Anyone that knows me knows that I am a HUGE uniforms guy in sports, especially the sports I closely follow (baseball, basketball and football). I have been wanting to mix it up and do a blog post about uniforms for a long time, so here we go.
DISCLAIMER: Opinions on uniforms vary significantly from person-to-person, so that must be kept in mind here. On top of that, my opinion could definitely change when it comes to the order of these rankings. Nonetheless, I have provided my 2022 NFL Helmet Rankings below as of the day this was written.
1. Los Angeles Rams
Getty Images
The Rams came out with completely new uniforms in 2020, and these are beautiful. The royal blue and yellow pop off of each other so nicely, and the horn is classic and looks amazing here.
2. Minnesota Vikings
USA Today
Not much needs to be said here. The horn is a staple in the Vikings uniforms and looks great on a helmet. The matte purple looks pretty sweet too. However, I think the black facemask could go. Purple would look much better in my opinion.
3. Las Vegas Raiders
USA Today
Another absolute classic. The black and silver look of the Raiders is undefeated. Try to tell me that logo doesn't look super cool too. You can't.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
USA Today
Black and yellow go together perfectly (hence why all of Pittsburgh's sports teams go with that color scheme). The all black looks great with the yellow stripe down the middle, and the logo only being on one side of the helmets make these especially unique. This helmet is another staple to the NFL.
5. Buffalo Bills
Getty Images
Going with the white facemasks full-time this season was a wonderful idea by the Bills. The all-white looks so clean with the royal blue and red logo that is pretty cool itself. This is one of those that I could have even ranked higher on this list. It is that good.
6. Cincinnati Bengals
USA Today
The tiger stripes have become an iconic look for the Bengals over the years. This is a really unique and clever design, and they go together with their new uniforms excellently. Also, the black and orange go with each other very nicely. And you will even find colleges and high schools copying this design nowadays, like the Memphis Tigers.
7. Los Angeles Chargers
chargers.com
I'm going to say it...The Chargers currently have my favorite football uniforms EVER. I love baby blue and yellow, so it makes sense as to why I love them so much. This helmet doesn't cut any corners; the lightning bolt looks super cool, the number is a nice touch below it, and the yellow face mask pulls it all together.
8. New York Jets
USA Today
Another team that did a great job with their rebranding. This metallic Jets helmet looks really nice with the new uniforms, and that Jets wording across the side of the helmet has a touch of old-school combined with new-school that really brings this helmet together.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars
USA Today
Shiny black helmets are usually a really solid look in my eyes. These are so much better than the atrocity that was their previous helmets. They went simple with their new uniform design, and it was a win. Also, that logo is sick.
10. Philadelphia Eagles
USA Today
Even though I wish the Eagles would go back to the kelly green, this deep shade of green looks awesome here. Those wings have become an iconic look for the Eagles though. I have no complaints here.
11. Cleveland Browns
USA Today
The Browns could never go away from this look. For some reason, the plain orange helmet works and looks great for a team named the Browns. This is another classic look.
12. Seattle Seahawks
USA Today
The matte navy blue looks really good with the green accents to help the whole helmet pop a little more. The bird design on these helmets is super creative and looks really cool too. This is a look that Seattle should never go away from.
13. Miami Dolphins
USA Today
This is a really clean look that just screams Miami to me with the white, teal and orange coming together nicely. However, I actually kind of miss their old logo that had the Dolphin wearing a helmet. I certainly would not be complaining if they went back to that and I even think they will one day in the future.
14. San Francisco 49ers
USA Today
Having a gold helmet is sick, and the 49ers red and gold go together really well. Their whole uniform set is really simple but it looks great on the field, and this helmet is no different. It is all just iconic.
15. Arizona Cardinals
Getty Image
This is the lone bright spot of the Cardinals uniforms that could desperately use an update. Even though this is the simplest of looks, it is really clean and it would be a shame if they ever decided to go away from this helmet.
16. Kansas City Chiefs
USA Today
The Chiefs are another example of a team who has basically had the same uniforms for decades. But if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Kansas City is the only team in the NFL with a red helmet, and the white Arrowhead logo and white facemask complement it really well.
17. Houston Texans
USA Today
I really like shiny navy blue helmets, and these are a perfect example. They are really simple, but the glossy looks pops and that logo on the side is pretty solid too. Now the Texans just need to get their mess of an organization cleaned up a little.
18. New Orleans Saints
Icon Sportswire
As I stated previously, gold helmets are sick. The Saints black and gold looks really good, and this helmet incorporates those two colors very well. These look especially good when the Saints wear all-white or all-black, for some reason. Another look that will probably never change but that's okay.
19. Tennessee Titans
USA Today
The Titans made a good choice when they switched over to navy blue helmets a few years ago. I really love their colors, and they all look clean on this helmet with the grey facemask. However, I do not love their logo or the stripe down the middle, so that's why this one is not higher.
20. New England Patriots
USA Today
This silver Patriots helmet is one that they have won all six of their Super Bowls with. The Patriot logo isn't anything flashy but it fits the team's identity, and the red facemasks look really good and make this simple helmet pop a little more. This is a good helmet. I should add that I really like the Patriot's throwback white helmets and I am excited to see those come back soon.
