As the 2024 NFL season approaches, a fresh wave of style is hitting the gridiron. This year, twelve teams have revamped their on-field apparel, introducing exciting updates and additions to their uniform lineups. From completely new primary uniforms to striking alternate designs and innovative helmet variations, the 2024 NFL uniform changes have generated significant buzz throughout the offseason. With the regular season just around the corner, we dive deep into each team’s new look, analyzing the designs and ranking the most impactful and stylish changes. Get ready to explore the fresh aesthetics that will define the 2024 NFL season.
New York Jets: Embracing Legacy with a Modern Twist
The New York Jets have officially launched their “legacy collection,” a uniform set that pays homage to the iconic “New York Sack Exchange” era of the late 70s and 80s. This isn’t just a refresh; it’s a full-fledged promotion of their historical look. The collection features three distinct jerseys: legacy green, legacy white, and legacy black. These uniforms are not mere replicas; they are modernized interpretations of the classic designs worn during a defining period in Jets history (1979-1989). Accompanying the jerseys is the return of the vintage “JETS” logo, complete with “a refined pointed nose of plane,” adorning the helmets, further solidifying the throwback feel.
The jerseys themselves retain key elements of the Sack Exchange era uniforms, including the double-striped shoulders and single-striped pants, ensuring a recognizable link to the past while providing a contemporary fit and feel for the modern game. This calculated move by the Jets resonates with fans, bridging the gap between nostalgia and current style trends in the NFL.
Cleveland Browns: A Subtle Nod to History with White Facemasks
The Cleveland Browns have opted for a more understated alteration, one that keen-eyed fans might appreciate. The most notable change for the Browns in 2024 is the switch of their facemask color from brown back to white. While seemingly minor, this adjustment carries significant historical weight for the franchise.
The Browns previously sported white facemasks, but phased them out in 2006, and then reintroduced brown facemasks in 2015. The return to white facemasks evokes memories of the Browns’ celebrated “Kardiac Kids” era in the 1980s, a time synonymous with success and iconic imagery. Bernie Kosar led teams wearing white facemasks to three AFC Championship Game appearances in the late 1980s, the only such appearances in Browns history. This subtle yet symbolic change connects the current team to a celebrated chapter of Browns football.
Detroit Lions: Inspired by Ford’s Legacy for a Fresh Roar
The Detroit Lions have undergone a significant uniform overhaul, revamping both their Honolulu Blue home uniforms and white away uniforms, while also reintroducing their popular black alternate uniforms. In a unique twist, the automotive giant Ford, particularly the Ford Bronco and Mustang, served as a primary source of inspiration for the Lions’ redesign. The goal was to inject a “fresh look” while subtly referencing the uniforms worn in the early 1990s. The striping patterns on the uniforms directly mirror the sleek, dynamic lines found on the Ford Mustang, blending Detroit’s automotive heritage with its football identity.
Beyond the Ford influence, the updated home and away uniforms feature several distinct design elements. A “cowcatcher-shaped mesh collar” and a horizontal seam in a “V” shape add unique visual interest to the jersey’s upper chest. The collar design effectively lowers the placement of the jersey font, creating a distinctive silhouette. A patch honoring long-time Lions owner William Clay Ford is positioned under the inside back collar, a respectful tribute to the team’s history. The inside collar of the home jerseys proudly displays “ONE PRIDE,” while the away jerseys, for the first time in franchise history, feature “DETROIT” emblazoned across the chest, emphasizing local pride.
Denver Broncos: Mile High Style Rooted in Colorado Culture and History
The Denver Broncos’ 2024 uniform reveal is a comprehensive “Mile High Collection,” deeply rooted in local Colorado culture and the franchise’s rich past. The collection is anchored by Sunset Orange home jerseys, Summit White away jerseys, and Midnight Navy alternate jerseys, creating a cohesive and visually striking set.
The “Mile High Collection” is replete with nods to Colorado’s unique identity. The block-style numbering and nameplate font are directly inspired by the signage found in Colorado’s national parks, lending a sense of place and ruggedness to the design. A triangle label, resembling a summit marker, is incorporated on the outer neck tag and jersey numbers, further emphasizing the Colorado theme. The inner neck tag features “Broncos Country” and “5280,” Denver’s elevation above sea level, solidifying the local connection.
In addition to the modern “Mile High Collection,” the Broncos have also reintroduced throwback uniforms, celebrating the iconic “Orange Crush” era of 1977. These throwback uniforms are faithful reproductions of the 1977 design, featuring orange jerseys with oversized white numbers and Legacy Blue trim. The pants also mirror the era, with an orange and Legacy Blue stripe running down the legs.
