After seven long months without football, the 2023-24 NFL season is finally upon us, as the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will host the playoff-hopeful Detroit Lions on Thursday evening (8:20 p.m. on NBC).
With that, we’ve once again compiled a comprehensive list of every uniform and logo change that has taken place across the league this year, broken down alphabetically by team below.
But before we get to that, we must point out a change that impacts most of the league: the switch to Nike’s new Vapor F.U.S.E. (formerly Fusion) template. It debuted at the college level in 2019 and was supposed to be widespread in the NFL by 2021, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The template has a cowcatcher-like design at the base of the collar and more seams than the old Vapor Untouchable chassis. On certain jerseys, like the Buffalo Bills, it creates a truncated collar that is reminiscent of the “toilet seat collars” on Nike’s Elite 51 template that debuted in 2012.
If the preseason is any indication, only five teams will remain in the old template, including the Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Washington Commanders.
Interestingly, the Jets and Buccaneers’ throwback uniforms – which we’ll discuss in a minute – are on the new template, as is the Commanders and Jets’ white road jerseys. Could that mean those teams will still update for the regular season? We’ll find out soon enough.
Some teams with large wordmarks on their chest – like the Atlanta Falcons – or UCLA stripes on their shoulders (Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots) have opted for a modified version of the Vapor F.U.S.E. template, which swaps the v-shaped seam below the collar for a straight seam.
One team that absolutely won’t be moving to Nike’s latest technology, though, is the Green Bay Packers, who still wear the Ripon Athletic mesh template that long predates the athletic apparel’s takeover of the league.
Super Bowl LVIII
In February, the NFL revealed the logo for Super Bowl LVIII, which will take place at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders, on Feb. 11, 2024.
The logo follows the same template as the previous two Super Bowls, with the Vince Lombardi Trophy placed among Roman numerals that feature some local flavor. Note how the trophy separates the “LV” from “III,” surely a nod to the host city.
The Roman numerals curve upward like the design of some of Las Vegas’ most famous hotels and casinos, including the Bellagio, Mandalay Bay and Wynn, among others. There’s a pink to purple gradient throughout the numerals, as well, mimicking a sunset on the Las Vegas Strip.
The hotels that are in the “LV” don’t appear to depict any buildings in particular, clearly an effort to avoid infringement laws, while the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign is prominently displayed in the “III,” along with some additional nondescript buildings.
So, now that we’ve set the stage, let’s dive head first into our team-by-team breakdown for the 2023-24 NFL season:
Arizona Cardinals
After 18 years in their previous set, the Cardinals unveiled new red home, white road and black alternate uniforms this offseason.
The uniforms feature an “Arizona” wordmark across the chest of the home jerseys, as well as a traditional striping pattern on the sleeves and pants of the road and alternate sets.
All three uniforms feature perforated twill numbers in the same font as before, though the outlines on the home and alternate uniforms are now silver, which is new this year to the Cardinals’ color scheme.
The uniforms are complete with a new white helmet, which includes silver flakes, a silver facemask and a larger three-dimensional logo, which first appeared on the team’s black alternate helmet last season. The black helmet, which features red flakes, also remains in the rotation.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons will no longer wear their gradient alternate uniforms, paving the way for them to wear their throwback uniforms with red helmets three times this season. That includes Sept. 17 against the Green Bay Packers, Oct. 15 against the Washington Commanders and Nov. 26 against the New Orleans Saints.
Atlanta reintroduced the red helmets – which feature a throwback logo on both sides, a gray facemask and a stripe that borrows its colors from in-state schools Georgia and Georgia Tech – after the NFL relaxed it’s one-helmet rule last season.
The Falcons subsequently wore the helmets, which are paired with their 1966 throwback jerseys, pants and socks, in a 28-14 win over the San Francisco 49ers and a 19-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Baltimore Ravens
Both the Ravens and Indianapolis Colts were still wearing Nike’s Elite 51 template last season – albeit without the patented Flywire at the base of the collar – but have moved over to the Vapor F.U.S.E. this fall after 11 years in the old chassis.
Buffalo Bills
While the Bills were not among the teams that unveiled an alternate or throwback helmet this offseason, quarterback Josh Allen teased fans by wearing a blue helmet during their annual Blue and Red practice in August.
The helmet was actually from the NFL’s Flash alternate helmet series, which pairs every team’s primary logo and striping pattern with a bright-colored, high-gloss paint job.
