Nike NFL Uniforms: Outlining the Changes of Gridiron Fabric

Tuesday marked the official unveiling of new Nike NFL uniforms, and 31 of 32 teams look very similar to last season if you're judging by just a quick glance. When Nike first vowed to make "radical changes," I began to panic, as a person who doesn't enjoy change in his sports. If you're like me, you can breathe easy; the changes were more about how the players will feel wearing the new gear than the actual look.

I tuned in live at 11:00 AM ET (by following hashtag '#niketakeover' on Twitter) to learn some of the details of the new attire. Here's what I noted about the changes.

1. The "Speed Machine" jerseys are on average 27 percent lighter, according to a video featuring the New York Giants equipment manager. The key to this is that the jerseys are made out of a new "stretch-woven" material designed by Nike.

2. One of the most aesthetically noticeable "Nike" concept was the fly-wire collar, it's a material that holds the neck collar down. Not every team appears to have this collar concept.

3. The game pants look very close to the same from a distance, but the side panels where the striping is located are actually mesh. This was done for breathe-ability in the material. There is a slight amount of extra padding around the hip area to reduce injuries such as hip pointers.

4. The material is more more water resistant, and the water appears to slide off the jerseys and pants easily.

5. Each team has team-colored footwear or cleats.

6. Each team has placed a unique slogan inside the back of the collar on its jersey that will be unique for a given season. For instance, the Carolina Panthers placed "Keep Pounding" on their respective collar insides. This phrase honors the late Panthers LB Sam Mills, who started a "Keep Pounding" foundation.

So what about the one team of the 32 that decided to make wholesale changes? The Seattle Seahawks gave themselves a full overhaul, and I'm not a fan of the look. You be the judge—the modernized look is unlike anything we've seen at the NFL ranks before.

I have an appreciation for what Nike is trying to do with the uniforms of the NFL, but I breathed a large sigh of relief when I saw that traditional franchises like the Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers didn't undergo any real changes.

For a look at all 32 NFL teams in detail, check out Nikeinc.com.