There's something about a throwback uniform that just looks so right. For some fans, it's purely nostalgia. Seeing that old jersey reminds them of their favorite player from their youth. For some, it brings them back to the glory days, as they remember fondly when their team won a championship rocking that look. Sometimes it's just a reminder how much better the old logo and/or colors are than the current ones. So naturally, fans love it when teams introduce a throwback as part of their uniform set.
Sometimes the throwback works so well that the team gets the hint and goes back to its old look. We've seen plenty of examples of this across all sports, from the Islanders and Sabres to the White Sox and Orioles. Or maybe they're like the Padres (the only team that can make brown & yellow work) and just go back to the classic colors. Then there are teams like the Brewers and Blue Jays, who modernized their classic logo into something that still works perfectly.
For a while, NFL teams didn't have that option. Sure, you had the Chargers, Giants and Jets do the same thing as the Blue Jays and Brewers, but the one-off throwbacks weren't allowed. That's because the league put in a rule several years ago stipulating that teams had to wear the same helmet all season. So, that threw the possibility of a throwback out the window for any team whose helmet is a different color now than it was in the past. That rule has since been removed, however, and we're now seeing some terrible second helmets to go with teams' third jerseys. And we've also seen some all-time classics make their return.
So many teams have already trickled out throwback designs for this season that I've lost count. And boy will it be great to see Bucco Bruce and Pat Patriot adorning NFL helmets again! There are so many to choose from, but here are the 10 best NFL throwback looks. I'm not sure how many of them are definitely being worn this season. But they all should be.
It's hard to pick an era for a Jets throwback. They've had so many different looks over the years. There's the Joe Namath white helmets, which came back as their regular uniform for a while from the late 90s until just a few years ago. Take me back to the 80s, though. With Mark Gastineau and Joe Klecko sacking everybody while the jet came out of the J in the logo.
9. Minnesota Vikings: With the exception of the color of the face mask, Minnesota's helmet has always been the same. So, the only throwback the Vikings can wear is the jersey. That's exactly what they'll do this season, going back to their uniforms from when they went to four Super Bowls in the 70s. Points off for the helmet, though. And because they technically could've worn these any time.
8. Philadelphia Eagles: Personally, I think the Eagles' current logo, helmet and colors are much better than the Kelly green. But there are those who absolutely love the Kelly green! And, I'll admit, it does bring back certain feelings. Particularly about Randall Cunningham, Reggie White and how much I disliked them in the late 80s/early 90s.
7. Buffalo Bills: Fun fact, the Bills changed from white helmets to red in the mid-70s because, at the time, every other team in the AFC East also had a white helmet. They've, of course, since switched the helmets back to white. I don't want to see a red helmet throwback, though. I want to see the red standing buffalo from their AFL days!
6. Denver Broncos: Denver did a quasi-throwback for their color rush game a few years ago, putting the old logo on their current navy helmet. I've gotta say, I wouldn't mind if they did that permanently. They won the Super Bowl in the first two seasons after they switched to the current logo, but the orange jerseys ARE the Denver Broncos. So much so that they changed the jersey from navy to orange almost immediately after that color rush game.
5. Seattle Seahawks: When the Seahawks switched conferences in 2002, they made what I think was a very smart decision to completely rebrand and switch their helmet from silver to blue. It divided the team's history into two eras (kinda like how the Astros did a complete rebrand when they switched leagues). The AFC Seahawks wore silver helmets, the NFC Seahawks wear blue ones. We haven't seen those silver helmets and royal blue jerseys in 20 years. But, boy, do they look good!
4. Tennessee Titans: Long live the Houston Oilers! How can you not be excited to see these Oilers throwbacks?! Whether the Titans should be doing an Oilers throwback is a different question (and, whatever they do, they should never wear them against the Texans), but I'll allow it if it means the return of the powder blue. I can picture Warren Moon lofting deep bombs all over the Astrodome as we speak!
3. Atlanta Falcons: They debuted the throwbacks last season and set a standard that's very hard for everyone else to match. The red helmet with the black and white stripes had definitely worn out its welcome when they changed to black helmets in the early 90s. But, boy, does it work as a throwback! The Falcons should wear these the maximum number of times they're allowed to.
2. New England Patriots: The Patriots have certainly had plenty of success with Flying Elvis, and that's almost certainly the first logo people will think of when they think about the Patriots. But how can you not love Pat Patriot? The dude's playing center! More than the logo, though, is how good it looked with the red jerseys. That old-school Patriots uniform really is pretty sharp!
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: I'm a sucker for Bucco Bruce and I'm a sucker for the creamsicles. I think this is a case of "they're so bad, they're good." Keep in mind, I have no issue with the Bucs' current colors or logo (especially now that they've gone back to a more traditional look after those ridiculous alarm clock numbers they had for a few years). Plus, they own that color scheme! They played a lot of bad football in those uniforms, but that's part of their charm. And Bucco Bruce has a knife in his mouth! I mean, c'mon! How can you beat that?
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