the field and four years later they became the Detroit Lions. The team which symbolizes the hard-working, resilient nature of the city they play in. Despite their long history, the team has never been to the Super Bowl, but at least they look good trying.
With the exception of a brief stint in the 1940s, Detroit has featured the same blue and silver color scheme which they are famous for. This look was last updated in 2009 and the people behind it deserve some praise for revamping the look, without killing it.
The logo was cleaned up and made a little more modern, with the lions face now pronounced and his teeth are visible. They also made the word “Lions” in their logo a more modern style, and neither are done in a class-less way. The color scheme flows nicely and the shade of blue used is very appealing.
The Lions however are not perfect in regards to their uniforms. One area that needs to be addressed is their Thanksgiving Day attire. A petition should be started to get the Lions back into their solid silver helmet and blue jersey on Thanksgiving Day, some traditions should never be abandoned. This was one of them.
Next: #9 Chicago Bears
9. Chicago Bears
For my money, there is no more awe-inspiring stadium than Soldier Field, the home of the Chicago Bears. The 1920s stadium was redesigned in 2003 which put a really neat modern touch inside the historical walls and entrance. It feels almost like entering a coliseum, but there are still modern comforts, including the beautiful glass structure rising from the aged brick entrance.
On the grass itself, the team has done the same to the uniforms, adding small touches to keep the uniform clean and appealing, while paying homage to the past. The color scheme stays true to the history of their look, and they even have the initials of their founder, George Halas, on the sleeve. The initials were added in 1983, after the man nicknamed “Papa Bear” passed away.
The helmet is synonymous with the team and changing it would probably incite a riot. A simple dark blue with the orange C needs no changing and their home jersey’s with the blue on top of the white pants is a great look.
Thankfully, the orange alternate jersey didn’t stay, as this color is much better used to make the uniform “pop” than as a main color. That look may have been one of the few hiccups in the long history of the Bears, a team that dates back to the 1920s.
Next: #8 Minnesota Vikings
8. Minnesota Vikings
Here we have a team that such franchises like Denver, Atlanta and Arizona could learn from. The Minnesota Vikings rolled out their newest look in 2013, and they did a great job with the style they chose. What these other teams can learn from is Minnesota understood their previous look with the oversized striped down the side of the torso and pants looked gaudy, and instead they returned to a classic NFL look with their newest attire.
The helmet used a new shade of purple, but kept the same viking horn logo which was perfect, because that should never change. The jersey was cleaned up going with a solid purple with a small stripe of yellow and white on the sleeve. For their white jersey they just flip it making a solid white with a dash of purple and white.
Equally simple and effective are the pants which are either going to be a white pant with a small yellow stripe and a larger purple stripe. The purple pants feature a small yellow stripe and a larger yellow one.
Some of the other teams that went overboard with changes really need to look at how nice the Vikings style is now. Perhaps even better than what they wear now, is what they decided not to wear, as ESPN showed several designs the team rejected prior to settling on the right choice.
Next: #7 Buffalo Bills
7. Buffalo Bills
Much like the Minnesota Vikings who came in one spot before here, the Buffalo Bills finally got it right after years of being all wrong. The Bills however were really wrong, as for years they featured one of the ugliest uniforms in the NFL.
The red, white and blue of the only real New York team has always been featured, and in 1984 they made a drastic switch, going from the white helmet to a bright red. This wasn’t as nice as the white, but thankfully it wasn’t bad. The blue jersey was simple and the white pants worked, but then they made a dreadful change in 2002 when they put a giant stripe down the sides.
Also wrong about that jersey was their apparent attempt at stealing the Titans look by placing a solid stripe on the sleeves and over the name as well. It was just plain ugly.
Their most recent look is a return to the white helmet and a wise return to simplicity as well. The light blue jersey uses red and white stripes, numbering and outlines to make the names and numbers stand out. The stripe on the pants is a solid red one with just a touch of blue on either side, and they were also able to add their logo to the top of the stripe without making it look like too much.
Both Minnesota and Buffalo need to have their designers purged by the teams at the wrong side of this list.
Next: #6 New York Giants
6. New York Giants
Ladies and gentleman, the New York Football Giants! Sure, like the Jets they play in Jersey (they share a stadium), but the good people of New York love them anyway. Hey, the Statue of Liberty isn’t really in New York either, but they get credited with all the good stuff.
As for their style on the field, the Giants haven’t made a lot of huge changes. They have always featured red, white and blue in their look, but the most recent style with the silver pants looks so much cleaner. There was a time in the past where the team wore red jerseys and then later after a return to the blue, they had the word “Giants” written on the helmet.
The simple “ny” is much better and it being lower case gives it a unique touch that does the team well. For a while during quarterback Eli Manning’s early days they started to use a red alternate jersey again. Wisely, they decided to stop doing that and they look much better for doing so.
Next: #5 Pittsburgh Steelers
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers do things their own way, especially when it comes to their uniform. Maybe it isn’t the best looking there is, but it is original, mostly due to the helmet.
Only one helmet in the league features a logo on one side and a logo on the other. The reason for this is even better, as team owner Art Rooney asked the team to place the logo on just one side as a test. The team liked how it looked, but decided not to put the logo on the other side following that season because they had a winning season and the look attracted attention.
