NFL Rivalry jerseys ranked for every new team from worst to best

The NFL has fully adopted the NBA model of having special uniforms for rivalry matchups, with the AFC South and NFC North being added to the list. Some of these really hit the mark and feel iconic, while others … exist. Nothing is truly ugly this year, but some of the uniforms are meant to evoke their cities yet end up feeling like hollow knockoffs of other teams. Let’s dive in and rank the eight new uniforms from worst to best, as well as note when they’ll be wearing them. No. 8: Chicago Bears Will be worn Week 16 vs. Packers Maybe there’s an outside chance this looks better on a human, but I really doubt it. The piping is supposed to evoke the original Bears uniforms, which isn’t lost on me — but it’s too subtle. The numbering is bad, and the whole uniform looks like a much worse version of their normal uniform. It’s the worst of this year’s slate, which is a shame for a team that should be exciting in 2026. No. 7: Detroit Lions Will be worn Week 8 vs. Vikings There’s nothing wrong with the jersey, except for the fact it looks like the Lions just stole the Carolina Panthers’ homework. Other than the shade of blue, this is a dead ringer for the Panthers’ white unis. The carbon fiber number is a little too on the nose, and it would have been much better and felt more like the team if they went for a grey variant. No. 6: Indianapolis Colts Will be worn Week 3 vs. Texans The glossy black is too much, and makes the jersey look like it was designed at a mall pop-up that does iron-on transfers. The shoulder design is very abrupt, and feels less like something that evokes the Colts and Indianapolis, and more like something you’d put on a Steelers rivalry jersey with rivets. Not really sure the connection, and the dark look just doesn’t evoke the Colts at all. No. 5: Minnesota Vikings Will be worn Week 15 vs. Lions The arm bands really carry this design, because they have to. I like the Norse knot and the gold a lot — but the rest of the uniform looks far too much like a Baltimore Ravens alternate. It’s a rare case where the uniform is too subtle for its own good, which holds this back from really feeling special. No. 4: Houston Texans Will be worn Week 11 vs. Colts This is so close, but botched at the final stage. It’s clear the Texans are evoking the past of the Houston Oilers, which I’m absolutely for and believe the franchise should really have claim to the history — but too many details make this look like a bootleg being sold out of someone’s trunk. The numbering is off, the arm bands are a mess, and I strongly dislike white being the predominant color in the alternate Texans logo. No. 3: Tennessee Titans Will be worn Week 10 vs. Jaguars I’ll give this one a lot of props for simply not trying to rip off the history of the Houston Oilers, as the Titans so often do. I think this should be the future direction of the franchise as a whole, leaning into a variety of blue tones to do something nobody else in the NFL is doing. I dig the “Music City” branding, I like the numbering which evokes a neon bar sign. This is a very solid uniform from top to bottom. No. 2: Jacksonville Jaguars Will be worn Week 8 vs. Colts I really, really love these. If the Jaguars were a part of last year’s release they would probably have the top look, but are slightly edged out in 2026 by one uniform. The way this rivalry release evokes the history of the Jaguars’ franchise is perfect, and it really gives the 1995 vibes they were looking for. It’s clean, understated, and honestly might be better than their normal unis. No. 1: Green Bay Packers Will be worn Week 5 vs. Bears I think this is one of the best alternate NFL uniforms ever created. It’s a 10/10, no-notes situation. The colorway, the larger number, the font, the armbands — everything comes together to evoke both the history of the Packers, and modernizing the jersey to feel fresh. I honestly cannot wait to see these on game day, because they just look fantastic.

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