21. Indianapolis Colts
USA Today
The Colts are yet another team that basically has not ever changed their uniforms, but that is usually only the case if there is no reason to switch. The horseshoe logo compliments this simple look nicely.
22. Washington Commanders
USA Today
Washington came out with a full rebrand this offseason, going from the Football Team to the Commanders. I am not a huge fan of the new uniforms, but I think the team name is solid. I do actually like the helmets though, and they could move up or down this list depending on how I feel when seeing them on the field for real.
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Green Gridiron
The Bucs made the right choice by going back to their old uniform design while adding an all Pewter alternate. Pewter is probably one of the most unique team colors I have seen in all of sports, and it looks good for Tampa Bay. The big pirate flag logo looks pretty sick too.
24. Atlanta Falcons
Sports Talk ATL
The Falcons tweaked their helmet a few years ago with the new uniform design, making it matte black, changing the facemask from black to silver, and making the Falcon logo a little bigger. Overall, I think the helmet looks better, but the uniforms took a step back.
25. Denver Broncos
USA Today
Like I said earlier, I really like shiny navy blue helmets, and I actually kind of like that Bronco logo on the side of the helmets. On top of that, navy blue and orange look good together. However, I am not a huge fan of the weirdly shaped stripe in the middle of the helmet. This is also another case where I prefer the team's old helmet. That throwback D logo is pretty sweet.
26. Chicago Bears
USA Today
Shiny navy blue again. The Bears have had this look forever so it would not make sense for them to move away from it anytime soon. This simple design will always look good with the Bears uniforms.
27. Detroit Lions
USA Today
This is a really solid helmet overall. The Lions made a good decision of getting rid of the black in their uniforms altogether a few years back. It makes the blue and the silver pop even more. That is also a solid Lion logo.
28. Carolina Panthers
USA Today
I really enjoy the Panthers color scheme and logo, but I think there is a lot left to be desired with their uniforms. They aren't bad at all, they just desperately need an update in my opinion. I have always thought trying out a black helmet would be cool.
29. Dallas Cowboys
USA Today
This is the ultimate classic look, but I do not think there is anything special about it to be honest. It also bothers me that the shades of blue in the Cowboys uniforms do not match. I know this is an unpopular opinion though.
30. New York Giants
USA Today
This is a very basic helmet and there is nothing wrong with it. However, if they made the facemask white and went back to the "Giants" wordmark across the side of the helmet it would be a lot higher on this list.
31. Green Bay Packers
USA Today
If I wasn't such a huge Vikings fan I am sure I would like this helmet a lot more, but for some reason I just can't get myself to like it even though I love yellow. However, it would be super weird if the Packers went away from it, but I know they would never do that.
32. Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
There is nothing really wrong with this helmet, but somebody has to come in last. However, I do not necessarily like it either and I think they could think of something better to do with it. There is just something about their whole uniform set I do not really like. Maybe it is the weird font?
Anyone who knows me knows pretty well that there are not many bigger Damian Lillard supporters than me. But that is not the point of this post. What is much more important than that is the fact that the Portland Trail Blazers continue to fail Lillard, time and time again.
Let's start by looking at the team he came into. He was drafted onto a talented roster in 2012 that had some holes and he kind of became the missing piece they were looking for. The duo of Dame and LaMarcus Aldridge was one of the better pairings in the league and, with those two both playing at an All-Star level, helped propel the Blazers into a yearly playoff team. To this point, the team around Dame was good and Portland did everything they could to build a good team under reasonable standards.
In 2015, there was a massive roster turnover, as every starter from the previous season had left in some way or another, which included star LaMarcus Aldridge, sharp shooting guard Wesley Matthews, do it all wing Nic Batum, and center Robin Lopez. However, the Blazers made a couple good acquisitions in the offseason and saw a breakout season from two-guard CJ McCollum, so I would say Portland did a good job of building around Dame initially when his older teammates hit the road to go elsewhere. Now, Portland was tasked with building around Lillard and up and comer CJ McCollum. However, the only high-impact player they were able to put with those two was Jusuf Nurkic, and calling him that might even be a bit too generous.
With the core of Dame and CJ, the Blazers were able to make the postseason in each of their eight full seasons playing together. This led to slightly different results each year, ranging from getting bounced in the first round, losing in the second round, or even making it all the way to the Western Conference Finals and losing there. Nonetheless, each of those seasons had one thing in common: zero NBA Finals appearances. On top of that, during those eight seasons, the Blazers made a number of questionable moves when attempting to improve the team, whether it was draft picks that flopped or poor free agent signings. But throughout all of this, Lillard has been as loyal as can be, which is not the popular thing to do in the NBA nowadays with how often stars change teams. It would not be unfair to say that any other star in the NBA of Dame's caliber would have demanded a trade or left in free agency at some point during his tenure with the Blazers, so it shows how loyal Lillard is to them.