Pittsburgh also has prominently featured their black and gold colors (other than the added red and blue on the Steeler logo). The only exception was during the 1940s when they featured green and white uniforms.
Fans all across the country proudly show their Steeler-pride by displaying their famous logo, and the team epitomizes the steel city with their hard work attitude and throwback style to approaching the game. Whether it is the white road jersey or the black home on top of the bright pants, this team looks good while playing football.
The only hiccup in the Steelers uniform is their atrocious throwback uniform which looks like a bumble bee inmate jumpsuit. That one may need to be retired.
Next: #4 Dallas Cowboys
4. Dallas Cowboys
America’s Team, the Dallas Cowboys! All you need to see to recognize this team is their blue star. They have a classic look, which needs no changing and really throughout the years hasn’t changed much, except for the early days and a mistake during the mid-1990s when someone mistakenly added colored sleeves and a star on those colored sleeves.
That look made a return this past Thanksgiving during the NFL’s hopefully soon to be retired “color rush” experiment. While I applaud Dallas for trying to honor the past, which they used to do on Thanksgiving much like the Lions did, this one was not a pleasant site.
The current look however needs no change. The team wears their white uniforms unless forced to change by their opponents, and the look is a thing of beauty. The plain blue numbers and names, the silver pants with one white and two small blue stripes look great with the giant blue socks.
What tops it all off is the silver helmet which mirrors the pants in terms of the white and blue stripes. Then, on the sides, their iconic blue star. Sure, team owner Jerry Jones is a lightning rod for jokes, but the way the team looks when they walk out onto the best stadium in all of football is nothing to laugh at.
The best part is, there is no reason to think this look is going anywhere anytime soon.
Next: #3 Green Bay Packers
3. Green Bay Packers
Classic. That is all that needs to be said about the Green Bay Packers look, it is simply classic. This team which once wore a shirt with the words ACME on it has seen little change over the years to their style. Sure it has been cleaned up some, but since the 1950’s this color scheme could be seen.
No helmet is more symbolic than the yellow helmet with the giant G on the side. It is only fitting that the only publicly owned NFL team has seen such a small amount of change to not only their look, but the quality of the product they put on the field.
Let’s be honest though, it is easy to look good when you are constantly winning, which is what the Packers do. The fans here are lucky. They saw their team go from Hall of Fame quarterback to Hall of Fame quarterback.
Brett Favre was one of the most exciting players in NFL history and he led the team to a championship in 1997. From there the team turned things over to Aaron Rodgers, who many believe is the best in the game today. He led them to a Super Bowl win in 2011.
Those are two amazing stars that made this uniform look even better, and that was without even touching on Reggie White or Bart Starr.
It’s true, the good people of Green Bay should not only be proud of their team, but they should also be proud of the style that their team shows. So go ahead, put on that oversized cheese hat and yell it, Go Pack Go!
Next: #2 Miami Dolphins
2. Miami Dolphins
The aqua green and orange simply look great together. Not just on the helmet and logo, but the small things like the orange Nike Swoosh, or the outline around the numbers. The Miami Dolphins knew this color scheme was great, and they wisely left it alone when Nike took over the NFL uniforms.
For the 2013 season, the team unveiled a new logo and uniform and unlike some teams that found themselves on the wrong end of this list, these changes weren’t massive overhauls.
Instead, they updated the look, took the helmet off the cartoonish Dolphin and gave the team a genuinely good look for the modern NFL team. They did so in a classy way too, in which they didn’t detract so much from their original look that they became unrecognizable.
The current uniform is the best the Dolphins have looked since quarterback Dan Marino helped Ace Ventura rescue Snowflake the dolphin and stop Ray Finkle’s evil plot.
On the field, the Miami Dolphins still own the only team to ever remain unbeaten all the way to the Super Bowl and they now came up just short in these rankings, which carry a similar clout as winning the Super Bowl…obviously. So that leaves only one team left to stand atop the list of best NFL uniforms.
Next: #1 Seattle Seahawks
1. Seattle Seahawks
One of the newest crazes in fashion during the past few years has been the influx of neon colors. Shoes, shirts, gym shorts, etc. all feature some type of the eye-popping tone anymore, and it isn’t going away anytime soon.
Sports are often in the forefront of certain fashion trends, but the big changes are usually seen in other sports like the NBA, where the stars are more marketable. Such trends started with the Air Jordan shoes made popular by the king of sports endorsements Michael Jordan.
However, the NFL can take claim for some of the recent neon craze as the Seattle Seahawks broke out their daring neon style in 2012, the same year that Nike took over the production of NFL uniforms. At first, the look was somewhat shocking, as there was nothing like it before in the league, but now the look seems progressive and forward thinking.
Sure, it helps that since 2012 the team has been a solid team, thanks to their great defense and selection of quarterback Russell Wilson that same year. They won the Super Bowl in 2013, and came close to doing the same in 2014 as they were one-yard from taking the lead over the New England Patriots in the title game that year.
The Seahawks have been amazing on the field with their throwback style of defensive minded football, and a run first offense. Their style is anything but old school as their neon trim across their blue and white uniforms make them stand out.
Throwing in the neon gloves and shoes makes the look pop even more. The risk taking Seahawks find themselves atop this list for being willing to be the team that takes that chance on a completely different style. It will be interesting to see how ling this look lasts, and if any other team decided to get in on the eye-popping style that Seattle currently features.