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Ranking the uniforms of the NFL from worst to best
The Buffalo Bills have a clean jersey look. USA TODAY Sports

Ranking the uniforms of the NFL from worst to best

Ranking NFL uniforms from worst to best

 
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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The Jaguars' uniform updates ahead of the 2018 season saw them escape the cellar. That means that the Bucs not only have the ugliest uniforms in Florida, but they also have the ugliest uniforms in the NFL. From the neck down, this is a bad look for Tampa Bay. The alarm clock-esque numbers bring the entire look down a peg, and the striping leaves much to be desired. It's a shame because the Bucs used to have great uniforms before they decided to go to their current design.

 
Cincinnati Bengals
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This is another case of a team looking good from the neck up and horrible from the neck down. The Bengals have had one of the best helmets in the league since revolutionizing the helmet design back in the 1980s. Unfortunately, their uniform update ahead of the 2004 season may have been perfect for that particular time in NFL uniform aesthetics, but now it's just a messy look for the Bengals.

 
Arizona Cardinals
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Normally, teams that wear gray face masks on their helmets have relatively simple and conservative uniforms. Instead, the Cardinals have a mishmash of eras going on. They have modern uniforms, but they decided to keep their helmet design from their old uniform look (aside from the new logo). The result is a 1960s helmet on a 2000s uniform. 

 
Atlanta Falcons
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If there's any team that needs fresh new uniforms, it's the Falcons. Their current set of uniforms were considered cutting edge when they went to this look back in 2003, but now they look like they should have been left in that particular decade. They are in a brand-new stadium, and now seems like a perfect time for the Dirty Birds to come out with clean new threads.

 
Cleveland Browns
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Before their much-ballyhooed revamp ahead of last season, the Browns had classic uniforms, and anything that they had planned for an update needed to be amazing to live up to the standards of their previous look. Instead, they came up with a design that seems a bit superfluous and isn't an upgrade over what they had before. 

 
Tennessee Titans
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The Titans were in need of a uniform refresh and they got it. With that being said, they managed to pull off a lateral move when it comes to comparing these new uniforms to what they used to wear over two decades. When you consider that the franchise's most famous moment involved a lateral, it makes sense. Still, it's a bit of an underwhelming refresh for the Titans. 

 
Seattle Seahawks
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The Seahawks were one of the teams that chose to use Nike's takeover of all things NFL as an opportunity to give their logo and uniforms a fresh coat of paint. The result is an underwhelming design that has a bit too much focus on navy and gray — honestly, what's the point of gray jerseys when they're barely darker than the white jerseys? They could benefit from giving their unique shade of green a bit more shine, but that probably won't happen.

 
Denver Broncos
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The Broncos may have switched from blue to orange jerseys as a primary home uniform, but the same problem remains: The uniform look is stuck in the 1990s. The logo is fine, but the defending Super Bowl champions could definitely use either an update or a complete revamp of their uniforms. 

 
New England Patriots
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The Patriots actually won their first Super Bowl in their second season of wearing their current uniform design. These also have been the uniforms that have been associated with their dynasty years. As such, you probably shouldn't hold your breath for them to come out with new or fixed uniforms anytime soon, which is a shame.

 
Miami Dolphins
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Congratulations are in order for the Miami Dolphins, since they're the best-looking NFL team in Florida. However, that's not saying much when your competition is the Bucs and the Jags. The Dolphins' new uniforms are a decent-sized downgrade from their previous look, and the gulf in quality between their beautiful throwbacks from the 1970s and their current uniforms is massive. 

 
Jacksonville Jaguars
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Jaguars fans and fans of common sense when it comes to uniforms, rejoice! The franchise heard your cries and got rid of the horrid mess that the team had worn for a few years and has come up with a look that is leaps-and-bounds better than what the Jags used to wear. In fact, these uniforms are downright boring when compared to the previous disaster, but we will take boring over ugly any day of the week. 

 
Dallas Cowboys
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You rarely ever see more than four colors on a typical NFL uniform. The Dallas Cowboys have six colors on their home uniforms: navy blue on the helmet, royal blue on the jersey and pants, silver helmet shells, silver-green pants, white jerseys and stripes and black outlines on their sleeve stripes. America's Team could afford to get away with this before the era of high-definition television. Now, the mismatched colors stick out like a sore thumb, and the Cowboys would benefit immensely from picking one set of blue and silver (like they have for their away uniforms) and sticking with it.

 
Los Angeles Chargers
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There's nothing really bad about these uniforms, though they could benefit from a few tweaks here or there. However, it would be nice if the Chargers embraced their popular powder-blue look and promoted those to the primary status. That's wishful thinking, though.

 
Los Angeles Rams
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The Rams are an interesting case. While the uniform you see here is their "primary" home uniform and what you'll normally see from them on the road, they will be wearing their superior and famous blue-and-yellow throwbacks for five home games. However, this will be the uniform we see for the majority of their games. So while we'd love to slide them up this list if they were in throwbacks, we can't do it while they are still in uniform purgatory. Sorry!

 
New Orleans Saints
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Whenever they wear their gold pants, the Saints actually have a great uniform look. It's just that we rarely see them utilize it, since they've worn their inferior black pants more often than not over the years. If they get rid of those, they'd rise a lot in these particular rankings.

