Which NFL Team Has the Best Uniforms?

Look good, feel good, play good, right? Over the last decade or so, there has been a boom in the uniform industry. Remember when the University of Oregon revealed that their football program had over 200 different combinations of uniforms? That started a sort of renaissance with sports teams and their uniforms.

Of course, it would carry over into the NFL where teams now have multiple uniform choices on a weekly basis. Which ones are the best? Which NFL team has the coolest, best looking uniforms? Let’s take a look at the contenders and then you can tell us which team has the best NFL uniforms.

Throwback Unis

Believe it or not, the NFL introduced throwback uniforms back in 1991. They were available only to the general public for purchase as part of the NFL Throwbacks Collection. Teams were allowed to wear throwback uniforms in 1994 to honor the NFL’s 75th anniversary. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers donned a throwback uniform for their 80th anniversary in 2012. The Steelers throwback uniform paid homage to the 1934 team. The jerseys were gold and black horizontal-striped with a white square in the middle that contained the player’s number. Pittsburgh would wear the throwback uniform once more that season and it created quite a stir around the league. To me they look like prison uniforms LOL

The NFL, of course, got involved and instituted a rule in 2013 that did not allow teams to use an alternate colored helmet. That rule has been revoked and, as we’ll see later, a number of teams will use different colored helmets this season.

One of the all-time great throwback uniforms belongs to the Miami Dolphins. Who doesn’t love the aqua jerseys and the Dolphin wearing an “M” on the Miami helmet? The Fins wore their throwback jerseys once already this season back on Sept. 12 in a game against Buffalo. They will wear them again when they face the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Thanksgiving night. 

The San Francisco 49ers routinely wear their “classic” uniforms that are the team’s 1994 digs. One combination has the Niners wearing their throwback red jerseys with their white pants. They wear the same helmet, but teams like Tennessee and the New York Giants wear throwback uniforms that are completed with the throwback helmet.

The Uniform Calendar

NFL fans lie in wait in anticipation of the release of the year’s schedule each May. If you didn’t know, there is also a uniform calendar. Fans can find out which uniforms a team will be wearing on any given week of the season. For example, the Giants started the season wearing the classic 1920s-era red jerseys in their game against Minnesota on Sept. 8.

This coming week on Sunday, the Green Bay Packers hosts Houston at 1:00 p.m. The Packers will wear an alternate white uniform – white jerseys, white pants – and they will wear an alternate white helmet. Green Bay, of course, almost always wears the yellow helmet with one of the most recognizable logos in all of sports. 

Next week, on Oct. 27, fans will be treated to one of the all-time great throwback uniforms – the Tampa Bay Buccaneers creamsicle look. The Bucs wore the orange and white creamsicle color scheme from the franchise’s inception in 1976 up until 1996. Prior to the 1997 season, the team adopted its new color scheme featuring red, pewter, black, and orange. Next Sunday, the Bucs will wear the full creamsicle – orange jerseys and pants a la the 1970s.

New Helmets

In addition to throwbacks and alternate uniforms, a number of teams will introduce alternate helmets this season. As already mentioned, we’ll see the Packers wearing an alternate white helmet this weekend. There are more on the schedule.

On Nov. 10, the Houston Texans will wear their “Battle Red” alternate uniforms. The combination is a red-on-red look with subtle dark blue trim and features an alternate helmet. The candy red paint helmet features the horns from the team’s standard bullhead logo.

The Minnesota Vikings will sport their “Winter Warriors” uniforms this season when they play NFC North rival Chicago. The alternate uniform is an all-white jersey and pant combination that features purple numbers and lettering. The Winter Warrior helmet is an all-white headgear with the same white Vikings logo that is found on the standard purple helmet. 

The throwback red helmet will be worn by the Atlanta Falcons on Dec. 22 in their game against the New York Giants. The Falcons wore red helmets from their beginning in 1966 up until 1989. Then, they switched to black helmets. They first wore the throwback helmet in 2009. With the NFL’s rule change on alternate helmets, the Falcons can once again wear the alternate helmet.

Fan Favorites

Now, it’s your chance to pick which NFL uniforms you like best. Some of the recent fan favorites include the Los Angeles Chargers and, believe it or not, the New Orleans Saints. The Raiders, for years, have been a favorite because of the black jerseys that they wear at home. 

Most uniform preferences have something to do with color. The Chargers’ powder blue, white, and sunshine gold create a unique combination. The Chargers will wear their all-white uniforms with their standard white helmet this Monday night when they face the Arizona Cardinals.

Speaking of Arizona, the Cardinals will wear their all-black alternate uniforms. Their pants, jerseys, and helmets are all black with the cardinal red lettering and numbers. The Cardinals also have all-white and all-cardinal red uniforms. They only have their standard white helmet and the alternate black one they will wear on Monday night.

So which one will it be? Check out our poll and cast your vote for your favorite NFL uniform. If you need a look at each team’s uniform choices for 2024, check out the Gridiron Uniform Database.