Suggesting 1 Upgrade for Each NFL Team's Uniform

The NFL will soon have a new look as the year 2012 marks the beginning of their new contract with Nike. 

Teams previously wore jerseys manufactured by Reebok, but all 32 clubs will now make the switch to Nike's Pro-Combat gear, which boasts never-before-seen fabrics and cutting-edge technology.

And we won't have to wait long before witnessing the new product line, as the league is planning on unveiling the new jerseys on April 3rd in New York City.

However, while suspense certainly lingers in the air, there won't be any jaw-dropping changes put in place, at least for most teams. They'll supposedly be very similar in actual design.  

Each franchise owns and controls their own logos and uniform designs, which means there won't be any major updates unless they're approved by the actual team. And even then, any changes must be submitted to the league for final approval .  

Even though it's clear that the NFL will avoid extreme modifications, there's a chance that some clubs will use this as an opportunity to tweak a few details. 

So let's take a look at each team and make at least one recommended upgrade for each uniform... 

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots are in good shape as far as their jerseys. 

They upgraded from their red jerseys with the "hiking Patriot" logo following the 1996 season, so the current uniforms are sleek and up-to-date.

There's nothing clearly lacking in the current uniforms, but they could use more games where they sport the red throwback jerseys—or perhaps even adapt the current design into a red alternative option.  

New York Jets

The New York Jets basically wore the same jerseys in the 1960s that they wear today. There have been no significant changes outside of the green helmets of the 1980s (which were ultimately changed back to white). 

There's nothing wrong with the current design, but there's certainly room for improvement. 

Perhaps the team can give the uniforms a more modern look by introducing a hint of silver into the colors. 

Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins have uniforms that are both modern and slick, but some minor adjustments could easily improve their overall look. 

Switching the primary color to orange is certainly an option, but the light blue clearly reflects the city of Miami and the surrounding ocean. 

The best change the team can possibly make is to lose the cartoon-like dolphin on the logo. It should be replaced with something more compact and intimidating, rather than the current childish design that's way too easy to make fun of.   

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills just released a brand-new jersey design prior to the 2011 season, although there were no major updates involved. 

But despite the "new" design, the current jerseys still look completely retro and belongs in the 1960s.

The actual jersey completely lacks a secondary color other than the stripes on the sleeves. They need to lose the stripes and make the entire sleeves either white or red. 

Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens came into existence in 1996, so the current jerseys are fairly modern and have barely been altered at all in the last 15 years. 

And while the Ravens are the only team capable of wearing purple and still scaring the hell out the opponents, it would be sharp to see the team in primarily black jerseys while keeping purple only as a secondary color. 

It's a design they've already adapted as an alternative, but they fail to wear them on a regular basis. 

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a historic franchise, so there's no reason for them to change the current design. There's too much respect and recognition associated with their prestigious uniforms. 

However, while they should keep the regular jerseys exactly the same, it would be entertaining to see an alternative option worn on occasion—perhaps an alternative that features yellow as the primary color. 

Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals and their tiger-striped helmets and jerseys are arguably among the ugliest uniforms in the entire NFL. 

As a result, the team's best options would be converting to solid orange sleeves and helmets, while featuring the letter "B" logo on the sides of the helmet and maybe on the shoulders as well. 

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns easily possess the most outdated and ridiculous uniforms in the entire league. 

If it were the 1950s, they would still have the best uniforms in football. However, someone needs to tell them that their current jerseys are outdated by approximately a half-century. 

No one outside of Cleveland has the slightest clue as to what a "Brown" is or why an NFL franchise is named after a color (a terrible color at that). 

So given that no one knows what the team is named after, it's hard to recommend which logo they need to use. However, they need to put some type of design on their helmets. Any logo whatsoever would be an upgrade.

Houston Texans

The Houston Texans are primarily known for sporting the dark-blue home jerseys, but the red alternative uniforms (shown in the picture) are arguably more attractive. 

In the future, the team should contemplate a permanent switch to the red jerseys while adding more dark blue as a secondary color. 

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts have one of the most plain and boring jerseys in the league. They are yet another team lacking a modern design from this century. 

The current home jerseys look less like a game-day uniform and more like a practice jersey.

They need to work more white into the design and add the horseshoe on the sleeves, which would increase the color variety and create a sharper overall look.  

Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans were established in 1999, so they are yet another team with perfectly up-to-date jerseys. 

However, while the modern design requires little change, there's still not an attractive alternative option for the Titans.

Perhaps a reversal of home colors, using dark blue as the primary color and light blue as a secondary color, would result in a unique alternative design. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars will begin to wear black jerseys starting in 2013, which will provide a much more attractive appearance. 

However, while solid black is certainly an attractive change of pace, they need to include a healthy amount of their original blue in order to remain unique. 

Denver Broncos

Some still remember John Elway dropping back in his orange jersey with the large letter "D" on the side of his helmet. 

However, following the 1996 season, the Denver Broncos improved their look with a modern and sleek design that still stands out today. 

As a result, no clear changes need to be done. It's always good to see alternative options, but the team has filled that void nicely with the orange jerseys that they sport on occasion. 

Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders have jerseys that are both fierce and attractive. There's not a single NFL team with a more intimidating look. 

