It’s that time of year again. The sun is out, and summer’s in full swing, but there’s one thing missing from our lives. NFL news has gotten slow, and it will stay slow until mid August, so that means it’s the perfect time to rank the leagues uniforms for the 2023 season. I will be doing this tier-list style with tiers ranging from D to A. B tier will be the average with a C and D tier below it, and A tier above it. With all that said, let’s get to the rankings!
New England Patriots: B
The Patriots were in a weird spot in 2020 when it came to their branding. Legendary quarterback Tom Brady had left the team, and it meant it was time to refresh the looks without completely overhauling the identity. They went with their color rush uniforms and redesigned them to include an away and alternate set. The jersey is alright, but feels very simple with the oversized stripes and block numbers. It doesn’t feel very creative or unique to New England at all. Bonus points for bringing back the silver pants on occasion, and also bonus points for the Pat Patriot throwbacks that are done in the new style.
However being a bit more creative with their jerseys would be pretty good for the franchise.
Buffalo Bills: A
The Bills have some decent, classic uniforms that seem to do almost everything right. There’s enough different combinations of pants and jerseys to keep the Bills looking interesting, and the classic style brought to a modern age works really well for the team. It certainly is an improvement from the set they wore before, and you could make an argument for these being the best uniforms in the teams history. There’s only a few problems with the look in my opinion, and they come from lack of helmet options. A red or blue alternate helmet would help the uniforms feel less like one solid color.
Overall, the Bills have solid jerseys that could make the jump to S tier if alternate helmets come out soon.
Miami Dolphins: B-
If I had to describe the Dolphins uniforms in just 3 words, I’d say “Plain and Simple”. These jerseys with their nice colors have almost nothing going on. The jersey lacks stripes of any kind, choosing to display the Dolphins logo instead. The simplicity allows the colors to pop more, but it sacrifices the design aspects that made the throwbacks so good. Speaking of the throwbacks, Miami is bringing back old designs constantly, and it feels like the throwbacks will be making an even bigger impact in 2023. I, like many others, prefer the old style with more creative striping and design. It’d also be cool if they went on the more creative side and did something like this.
But until then, the Dolphins will be one of the more bland teams in the league when it comes to uniforms. At least they have great retro designs,
New York Jets: B
Speaking of plain and simple designs, the Jets are another team that plays it safe without much in the way of stripes or crazy fonts. The design is incredibly plain, but sleek and modern at the same time. The stripes to try something different than previous uniforms which tried to be more classic. The Jets get a bump up for having that sweet alternate helmet that completes the blackout jersey, which has happened to be my favorite in the set since it was introduced. However, I don’t think the Jets uniform is anything perfect. The minimal amount of design is a negative, as the stripes seem to take up almost no space.
All in all, the Jets uniforms are simple but solid with both positives and negatives.They fall squarely in the average tier for me.
Baltimore Ravens: A-
I like the Ravens look. The color scheme is cool, and the design is pretty good. The lack of stripes is pretty meh, but I do like the purple, black, and white jerseys. The pants look cool when they have stripes, but the all black pants without stripes are mediocre at best, The black jersey makes for a slick look no matter what it’s paired with. The purple-on-black set is probably the weakest of the bunch, if feels like the colors are both too dark to contrast well. However, I really do like the rest of the set the Ravens have to offer, although it would be nice if the sleeves had some sort of stripe.
Otherwise, I think the Ravens set is quite good, if it made a few improvements it could be an A+
Pittsburgh Steelers: B+
The Steelers are a team that loves themselves some tradition, so naturally, they’ve kept similar uniforms for a long time. The design is classic and ages very well, with the nice stripes and colors making for a great look. I personally love the two-tone color rush that also uses the better number font than the newer one. There’s other throwback looks that bring back the block number font, but those are pretty simple swaps that should become the regular uniforms in my opinion. It’d also be neat if the Steelers tried out something like a yellow alternate helmet or even a yellow alternate jersey, although fans may push that back.
I do think the Steelers uniforms are great for traditional but modern looks, which is exactly what they are going for.
Cincinnati Bengals: A+
If you ever wanted to know how to properly redesign your mediocre uniform and turn it into something great, look no further than Cincinnati. They have created one of the best looks in the league by cleaning up their uniform. Now, we’re left with a jersey that has good tiger striping, without any extra clutter. The White Tiger helmet looks awesome, as it completes an awesome whiteout look. If I had one complaint about them, it would be the lack of orange on the white pants. It works for the white tiger rush, but not as well for the typical away.
If that’s my major complaint, then you know you got some top tier uniforms.
Cleveland Browns: B
There isn’t too much to say about the Browns’ uniforms. They’re simple, clean, and to the point. The design is another modern take on classic looks the Browns have had for many years (expect the 2015 redesign, which was awful) and it’s pretty good at what it does. The main thing holding them back is the color rush. The all-brown look was much better when they had two-tone stripes as opposed to nothing. Otherwise, there’s a lot of good options for the team to wear, although none of them are exceptional, they are all passable or even good.