The only different between those helmets and the one Allen wore alongside Buffalo’s red alternate jersey was the white facemask. He wore a red alternate helmet during the same event in 2022, as well.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers made small but significant updates to their uniforms this offseason, highlighted by a return to their original shade of blue and a modified shoulder design.
When Nike took over the NFL contract in 2012, it did not have Carolina’s shade of blue in its color book. That’s why the Panthers continued to wear the old Ripon Athletic template before settling on a slightly different shade when they moved to the Vapor Untouchable template in 2019.
Nike’s color book expanded with the update to the Vapor F.U.S.E. template, which will once again allow Carolina to wear the correct shade of blue. It’s also why the shoulder stripes are changing, as they end at the cuff rather than wrap around the arm, creating a UCLA stripe-like design.
The Panthers announced they’ll wear their new blue jerseys twice this season, including Oct. 15 at the Miami Dolphins and Dec. 3 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They did not announce a date for their all-black Color Rush uniforms, however.
Chicago Bears
It won’t be reflected on their uniforms, but the Bears have made their bear head logo their sole primary mark after it previously shared the designation with their Wishbone “C” mark.
The Wishbone “C” was relegated to secondary status, though it will remain on both sides of Chicago’s standard navy blue and orange alternate helmets as if no change occurred.
According to the Bears, this move “provides clarity for retail, media, and other team and league partners to start the creative process with the bear head.” It is the only change to a primary logo across the league this season.
Cincinnati Bengals
After being forced to pair them with their outdated Color Rush uniforms last season, the Bengals successfully petitioned the NFL to wear their white alternate helmets alongside their standard road uniforms.
The full ensemble will be worn twice this season, including Sept. 25 against the Los Angeles Rams and Dec. 4 at the Jacksonville Jaguars. They’ll also white out the logo and end zones at Paycor Stadium for the former matchup, just like they did in last season’s 27-15 win over the Miami Dolphins.
As for the petition, it could have league-wide implications, as other teams – namely the New Orleans Saints – have alternate helmets that don’t exactly match the uniform they’re paired with. It remains to be seen if the Bengals were the only ones who asked for a change.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns unveiled new white alternate helmets that they’ll pair with their 1946 throwback uniforms on Sept. 18 at the Pittsburgh Steelers, Oct. 15 against the San Francisco 49ers and Dec. 28 against the New York Jets.
Cleveland wore white leather helmets from its inception in 1946 until it introduced a solid orange leather option in 1950 to comply with NFL rules requiring teams to wear helmets that contrast with the white football used during night games.
Due to the one-helmet rule, the Browns were unable to replicate this look when the throwback uniforms were introduced in 2021, so they simply added numbers and swapped the stripes and facemask on their standard orange lids for a vintage design.
Of course, the NFL scrapped that rule ahead of last season, but Cleveland did not wear the throwback uniforms in 2022. They’ll now make their return and be properly paired with a white helmet, although it has a few modern touches with the Browns’ current striping pattern and brown facemask.
Additionally, the franchise wore a helmet decal during the season in honor of former running back Jim Brown, who passed away in May at the age of 87. The circular decal featured Brown’s No. 32 in white block numbers against a brown background, matching Cleveland’s uniform design during his playing days.
That was replaced by a jersey patch ahead of the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. That features Brown’s number and signature, and will appear in every game this season except for the three games they’ll wear their 1946 throwback uniforms.
The Browns, who once again solicited fans to choose the design of the field at First Energy Stadium, have also painted Brown’s number and signature along the sidelines.
Dallas Cowboys
While nothing has been officially announced at this point, it’s expected that their Cowboys will wear throwback uniforms for their Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Washington Commanders.
The throwback uniforms feature a white helmet with a simple blue star on both sides, two blue stripes down the center and a gray facemask, as well as blue jerseys with stars on the shoulders, which were both reintroduced in a 28-20 win over the New York Giants last season.
Presumably, Dallas will also swap the decals and facemask on the white helmet with their current star and a white facemask for at least one game this season.
Known as the “Arctic Cowboys” look, the helmets would paired with the Cowboys’ current all-white Color Rush set, which is the inverse of the aforementioned throwback uniform, just like they were for last season’s 27-13 win over the Tennessee Titans.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos unveiled the first white helmet in franchise history, which will be worn on Oct. 8 against the New York Jets and Dec. 24 against the New England Patriots.
It features a white facemask, navy blue/orange/navy blue stripe down the center and the Broncos’ throwback logo in modern colors on both sides and will be paired with their all-orange Color Rush uniforms.
