Ranking the NFL's new alternate helmets for the 2025 season
Beginning with the 2022 season, the NFL allowed teams to add an alternate helmet to their uniform options. Since then, we've seen some slick helmets pop up across the league, with the trend continuing in 2025 where several teams have unveiled second helmets for the upcoming season.
That includes some slick throwbacks sure to give fans a rush of nostalgia.
Below is ranking of each helmet revealed so far — independent of the full uniform — judged by style, creativity, nostalgia or simply how much I would want to rock each one myself. We'll update this ranking as more helmets are revealed.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
I'm a fan of the color yellow when it's done right -- which usually means pairing it with black. That's exactly what the Steelers did with these throwback yellow shells with the black stripe down the middle and the classic Steelers logo on one side. The gray facemask is a nice touch too. These are beautiful.
2. New Orleans Saints
You're welcome. pic.twitter.com/ahMC3GOFq9
It's the small details that really take this helmet over the top for me, like the tiny black specks in the white paint and the gold stripe down the middle filled out with a bunch of the little Saints fleur-de-lis logos. This is much better than the black alternate they rolled out a couple years ago.
3. Buffalo Bills
It's beautiful. 😍https://t.co/3PZ63YMMqm | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/Dou6JIwV5F
These bright reds actually look a lot cooler than I remember back in the days, which is a sign of nostalgia done well. The Bills gave us something to miss.
4. Cleveland Browns
freshen up the phone screens 📲@DUDEwipes | #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/b2q0iGuw74
Listen, the helmets aren't the problem with these terrible new uniforms. Are they the flashiest shells in the league? No. But I'm a sucker for a good matte paint, and the shiny stripe livens them up a bit. I especially like that the Browns are actually making their helmets, ya know, brown. The white chin strap and bumpers add a nice contrast that the uniforms lack.
5. Washington Commanders
Weaving past and presentWe're adding back the Super Bowl Era threads to our uniform rotation pic.twitter.com/9nKrTYVABk
It's hard to give out nostalgia points for these semi-throwbacks considering the reasons they had to abandon the original helmet — and logo — in the first place (and I never loved the burgundy and gold color scheme to begin with). But I'll admit these helmets do at least strike a nice balance of past and present.
6. Los Angeles Chargers
the best got better. again. pic.twitter.com/Mysqbpwe3A
For a logo as cool as the lightning bolt, I've always thought these dark blue Chargers helmets were way too boring. I didn't like them much when LaDainian Tomlinson did his best to make them look cooler than they actually are, and I don't like 'em all that much now.
7. Green Bay Packers
Engineered for legends in the making pic.twitter.com/eIOqNSGWTi
If we were only giving out cool points, then the Packers would rank a lot harder simply for the effort and detail that went into turning the leatherheads into an actual modern helmet. But on looks alone, I can't rank these ugly helmets any higher than this.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
4 minutes ago
- CBS News
Steelers' "Friday Night Lights" practice brings fans from all over to Latrobe Memorial Stadium
More than 13,000 fans attended the Pittsburgh Steelers' annual "Friday Night Lights" practice at Latrobe Memorial Stadium. The Steelers said 13,653 people attended the practice in Latrobe, all on hand to watch the first evening practice of training camp. Fans waited for as long as five hours to get inside, and some fans came from surrounding states like Ohio, Maryland, and even as far as Massachusetts, to watch the live practice. Dylan Collins drove 12 hours from Boston to attend his first-ever training camp. "I've been a die-hard Steelers fan since I was a little kid," said Collins. "My aunt lived out here, she put me on and I just kind of stuck with it ever since." Jeffery McNeil, of Cincinnati, says he converted to a Steelers fan after his children decided to root for the black and gold, and he was blown away at the dedication of Steeler Nation. "The unity, the fanbase, they've got the best fanbase I've ever seen," McNeil said. "The first time I had ever seen it." Regardless of where they came from, the fans in attendance are eager to see how the Steelers' revamped roster comes together. "I'm curious to see how the offense works together," said Justin Allen, whose young son was visiting his first training camp. "You've got a lot of new pieces. A new quarterback coming in, learning a new system. You've got new receivers, a young o-line, so I'm curious to see how they work together." "I'm most excited to see Aaron Rodgers," said Nate Colbert of Frederick, Maryland. "If he can go and play like how we did in Green Bay, we've got it. We've got the defense to do it."
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Why 49ers top draft pick has already impressed his new coach
The 49ers are banking upon a defensive talent infusion from the 2025 NFL draft. San Francisco used all five of its first 2025 NFL draft picks on the defensive side of the football, including its first-round selection at No. 11 overall on Georgia defensive lineman Mykel Williams. Williams tallied 67 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, three passes defensed, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery across 40 games in three seasons with the Bulldogs. The 6-foot-5, 267-pound defensive end started 17 games during his Georgia career. Now, Williams is tasked with fortifying the 49ers' defensive edge and its pass rush. On Thursday, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked if Williams is pretty well advanced for a rookie. "Yeah, I would say so. Just watching the style of how he played in college, he's just technical and stuff. I thought that jumped out on his tape the most, how good he is with his hands. A lot of pass rushers coming out of college who are talented like him and just use their talent, but he's as good with his hands as anyone I've seen coming out. And it's transferred over to practice too," Shanahan said. San Francisco is getting a good early look at Williams with some of its one-on-one pass rushing drills. Shanahan shared what the staff can glean from its one-one-one pass rushing drills during training camp. "The same as all one-on-ones, just it's able to isolate it. You can really see how a guy blocks with no help around him and you can really see how a guy's just teeing off and all he has to worry about is going to the quarterback. "Then you get out there on 11-on-11 and there's a lot more scheme involved, there's a lot more other guys, knowing what play's happening and there's so much that goes into it. But you get a situation where you can just truly focus on blocking and rushing and that's the hardest time to do it for a blocker and the best time for a pass rusher. And same with one-on-ones for receivers/corners, should be the best time for a receiver and the toughest for a corner without a pass rush, but it truly can show what guys are capable of doing in their total level of talent," Shanahan said. Williams has been impressing early during his time in San Francisco. The former Georgia Bulldog has garnered some first-team work opposite five-time Pro Bowler Nick Bosa. Williams has already drawn praise from future Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams, which is another positive sign as his rookie season approaches.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Kyle Juszczyk enjoyed 49ers' first padded practice after ‘craving physicality'
San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk speaks to reporters after first padded practice of 2025 NFL training camp. Kyle Juszczyk enjoyed 49ers' first padded practice after 'craving physicality' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
