Paul Lukas and his blog uniwatch really inspired me to create my own, especially because his is about “athletics aesthetics,” and that is a not-so-guilty pleasure of mine. Anyone who knows me knows I’m always after some sort of sports jersey, usually one of the throwback variety.
I’ve decided to compile a list of the best (and worst) NFL jerseys.
Each team has a home and away jersey. Certain teams also have alternate or throwback jerseys utilized a few times per year as well, but those are for a different post. Here’s how I’ll be scoring them:
Both jerseys will be rated on a 5 point scale, with 1 being an awful jersey, and 5 being uniform perfection. Thus, the total number of points a team can earn is 10 (for all you math nerds out there). In the event of a tie, I’ll take the team’s helmets into consideration.
Here’s the list (total points are in parentheses next to the team name):
Bottom of the Barrel
32. Cincinnati Bengals (3)
What clinched it for the Bengals is the helmet design. I actually think that the Bills have an uglier away jersey (see below) than the Bengals do, but the garish helmet is so 1980s. It could get worse though; their alternate jersey is absolutely disgusting. *vomit*
31. Buffalo Bills (3)
I actually really like the Bills logo and helmet design. Their throwback helmet is pretty sweet too. However, they started with a new jersey concept in 2002. They brought a darker blue to the design for their home jerseys, and a gaudy red-white-and blue for their "aways." I'll admit, I thought their away jerseys were pretty cool when they first came out, but they've dated fast, and the Bills were actually chosen by the readers of the uniwatch blog as the ugliest NFL jersey. I like their throwbacks and jerseys from the 1990s better.
Below Average
30. Tennessee Titans (4)
I've never liked the baby blue scheme they've had. It's a tribute to the old Houston Oilers, where the Titans used to play all the way up to the 1997 season when they made the move to Nashville. I love the Oilers color scheme, and it's really close to the Titans' jerseys. I just don't like the Titans various logos, like on their helmet and sleeves.
29. Houston Texans (4)
The Texans' jerseys are pretty ho-hum; they aren't ugly (well, their alternates are). For me, it's almost as though the team played it so conservatively in the jersey design that it actually hurt them -- ending up with a yawner to look at on the field. Perhaps a different logo design or a red or white helmet color would make it better?
28. Baltimore Ravens (4)
The purple just doesn't do it for me. The Ravens always have a nasty defense, but they just don't look good in the color. Though the color is similar, I like the numbers better. I've never been a fan of black-on-black jersey schemes, like in the Ravens' alternate from 2004-2007. I do like their new alternates, used from 2008 til now, better than any they've had.
27. Carolina Panthers (4)
While the logo is different than most, I think the Panthers front office took a gamble with the color scheme -- one that could have tanked big time -- and turned it into something our eyes can at least stand. The text in their end zones though? Kinda gross, huh?
26. Atlanta Falcons (4)
Just too much red for me. Easy as that.
25. Philadelphia Eagles (4)
They got it right with their older jerseys. I'm just not a fan of the new tint of green and the number design as compared to what's on their throwbacks.
24. Seattle Seahawks (4)
This is kind of like the Carolina Panthers -- a color scheme that could have been disastrous but somewhat works. By the way, what color is that? Blue? Green? Teal? Aqua? Who knows. All I know is that the Seahawks should be punished for having this alternate jersey: *puke*
23. Minnesota Vikings (4)
What kills me is the stripes going down the side. They had a great jersey, from the 60's -2005. Luckily, the classic helmet design somewhat saves them from dropping farther down the list.
Average
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (5)
This is the last of my "questionable colors that could've been much worse" (see the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers). I actually think the worst thing about the Jags is their helmet. Unless you're up close, you can't tell what the heck that thing is. Their home jerseys are an improvement from the past (2004-2008) or an ugly alternate uniform. Much like the Texans, their jerseys are plain, but with that thin pin striping , I bumps the Jaguars up the list from "below average" to just plain "average."
21. Denver Broncos (5)
These jerseys were really cool in the late 1990s. But now, I think they're starting to show their age. Much like the Minnesota Vikings, it's the striping for me. It was cool 10 years ago, but not so much the trend now. If they could reduce that, it'd be great. Nothing beats their throwback jersey -- it's so ugly that it's cool.
20. New England Patriots (5)
I'm not a fan of silver pants, so I think their away jerseys are better than their homes just for that. I don't despise these unis, but I like their throwbacks and ones form the 1990s better
19. New York Giants (5)
See above (Patriots) in regards to silver pants. White would be much better. And the red in their away jerseys is nasty too. And on top of that, the big "NY" on their helmet is boring. Maybe they should go back to this old helmet design -- I think that's a better choice.
