History of NFL Jerseys: How Uniforms Changed by Decade
Posted by JerseyZenith on Oct 25th 2026
- Plastic helmets arrived in 1949.
- A 1957 rule made home jerseys dark.
- Nike replaced Reebok in 2012.
This guide summarizes NFL uniform changes by decade from published lists and team histories. It does not cover every team's changes.
NFL uniform changes by decade
| Decade | Key change | Notable look |
|---|---|---|
| 1920s | The NFL forms in 1920 | Early leather helmets and wool-style jerseys |
| 1940s | 1949: the NFL moves from leather to plastic helmets | Painted helmet logos begin to appear |
| 1950s | 1957: home teams must wear dark jerseys and road teams white | Packers' green and gold, with little change since |
| 1960s | Teams add helmet stripes and logos | Colts' conservative white road look |
| 1970s | Last names added to jerseys (Steelers, 1970); Bills' charging buffalo (1974); Bucs' creamsicle (1976) | Loud, colorful designs |
| 1980s | Bengals' tiger stripes (1981) | Bold helmet graphics |
| 1990s | 1994: 75th anniversary throwbacks; Champion becomes the first exclusive outfitter (1989) | Houston Oilers' blue and white |
| 2000s | Reebok supplies uniforms from 2001; Patriots go navy and silver (2000); Seahawks and Bills redesign (2002) | Patriots' dynasty look |
| 2010s | Nike takes over in 2012; Color Rush debuts in 2015–16 | Raiders' black and silver |
| 2020s | One-helmet rule repealed (2021); alternates grow (2022); Rivalries (2025); Chargers rebrand (2020); Bills' gray (2026) | Alternates and Rivalries |
Sources: Sports Illustrated's decade-by-decade list, Wikipedia's team uniform histories and the Steelers and Bills timelines. Decade entries are our summary and not an official history.
In more detail
In the 1960s several teams settled on the looks fans still know. The Steelers made black helmets full-time in 1963, the Cowboys began wearing white at home in 1964, the Broncos moved to orange and royal blue in 1962 and the 49ers adopted gold helmets and pants in 1964. In the 1970s the Steelers added last names in 1970, the Bills introduced the charging buffalo in 1974 and the Buccaneers debuted their creamsicle look in 1976.
The 1980s brought tiger stripes for the Bengals in 1981, Chuck Knox's Seahawks update in 1983 and a red helmet for the Bills in 1984. The 1990s were a decade of change: Champion's 1989 deal, the NFL's 75th anniversary throwbacks in 1994, the Patriots' Flying Elvis in 1993 and the Broncos' navy redesign in 1997. In the 2000s the Patriots moved to navy and silver in 2000, Reebok became the supplier in 2001 and the Seahawks and Bills redesigned in 2002.
The 2010s began with Nike in 2012. The Bills wore an all-red Color Rush on November 12, 2015, and the Seahawks' all-green Color Rush debuted in 2016. The 2020s added the Chargers' 2020 rebrand, the repeal of the one-helmet rule in 2021, alternate helmets in 2022, the number 0 in 2023, Rivalries in 2025 and, in 2026, the Bills' all-gray Nickel City and the Titans' rebrand.
The suppliers behind the changes
Nike replaced Reebok as the NFL's uniform supplier in 2012. Reebok held the role from 2001 to 2011. Champion came before, with a 1989 deal one source calls the league's first exclusive outfitter. See our who makes NFL jerseys guide.
The rules that shaped the look
A 1957 rule made home teams wear dark jerseys, which is why most teams wear color at home. The NFL's one-helmet rule made alternate helmets illegal from 2013 and was repealed in 2021, which brought back throwbacks such as the Patriots' red look in 2022. Number rules also changed in 2021 and 2023; see NFL jersey number rules.
What the table shows
Three forces drove most changes. The first was safety and equipment: plastic helmets in 1949 and later rules on helmets. The second was television, which led to the 1957 dark-at-home rule and louder color schemes in the 1970s and 1980s. The third was branding and licensing, from Champion's 1989 deal to Nike's 2012 contract and the 2025 Rivalries program. Teams also learned that nostalgia sells, so throwbacks became a regular part of the wardrobe.
The one-helmet rule is a good example of how equipment rules change style. It made alternate helmets illegal from 2013, so throwbacks that needed a different helmet disappeared for years. Its repeal in 2021 let the Cowboys, Patriots and others bring them back. The league now allows alternate helmets, and teams are limited in the number of alternate uniform games they can wear.
Related guides
Keep reading: best throwback NFL jerseys, throwback vs retro vs vintage and who makes NFL jerseys. Each guide covers one question fans ask before they buy, and all link back to our NFL jerseys hub.
Browse your team's history
Our team guides trace each look: Cowboys, Bears, 49ers, Broncos, Bills, Patriots, Seahawks and Steelers. Browse throwback jerseys and legends jerseys.
NFL logo history: how team logos changed
NFL logo history is a story of redesigns tied to uniform changes: new logos came with the move to plastic helmets, with Nike's 2012 refresh and with ownership changes. Each team's logo history is different, so we cover it team by team. The NFL team logo history of seven clubs is below, and the history of NFL team logos for the others will follow.
| Team | First logo year | First logo | Logo history |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seahawks | 1976 | Stylized bird head in royal blue and forest green | logo history |
| New England Patriots | 1960 | Tri-corner hat, then Pat Patriot in 1961 | logo history |
| Chicago Bears | 1940 | Running black bear with a football | logo history |
| Dallas Cowboys | 1960 | Solid blue star on a white helmet | logo history |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1946 | Mustached gold miner firing pistols | logo history |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1933 | City of Pittsburgh coat of arms | logo history |
| Buffalo Bills | 1962 | Standing red bison (no helmet logo in 1960–61) | logo history |
For old NFL uniforms and the NFL football uniform history of a single club, read its uniform history guide. Old NFL uniforms come back each year as throwbacks, and the NFL uniforms history of helmets is in our NFL helmets guide. For uniform history NFL fans can browse, see throwback jerseys.
FAQ
When did NFL players start wearing plastic helmets?
The NFL moved from leather to plastic helmets in 1949.
Why do NFL teams wear dark jerseys at home?
A 1957 rule required home teams to wear dark jerseys.
Who makes NFL uniforms?
Nike, since 2012.
When did Color Rush start?
The NFL's Color Rush uniforms debuted in 2015–16.