But not good enough to get out of the mid tier.
Tennessee Titans: D+
If I had to say one nice thing about the Titans uniforms, I would say that I like the amount of combinations they can wear from game to game. (The picture doesn’t even show my favorite combo, the powder blue color rush.) Otherwise, I have nothing good to say about them. The jersey itself is just a plain mismatch. the stripe down the side looks horrible, and the swords are just a bad attempt at being unique. The pants are also atrocious, with a logo interrupting a “stripe” that is little more than just two trapezoids that are shades of gray. The helmet is mediocre at best, and adds little to a set that could desperately use it.
Perhaps it’s for the best they have a Houston Oilers throwback coming out, as they have nothing original or good to wear.
Houston Texans: B-
Ever since they came into the league in 2002, the Texans have had the same, generic uniforms with the same old design. I wouldn’t say it’s bad, just really bland. I like the vertical striping on the shoulders, as it’s different from other teams in the league. The set can easily come together when you see the team wear it, but line it up with all the other teams and it doesn’t stand out as good or bad. I like the addition of the “battle red” helmet, since it provides a little bit of extra color for the team. I also like how the navy color rush set provides unique looks from the rest of the set.
But being painfully average with the rest of your design doesn’t get you out of the mediocre tier. Let’s hope they don’t screw up the supposed 2024 redesign.
Indianapolis Colts: A
The Colts have some timeless uniforms that just seem to be perfect for them. The simple stripes aren’t too simple. There’s still an element of design unlike other teams I’ve criticized earlier. The patterns of the striping go for both the shoulders and the pants, which is some nice consistency. The subtle changes in 2020 only add to the look, as nothing is truly lost for them. They also have a 1950’s throwback, which is passable. If I had to change something about the Colts, I would add more alternate looks. A blue helmet with the new alternate logo for rivalry games or something? Maybe something using their anvil black color?
But as they stand, Indianapolis has little to change or even dislike to move up in the rankings.
Jacksonville Jaguars: C+
When they were first revealed, I thought the Jaguars had some pretty good uniforms. After a few seasons, they don’t hold up so well in my eyes. Maybe I was conditioned to see busy messes of jersey/pants combinations that didn’t work from Jacksonville. Now, these are just meh. Everything feels like it’s one solid color. Good colors, but there’s no striping to speak of. With great options from the past that could’ve served as some inspiration, I think these could’ve been way better, but now we’re stuck with mediocre. They aren’t horrible, but there’s nothing going on here.
And when you have nothing going on, I have to knock you down to a below average tier.
Kansas City Chiefs: A
The Chiefs have a great, classic look that fits the team so well. Since we see their uniforms so much with how much the NFL loves to market Patrick Mahomes, they might as well be top tier. The stripes and numbers aren’t too simple, but they aren’t complicated either. There’s nothing extra, but there really doesn’t need to be. I personally like the red on white home set more than any other, but the away looks is just as good. If I had to change anything, I would do 2 things. First, I would use the red color rush more, and secondly I would add a charcoal grey or black alternate to the set.
If the only way to get better is to simply add alternate looks, then you got a great look.
Los Angeles Chargers: A+
When comparing all 32 NFL teams, the Chargers stand out as one of the best-looking. The color scheme is really good, and fits the team. The lighting bolts are not only unique, but they are integrated very well into the jerseys and pants unlike before, when they had a little white panel surrounding them. The options for combinations are amazing. Fans love the blue-on-yellow pants, which I can agree with. They also have two solid color rush options with completely different shades of blue, which is a plus. My only complaint is the helmets. The lack of a blue option (and/or a retro navy option) with the numbers make the lids the worst part.
But even with that complaint, the Chargers are one of the best looking teams in the league.
Las Vegas Raiders: B+
I don’t like it when teams are so simplified that there is absolutely nothing happening on their jersey. The Raiders are a great example of plain looks. The jerseys look like practice jerseys with the simple block numbers. The silver pants are fine but aren’t special. The all-white color rush is the best in the set, and only because it’s creative with the number choice. They have kept the design for many years, and because of that, I have to give it some bonus points in my book. I wish they’d lean into their “black hole” marketing more and make a blackout color rush.
Otherwise, it’s just a classic but overly simple look I can’t seem to like as much as others do.
Denver Broncos: B+
Seeing so much of the same bland designs in the NFL really makes me appreciate when a team does something more unique, like Denver with these side stripes instead of typical shoulder stripes. I personally don’t get bothered by the stripes as much as some others, as I find it to be a cool looking design. When the stripe colors don’t match all the way up, it can be a little jarring, but otherwise it’s a neat design. Denver also has a lot of different combinations they can wear (and the picture doesn’t even show them all!) which is a huge plus in my book. The “Orange Crush” throwback uniforms are good, but nothing great in my opinion.
