The first reaction to anything new in sports in the social media era is to rip it incessantly. Ask the Denver Broncos after their uniform change.
Four franchises have unveiled major changes to their uniforms this offseason. It has to be a scary day. There’s excitement over the announcement, and the fear that you’re going to be the punching bag on social media all day.
The truth is, the four teams didn’t do that bad this offseason. Yes, even the Broncos. The Cleveland Browns also introduced a change to white facemasks, and while the rollout was a little overdone for a facemask, it is a cool throwback to the past and it looks pretty good.
Let’s rank the NFL’s new uniforms for 2024:
4. Denver Broncos
They’re fourth because someone has to be fourth. But the uniforms aren’t nearly as bad as the social media outrage would lead you to believe.
Perhaps it’s just because the team’s old uniforms, worn since 1997, were arguably the worst in the NFL. Anything would have been an upgrade. Once everyone gets off their jokes about the new kits, they’ll age OK. There’s nothing wrong with this group of new jerseys, pants and helmets.
The Broncos did make one big mistake. They didn’t make the 1977 alternate throwbacks their permanent uniform because that look is absolutely phenomenal.
Alas. Despite that error, the Broncos’ new look isn’t nearly as bad as everyone says. But it is fourth-best.
3. Detroit Lions
You know this was a good year for new uniforms when this one is second to last.
There is very little to dislike about the Lions’ new look, which is practically an old look. You can look at these and imagine Barry Sanders running past Reggie White or John Lynch in 1995. And there is nothing at all wrong with that.
There are some modern touches, and the “Detroit” across the front of the road uniforms really works well. The Lions didn’t overhaul everything, and nobody wanted them to do. They just made a classic look a little better.
The black and blue look on the alternates will be popular, though maybe not for everyone. But if you like it, you’re probably going to love it.
Absolutely zero issues with the new Lions look. Clean, not too overdone, keeping in touch with their history … great job, Detroit.
The Jets threw it back to the 1980s and it looks great.
The “Sack Exchange”-era Jets were a fun team and always looked pretty good doing it, so why mess with that?
The Jets used that look as a throwback and it was such a hit, they made it the permanent look. Which was smart.
Every bit of that is tremendous. It’s a lesson to every other team: We had the uniform game figured out pretty well 30 and 40 years ago. Don’t try to reinvent it all. Touch up a classic and everyone is happy.
If there’s any complaint it’s that the Jets had an even better throwback, the ones they wore from 1998-2018. But these will do just fine.
Whoever redesigned the Texans’ uniforms deserves a raise.
It is hard for the Texans to win the day on a uniform release. They can’t get nostalgia points like the Broncos, Lions and Jets. They’ve had one uniform in their fairly short history. An expansion team from 2002 can’t tap into the feelings of fans who pine for what life was like in 1994.
And the Texans still crushed it. Every single combination they rolled out is excellent.
And let’s give an extra shout-out to the dark blue alternates with the red numbers, which aren’t just the best of this lot but might be among the best uniforms in the NFL right away. If you’re a Texans fan and don’t have a No. 7 C.J. Stroud H-Town alternate jersey before Week 1, what are you even doing?
As a whole, the NFL will look better on the field this season with the introduction of these four new uniforms and all of their various combinations. The Texans are one of the NFL’s rising teams and while it’s a lot to ask of them to win a Super Bowl this season, they won the uniform rollouts.