As a result, there's no real change necessary. 

However, the black jerseys are fairly plain. Perhaps they could benefit by adding the Raiders logo on the chest, right above the numbers. 

San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers have old-school jerseys that have seen little change in design since their birth in 1960 (other than color variations). 

The team could benefit from replacing the white colored pants with solid dark blue. Meanwhile, a black alternative jersey would be fun to see. 

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs are another historic team with highly recognizable uniforms, which means there won't likely be any major adjustments in the near future. 

Yellow is one of their secondary colors, but you can hardly tell by glancing at the jerseys. As a result, they could sharpen their looks by adding yellow to the sleeves and sides. 

New York Giants

You would never know that the New York Giants are known as the "Giants" by glancing at their uniforms. 

They feature the "NY" on the helmet, but the team name is not the "New Yorkers", so why not advertise their own team name by adding the the word "Giants" somewhere on the jersey in a noticeable fashion?

The team should remove the "NY" on the chest area and replace it with the word "Giants". 

Dallas Cowboys

There's nothing more annoying than a team that wears white at home, which is exactly what the Dallas Cowboys do. 

They need to stop wearing their away jerseys in Cowboys Stadium and switch to a dark-blue home jersey like a normal team. 

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles have uniforms that are sharp and modern, leaving little room for improvement. 

However, there's a chance that the helmets could benefit by losing the wings and adding the eagle (as seen on the sleeves). 

Surely there are multiple Eagles fans who love the winged helmets, but in case you haven't figured it out, the wings don't help the players fly or increase their speed, regardless of what you were led to believe.   

Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins have one of the worst primary colors in the league. The mix of red and brown results in an abomination that can't be corrected until the team adopts a new primary color. 

As a result, the team should completely reverse the uniform. They need to make yellow the primary color, while saving the red-brown disaster for the stripes and sleeves. 

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are one of the most popular and recognizable teams in the entire NFL, which removes any motivation to change or update the team's overall look. 

However, their throwback option is simply awful and looks like something out of the 1940s. 

At the very least, they could use a creative alternative jersey that will save us from laying our eyes on their current blue and yellow throwbacks with the brown helmets. 

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions have updated their jerseys over the years and currently have a modern look, all while keeping the helmet relatively the same. 

The metallic blue and silver gives off a riveting look that requires no major improvements. 

The only thing they can benefit from is an alternative jersey, perhaps a silver jersey that uses blue as a secondary color. 

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears look basically the same as they did in the 1970's, and while some historians and lifelong fans adore the current apparel, it's time for a change. 

The letter "C" should be a secondary logo that goes over the chest, while the helmets should display a brand-new logo that features an actual bear.

Meanwhile, the primary color should be permanently changed to orange, which would provide a much more up-to-date look.   

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings have sported the winged helmets with the same shade of purple for many years, and although they've maintained a relatively modern look, some upgrades need to be made. 

The bright shade of purple should be darkened into a more fierce and respectable shade (see the Baltimore Ravens). On top of that, the yellow should be replaced with an actual gold color that replaces the white pants.

Other than that, the logos and helmets should remain the same.  

New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints sport the black and gold, which truly formulates an attractive combination. 

The overall design of the Saints' jerseys should not be compromised, but in the future they should wear the black pants permanently (they currently alternate between gold and black pants). 

Additionally, they should consider expanding the gold so that it covers a portion of the sleeves. 

Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons used to wear black, but now they've made a permanent switch to red likely as an attempt to distinguish themselves from their NFC South rivals, the New Orleans Saints, who also wear black. 

However, another option for them would be to bring back the black jerseys, while sporting red numbers, sleeves and stripes on the pants. 

Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers carry an attractive combination of colors featuring black, silver and light blue. 

The color combination provides a unique and futuristic look, but they would be slightly more intimidating if they replaced their silver pants with black ones. 

Tampa Bay Bucaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers carry the red jerseys with pewter helmets and pants, along with a touch of black. 

The pewter is undoubtedly unique, but it should be limited to the helmets only, not the pants. Red or black pants would suffice as solid replacements.  

St. Louis Rams

After the St. Louis Rams' Super Bowl win following the 1999 season, the team entered the 21st century with new uniforms that featured "millennium blue" and "century gold". 

While the change was exciting at the time, it completely demolished one of the best-looking uniforms in the league. 

The only answer for the Rams is to permanently change back to their royal blue and true yellow uniforms from the 1990s. 

San Francisco 49ers

It's hard to sell change to a celebrated franchise such as the San Francisco 49ers, which is why they'll never contemplate radical changes. 

However, like other deep-rooted franchises, it wouldn't hurt to explore an option for an alternative jersey. The alternative could be primarily gold with shades of red. 

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals have developed stunning jerseys that fit right in with the 21st century. 

However, the one downside is that there's too much red involved. The white helmets give off a nice contrast, but the overall look could benefit by working in more white throughout the rest of the uniform. 

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks have an ambitious jersey design, but it falls short in every possible way, resulting in one of the ugliest uniforms in the league. 

The jersey consists of not just any blue, but the darkest and ugliest blue imaginable. And somehow, they inexplicably managed to work lime green into the mix. 

Seattle needs to remove the green completely and find a better complementary color to support the dark blue.