Dark Waters and Gotham City: Grading the NFL x Nike Rivalries Uniforms
- Kick The Concrete
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The competition to have the most swag is not slowing down any time soon. The NFL and Nike have introduced Rivalries uniforms starting in the 2025 football season. Eight teams are given a thoughtful uniform design to wear in a home game against a division rival.
The league is starting the program this year with the NFC West and the AFC East. So the Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills are the first teams to receive the uniforms in one of the most intense games on their schedule.
Some of the designs are fresh and exciting. Others... not so much.
Here are Kick The Concrete's grades for the NFL x Nike's Rivalries uniforms:
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals went with a rugged desert look they are calling Built to Last. Honestly, it just looks dirty. Hopefully this design will not last long.
Grade: F
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks have an interesting design called High-Decibel Zone. The details on the shoulders are meant to mimic soundwaves to celebrate their passionate fans, the 12th Man. The foil adds some flair and makes this a pretty decent jersey that's not too loud.
Grade: B+
New York Jets
The New York Jets went dark with a Gotham City theme. This actually feels fresh and different and fierce. With the success of their neighbor Gotham FC — they won the 2023 NWSL championship and this year's Concacaf W Champions Cup — maybe the Jets will channel those winning ways in this uniform.
Grade: A
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins went with a black base to let the orange and aqua pop in a design called Dark Waters. That name has more of a shark vibe, right? Anyways, the design is cool but kind of basic and expected. The Dolphins have the whole Miami Vice idea right in front of them and didn’t use it.
Grade: D
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots hold onto their team identity with a classic twist via this Nor'Easter design. The gray color is aesthetically pleasing and the pops of red, including the stars on the collar, make it a force to be reckoned with.
Grade: B
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are calling this Midnight Mode and the ombre between the black and blue is pretty cool. This is a clever way to incorporate black for something modern while making the shoulders the blue and yellow keeps this grounded in heritage too.
Grade: B+
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are celebrating their fans and honoring their heritage with this design called For the Faithful. But they’ve already done black uniforms and this doesn't have enough to differentiate from those previous jerseys. Ultimately, it just feels lazy.
Grade: C
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills went all-white with their Cold Front design. It isn’t exactly a groundbreaking idea. The Minnesota Vikings also had a strong white look with their Winter Warrior uniforms last season. But the execution of this is ELITE. The shimmer of the silver adds some pizzazz and the texture on the shoulder logo that looks like ice is next level.
Grade: A+
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