Despite the low ranking, the Jets weren’t the worst in the AFC East
Endeavors that scrape the bottom of the NFL barrel are, alas, nothing new ever since the New York Jets introduced a new “Gotham Green” aesthetic in 2019.
USA Today’s For the Win website was the latest to pile on with its ranking of the NFL’s 32 helmet designs. The list topped by the timeless half-logo look of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Jets, on the other hand, ranked 29th, besting only Denver, New England, and Tennessee.
List curator Christian D’Andrea acknowledges the Jets’ good intentions with the team’s current helmet, a glossy emerald look that resembles their headwear from the 1980s. The relatively minimalist logo sticker, on the other hand, seems to be torn away from the oval logo that has repped the Jets throughout their history and received a slight update upon the 2019 makeover.
D’Andrea, however, declares that trying to please every generation leads only to aesthetic disaster.
“The Jets’ new helmets attempt to straddle the line between their past and the design that replaced it through the 80s and 90s,” he writes. “The result is a compromise that pleases no one. Yep, they’re the Jets all right.”
The Jets’ modern look has received a mixed response amongst the fanbase. Many have expressed a desire to see their prior design return (the ones worn from 1998 through 2018 and served as an updated take on the 1960s-style uniforms). Fans also expected a green helmet to yield a 1980s-style throwback, which could have been one of the few “accurate” visits to the past based on the NFL’s one-shell rule. While that rule has been rescinded (with the New England Patriots among those taking advantage), team owner Woody Johnson has hinted at a desire to see the 80s return, complete with the “speedbird” logo sticker.
The Los Angeles Chargers and New Orleans Saints sit behind the Steelers in the top spots of For the Win‘s list, while Atlanta and Dallas round out the top five. Buffalo’s white-emblemed helmets are the highest-ranked AFC East cap at No. 14, and Miami came in at No. 25.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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I love the glossy green look. The lettering is fine by me but some of the 80’s lettering with modern updates are fine also. I have no issues with the current uniform look except I’m not a fan of the all green. Would love to see a matching with the black and green combo.
Couldn’t disagree more. I’m biased but here’s my take. It took a while, but I actually love the new helmets now. Yes, it’s trying to be both “classic” and “80’s” modern, (or double classic?) but they accidentally stumbled onto a simpler, more refined version of the logo. Classic font mixed with modern “mid-century” minimalism. Perfect.
And while I agree that the Titans and the Pats are indeed terrible, (I don’t mind the Broncos). I think there’s other helmets much worse than any of these. Bucs, Ravens, Texans, Jaguars. All horrible. Seahawks (Logo is okay but those colors, old & new, yuck!)
PS – Your link doesn’t match the article. It has Jets at 11, which I think is fairer. Were you looking at an older article?
PPS – Less of a fan of the uniforms. Especially the pointy stripes. But it looks okay when it’s all black.
Your link goes to January. Here’s the new link you meant to use: https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/nfl-helmet-logos-rankings
Interesting that the Jets fell from 11th down to the low 20’s. People be hatin’ on the Jets now that they had the draft of the century and are about to shock the world! ;).