Denver previously swapped the modern decals and stripes on its navy blue helmet with the classic stripes and logo to complete the Color Rush uniform, which has been worn just once each season since it was introduced in 2016.
Additionally, the Broncos will don their blue alternate jerseys for a primetime matchup against the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 19.
Detroit Lions
The Lions will wear new Honolulu blue alternate helmets with their all-gray Color Rush uniforms during their Oct. 30 game against the Las Vegas Raiders and Jan. 7 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.
The blue helmets feature Detroit’s 1961-69 primary logo on both sides, as well as a gray facemask, and will be part of a new uniform set that will be unveiled prior to the 2024 season.
The Lions, who will still continue to remove the decals from their standard gray helmets to wear with throwback uniforms for one game each season, previously wore blue helmets without decals from 1949-55.
Detroit will also don a uniform patch this season to celebrate its 90th season. The commemorative logo pulls inspiration from the aforementioned throwback logo, which featured a lion and two vertical bars in Honolulu blue and silver.
Houston Texans
The Texans will wear their Battle Bed alternate helmets three times in 2023, though – so far – they’ve only announced the Nov. 26 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars as one of the three games.
The red helmets, which feature Houston’s primary logo on the sides and are paired with red alternate jerseys and white pants, debuted in a 29-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last season.
That means the Texans will no longer wear their Color Rush uniforms, which flip the colors of the numbers on their blue home set and have been worn every season since they were introduced in 2017.
Additionally, Houston has been soliciting input from fans regarding potential uniform for changes for the 2024 season, including their thoughts on the team’s current design and color scheme.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts unveiled new “Indiana Nights” alternate uniforms, which will make their on-field debut against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 22.
The Anvil Black helmet features the team’s iconic horseshoe logo on both sides, as well as a heathered blue and white stripe down the middle, marking a significant departure from the Colts’ historic look.
After all, they have almost exclusively worn white helmets since 1956 – aside from one game in 2010 when they wore 1955 throwback uniforms, which featured navy blue helmets.
The heather blue jerseys, meanwhile, are different from their home and road uniforms, with the secondary “C” logo on the left chest and white numbers with a black stroke. The UCLA stripes remain but now run horizontally across the shoulders.
The uniforms are complete with matching blue pants and blue socks, reminiscent of Indianapolis’ Color Rush set, which will still be worn for one game this season. The same goes for the Colts’ 1956 throwback uniforms, which will return for their Week 15 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs will honor the memory of late owner Norma Hunt this season by wearing a patch on the right chest of their jerseys. The patch, which features her initials in red with gold trim inside of a white football, will be worn on the opposite side of the already-existing patch that’s honored her late husband, Lamar, since 2007.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers will wear their navy blue Color Rush uniforms against the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 26, as well as their royal blue Color Rush set against the Denver Broncos on Dec. 10.
Both uniforms follow the same design as Los Angeles’ powder blue home and white road uniforms, but swap the decals and/or facemask on the white helmets to better match the colors of the jerseys and pants.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins will wear the road version of their 1966 throwback uniforms on Oct. 29 against the New England Patriots and the home version on Dec. 24 against the Dallas Cowboys.
Miami has worn the home version — which features a traditional stripping pattern on the sleeves of the aqua jerseys and a white helmet with a gray facemask and vintage logo on the sides — every season since 2015, while the all-white road version was introduced in 2019.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings will honor the most successful era in franchise history by wearing throwback uniforms during the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 10.
The uniforms, which are synonymous with the “Purple People Eaters” defense that led the Vikings to 10 division titles and four Super Bowl appearances between 1968-78, notably feature block numbers and classic stripes on the jerseys and pants.
Minnesota wore a similar throwback uniform for at least one game every season from 2007-11, but this year’s design won’t be historically accurate like those seasons, as the Vikings will simply put throwback decals and a gray facemask on their standard satin purple helmet instead of wearing a glossy purple lid.
Additionally, they’ll wear a patch on their throwback uniforms and a helmet decal for the remainder of the season in honor of legendary coach Bud Grant, who passed away in March at the age of 95.
New England Patriots
The Patriots will wear their “Pat Patriot” throwback uniforms twice this season, including Sept. 17 against the Miami Dolphins and Dec. 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The uniforms, which were reintroduced last season following a 10-year hiatus, feature white helmets with a vintage logo on the sides, red jerseys with white and blue UCLA stripes on the shoulders and white pants.
