After a lengthy look at each team’s wardrobe, we have finally entered the top four. I am going to take a more in-depth look at the remaining teams and crown an overall winner. For these teams I will look closely at my big four of team design, those four being a unique and recognizable logo, unique color scheme, small uniform details, and overall wardrobe design.
No. 4 Indianapolis Colts
Coming in at fourth-place is the Indianapolis Colts. Indy has worn their current look since the 1950s, with some minor tweaks coming in 2020. The blue and white is a very complimentary color scheme, but it is such an overused look that it doesn’t get them any points here. However they do score points for their logo, the horseshoe is both unique and cannot be mistaken as anything but the Colts brand. Their uniform’s small details should also be noted, a unique font and good shoulder striping are a big plus.
Ultimatly what sinks the Colts down to number four is their weak uniform lineup. The home and aways are great, and while I love their throwbacks, many do not share that view. What I and everyone else can agree on is the “Indiana Nights” design is awful and is one of the worst in the NFL.
Indy does feature a very solid design but there is no doubt they benefited from a weak bracket last time. The Colts have a top seven wardrobe, but these other three teams are true top five material.
Overall Rating: 7.5/10
No. 3 Dallas Cowboys
No NFL team has a design that is more iconic than America’s Team. Dallas has such a recognizable brand, from the star, to the silver helmets, there is no mistaking why they sell so much merchandise. I talked before about the Cowboys main uniforms, but I also want to give some shine to their amazing alternates as well. Dallas’ all white throwbacks, worn on their thanksgiving games, are a wonderfully unique and complimentary design. The white helmet, deep navy jersey, and the stars on the shoulders is a retro design that still shines in the modern era.
Another design the Cowboys benefit from is their red, white, and blue helmet. Instead of the typical blue, white, and blue striping pattern on the helmet, Dallas will sometimes replace the first stripe with red to invoke the american flag. I cannot overstate how much I love this subtle change. The striping change doesn’t take away from the main uniforms, but it is just enough of a change to add a different flavor to their designs.
Unfortunately Dallas is plagued by the same problem the colts have. Blue and white is too common of a color scheme. While they do rock it better than most, it is such an overused look in North American sports.
Dallas is a strong contender for the top spot, but the two California teams ahead of them have just a little bit more to push the Cowboys down to three.
Overall Rating: 9/10
By Fernando Martello, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
No. 2 Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers move to LA has been a rough one, but the uniforms that accompanied them in the transition is an A+. Blue and yellow is such a complimentary color scheme in sports but the Chargers use of powder blue makes that combo ten times better. Typically having a lot of different uniform combos would mean there are a few duds, but the Chargers remain an exception as their six different designs all look phenomenal on the gridiron. LA also gets points for being unique, as they are the only team to have numbers on their primary helmets.
The only reason the Chargers aren’t number one is their main logo, and how unrecognizable it is. The bolt does look good, but it just feels so plain and doesn’t have the history that the other teams on this list have. Looking at the Chargers helmet in a vacuum, if you remove the numbers it becomes indistinguishable from the ones that Kent State wears. LA’s design will get more iconic, but it will take time. For right now they are simply too new to be number one.
Overall rating: 9/10
No. 1 San Francisco 49ers
At the end of it all, after looking through 32 NFL teams and taking everything into consideration, it is the 49ers who stand alone at the top of my list. San Francisco does everything right when it comes to design. In my analysis they are the only team that nails the big four I have laid out.
To start lets look at uniqueness. The 49ers are one of a very small group of teams who have numbers in their team name, and they are the only team in the major four North American sports to have red and gold as their primary colors. It doesn’t get much more unique than that.
Secondly, the 49ers nail the small details. Their shoulder striping and jersey numbers come straight from the 1980s, and I would not have it any other way.
Finally, much like the Chargers, there is no weak link in the 49ers’ wardrobe. The home and away uniforms are obviously great, but their 1990s throwbacks look even better. Everything from the black outline on the numbers to the sharper colors makes the 1994 design the best single uniform in the NFL. Additionally, it gives San Francisco an icy white uniform in their arsenal that simply can’t be beat.
San Francisco is the literal gold standard in terms of design and it will take a miraculous effort to dethrone them.
Overall rating: 10/10
This marks the end of my 2024 NFL uniform rankings, but with many teams getting a re-design in the off-season, there may be some major shake ups next year. The Texans, Broncos, Lions, and Jets are all set to debut new uniforms, so expect this list to have some major changes next season.
Ryan States is in his 3rd year at Lock Haven University, and his second with the Eagle Eye. He is a Journalism major with intentions to minor in Sports Management. With his never-ending passion for all things sports, he wishes to pursue a career as a sports writer for a major outlet. When not watching sports, he can be found playing video games, hanging out with friends at the REC. Or you can find him helping out in the booth during LHU sporting events. His biggest hope while at Lock Haven is to be able to positively contribute to LHU sports in any way he can.