18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5)
These jerseys have grown on me. I'm such a big fan of their throwbacks that I think when the newer jerseys came out, I was so p-o'ed that they did away with the old ones that I didn't give the newer ones a chance. It's been 13 years, but I finally can say that the Buc's unis are acceptable.
17. Arizona Cardinals (5)
Much like the Broncos and the Vikings, the Cardinals have that striping on the pants and sides of the jersey. However, I don't think it's as garish as the Vikings', and I like the helmet design better than the Broncos (I'm a sucker for white helmets). I will say that I'm not a big fan of their away jerseys.
16. Detroit Lions (5)
Classy jerseys that in recent years are starting to go downhill (note to the Carolina Panthers: this is how you do blue-on-silver). They jazzed their helmet up recently, going with a more intense lion than their old one. However, I lean towards their older jersey concept than the present-day.
15. St. Louis Rams (5)
I'm a sucker for blue and gold. Pitt, Notre Dame, and the St. Louis Rams. Gotta love the old jerseys, but the current ones are a bit more streamlined. There's not much I would want to change with these unis; I guess the only reason that they're at number 15 is that the jerseys ranked higher than the rams are more instantly recognizable.
14. Oakland Raiders (5)
Definitely one of the most recognizable jerseys in all of sports. The one thing I don't like about their jersey is the silver numbers. Perhaps what would be better? And the silver pants are acceptable here (same with the Detroit Lions) because of their iconic status in the league (the teams that is).
13. Miami Dolphins (5)
Love the logo, but the teal jersey can be tough on the eyes sometimes. Still, it's not as harsh on the eyes as their alternate uni.
Better than most
12. Chicago Bears (6)
Like the jersey a lot (especially the homes). I don't like the numbers though. Classic jerseys like this need block numbers, like the Packers have here. This Bears were voted best jersey on uniwatch.
11. Cleveland Browns (6)
Being from Pittsburgh, I'm not a Browns fan, but I really like their jerseys. Like the Broncos throwback jerseys shown earlier, these are memorable because they're ugly. Brown and orange don't really go together, but because the Browns have been around for so long, the brown-orange combo is now iconic.
Memorable
10. Dallas Cowboys (7)
Classic jersey. The colors don't do much for me, and the logo is plain but iconic. The one change I'd make is removing the star off the sleeve on their home jersey to something like their old jerseys, which looks very similar to the Indianapolis Colts.
9. San Diego Chargers (7)
A team that took cool jerseys and made them better (or at least just as good). Love the white helmets, too. And a note to the Titans: this is how you do baby blue jerseys.
8. New Orleans Saints (7)
Simple, not flashy. Love the fleur de lis on the helmet, and the black and gold combo. No tweaks necessary.
7. New York Jets (7)
I put them above the Saints for the sheer fact that their jerseys (the green especially) is more iconic than the Saints' are. From here on, there aren't much criticisms I have of these unis.
6. San Francisco 49ers (7)
Good call going back to these jerseys from the 80's and 90's. The ones in the 2000s just didn't do it for me. Don't mess with a good thing.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (7)
Speaking of messing with a good thing, why did the Steelers go from these numbers to these? This could be argued as the most recognizable jersey in the NFL, along with the Packers. The Pack stuck with the block numbers though, which is why they're higher on the list than the Steelers.
4. Kansas City Chiefs (7)
Above the Steelers here for the sheer fact that they have block numbers. Tough choice, but I had to base my decision on something.
Classy and perfect
3. Green Bay Packers (8)
Like I said earlier, this is possibly the most iconic uni in the NFL. Everyone knows the green and yellow, and the Packers did the right thing by not messing with it.
2. Indianapolis Colts (8)
The same goes with the Colts. I put them above the Packers for the sheer fact that I like the blue and white better than the green and yellow. Oh yeah, and they have white helmets.
The Best
1. Washington Redskins (9)
This is as close to jersey perfection as it comes in the NFL in my opinion. The maroon uni, with the white block numbers trimmed in yellow. They have an awesome helmet design, too. The one change I'd make is to their socks, of all things. They used to wear these. Now they have these. Redskins, please go back to the 1980s in terms of your socks.
Trends: I didn't notice his until now, but I really like white helmets. I also like block numbering, as opposed to this or this. Also, only two of the teams in the top ten came into the league after 1960. This means the old school teams have it right in terms of jerseys. It's the newer teams that have the problems.
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