Adding to the throwback excitement, the Broncos are bringing back the Legacy Blue “D” helmets, complete with the classic Bronco mascot logo. These helmets, fan favorites from John Elway’s era, were retired after the 1996 season, making their return a highly anticipated event. The combination of modern and throwback elements in the Broncos’ 2024 uniform changes makes for a compelling and well-rounded collection.
Houston Texans: A Complete Uniform Evolution for a New Era
The Houston Texans have unveiled a complete uniform redesign across all four of their uniform sets – home, away, alternate, and color rush – marking the first comprehensive overhaul since the franchise’s inception in 2000. This bold move signifies a new chapter for the Texans, blending familiar elements with fresh design concepts.
The new home uniforms maintain the Texans’ signature Deep Steel Blue jerseys, but with key modifications. Nameplates now feature red coloring instead of white, a distinctive and unusual choice for a home team jersey, adding a pop of color. The red stripes previously on the shoulders have been removed, replaced by the team’s bull logo, streamlining the design and emphasizing team iconography. The home uniforms also incorporate the Texans’ new secondary “H” logo.
The away uniforms are Liberty White, retaining a similar overall aesthetic to the Texans’ previous road jerseys. They feature a traditional sleeve stripe on the back and sides of the shoulder pads, which evolves into a “bullhorn-inspired design” on the front, adding a dynamic and aggressive visual element. Like the home uniforms, the away jerseys are paired with the traditional bull logo and Deep Steel Blue helmet.
The Texans have dramatically transformed their alternate and color rush uniforms. The new alternate uniforms are described as a “bold Battle Red version of the away jersey,” showcasing the same bullhorn shoulder mark. Nameplates and numbers are Deep Steel Blue with Liberty White trim, creating a striking contrast. The helmet is Battle Red with “candy paint red flakes and a red metallic chrome facemask,” and features a new bullhorn design with blue outlining, making it a standout piece.
The color rush uniforms remain Deep Steel Blue but introduce H-Town Blue, a completely new color for the franchise since its founding. These uniforms are paired with helmets featuring the team’s new secondary logo: an “H” in H-Town Blue with a Battle Red lone star adjacent to it. H-Town Blue is a deliberate nod to the blue seen on the Houston Oilers’ uniforms before their relocation to Tennessee, further connecting the Texans to Houston’s football history.
New York Giants: Celebrating a Century with “Century Red”
To commemorate their 100th anniversary, the New York Giants have introduced a special edition alternate uniform, aptly named “Century Red.” This uniform is a carefully curated blend of historical elements, drawing inspiration from the team’s 1933 jersey, 1925 pants, and 1938 helmet, creating a vintage yet modernized look.
The “Century Red” jersey is predominantly red, but features a prominent blue chest panel separated by white stripes. The numbers and nameplates are also white, creating visual clarity against the contrasting colors. Wider blue stripes on the shoulder tops add further visual interest.
The helmet is a unique blend of red and blue, with red stripes reminiscent of the University of Michigan Wolverines’ helmets, adding a collegiate touch. The pants are tan, completing the vintage-inspired color palette, and the socks mirror the jersey’s design, ensuring a cohesive look from head to toe.
Every detail of the “Century Red” uniform is a deliberate celebration of key milestones in the Giants’ early history. The team was founded in 1925, reached their first NFL Championship Game in 1933, and secured their third NFL Championship in 1938. Additionally, all Giants uniforms in 2024 will feature a commemorative patch celebrating the franchise’s centennial season. The patch is shaped like the Polo Grounds, the Giants’ original home stadium, with the zeros in “100” shaped like Giants Stadium. Eight laces on the patch symbolize the franchise’s eight championship titles, making it a truly comprehensive tribute.
Minnesota Vikings: Winter Warrior in White Helmets
The Minnesota Vikings have unveiled their “Winter Warrior” alternate uniforms, a refined version of the “Winter Whiteout” alternates worn in 2022. While retaining the core white and purple color scheme, the “Winter Warrior” set introduces a significant change with white helmets.
Like the “Winter Whiteout” uniforms, the “Winter Warrior” jerseys and pants are white, with purple numbers and nameplates providing contrast. The key differentiator is the helmets: for the first time in franchise history, the Vikings will wear white helmets. These helmets feature a metallic stripe down the center, outlined with purple to accentuate the team logo. The facemasks are metallic gray, completing the sleek and modern aesthetic. The white helmets add a fresh dimension to the Vikings’ uniform repertoire, creating a striking alternate look.
Baltimore Ravens: Purple Rising with an All-Purple Helmet
The Baltimore Ravens have introduced an all-purple helmet this offseason, aptly named the “Purple Rising” helmet. This marks a historic moment, as it is the first time the Ravens will feature a helmet with a purple base in their franchise history.
