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The NFL officially formed in September 1920 and underwent several significant changes over the following decades. Everything from equipment to uniforms evolved rapidly as technology advanced.
The NFL switched from leather to plastic helmets in 1949, so we will start our analysis with the 1950s. Every fan has their personal favorite era of uniforms, and today we are going to break down the best by each decade.
The 1950s were a tumultuous era on the field and in the front office for the Green Bay Packers. But even the earliest color photographs show a team outfitted in one of the most iconic uniforms of all time.
The Packers are known (and beloved) for protecting their uniform quality. Remarkably, very little has changed since the 1950s. The helmet decal and stripe along with the jersey font and stripes all remain almost unchanged.
The Rams' blue and gold color scheme and horned helmet decal remain timeless. Not to mention the alternate blue and white set. In fact, they even inspired the team's recent uniform rebrand in 2026. The Rams have undergone countless rebrands over the years, but they had it right at the beginning.
The Baltimore Colts entered one of the most transformational eras in history as America's team. Fresh off of two NFL Championships in 1958 and 1959, the Colts found heartbreak in the 1960s. Most notably, an upset at the hands of the New York Jets in Super Bowl III.
Perhaps as a sign of the push-pull in the country, the Colts kept their timeless look throughout the decade. While other teams got more experimental, the Colts retained their conservative aesthetic.
After starting the decade in brown and mustard yellow, the Broncos rebranded with blue and orange. The change proved to be timeless, as the team has kept the color scheme mostly the same ever since.
By the 1970s, color television and photography were far more common. Naturally, teams wanted to use the new technology to appeal to a new generation of fans. Despite a late start, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers embodied the new ethos in their inagural 1976 season.
The creamsicle and red uniforms with the "Bucco Bruce" helmet decal were incredibly loud and eventually phased out by the 1997. However, football fans have recently embraced the once-polarizing uniforms.
By the 1974, the Bills replaced the standing red bison with the charging blue logo with a red slanting stripe on its horns. It fit well with the run game established by O.J. Simpson and the "Electric Company" offensive line. The charging bison has remained a fixture for the team ever since.
After a disappointing 1980 season, the Cincinnati Bengals debuted a bold new look in 1981. Black tiger stripes replaced the "Bengals" wordmark on the helmets with a matching design applies to the jerseys and pants.
The Bengals found immediate success, winning the the 1981 AFC Championship game (aka the "Freezer Bowl") but fell short in Super Bowl XVI. Their success continued throughout the decades, but lost a heartbreaker in Super Bowl XXIII. Still, the Bengals were one of the most electric teams of an undeniably fun decade.
For the second straight decade, the Bills made a bold change to their uniforms. They kept the charging bison logo, but changed their helmet from white to red. Quarterback Joe Ferguson reportedly wanted to distinguish his wide receivers from defenders wearing white helmets. Multiple AFC East rivals wore white helmets.
The Dallas Cowboys were the team of the 1990s, but their neighbors to the south had the best uniforms of the decade. The Houston Oilers made minor changes to their to perfect the greatest uniform in NFL history.
Unfortunately, the franchise relocated to Nashville (with a quick and unwelcoming pit stop in Memphis during the 1997 season). As a testament to the uniforms, the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans (and Houston Cougars) continue to spar over the Oilers color scheme and identity.
The Cowboys are known to experiment with different looks to the second-greatest uniform wardrobe in league history. The "Double Star" jerseys of the mid-1990s are our favorites, but that is a pretty hot take. The Cowboys have a strong case for best uniform of any decade.
The New England Patriots have dominated much of the 21st century, and it all began with Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002. Two years prior, the Patriots kicked off the new millenium with a complete uniform rebrand.
The Flying Elvis uniforms of the 1990s were replaced with a darker navy-and-silver set. Darker uniforms were the trend in the 2000s, and it's hard to imagine the Patriots will ever rebrand after all the success they have enjoyed in the darker uniforms.
Most teams embraced darker uniforms in the 2000s, but the Miami Dolphins mostly stuck with what had worked for decades. They made minor adjustments to accentuate their team colors. Most notably, they introduced alternate orange jerseys in 2003. Besides a 2016 color rush game, the Dolphins haven't worn orange jerseys since November 2010.
Nike replaced Reebok as the exclusive on-field uniform and apparel supplier for the NFL in 2012. Most uniforms immediately went downhill. Teams rebranded with aggressively futuristic uniforms that aged like bananas.
A handful of teams held strong, and one was the Oakland Raiders. The black and silver uniforms are timeless. They looked even better on the baseball/football field inside the Oakland Coliseum.
Most fans are out on the Seahawks' current uniforms, preferring the royal blue and silver look from the 1990s. But the Seahawks were the one team whose uniforms actually improved under Nike in the 2010s. The monochromatic lighter shade of navy blue uniforms with lime green details in the 2000s were brutal.
One of the silver linings of this decade has been a slight resurgence in uniforms. The Modern Classic trend has swept across all sports. The Chargers didn't reimagine their classic look, but they did fully embrace their powder blue and gold history while keeping the navy blue closeby.
The Chargers' 2020 rebrand has easily been the best uniform upgrade of this decade, giving fans countless combinations of classic looks.
The Tennessee Titans started off strong with quintessentially-Y2K era uniforms in the early 2000s. However, each rebrand was worse than the last. Finally, the Titans fully embraced their Houston DNA with a 2026 rebrand. The uniforms can never replicate the originals, but it's the biggest improvement and one of the best sets in the league.
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