Miami Dolphins Throwback Uniforms: 1970s Aqua, White and the Helmet
Posted by JerseyZenith on Oct 25th 2026
- Miami Dolphins throwback uniforms bring back the 1970s aqua look from 2015 and the white look from 2019.
- An old Dolphins jersey from 1966 is aqua and orange; Nike makes the throwbacks.
- The Dolphins' original colors were aqua and coral, from 1966.
- The same leaping-dolphin look lasted from 1966 to 2012.
- Aqua throwbacks returned in 2015 and white throwbacks in 2019.
- The Rivalries uniform arrived in August 2025.
This guide covers the main looks of the Miami Dolphins from 1966 to 2026. It does not list every pants and sock combination.
Dolphins uniform timeline
| Year | Change | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Aqua and orange debut | Sunburst and leaping dolphin logo |
| 1972 | Perfect season in aqua and white | White used for road and daytime home games |
| 1997 | Logo and numbers updated | Navy drop shadows added |
| 2003 | Orange jersey, rarely | Sunday night vs. Washington |
| 2013 | New logo and uniforms | Navy added; orange de-emphasized |
| 2015 | Aqua throwbacks (1970s) | Returned for select games |
| 2016 | All-orange Color Rush | Retired after one game |
| 2019 | White throwback added | Second 1970s alternate |
| 2025 | Rivalries uniform | Navy base, aqua numbers, orange trim |
The Dolphins jerseys 2026 guide shows which of these looks the team wears this year.
Aqua and orange beginnings (1966 to 2012)
The Dolphins started in 1966 in aqua and coral, a nod to the Miami Seahawks and the coral reefs of Biscayne Bay. At the debut the team used a lighter, brighter orange. The logo was a sunburst with a leaping dolphin wearing a helmet with an M. White pants with aqua and orange stripes went with a white or aqua jersey. Starting with the undefeated 1972 season, the white set was used for road games and daytime home games because of the heat, and the aqua jersey for night games. A 1997 update simplified the sunburst and added navy drop shadows to the numbers. On rare occasions the team wore orange jerseys, first on a Sunday night in 2003 against Washington. The Dolphins' final game in the original style was a 28–0 loss at New England on the last day of the 2012 season.
The orange jersey and a famous upset
The orange jerseys swapped the places of orange and aqua from the aqua jersey. They came back on December 20, 2004, when the 2–11 Dolphins upset the defending champion Patriots on Monday Night Football after trailing by 11 points with less than five minutes left. Some Miami fans still call it "The Night That Courage Wore Orange." The orange jersey was used for a 2009 Monday night win over the Jets, but the Dolphins lost a 2010 Sunday night game in it. The team wore black shoes in 2009 for the first time since the early 1970s and returned to white in 2011.
The swimming dolphin (2013 to today)
A new logo and uniforms arrived shortly before the 2013 draft. The logo is a stylized aqua dolphin in front of a modified sunburst, navy joined the palette and orange was de-emphasized. The team still wears white at home and uses aqua for primetime home games. The helmets are white with a white facemask. In 2018 the shades of orange and aqua were tweaked and navy was removed from the color scheme, remaining only on the logo.
Throwbacks and special uniforms
In 2015 the Dolphins brought back their 1970s aqua uniforms, and in 2019 added a white version from the same era. The aqua throwbacks were worn during the 2018 "Miracle in Miami" game against the Patriots. In 2016 the team debuted an all-orange Color Rush uniform in a Thursday night game against the Bengals, the first orange uniform since 2010, and retired it after that game. On August 28, 2025 the Dolphins released a Rivalries uniform with a dark blue base, aqua numbers and orange trim, which is to be worn at home against AFC East rivals over three seasons.
Dolphins throwbacks you can wear today
The store does not have a separate throwback category for Miami. Browse the full Dolphins jersey collection for aqua styles, the home jersey and the Rivalries jersey. For the latest, see the Achane Rivalries jersey. The legends are in the Dolphins jersey numbers guide.
Quick answers to common searches
Fans often search for “miami dolphins jersey history”, “miami dolphins old jersey” and “old miami dolphins jersey”. The miami dolphins jersey history starts with aqua and coral in 1966. A Miami Dolphins old jersey or an old Miami Dolphins jersey from the 1970s is the style the aqua and white throwbacks copy.
Dolphins helmet history
The Dolphins helmet in 1966 carried the leaping dolphin with a helmet that had an M on it. The helmets in the final years of the original look and again from 2013 are white with a white facemask, and the 2013 set added navy to the stripe alongside aqua and a de-emphasized orange. The Rivalries helmet of 2025 is dark blue with aqua and orange striping and a swimming dolphin without white elements. The Miami Dolphins helmet, dolphins helmet logo and Dolphins football helmet searches lead to those marks.
Miami Dolphins throwback uniforms: the aqua throwbacks of the 1970s returned in 2015, with a 10 and 6 record in them, and the white throwback joined in 2019. The team also wore an orange jersey in 2003, 2004, 2009 and 2010 and an all-orange Color Rush set in 2016. Miami Dolphins old uniforms and the miami dolphins uniform history are told in the Dolphins uniforms 2026 guide. The full logo story is in the logo history guide. Browse the Dolphins jerseys and the legends jerseys. For the color codes, see the colors guide.
Fans also search for “miami dolphins helmet”, “dolphins helmet”, “miami dolphins football helmet”, “dolphins throwback uniforms”, “dolphins helmet logo”, “miami dolphins helmet logo”, “miami dolphins helmets”, “miami dolphins old uniforms”, “miami dolphins uniform history” and “dolphins logo helmet”. All of them lead to the answers on this page.
Dolphins uniform history FAQ
What were the original Dolphins colors?
Aqua and coral, which the team called orange, in 1966.
When did the Dolphins change their logo?
In 2013, to the swimming dolphin. The leaping dolphin had been used since 1966.
When did the Dolphins bring back aqua throwbacks?
In 2015, using their 1970s look.
Did the Dolphins ever wear all orange?
Yes, once, in a 2016 Color Rush game against the Bengals.