I still stand on my hill of liking the Broncos uniforms, even if others don’t. They may not be top tier, but they are underrated.
Dallas Cowboys: B+
Do you ever just get sick and tired of seeing the same uniform over and over again? If so, then I advise you not to be a Cowboys fan. They wore the typical white jersey 12 times last season, as they use it as both a home and away set. I don’t hate it, but it’s painfully average, and the blue pants that don’t match are just meh. The navy jerseys are employed far less, only being used 5 times including the postseason. Those aren’t great with the star interrupting the stripe just being a poor look. The throwbacks got an alternate helmet, but they still looked like spring football uniforms.
So if you want classic mediocrity then look no further than Dallas. Maybe they could throw in some variety and update the navy set to get a better grade.
Philadelphia Eagles: A-
The Philadelphia Eagles have some solid uniforms that I personally love. The helmet is awesome with the wings, which is something the Eagles have done since the 1950’s, and is something that is synonymous with the team. The simple sleeve stripes are a bit of a minus but they make up for it with the logo fitting very well on the sleeve and the pants stripes being unique and cool. The team also introduced some awesome alternate helmets with the blackout and will be having some retro helmets debuting this off-season. They will likely have 3 helmets, which I fully support.
Now, the Eagles aren’t perfect, but they are a very solid team with their uniforms. Maybe with some shoulder stripes, I think the Eagles could be even better.
New York Giants: C+
I really don’t like the Giants main home and away sets, although for different reasons. The home blues are really plain and mediocre. The away set has stripes, but they are the wrong color. The Giants are associated with blue, but all the stripes are red. This really confuses me, as I do like the design, but it’s the wrong color. Worse still, is that there’s a lack of stripes on the blues. The current pattern would work on them with red or white stripes. The throwback sets are so much better, and thankfully they employ them quite a bit more. The stripes add so much to the design which I like, and the colors look better as well.
But the main sets are so bland which pulls them down quite far on the tier list.
Washington Commanders: D
Washington botched their rebrand is amazing fashion, and these uniforms are one of the horrible products of said rebrand. I despise the white jerseys they often employ at home and away similarly to the Cowboys. There is nothing going on with them but the garbage stencil numbers and stencil stripes which are horrible. The stencils almost look like they aren’t there, which isn’t good. The burgundy sets are better but I wouldn’t say they are much better. The blackouts are creative, but it doesn’t feel like they belong to the Commanders with limited burgundy on it at all. The lack of stripes on any pants is also a huge negative.
There’s little going on here, but what is there is bad. At least they tried.
Minnesota Vikings: A
The Vikings are a great example of solid, unique uniform design that works incredibly well. The stripes are unique to Minnesota with the back end of the stripe raising up as seen above. As well, a unique font helps them out a lot in this ranking. I find pretty much any jersey in the set to be solid, and no combination seems to be bad. It’d be really cool if they could get some throwback sets in to beef the whole set, otherwise Minnesota still has some of the best uniforms in the league.
But I still would like to see something a little extra from Minnesota.
Detroit Lions: A-
The Detroit Lions have some of the most underrated uniforms in the league. With a perfect color scheme and a solid design, there are only a few problems I have with their uniforms. The words on the sleeve stripes ruin the stripes, and the entire gray set is just mediocre and depressing. I personally prefer the pants with stripes, so whenever they wear non-throwback pants without stripes I get filled with a lot of disappointment. The new helmets are awesome and raise the value of the set.
But the Lions are in the market for new uniforms, and I think they could get an A+ next season going with a new design. I’ve even mocked some up on this page, so feel free to check them out
Green bay packers: A-
Green Bay has a ton of history, and some classic uniforms that haven’t really changed in forever. The design is pretty nice with classic stripes wherever you can find them. I do appreciate what they’ve been able to do with their design, and those yellow pants are quite unique and good looking. I like the “throwback” color rush that’s just a 2-tone jersey without a logo on the helmet. The white pants that sometimes come out of the closet are fine, and I do wish they brought it out more.
I do like them, but I wish they tried to get out of the box more with their uniforms.
Chicago Bears: B+
The Chicago Bears uniforms might be classic, but they are quite mediocre when compared to some of the other teams in the league. The stripes are pretty good, and there’s a few color combos (white pants or navy pants for example) to change things up from game to game. The orange alternate jerseys made a much bigger impact this past season compared to previous seasons with the introduction of the orange alternate helmet. That alternate fits the Bears very well, but isn’t very special in the world of NFL jerseys.
And that’s just the way I’d describe the Bears. Classic, but nothing terribly special.