Beyond the purple base, the alternate helmet showcases a different logo than the Ravens’ primary helmets. Their secondary logo, a front-facing raven, is prominently displayed on the sides. Gold accents are also incorporated into the “Purple Rising” helmet, with gold talon stripes running down the center and a gold facemask. The visor chip is purple, maintaining color consistency.
This new helmet provides the Ravens with an all-purple uniform option. It will be paired with the Ravens’ color rush uniforms, originally unveiled in 2016. These color rush jerseys feature a purple base, matching the pants and now the helmet, creating a monochromatic purple look. The numbers on these uniforms are gold, complemented by a gold stripe along the pant leg, while the nameplates are white, providing visual contrast. The “Purple Rising” helmet elevates the Ravens’ alternate uniform game, adding a bold and cohesive all-purple option.
Washington Commanders: Gold Pants Return to the Rotation
The Washington Commanders are bringing back gold pants to their uniform rotation for the upcoming season, marking their return for the first time since 2018. This classic element adds a touch of tradition to the Commanders’ on-field look.
Gold pants were a staple of Washington’s uniforms from 1937 to 1978, becoming synonymous with the team’s visual identity during that era. After 1978, they were reserved for special occasions, becoming less frequent. Their reintroduction in 2024 offers a nostalgic nod to the team’s history and provides a fresh uniform combination option for fans and players alike.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Celebrating 30 Years with Throwbacks and White Helmets
The Jacksonville Jaguars are celebrating their 30th anniversary with a double dose of uniform additions. They have unveiled “Prowler Throwbacks” uniforms, inspired by their original 1995 uniforms, and introduced new alternate shell white helmets.
The “Prowler Throwbacks” are named after the prowling jaguar embroidered on the sleeves, a distinctive element of the original 1995 design. The jerseys feature a teal base, reminiscent of the primary jerseys the team has worn for much of its existence. Numbers are white with gold and black trim, and the jersey numbers are also placed on the shoulder tops, mirroring the 90s aesthetic.
The pants are white with a multicolored stripe featuring teal as the dominant color, accented by thin gold and thicker black lines running down the legs. The “Prowler Throwbacks” also include updated versions of the Jaguars’ first helmets. These helmets have a black base and feature the Jaguars’ original logo from 1995-2013 on each side, completing the throwback look.
In addition to the throwbacks, the Jaguars have also revealed alternate shell white helmets. These helmets feature a white base with the Jaguars’ primary logo centered on each side and a black facemask. The white helmets will be paired with the Jaguars’ black alternate uniforms, creating a cohesive and modern alternate combination.
Green Bay Packers: White Helmets Complete Alternate Set
The Green Bay Packers, known for their iconic and largely unchanged uniforms, have made a subtle yet significant alteration to their helmets to complete their alternate uniform set. They have unveiled new white helmets to be worn with their white jerseys and pants for a game this season.
The white helmets retain the Packers’ traditional “G” logo at the center of each side. The “G” remains white with a green outline, but the helmet’s base color is changed from the familiar yellow to white, excluding the two green stripes running across the top. The facemasks on these helmets are also white, creating a unified all-white helmet design.
The Packers will debut these all-white helmets and uniforms when they host the Texans on October 20th in what they are calling the “Winter Warning” game. This marks a rare departure from the Packers’ traditional helmet design and provides a striking visual contrast for a special occasion game.
Cincinnati Bengals: Orange Pants Add Color Versatility
The Cincinnati Bengals are adding orange alternate uniform pants for the upcoming season, providing them with a wider range of color combinations for their on-field attire. These new pants significantly increase the Bengals’ uniform versatility.
The Bengals will debut the all-orange pants with their orange jerseys in their Week 1 matchup against the New England Patriots. This addition allows the Bengals to create full orange uniforms, in addition to their existing black and white pant options, offering a vibrant and visually impactful look for select games.
Ranking the 2024 NFL Uniform Changes
The 2024 NFL uniform changes offer a diverse mix of modern updates, historical throwbacks, and bold new designs. While personal preference plays a significant role, some changes stand out for their impact, creativity, and overall execution. The Denver Broncos’ “Mile High Collection” and throwback uniforms are particularly well-received for their comprehensive approach and strong connection to local culture and team history. The New York Jets’ “legacy collection” successfully modernizes a classic look, while the Houston Texans’ complete redesign injects fresh energy into the franchise’s visual identity. The subtle changes, like the Cleveland Browns’ white facemasks and the Washington Commanders’ gold pants, offer nostalgic nods that resonate with long-time fans. Ultimately, the 2024 NFL season promises to be one of the most stylish in recent memory, with a wide array of exciting new uniform looks gracing the field.
