Ranking all 32 NFL helmets from worst to first
Who has the best-looking helmet in the NFL? Who has the worst?
The players may frequently change in the NFL, but the helmets stay the same.
Well, most of them. Today’s NFL helmets are a varied crop of designs, both old and new. Here’s how we think they shake down from No. 32 to No. 1.
32. Washington Football Team
Dan Snyder did the right thing by moving on from the team’s old nickname. Now he has to do the right thing and move on from being NFL Alabama.
31. Houston Texans
Poor Houston fans. The Oilers had a top-five helmet, but it was replaced by the Texans and a bull’s head on an acid trip.
30. Baltimore Ravens
The raven should look a lot scarier. This one looks like it’s waiting for you to drop your sandwich.
29. Tennessee Titans
Switching from white to blue was an improvement, but not enough to vault it out of the bottom five. Still the worst logo in the league.
28. Jacksonville Jaguars
There’s something here, but the teal tongue screams ’90s.
27. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams tried to modernize an old-school look with their latest design and it just didn’t work. Can’t have your cake and eat it, too.
26. Atlanta Falcons
It’s been decades, but we still miss the red helmets.
25. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers’ overall presentation is supremely underrated — maybe one of the best looks of any expansion-era team — but the helmets on their own are just average.
24. New England Patriots
Bring back Pat Patriot, you cowards!
23. Dallas Cowboys
Every other helmet ranking probably has the Cowboys in the top five, but we’re brave enough to ask what the big deal is.
22. Denver Broncos
If the Patriots logo were a horse.
21. Miami Dolphins
Imagine having a helmet featuring a dolphin wearing a helmet … and thinking it needed to be changed.
20. New Orleans Saints
We should like these helmets more than we do.
19. San Francisco 49ers
The Niners kick off a little run here of teams with letters on their helmets. Let’s be honest. It’s hard to make those look all that cool.
18. Green Bay Packers
The Packers can’t do it.
17. Chicago Bears
Neither can the Bears.
16. New York Giants
The “big blue” of the Giants is probably the best of the bunch.
15. Detroit Lions
Does any team have a cooler name for their official color than the Lions and their “Honolulu Blue?”
14. Philadelphia Eagles
It’s hard to put wings on a helmet and not have them look cool.
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Same thing with a pirate battle flag.
12. Kansas City Chiefs
The red helmet with the arrowhead connects every generation of Chiefs, from Len Dawson to Patrick Mahomes.
11. New York Jets
The switch to the metallic green really made this one stand out. It’d be a top-five for us if they take away the football and return the plane wing.
10. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings horns were already cool, but adopting the matte look in 2013 took it to another level.
9. Seattle Seahawks
The totem-style logo is fierce, local and just overall awesome-looking.
8. Cleveland Browns
The Browns have been terrible for decades (until recently), and there’s no adornment on this helmet except for a brown and white stripe. So in theory, it shouldn’t work. But it does.
7. San Diego Chargers
The Chargers have gone through several iterations of helmets but the lightning bolt keeps it near the top of these rankings every time.
6. Arizona Cardinals
It’s too bad the history of this franchise isn’t as cool as its helmets.
5. Indianapolis Colts
Good enough for Johnny U., good enough for us.
4. Buffalo Bills
Fierce.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
A proud helmet for a proud franchise.
2. Cincinnati Bengals
Anthony Munoz and the tiger-striped helmet are Cincinnati’s two main claims to fame.
1. Las Vegas Raiders
Just win the helmet rankings, baby!
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