New NFL Uniform Review: The Best, The Worst, and the Plain Terrible

The 2020 NFL offseason was one of great change in the best sports leagues in the world: Many NFL superstars changed addresses in free agency, franchise-changing players got shipped off in blockbuster trades, and the future of the league saw their dreams come true as the commissioner called their names in April's virtual Draft. This is pretty typical during the start of the new league year, but one aspect of the NFL is going to look particularly different this season: The uniforms of almost a fourth of the league. Seven teams, Atlanta, Cleveland, Indianapolis, both LA teams, New England, and Tampa Bay all made adjustments to their uniforms, the most since 2016. Each new uniform set is rated on a scale of 1-5 "Creamsicles", based on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers alternate jerseys seen from 1976-1996 (a top three jersey of all time). From the Falcons' "Mean Machine" knockoffs to the Rams' IKEA lookalikes, here's your rundown for all of the newest NFL on-field apparel:

Atlanta Falcons

Like a few teams on this list, the Falcons' 2020 uniform changes were the first adjustments to the team's uniforms in quite sometime: 17 years to be exact. Atlanta made black their primary color for the first time since Deion Sanders rocked them in the '90s, presenting a modern, sleek interpretation of those unis. However, the execution could have been better. Just like the weird number font, the new "ATL" logo that premieres on the jersey under the NFL emblem seems unnecessary; incorporating the logo on the helmet would've been better. As the Panthers' Twitter pointed out, the black unis look more like something Paul Crewe would wear in "The Longest Yard" than a good home jersey. The away whites are easily the best addition to the Falcons uniforms, which look nice with the throwbacks Atlanta debuted last season. The alternate uniforms are definitely the worst of the collection; the black to red fade is way too much and should stay in the locker room as much as possible.

Creamsicle Rating:

1 Creamsicle

Cleveland Browns

Unlike Atlanta, the Browns have been trying for a while to find a uniform set that sticks, and they tried to find luck this time around by using inspiration from their early days. In their fourth uniform change since 2013, Cleveland went back to the '50s and '60s by adding 5 stripes to the shoulder of the primary uniforms as well as the socks. The "CLEVELAND" above the front numbers have been removed thankfully, and the new-school block numerals offer a modernized take on the jerseys. The biggest problem with these unis is easily the alternate. The orange stripes have been removed from the uniform, making the jersey a depiction of the Browns' recent on-field history: crap.

Creamsicle Rating:

2 Creamsicles

Indianapolis Colts

Out of all the teams to make adjustments to their jerseys this offseason, Indianapolis made the fewest/most discreet revisions. The main difference in the Colts identity is the addition of a secondary logo (which will not be featured on the helmets) and changed ordmark, both adjusted to symbolize the team's history and connection to Indiana. The changes to the jersey aren't major, and could be hardly recognizable through your TV screen: Indianapolis changed their number font to more of a defined block style, meant to mirror their uniforms from the '50s and '60s. The Colts haven't made significant changes to their primary jerseys since 2012, and there's no need to. The white-on-blue fits well for Indianapolis, and the recent changes to show the team's heritage give it a nice modern vs. historical blend.

Creamsicle Rating:

3 Creamsicles

Los Angeles Chargers

After making changes to their primary uniforms last season, the Chargers once again made tweaks to their on-field appearance, and it just might be the best of the uniforms we see debuted this season. After moving to Los Angeles in 2017, the Chargers tried to find a (much needed) way to drum up fan excitement in 2019. They thought they found their answer by returning to wearing the powder blue uniforms fans remembered seeing LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates rock in the 2000s. The 2020 uniforms will mimic a bit of that 2000s style with some 2019 flare, and even some new color combinations. Fans may notice that LA's helmet now features each player's number, a tribute to those unis of the 2000s. The home blues still feature that eye-catching powder color, while the yellow pants that will sometimes be seen in the primary uniform, along with the bolts sprinkled in on the shoulders and pants, provide a nice pop. The color rush royal blues work nice with the yellow fonts, but hopefully won't be worn on primetime instead of the new, sleek navy color rushes. The Chargers hit it out of the park again, and as they trademarked, "The Best get Better." Unfortunately for them, "The Best" could still be staring at a 4th place finish in the AFC West.

Creamsicle Rating:

5 Creamsicles

Los Angeles Rams

The other Los Angeles based team, the Rams, also went for a complete revamp with their jerseys. However, unlike their City of Angels counterparts, the Rams new uniforms look pretty terrible. Similar to the teams who also underwent uniform changes this offseason, the Rams new unis are inspired by their first few years in the NFL with a modernized twist. This can be seen in the horns on the helmets, but that's about it. The attempt to modernize the uniforms missed the mark completely, and even one of their greatest players can admit it. HOF RB Eric Dickerson, who set the single-season rushing record as a Ram in 1984, went on to AM 570 LA Sports last week to voice his displeasure regarding the new uniforms. “This is football. This is a man's sport... To me, it just looks soft. It don't look like football. It don't look hard,” Dickerson said, and to be honest, he’s not wrong at all. The color scheme, which looks like it was made by the founders of IKEA, is way too bright. The gradient yellow font on the numbers of the primary jerseys remind many of the 2017 Pro Bowl in all of the worst ways, and let’s not even start with the road uniforms. The Rams said they were going for “the color of a ram’s horn”, which even with better execution, sounds plain out stupid. The beige-ish gray color, which resembles anything but a ram’s horn, looks even worse with the yellow stripe down the pants, and sets the bar high for the WORST uniforms in football.

Creamsicle Rating:

1/2 Creamsicle

New England Patriots

A new era is underway in Foxboro, and that era is being issued in with a fresh look. Now that Tom Brady has hit the road for Tampa, the Patriots are going to look very different next season, and that includes a new look. For the first time in just under two decades, New England has made adjustments to their primary jerseys. Both the home and away unis are based off their previous Color Rush jerseys, which can be seen in the shoulder stripes and enlarged number/letter fonts. It’s not terrible, but it’s what New England DIDN’T do with their new uniforms that has fans wishing for more. Many speculated the Patriots could be making a return to the oh-so popular Pat Patriot Red uniform. The Pat Patriot looks, seen as recently as 2012, looked so good at Gillette Stadium and could’ve looked even better with a modern twist.

Creamsicle Rating:

3 1/2 Creamsicles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Speaking of the GOAT, Brady’s new team also underwent uniform rebranding this offseason much like his former employer. The Buccaneers abandoned the awkward number font they donned for the last six years, and unlike most teams with new uniforms, went for solid jerseys that feature only one base color. The uniforms have drawn comparisons to Atlanta's, as both collections have simple home jerseys that are only the primary color as well as away jerseys that are almost identically white. Like Cleveland, Tampa Bay completely whiffed on their alternates. The alternates could use a little more pop; there's a reason the Bucs are the only ones to have a pewter uniform. Overall, better than what they were wearing last season, but like the Patriots with the throwback reds, Tampa missed a major opportunity to bring back the Creamsicles.

Creamsicle Rating:

2 1/2 Creamsicles

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