NFL Power Rankings: Ranking all 32 NFL helmets from worst to first

Taking a look at all 32 NFL teams, and rating their lids on game days.

By Bryan Anthony Davis@btscbad Jun 23, 2019, 11:43am EDT

The most recognizable symbol of any NFL team is their headgear. Some just don’t get it right and switch every couple of years. Others are constant, consistent and will remain iconic forever. BTSC has ranked each helmet from 32 to 1 and, of course, bias will reign supreme. Lets take a look.

No. 32 Cleveland Browns

It’s hard for me to get excited about a plain, orange helmet with a brown stripe. I get that this is a traditional look that they’ve been sporting for nearly 60 years...but I find these lids mind-numbingly blah.

No. 31 Cincinnati Bengals

NFL: Cincinnati Bengals at Green Bay Packers

Everybody was intrigued in 1981 when Cincy removed their nickname from the helmets in favor of the stripes. But I liked the simplicity of the old helmets over this exaggerated monstrosity.

No. 30 New England Patriots

NFL: AFC Championship Game-New England Patriots at Kansas City Chiefs

This is not anti-New England bias here. This is just an ugly helmet and a hokey logo. Robert Kraft wanted the Patriot to resemble Elvis and it happened. However, Pat Patriot and the white helmet was a top five headgear. The team may be a winner, but this look gets an “L”.

No. 29 Carolina Panthers

NFL: Miami Dolphins at Carolina Panthers

The uniforms are sharp, but the logo is a semi-angry cat that looks way too cartoony. Plus, it’s way too big and in your face.

No. 28 Denver Broncos

NFL: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs

I hate this helmet. Like the Pats, they need to go back to the 70s. That helmet was awesome. They have flirted with a darker blue version of the old hat while wearing their Color Rush garb, that’s a more than acceptable update and modernization over the ghastly horse and the goofy stripes we’ve looked at since 1997.

No. 27 Arizona Cardinals

NFL: Arizona Cardinals at Kansas City Chiefs

I thought this helmet was boring in the 70s. For a team that keeps tinkering with modernizing their unis, they need to do something with their bonnets.

No. 26 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFL: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals

Tampa’s creamsicle helmets of 1976-1997 featured Bucco Bruce, a winking, porn-stache sporting gem that just screamed 1970s. The switch to pewter and the “Jolly Roger” wasn’t too bad, but its’ enlargement in 2014 is so very gaudy.

No. 25 Jacksonville Jaguars

The current Jags lid is not that bad, it just isn’t classic. I did like the two-tone gold morphing into black from 2017 a little better. That would have been slightly higher in the list.

No. 24 Buffalo Bills

People like this classic look a lot better than I do. I liked the red versions worn from 1986-2010 much better. Boy mostly, I don’t really care for the logo or the team name. A fan contest helped select the moniker as a tribute to frontiersman Buffalo Bill Cody. Had the teams remained the Bisons, this helmet would be top ten.

No. 23 Houston Texans

NFL: Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars

This helmet was originally set to be white upon theteam’s expansion debut in 2002. The switch to Navy was a good move. I like the helmet but the busy logo is trying too hard to pay tribute to Texas and look like a bull.

No. 22 Philadelphia Eagles

NFL: Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers

This would be a top five helmet for me had it remained kelly green. The midnight green is too dark and takes away from an outstanding logo.

No. 21 Los Angeles Rams

While the white horn logo is much better than the gold of the 2000s, the blue and yellow look is the most easy on the eyes. The Rams will don those as well in 2019, blurring the color lines for what’s official. This is a nice piece of haberdashery, but until the team makes up their minds...I won’t either.

No. 20 Miami Dolphins

I want to like the Dolphins protective and decorative gear, but this is tough. The color scheme is pleasing, but the updated logo drops the beach ball. The dolphin on the helmet needs one of his own like before. Now he’s just boring.

No. 19 Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons have a pretty sleek helmet and have been sporting the black look since Jerry Glanville’s arrival in 1990. But the original red is so much more aesthetically pleasing and the current version seems tired. What a lot of people don’t realize is that the logo is actually the letter “F”.