New England is 7-1 at home in the “Pat Patriot” throwback uniforms, which dates back to the 1994 season and includes a 29-0 win over the Detroit Lions and 24-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills in 2022.
The Patriots also painted a retro design on the field and added throwback signage at Gillette Stadium – which has a new logo this year – for those games, something they’ll presumably do again this season.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints are expected to wear their black alternate helmets for two games this season, though it’s unclear when – or if they’ll still be paired with their Color Rush uniform.
The helmets feature New Orleans’ primary logo on both sides, a fleur-de-lis pattern down the center – mimicking the feather pattern on the Seattle Seahawks’ helmet – and oversized numbers on the back.
The Saints wore this ensemble twice last season, including a 28-25 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London and a 17-16 loss at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
New Orleans also reintroduced its 1967-68 throwback uniforms, which are effectively the home version of the Color Rush jerseys, during a 27-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams. They are expected to remain in the rotation this year, as well.
New York Giants
The Giants will once again wear their 1980-99 throwback uniforms for two games this season, including the Oct. 22 game against the Washington Commanders and the Monday Night Football matchup with the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 11.
The uniforms feature a navy blue helmet with an underlined “GIANTS” wordmark on both sides, a royal blue jersey with a classic striping pattern on the collar and cuffs and white pants with red and blue stripes.
New York went 164-146-2 during the uniform’s original 20-year run, including a pair of Super Bowl victories (XXI over the Denver Broncos and XXV over the Buffalo Bills) and four division titles.
The look returned for two games last season, first in a 20-12 win over the Chicago Bears on Oct. 2 and then in a 20-20 tie against the Commanders on Dec. 4
That’s not to be confused with the Giants’ Color Rush uniform, which is modeled after what the franchise wore on the road from 1980-99 and made its debut in 2016. That uniform will be worn on Oct. 15 at the Bills.
Meanwhile, the NFL shield will no longer appear at the 50-yard line of MetLife Stadium after new turf was installed this offseason. That will allow the Giants to put their primary “NY” logo at midfield for the first time.
New York Jets
The Jets will honor the members of the “New York Sack Exchange” by wearing throwback uniforms on Sept. 11 against the Buffalo Bills and Oct. 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The uniforms, which were originally worn from 1978-89, include a white jersey with two green stripes on the sleeves, contrasting green collar and green numbers, as well as white pants with a single green stripe down the sides and solid green socks.
They’ll be paired with the Jets’ standard Gotham green helmet, though they’ll swap the black facemask and their current logo for a white facemask and the retro “JETS” wordmark, which is italicized and features a jet extending from the “J.”
This part of the uniform is not historically accurate, as New York wore Kelly green helmets at the time, but that’s because the Jets are limited in their throwback options due to their all-black alternate uniforms, which will be worn against the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 24 as part of the NFL’s first-ever Black Friday game.
Like the Giants, the Jets will now be able to paint their logo at midfield of MetLife Stadium, including matching designs for the throwback and blackout games. They briefly used their logo on the 50-yard line at the Meadowlands during the 1998-99 seasons.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles will wear new Kelly green throwback uniforms twice in 2023, including Oct. 22 against the Miami Dolphins and Nov. 26 against the Buffalo Bills.
The uniforms replicate the Randall Cunningham era, with Kelly green jerseys featuring white block numbers outlined in black and Philadelphia’s 1987-95 alternate logo on the sleeves.
The look is complete with Kelly green helmets with silver and white wings, silver pants with a Kelly green, black and white striping pattern and white socks with two Kelly green and black stripes.
The Eagles have worn Kelly green throwback uniforms just once since moving to midnight green in 1996, in a season-opening loss to the Green Bay Packers in 2010. Those uniforms honored the early 1960s, however.
The reintroduction of a Kelly green helmet also means that Philadelphia’s black alternate helmet – which made three appearances after being unveiled last season – will be shelved for 2023. The Eagles are hoping the NFL eventually relaxes its rules for both to be worn.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Despite reports to the contrary, sources have indicated the Steelers were not teasing a new uniform when they posted a dimly lit photo on social media this summer with the caption, “They think I’m hiding in the shadows. But I am the shadows.”
The caption, which was taken from the opening monologue of the 2022 film “Batman,” sparked rumors of 1966-67 throwback uniforms, which were known as “Batman” uniforms thanks to their cape-like shoulder yoke.
Of course, the original uniforms had nothing to do with the “Caped Crusader,” as the shoulder design was a nod to the “Golden Triangle” area of Pittsburgh where the Allegheny and Monongahela meet to form the Ohio River.
