NFL and Nike Reveal First Wave of “NFL Rivalries” Uniforms
At the end of April 2025, the NFL and Nike announced a new program called “Rivalries,” which will feature new uniforms and fan gear that is inspired by the communities. Unfortunately, not every team gets to play in the new program in 2025, but there is more structure than the previous program titled “Color Rush”. The Color Rush program gave fans some of the best new uniforms that are still worn to this day, like the Ravens and Bills. Some were barely considered Color Rush since they were still the normal color scheme of the team, like the Packers, Bears, Patriots, and Chiefs. Other franchises sported the ugliest combos that were barely worn and immediately tossed in the trash can, like the Jaguars, Dolphins, and the then Washington Redskins, now Commanders. With the new Rivalry program, the NFL chose to root the design more in the community and not reveal all teams at once. The structure will be two divisions per year, wearing the jerseys at least once, with one home game each. The new jerseys will be added to the uniform closet for three years after the induction and will not count as one of the alternates that the NFL has loosened the rules for in recent years. The uniforms that were unveiled on August 28th, 2025, were the AFC East and NFC West teams.
NFC West
Los Angeles Rams – Midnight Mode
The Rams have gone into Midnight Mode, set to don an all-black look for the first time in franchise history. With the motto “Work in the dark. Earn the spotlight,” the uniform embodies the look and feel of the LA skyline and the inside of SoFi Stadium. The horn on the sleeves makes its return with a gradient of blue that fades into black, which is pulled directly from the roof structure of SoFi Stadium. The Rams even paid homage to their past in Inglewood with the inside of the collar reading “Rams House” in the same font as the Hollywood Park Racetrack sign. The helmet, which is black with contrasting iconic yellow horns, captures the duality of Los Angeles, where one must grind in the shadows to earn the spotlight. The Rams will wear these new Midnight Mode uniforms in Week 11 versus the Seattle Seahawks on November 16th, 2025.
San Francisco 49ers – For the Faithful
For the first time since the Colin Kaepernick era, the 49ers are going back to the all-black threads, but this time, there is a twist. Supposedly, the players played a huge part in the design of these uniforms, which pay respect to the fans who make the 49ers who they are. For the first time in the team's history, the 49ers are sporting a midnight black helmet with red stripes and a gold facemask. There are two nods to the fans that call themselves the “49ers Faithful”, where the name usually goes on the front, San Francisco has replaced their name with “Faithful” written in script and “Faithful to the Bay” written inside the collar. There are three sleeve stripes on this rivalry jersey, throwing it back to when Joe Montana was throwing dots back in the 80’s. Lastly, saving the best for last, the custom number font is built off the enduring 49ers watermark, embodying the old western saloon style of writing with red numbers and gold trim. The 49ers will be the last team to wear their new uniforms in a Week 18 matchup versus the Seahawks, most likely in the first week of January 2026.
Seattle Seahawks – High Decibel Zone
This Seahawks jersey is something else. The Seahawks doubled down on their decibel-breaking fanbase with a lot of love for the 12s. The number font is the same as the base home and away uniforms, but instead of small futurized wings, Seattle replaced the inside of their numbers with dozens of small 12’s, paying tribute to the fanbase called the 12th man. That small detail, in addition to the shoulder design that looks almost like feathers of a wing, introduces soundwaves, inspired by the 137.6 decibel record that “destroys our opponents’ hopes, dreams, and eardrums. The Seahawks' uniforms also debut a freshly painted iridescent green helmet that works extremely well with the green numbers that hold the previously mentioned 12s inside on the field during gameday. The Seahawks will wear these uniforms versus the Rams in Week 16 on December 18th, 2025.
Arizona Cardinals – Built to Last
As one of the oldest franchises in NFL history, the Cardinals have seen ups and downs but are here to stay. Set to wear a cream-colored jersey peppered with sand particles, the Cardinals are making sure opponents know they are in the desert. "Coincidentally, a couple of days ago, so many people saw the power, speed, and ferocity of the Arizona sandstorm that is such an integral part of our Rivalries uniform design and a fitting metaphor for our identity as a team and a region,” said owner Michael Bidwill. There is a new number design featuring a red base and gold trim. The shoulder patch is the Arizona state flag within the state of Arizona. The helmets are the same color as the jersey with smaller particles of sand, which also features a design of the state flag on the back of the helmet. The helmet also shows a gradient design of the Cardinals’ logo, where the beak is copper and the base is red, but fades into the color of the helmet. The Cardinals will be the first team to debut their uniforms in a Week Four Thursday Night Football matchup versus the Seattle Seahawks.
AFC East
Buffalo Bills – Cold Front
The new Buffalo Bills rivalry uniforms are extremely like their base home and away threads, but the change of color perfectly encapsulates what it feels like to play in Buffalo come January. Removing all of the red, the uniform is only white, silver, and blue. A white jersey with silver numbers and blue trim, combined with a silver stripe on an all-white helmet, gets me chilly just writing about it. The helmet logo is also silver-based with blue accents, but the real kicker is the shoulder design. The Buffalo Bill that sits on the shoulder is raised, to signify the frigidness and icicles that come with sitting in the cold. The Bills will wear their new “Cold Front” uniforms on October 5th in the Week Five Sunday Night Football matchup versus the Patriots.
New England Patriots – Nor’easter
“The Nor’easter is here.” With a number font reminiscent of the Drew Bledsoe era, the Patriots’ new threads are primarily storm blue and white, but the blue is not the normal Patriot blue, as it is more like the color of the ocean with crashing waves of a New England storm. Since the Patriots are the only NFL team to represent an entire region, the collar features six stars that represent the six New England states, and the shoulder features a brand new “NE” logo that is inspired by nautical lettering and compass points. The matte white helmet represents snow, and the silver facemask represents the icy cold that defines the region’s harsh winters. The shoulder stripe design is the same with new colors, but the pant stripe design has netting, reflecting the harbor workers who operate on the New England coast. Lastly, the inside collar has the phrase “We Are All Patriots”. The Patriots will wear these uniforms in the Week 11 home matchup versus the New York Jets.
New York Jets – Gotham City Football
The Jets’ new “Gotham City Football” uniforms have a handful of interesting new qualities. From the new color, custom number font, and a shoulder patch design never thought of on an NFL jersey. Starting with the shoulder patch, the design should look familiar to anyone living in a city like New York, as the pattern was inspired by New York manhole covers. The numbers don’t have a direct inspiration, but they fit the vibe of the uniform extremely well. The pants are Gotham Green with Iron Ore and black stripes, with the jersey featuring the same aspects and color palette. The helmet is matte black with a design strip down the middle, which features a sleek Jet logo above the facemask and the words “Gotham City Football” on the back. The “Gotham City Football” look will debut in Week 14, versus the Miami Dolphins on December 7th, 2025.
Miami Dolphins – Dark Waters
The new Miami Dolphins uniforms are not a disappointment. Many believed it would be a replica of the Miami Heat’s Vice uniforms, and it is, sort of. With an all-black jersey with highlights of their primary and secondary colors, it provides enough splash to prove opponents may be in over their heads when they meet the Dolphins in dark waters. The number font is the exact same, but instead of outlining the numbers in the secondary color, it is an inward shading of a dark version of the aqua used. Whereas the base helmet is a white sun, orange rays with an aqua dolphin, the new all-black helmet shows a black dolphin with an aqua sun background with the same orange rays, perfectly flipping the design while remaining true to the all-black look. The Dolphins will wear the “Dark Waters” uniform on September 29th, 2025, in the Week Four matchup with the New York Jets.