No. 18 Chicago Bears

This has been the Bears helmet since the 1960s and is a classic much like the Yankees ball cap. The logo has been updated in some concept art with a bear protruding out of the wishbone “C” , but don’t expect it to ever appear on the field of battle.

No. 17 Indianapolis Colts

NFL: AFC Wild Card-Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans

The horseshoe is still simple but cool after all of these years. It’s nothing blockbuster, but it works.

No. 16 New York Giants

The NY is much better than the written out GIANTS from the 70s, 80s and 90s, but I still find it average and would love to see it updated slightly to represent the “Big Apple” in a more epic fashion that it deserves

No. 15 Detroit Lions

This helmet has had slight updates over the years, but it seems bolder and better than ever before. The Honolulu Blue lion jumps off of the rich silver background with great ferocity. If only the team represented itself in such fashion.

No. 14 Minnesota Vikings

The purple matte finish toughens up the Vike’s look and the white horn is featured brightly with a gold accent. The team has only updated slightly since the 1960s and is pretty iconic.

No. 13 Baltimore Ravens

NFL: Baltimore Ravens at Carolina Panthers

Sure, I hate the Ravens. But I give credit where it’s due. The bird is menacing and flies off of the sleek black background. Not a fan of the stripes, but overall a cool look.

No. 12 Tennessee Titans

NFL: Minnesota Vikings at Tennessee Titans

Just changing colors made a boring helmet cool...just like that. The logo is still just okay, but it is meant to tribute the state flag of Tennessee. Many will debate this high of a ranking, but the navy does it for me.

No. 11 New Orleans Saints

NFL: New Orleans Saints-Los Angeles Chargers Joint Practice

The Saints helmet best personifies the region in which the team calls home than any other. The gold finish and black fleur de lis is a perfect design and color scheme for this franchise.

No. 10 New York Jets

The Jets went the classic route the last 20 years with the white and green, but the new millennial update is a fresh take on the jade green of the 80s and 90s.

No. 9 Kansas City Chiefs

NFL: Green Bay Packers at Kansas City Chiefs

The red helmet has been sported by the team forever and it’s simply a great look. The arrowhead shaped logo pops off of the helmet. The league needs more red and KC rocks it.

No. 8 Seattle Seahawks

NFL: Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals

I’ve always liked the Seahawks helmet whether silver or blue, the logo is aggressive tribute too the osprey indigenous to Washington state. Seahawk blue really stands out and represents with intimidation.

No. 7 Washington Redskins

NFL: Washington Redskins at Tennessee Titans

This is probably the most controversial ranking because of political correctness, but the burgundy and gold is a stunning look and the logo juts out with authority. It’s classic look. Even if they bow to criticism and replace the Native American with the letter “W”, this is a top tenner.

No. 6 Green Bay Packers

Here’s another classic that probably won’t change, except the “G” logo seems less original with it being given out to Georgia and Grambling State. Nonetheless, this is pretty much a gold standard in the NFL.

No. 5 San Francisco 49ers

NFL: Oakland Raiders at San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers helmet is fairly simple, but it’s just perfect. They messed with the stripes and tried to change it back in 1993, but public outcry was way too much. With them back to basics, the Niners have a top five lid.

No. 4 Los Angeles Chargers

The lightning bolt has always been cool, but now that the Chargers have converted to yellow face masks for 2019, this helmet absolutely wins.

No. 3 Dallas Cowboys

NFL: Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals

The Cowboys look is iconic. Probably the star is more recognized than in all of sports.

No. 2 Oakland Raiders

NFL: Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs

I have never liked this team, but there is a certain mystique to the helmet. The color scheme is perfect and the pirate is nothing short of badass.

No. 1 Pittsburgh Steelers

NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals

Before I get accused of bias in any fashion, I will fully admit that claim that my ranking of my favorite team’s helmet over all others is indeed biased. But you gotta admit, this is an incredible look. With the most selection of color of any other team, the shiny black finish is an aesthetic delight accented with a bright gold stripe and the bright white and colorful Steel logo popping off the right side in epic fashion. Steeler fan or not...this is the most classic of them all.