There’s no denying the v-shaped design of the Vapor F.U.S.E. template is perfect for a potential “Batman” throwback uniform, but at least for this season, the Steelers have no plans to wear anything other than their standard home, road and all-black Color Rush sets.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers will wear the home version of their 1994 throwback uniforms on Sept. 21 against the New York Giants and Dec. 25 against the Baltimore Ravens, as well as the road version on Nov. 23 at the Seattle Seahawks.
The uniforms are similar to their standard home and road uniforms with three stripes on the sleeves, though they feature a classic logo on the helmets, drop shadow numbers on the jerseys and white pants with a red and black striping pattern.
Originally unveiled in 1994 as part of a league-wide celebration of the NFL’s 75th season, the uniforms are based on what San Francisco wore in 1955. The road version has been worn every year since 2018, while the home version returned in 2021.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks have revived their 1990s-era throwback uniforms, which will make their return during their Oct. 29 game against the Cleveland Browns.
The uniforms feature silver helmets with a totem-style logo on the sides and a royal blue facemask, a royal blue jerseys with white numbers and the aforementioned logo wrapping around the sleeves, silver pants with green, white and royal blue stripes and royal blue socks.
Smaller details include a logo for the Kingdome, Seattle’s home from 1976-99, just inside the back collar, which – in true ‘90s form – features a rib knit design. They also left a gap between the helmet logos for historical accuracy, as modern helmets don’t have a ridge like the original lids.
This will mark the first time the Seahawks have donned throwback uniforms, and it’s appropriate they’ll be worn against an AFC team, as the design was last worn in 2001, the final season before the Seahawks moved to the NFC.
NFL teams are limited to four jerseys each season, so in order to add the throwback uniforms, Seattle will no longer wear its Wolf Gray alternate jersey, though the Wolf Gray pants will remain in the rotation.
That leaves just the Seahawks’ Action Green Color Rush set, which will return during their Thanksgiving night matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After shelving them for 10 seasons due to the NFL’s one-helmet rule, the Buccaneers have reintroduced their creamsicle throwback uniforms, which will be worn on Oct. 15 against the Detroit Lions.
The uniforms feature a white helmet with vintage Bucco Bruce decals on both sides, florescent orange jerseys with red accents, white pants with a traditional striping pattern down the sides and florescent orange socks.
Tampa Bay donned this look from its inaugural season in 1976 until a rebrand in 1997, which included a pewter and red color scheme. The Buccaneers went a league-worst 100-233-1 during that span, including an infamous 0-26 start.
Tampa Bay previously wore creamsicle throwback uniforms for one game every season from 2009-12 before the NFL implemented the aforementioned one-helmet rule. The Buccaneers were 1-3 in those games, with the lone win coming against the Green Bay Packers in 2009.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans will wear Houston Oilers throwback uniforms for two games this season, including their Oct. 29 game against the Atlanta Falcons and Dec. 17 matchup with – you guessed it – the Houston Texans.
Founded as the Oilers in 1960, the franchise spent 37 seasons in Houston before moving to Tennessee, where the nickname remained for the 1997-98 seasons before changing to the Titans in 1999.
Tennessee wore Oilers throwback uniforms four times in 2009 as part of the AFL’s 50th anniversary, including both home and road versions, but they were based on the team’s original design, which featured a Columbia blue helmet.
This time, though, the Titans are honoring the “Luv Ya Blue” era (1975-80s) with white helmets that feature light blue and red oil derricks, light blue jerseys with red trim and white pants with stripes that match the helmet and cuffs.
The throwback uniforms now replace Tennessee’s light blue alternate jerseys in the rotation, joining the navy blue home and white road jerseys, rather than add a fourth uniform option.
Perhaps that’s a subtle hint that the Titans plans to add a white throwback jersey in the near future, a la the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers with the home and road versions of their throwback uniforms.
Coincidentally, Tennessee has inquired about wearing the throwback uniforms for the Dec. 11 road game against the Dolphins, as well, but that appears unlikely at this time.
Washington Commanders
The Commanders will wear their black alternate uniforms at least twice this season, including home matchups with the Chicago Bears on Oct. 5 and New York Giants on Nov. 19. They have not revealed their road uniform schedule, meanwhile.
The black alternate uniforms, which feature a black helmet with numbers on the sides and Washington’s primary logo on the front, were worn three times last year, including a 25-10 loss at the Dallas Cowboys, 20-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and 19-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
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