New Orleans Saints: B-
If you’ve seen some of the other reviews I’ve done so far, you know I don’t like overly simple uniforms that have nothing going on. If you’ve seen the majority of the Saints’ designs, then you probably can guess what I’m going to say about it. They are ridiculously simple. On the throwbacks and all white color rush set with the alternate helmets, there are some good shoulder stripes that look like they could easily make their way onto the regular sets. Instead, the regular sets are left with nothing but a logo. I don’t like the black pants that also have no stripe. Pair those with the normal jerseys and everything looks way too bland for my liking.
And bland isn’t good for this list, no matter how much fans seem to like it.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:A-
The Buccaneers revealed new uniforms when Tom Brady came to the team, and I loved them. Now that Brady is retired, I still love them. Of course I have to mention the minimal shoulder stripes, which are hardly noticeable at the bottom of the sleeves. That is why they get an A- instead of an A, but otherwise I like a lot of things about them. The subtle inclusion of the retro orange color adds to the design. Also, the “Creamsicle” uniforms are returning, which I personally don’t like. Something about the colors and awful logo make me wish these stayed in the past.
Otherwise, Tampa Bay has some great looks for years to come, even if the future isn’t as bright.
Atlanta Falcons: C+
When the Falcons unveiled these uniforms in 2020, they were almost universally hated. Whether it be for the mediocre stripes that exist only on the sides, or the huge “ATL” above the numbers on the front, there’s good reason to dislike the Falcons looks. I don’t hate the number font, but everything else is not only plain, but bad looking as well. Truthfully, the more normal and calm throwbacks are the best in the whole set, as they got some normal striping and a retro helmet without sacrificing anything that makes them feel unique to Atlanta. Bonus points for getting rid of the garbage gradient jersey. While unique, it looked awful.
But now that the gradient is gone, the Falcons are on the right track to improve their grade!
Carolina Panthers: A
The Carolina Panthers had some uniforms with potential for years, but with the black alternate helmet and minor changes for this upcoming season, I have to bump them into the upper tier. My biggest complaint was with the shoulder stripe going all the way around, which single-handedly kept them out of A tier. They have great combinations, amazing powder blue jerseys, and a prime example of how to properly make a blackout jersey. My only complaint is how little they used the non-white sets. What does it take to see the black-on-white or the powder blue looks?
Now if that’s the main problem, it’s not terribly hard to fix and get an A+.
Arizona Cardinals: D
The Cardinals had needed new looks for ages when they decided to unveil new uniforms, and while we haven’t seen them on the field, I’m not holding my breath. The home set has no stripes and huge, ugly text, and while the other sets have stripes, they aren’t well done. The away set has words in nearly invisible stripes, and the black alternate has a lot more white stripes than I would like on a blackout set which are usually meant to give other colors a chance to stand out on a black background.
Do I really need to say much more? What a bad redesign.
Los Angeles Rams: C
When the Rams revealed these uniforms in 2020, I wasn’t a fan. I didn’t like the gradient numbers or stripes on the blue pants. I still don’t the split Ram horns that were on the helmets and shoulders. I truly despise anything to do with the “bone-grey” alternates. Yet, I don’t hate everything about the look. The blue and yellow is a classic color scheme for the team, and they even won a super bowl with it. The striping on the yellow pants looks good, and has some potential, and the team also benefits form having a good amount of combinations to wear from game to game.
But the positives are barely enough to keep them out of the worst tiers in the league.
Seattle Seahawks: B+
The Seahawks have sported these uniforms since 2012, and they have been unique ever since. From the shoulder striping to the patterns in the numbers, Seattle has been fairly interesting to look at whenever they play. Fans are split on if these are good looks or not, but the most split set is the neon green color rush, which is still sued as an alternate. While I wouldn’t call Seattle’s jerseys busy, there’s a lot going on with them. I do like the amount of color combinations they can use, except for the green-on-blue alternate occasionally worn last year. This upcoming year there will be some throwback looks coming out, which boosts their score.
But otherwise, I don’t love or hate the Seahawks, and I’m pretty much indifferent on them. They don’t suck, and they are unique, which is how they get their B+.
San Francisco 49ers: A
The 49ers are the ideal team when it comes to uniform design. A good classic look with a decent color scheme makes for some good looks. There’s actual stripes and design, but the jersey isn’t too busy, which makes the regular home and away sets A tier all on their own. However, they have not one, but two solid throwbacks to lean on, with fun drop-shadow numbers, white pants and black striping. There’s one set for home, and another for away. The only thing I would add is the black color rush. Unlike some, I thought it was really cool, and it would work better if the stripes were done in today’s style.
With all that said, the 49ers have some top tier uniforms in the entire league.
That does it for the NFL uniform rankings! I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did making them. I’d love to hear your opinions as well, feel free to respond in the comments below.
Written By Jake
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