 
Kansas City Chiefs
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This is a perfect spot for the Chiefs and their uniforms. There's nothing too special about them and nothing bad either. They're perfectly serviceable uniforms, which explains why they haven't made any major changes since the 1960s.

 

16. San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers
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The 49ers should be much higher on this list. They have great home and road uniforms, and the only real flaw is the weird striping pattern on the sleeves. They could also benefit from having a red face mask instead of gray. Their 1994-inspired throwbacks are impressive and are enough of an interesting wrinkle to keep the entire look intriguing for the Niners.

 
New York Giants
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The Giants have added a new wrinkle to their uniform set by introducing white pants to their look. It's an interesting addition to a set that they've perfected over a series of tweaks since their major overhaul back in the 2000 season. 

 

14. Washington Redskins

Washington Redskins
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Washington has decided to wear gold pants on a full-time basis now, which is a wise move and much better than the old set of burgundy pants and white pants. The team would be higher on this list if it dropped the throwback uniforms and did something about the controversial nickname and logos, but both of those are probably here to stay.

 
New York Jets
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Whenever the Jets avoid wearing their all-green look — we're not counting the Color Rush uniforms that they wore last year against the Bills — they've definitely got a good set of uniforms. Fortunately, they didn't wear that combo at any point all last season, and the Jets are better off for it.

 
Philadelphia Eagles
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Philadelphia's home and away set is arguably one of the best looks in the league. However, the team's identity suffers from a hideous all-black uniform that really has no business even existing. If the Eagles cut that from their set, then they'd be higher. But for now, they've still got a good look aside from their horrid alternate uniform.

 
Houston Texans
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Houston's second NFL team entered the league with a solid look, and it hasn't had to change much since that season. The Texans really have no reason to change much — this is a uniform that they should hold on to for a very long time.

 
Carolina Panthers
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Similar to Houston, the Panthers haven't needed to mess with their uniforms too much. They recently gave their logo a minor update, and that only boosted their look. The color scheme is excellent, and they don't have a bad uniform in their set. It's a great look for them.

 
Detroit Lions
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Ahead of the 2003 season, the Lions added black to their color scheme, and it didn't go well. It was a clunky look, and it didn't help when they added a superfluous black jersey to their look for the 2005 season. Fast-forward to 2009, and the Lions fixed everything with their current set. The logo, numbers and wordmark above the numbers are all sleek; the striping is consistent, and they got rid of that black jersey. They fixed everything that was wrong with their old set, and they now have one of the better looks in the NFL. 

 
Baltimore Ravens
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The Ravens adopted this core design back in 1999, and with a few small tweaks and the addition of one of the only black alternate uniforms that makes perfect sense — seriously, if any team can get away with wearing all black from head to toe, it's a team that is nicknamed after a black bird — Baltimore has come up with a modern classic that has withstood the test of time. 

 
Chicago Bears
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From the classic helmet down to the classy socks, this is a great design. The Bears may have broken with tradition and added a couple of alternate uniforms to their set since the turn of the century, but they still have a base set of uniforms that looks as good as anything you'll see in the NFL. You won't see the Bears mess with these uniforms anytime soon, and why should they?

 
Indianapolis Colts
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Aside from one season in 1995 and a brief flirtation with silver pants during the mid-1980s, the Colts have had the same uniform since the 1950s. When you get the horseshoe around the stake on your first try, you really don't need to try again. That's what happened when the Colts came up with their look, and that's why it has endured over many decades.

 
Green Bay Packers
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In 1961, the Packers adopted their iconic "G" logo for their helmet, and ever since then, it's been a look that's been perfect for Green Bay. Aside from a few changes in the striping on the sleeves and an update of the face mask, the Packers haven't needed to change much about their uniforms, and they won't be changing much as long as they continue to exist as an NFL franchise. They've been wearing some unfortunate-looking throwbacks lately, but that's not enough to knock them out of the top five in NFL uniform looks.

 
Pittsburgh Steelers
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There are only two big issues with the Steelers and their current look: They could benefit from going back to a block number font, and the bumble-bee throwbacks from the 1930s are an affront to most fans' eyes. (Team officials say Pittsburgh will have new throwbacks this season.) Other than that, the Steelers have a great look. It's a classic uni for one of the NFL's blue-blood franchises.

 

3. Oakland Raiders

Oakland Raiders
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The Raiders have had the same exact uniforms since the 1960s, and they have absolutely no reason to change them. The colors are unique and intimidating, the logo is solid, and the overall look is timeless. The Raiders have switched cities and could be on their way to another city, but one thing that will probably never change no matter where they play is their uniform set.

 
Buffalo Bills
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Before going to this look, the Bills had an eight-season period in which they looked good only on throwback day. Fortunately, Nike and the Bills took this to heart and came up with a look that merged the best ideas of their old look from the 1970s with a modern twist. The result is a classic set of uniforms that has them among the best-looking teams in the NFL. 

 
Minnesota Vikings
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There was a time not too long ago when the Vikings had one of the uglier sets of uniforms in the NFL. That changed in a major way when Nike updated them ahead of the 2013 season. The result is a perfect blend of their past looks with a touch of modern effects. From the striping to the number fonts to the beautiful shade of purple and the classic Vikings helmet receiving a lovely finish, this is an outstanding-looking football uniform. 

Demetrius Bell can be contacted on Twitter @fergoe, which is where you can catch him tweeting mostly about any and everything under the sun. If you enjoyed what you've been reading, then go ahead and give him a follow!

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