The 100th season of the National Football League will begin in September. The league is filled with so much history. On NFL Network, fans will get the Top-100 All-Time Team presented by Chris Collinsworth, Rich Eisen, and Bill Belichick. Throughout the year, there will be many more celebrations and moments to reflect on the history of the great game. One way this should be done is by having teams wear some of their old uniforms. Some we see every year, while others have been gone for way too long. Here are some NFL throwback jerseys that I’d like to see return for at least one game this season.
I’ll try to keep this list to jerseys that haven’t really been worn recently. Sorry, Powder Blue Chargers fans. We want to see some real throwbacks.
Early 90’s Houston Oilers (Tennessee Titans)
The old Oilers’ blue has been one of my favorite jerseys forever. Watching any highlight tape of Warren Moon looked that much better because of them. It was last worn as a throwback jersey in the 2009 season – the NFL’s 90th. This gives me a feeling they may bring it back again. The Titans have gone through a uniform change in the last few years, but this has still been their best.
Pre-2002 Seattle Seahawks
This jersey has often been called one of the ugliest in NFL history. I completely disagree. I believe this uniform encapsulates the NFL pre-2000. It’s probably hurt by the fact that the Seahawks have had three major uniform changes, and they’ve all been well received. Seattle hasn’t worn these since 2001, so they’re due to make a comeback.
Pre-1996 Philadelphia Eagles
How beautiful are these? They just remind me of watching Randall Cunningham breakaway from a would-be tackler and dropping a dime down field. Philadelphia broke out these jerseys in 2010 for the season opener, celebrating the 50th anniversary of their 1960 Championship team. With another franchise QB at the helm (hopefully a healthy one), the Eagles should look to dust these bad boys off.
1990’s Detroit Lions
I think I’ve watched more film with this jersey than any other jersey in NFL history. When I was a kid, I was obsessed with Barry Sanders. He was really the first non-Patriot I was “attached” to, even though I never saw him play. These jerseys are just a perfect blue. I don’t think they’ve worn these jerseys since they switched. That’s probably because they haven’t been that different from their normal uniforms.
Pre-1997 Denver Broncos
This jersey may seem a little familiar to newer NFL fans. The Broncos have been wearing a similar jersey to this one in recent years. However, it’s the helmet that’s been different. This classic blue with the big, orange “D” is just a great look. They haven’t worn it since the change in 1997. The issue may be with the helmet rules, but I’d still like to see it return if possible.
1994 (75th NFL Anniversary) Chicago Bears
Yes, I’m aware how bad that picture is. There are apparently only two pictures of this jersey on the entire internet. The Bears wore this during the 1994 season, which was the 75th anniversary of the NFL. It was supposed to be based on their 1925 look – famous for its orange stripes. This year, the Bears are actually going with a similar look, adding stripes to one of their jerseys. It would be fun to see this one for at least a game.
Pre-1993 New England Patriots
The “Pat Patriot” New England jerseys have been gone for some time. The last time the team donned the uniform was for a single game during the 2012 campaign against the Jets. Unfortunately, they’ve been shelved due to the NFL’s ruling to keep each team to only one helmet. There has to be some way to allow this to come back. Either have the league check the helmets for safety compliance or have some sort of adhesive that goes over the normal helmet. Bring back Pat Patriot.
1978-1989 Atlanta Falcons
This mix of red, black, and white combined for one of the best uniforms in NFL history. Even “Primetime” made his debut in these digs. Whether it was the home reds or the away whites, this jersey shined every week. Atlanta added another red jersey in 2003, but they’ve never returned to these beauties. The 100th anniversary is the perfect time to bring back one of the best NFL throwback jerseys ever.
1995-1999 New England Patriots
This may be a pick just for me. However, I know this has been gaining steam. The late 90’s Patriots jersey has also been considered one of the uglier uniforms in the NFL. To me, this was the first jersey I had. I was a huge Drew Bledsoe fan growing up, and having these make a return would be awesome. The block numbers and the outrageously large “flying Elvis” on the shoulders were perfect. They even have a little pinstripe action going on! Get these back.
The league has certainly had some great uniforms in its 100 years. Some of them haven’t made their return to the big stage in quite some time. For the anniversary, we should be seeing all of the best from past decades.
What other NFL throwback jerseys would you like to see?