Let's look back at the 2017 draft. This is one of the Blazers biggest failures with Dame on the roster, in my opinion. They had the 10th pick that year and took Zach Collins, who has ended up being a complete bust. He has missed a huge amount of time with injuries, and even when he does play he is nothing better than a role player. He is now on the Spurs and is also nothing more than a role player for them. This one hurts even more because there were a bunch of good players taken below Collins. Donavan Mitchell and Bam Adebayo were taken after him and they both have turned into All Stars and are huge difference makers for each of their squads. Jarret Allen was taken below all of those guys and is now playing at a borderline All Star level. Add John Collins to that list, who is playing at a level that is just a tier below an All-Star player, maybe more of a really good role player. Missing out on all of these really solid players hurt the Blazers a lot when it came to trying to get the team to the next level. I should mention that they also took Caleb Swanigan with the 26th pick that year, but he ended up being a player that provided no impact to the team at the NBA level.
Fast forward to 2022 and the Blazers are blowing it up again, as they traded CJ McCollum to the Pelicans for an array of role players and draft picks. They also traded rock-solid role players Norman Powell and Robert Covington for lesser role players and draft picks. Now, Portland apparently intends to build around Dame through the cap space they have created and the draft this offseason. They also have a young up and coming guard named Anfernee Simons who has been playing really good basketball this season and is having a bit of a breakout year, averaging 16.4 points per game. He is still only 22 and has the potential to be an All-Star level player in this league in the future. However, Damian Lillard is going to be turning 32 this offseason, and he has expressed his desire to be on a team that is contending for championships. However, the Blazers team currently is barely even good enough to make the playoffs with Dame, let alone contend for titles. It is unrealistic for them to expect to be able to build a contending roster this season in my opinion. A lot of things would have to go right: Anfernee Simons needs to develop even more, the Blazers need to hit on their draft pick, and they need to attract really good players to their franchise in free agency, which has never been easy for them to do.
Below, I have attached a little Dame and CJ highlight video from one of their better seasons together in 2017-2018. Even though this duo was never able to make it the Finals, they did so much for the Trail Blazers and were super fun to watch throughout their time together.
Last week, I wrote about the Vikings hiring Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as their new general manager, the feelings of excitement I had about that, and a variety of different topics pertaining to their interesting offseason full of turnover and difficult decisions. When writing that, I had hoped and even assumed that they would make their head coaching decision the following week so I would be able to write about that. Thankfully, that ended up happening for me, as it was announced that the Vikes plan on hiring Rams Offensive Coordinator Kevin O'Connell as their new head coach. O'Connell was originally a third round draft choice by the New England Patriots in 2008 and was one of Tom Brady's backups for a few years following that. He spent time in San Francisco and Washington (as Kirk Cousins' Quarterback's Coach for a year) for a bit of time before being hired to be the Rams Offensive Coordinator in 2019 under Sean McVay.
O'Connell had plenty of worthy competition to fight off in order to win this job, as the finalists for it were him, Rams Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris, newly-hired Raiders Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham, and University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. Most Vikings fans and the NFL world expected Harbaugh to get the job; he had by far the most experience, has been a winner everywhere he has been, and had a lot of success in his years with the 49ers, leading them to three NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl appearance. In fact, there were reports coming out that Harbaugh's second interview with the team was actually just a "formality," and that the job was basically already his. However, after his interview on Wednesday he called Michigan and told them he is staying with them for the foreseeable future, and that same the Vikings called Morris and Graham to tell them that they did not get the job.
Although it seemed that many Vikings fans wanted Harbaugh to be the new coach here in Minnesota, I personally am really looking forward to seeing what Kevin O'Connell has in mind for this Vikings team. Instead of going with the older, experienced option, the Vikes instead decided to follow what a lot of NFL teams are doing and went with the young, offensive-minded head coach. O'Connell is only 37 and is yet another guy from McVay's growing coaching tree to get a head coaching job. So far, McVay's tree has done pretty well: Matt LaFleur has led the Packers to two straight 13-3 seasons, Zac Taylor is currently in the Super Bowl with the Cincinnati Bengals, and Brandon Staley narrowly missed the playoffs in his first year as the Chargers coach. Even though most of us fans do not know much about O'Connell, the fact that Minnesota's front office felt strongly enough about him that they seemed to prefer him over Harbaugh says a lot, especially considering he has never even been a play-caller before, let alone an NFL head coach.
Minnesota fans desperately want to see the Vikings hoist the Super Bowl trophy. If they got this hire right, O'Connell should be around for a really long time since he is so young, and maybe he will be the one to finally lead the Vikings to the promised land and bring it home. Right now, he has a lot of talented players to work with, such as Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook, Eric Kendricks, and Adam Thielen, just to name a few. It will be interesting to see if the Vikings attempt to rebuild on the fly or fully blow it up and trade some of their big names. The Wilfs have been on record saying they want to field a competitive team, and with the division potentially being more open than usual, I have a feeling they will look to re-tool and have a go at the division title this season. Only time will tell if the new duo of Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell will lead to a team that is competitive for years to come, or just more initial optimism filled with disappointment for Vikings fans.
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