The NFL unveiled new Nike “Rivalries” uniforms for the eight teams in the AFC South and NFC North earlier this week, including the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings.
But rather than share my immediate reactions to the designs, I wanted to let it marinate for a few days, digging further into the details that make each design unique to determine which team(s) stand above the rest. After all, it’s easy to overreact at first glance or overlook something as part of a large release like this.
With that said, I’ve meticulously analyzed every new uniform and have ranked all eight designs below, with an explanation following each ranking. I’ve also shared thoughts on how some of the uniforms could be improved and easily jump up a few spots as a result, so I’m eager to hear your guys’ response in the comments!
Green Bay Packers
The “Rivalries” program – much like MLB’s City Connect and the NBA’s City Edition designs – are supposed to represent the local community, and the Packers’ uniforms perfectly embody that by combining their classic look with details that make their franchise unique, such as the woven pattern in the stripes and currency-inspired numbers to match the certificates given to shareholders. The alabaster helmets fix everything that is wrong with their white alternate helmets, too.
Minnesota Vikings
Similarly, I hope the Vikings have already submitted paperwork to the NFL announcing their intentions of redesigning their home, road and alternate uniforms around their “Rivalries” set, which uses fantastic shades of deep purple and metallic gold. Both the Nordic knot stripes and the rune carving-inspired font are top-notch details, while the hints of ivory add depth to the design. The only thing that holds this set back is the matte helmet, which should be glossy – though the same issue plagues their throwback uniforms.
Tennessee Titans
Although I initially felt they were a bit gimmicky, I’ve come around on the guitar string stripes on Tennessee’s new home and road uniforms – especially after seeing how they’re “vibrating” on the “Rivalries” uniforms. In fact, these navy blue uniforms and gorgeous light blue helmets feel more like an evolution of the Titans’ historical branding than their Oilers-inspired primary designs, and the “Music City” wordmark with numbers that mimic neon signs on Broadway make me wish they went this direction instead.
Houston Texans
Speaking of being inspired by the Oilers, the Texans use of red and light blue for their “Rivalries” uniforms was inevitable. I don’t care how the franchise or fanbase wants to spin it with street tiles, police cars or the city flag, people only care about the colors because of the team that relocated. That said, I’m glad still they do because Houston’s uniforms are stunning. The chrome or metallic finishes and the subtle tile pattern would put this uniform at the top of the list, but the “H” on the helmet needs to be filled in and the primary logo patch on the shoulder should be above the nameplate and also in full color.
Chicago Bears
The Bears unveiled a solid throwback-inspired alternate uniform that complements the rest of their wardrobe well. It’s nothing flashy and is pretty much what you’d expect from a franchise with such proud tradition – perhaps a sign of things to come next year with teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders. The orange alternate helmets have been begging to be paired with navy blue jerseys since they were unveiled and the orange pants have been in their closet for years, but I can’t help but think they played it a little too safe when every other franchise pushed boundaries with their designs.
Detroit Lions
On the flip side of that coin, the Lions are a direct result of a classic-looking team pushing those boundaries too far, as the shoulder and pants design feel more appropriate for another team with a large cat as its mascot, lining up with the vision I laid out for the Carolina Panthers in my recent redesign series. The carbon fiber pattern is a nice touch that I would have loved to see Detroit integrate that into its home, road and black alternate uniforms when they were unveiled in 2024. However, this set makes me wish they would have kept the black uniforms hidden for two years rather than force something that doesn’t fit within their overall branding.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Based upon the jerseys themselves, the Jaguars should be much higher on this list, as the “sun-kissed” base, cursive wordmark, southern rock-inspired number font and subtle spots give off a modern classic vibe. Pairing them with spotted black helmets and alabaster pants with a large black stripe down the sides or their new teal helmets and alabaster pants with a large teal stripe down the side would have solidified that ranking, but the teal helmets feel especially out of place with spotted black pants. I see the vision (and appreciate the names of various Jacksonville neighborhoods in the spots), I just hate the overall execution.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts’ uniforms had largely remained uncharged from 1957 until they added “Anvil Black” to their color palette in 2020 – and it’s been all downhill ever since. Neither their “Indiana Nights” alternate uniforms nor their new “Rivalries” design capture the essence of this classic franchise, though I do like the subtle grommets in the UCLA stripes and could see that worked into their home and road designs. The only other redeeming part of these uniforms is the metallic blue helmets, which desperately need a single white stripe down the center and a white facemask and should be occasionally worn on the road.
Photos courtesy of @Jaguars, @packers, @Vikings, @Titans, @ChicagoBears, @Lions and @Colts on X/Twitter.
