Which NFL teams have introduced new alternate helmets so far? Cowboys, Giants, Jets...

With the ending of the NFL’s so-called “one-shell rule” which required a team to have only one official helmet, even while allowing for three different uniform designs, teams across the league have taken to trying out new concepts, matching their alternate uniforms better, or simply throwing back to their glory years.

So far, thirteen teams have revealed a new helmet for the coming season, and there is a possibility that two more will join the group. So far, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have announced that they will bring back their Kelly Green and Orange Creamsicle uniforms respectively. But who knows?

There are four teams who have brought back a throwback helmet design and nine teams have revealed an alternate color to pair with their alternate uniforms.

Throwback

New England Patriots

The most iconic of the helmet throwbacks is by far the return of Pat Patriot, to accompany the classic red jerseys that everyone over the age of 30 will remember and associate with the team. Since the introduction of Flying Elvis back in 1993, New England faithful have been calling for the return of Pat Patriot almost non-stop. The red jerseys feature simple blue and white stripes on the sleeves and white numbers, and were worn from the 1960s until Bill Parcells took over the helm in the early 90s.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys have brought back the most popular design in their team’s history, with the classic white helmets that they wore from 1960 to 1964. Prior to the adoption of the “one-shell rule”, the Cowboys played their Thanksgiving Day games in this lid, and now will do so again. This is perhaps the nicest of the throwbacks and a nostalgia that older and younger fans will all have memories of.

New York Giants

The Giants have not just thrown back the helmet, but have thrown all-the-way back, by bringing back their entire uniform set from the 1980s and 90s, the one that they won their first two Super Bowls in. The lighter blue uniforms will be accompanied by the navy helmet with the white face mask a scarlet stripe, featuring the word GIANTS in block lettering. This is the classic New York Giants look and still looks stylish forty years later. They should keep it around forever.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons have now brought back their inaugural red helmets from 1966 to match their uniform throwback from the same era. The lid features a gray face mask and Falcons crest trimmed in white, and featuring a black stripe down the middle trimmed in white and gold.

Alternate

New Orleans Saints

Black and gold is such a classic combination that anything the Saints do is almost guaranteed to come off as classy. In this new iteration, they have simply inverted their colors, with the shell changing from gold to black and the fleur-de-lis changing from black to gold.

They have also gotten rid of the tri-stripe and replaced it with a pattern of tiny fleurs-de-lis running from front to back. This is a great design, simple in its execution, and will be worn with their throwback jerseys, but to be honest, they should probably go with this for their home kit. The good thing about black and gold? It goes with any uniform combination.

New York Jets

The Jets have unveiled a seriously cool matte black helmet that will be worn with their alternate uniforms this season. With their Jets logo in forest green and a chrome-green facemask, this is the first black helmet in Jets history. It looks amazing with the uniform and is sure to be a hit with the tv audience.

Chicago Bears

When it comes to classic looks, few are more staid than the Bears. Never before have their helmets been anything other than navy blue, but they will be trying out orange lids for a few games this season, to accompany their orange jerseys. The new hat will feature a navy blue facemask and a white keyline, and looks pretty cool, actually. Let’s see how it plays on the field.

Houston Texans

The Texans have only been around for a few years now, so there isn’t much to throw back to. They have a seriously underrated “Battle Red” uniform and will now bring on a red helmet to match it with. The new lid will feature a dark blue face mask and will be the very first change of helmet since the debut of the team in 2002.

Washington Commanders

As with the Texans, the Commanders are starting from scratch, having ditched their ties with their old name and logo. Throughout their history, Washington have never worn a black uniform but they have now revealed a new black alternate helmet and uniform combo that looks pretty sharp.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals have gone with a black hat to match their black alternate uniform, a look that is strong, if perhaps a bit disconcerting. This lid can also be worn with their color rush uniform as well making this a pretty viable alternative to the classic white.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles have come out with a black helmet that will only be worn for a single season, making these a limited time issue. They have already committed to bringing back Kelly Green lids in 2023, and for this season all they have done is switch their midnight green for black.

This is the most versatile of the helmets unveiled, since it will go well with all of their uniform combinations and will play well on television. For a one-off, it is a pretty classy design.

Carolina Panthers

With an all-black uniform combo, the Panthers have gone for a matching black lid outlined in baby blue. It is a pretty slick design and will be a breath of fresh air for a team who has never worn anything other than a silver helmet since their inception in 1995.

With their black home jersey and black alternate pants, black socks and shoes and now a black lid? The Panthers are looking too cool for school.

Cincinnati Bengals

The best of the new releases has to go to the Bengals with this white striped helmet to go with their white road uniforms.

Simply replacing the orange with white, the black stripes will remain the same, and now the only orange on the lid will be the Bengals logo on the forehead. This is a simple, yet classic look, and will stand out in a league that leans toward strong colors and dark blacks for 2022. This is a one-of-a-kind look in the league and with a bit of luck, tv audiences could still be seeing this helmet in January when the Bengals go back to the Super Bowl.