Hello everyone! Welcome back to Hussey’s Huddle!

Today, we take a step back from the on-field analysis we are accustomed, to look at something more laid-back and fun: a 1-32 list of my favourite current NFL logos. And boy, this one was a doozy.

This type of ranking article is rarely easy, forcing someone to often nitpick to form a complete list. It becomes even harder when the topic is extremely subjective as in the case of judging logo aesthetics.

Yet, this is what we have assembled here today. The criteria for this one is hard to define, but personally, I have valued elements like uniqueness, colour preferences and how memorable each logo is in my experience following the league.

Ultimately, many of these logos, in my opinion, are constrained by their mascot choice, with some not allowing for a bunch of instant design ideas. Additionally, I apologize in advance for fans of bird or cat teams, who–with a few exceptions–were at a disadvantage when evaluating this list. I actually like the vast majority of the 32 logos overall, but some just stand out more than others.

Everyone will have different preferences for this one, so please make sure to let us know in the comments what some of your favourite NFL logos are and where you think we went wrong!

Now, from the bottom to the top, off we go…

32. Chicago Bears

Someone had to be last on a list like this, and that “honour” unfortunately is given to the Bears. Chicago just has a “C” as their logo and while it is vintage and longstanding, other logos featuring only letters have more exciting colour schemes to me, along with occasional other wrinkles not seen here.

31. Cleveland Browns

Though my favourite colour is orange, there isn’t much to be excited about with Cleveland’s logo, with it being a plain helmet. I think the Browns could benefit from some sort of re-design, perhaps more towards the animal that many associate with the team: dogs.

30. Los Angeles Rams

This is the most recent logo change, and I can see what the Rams’ were trying to do here. However, my issue is that the team already had a fantastic existing-logo that was replaced by…this? The horn coming out of the “A” just comes off to me as the team trying to be too clever.

29. Kansas City Chiefs

Another one that doesn’t excite me too much. Kansas City has great uniforms, but their logo just doesn’t have enough colour that jumps out at me. This is an example of a team that might have restrained design choices due to their nickname.

28. New York Jets

I think the Jets’ logo has potential but to me it falls short when stacked up against the others. Personally, the gang-green colour isn’t my favourite, but my bigger problem is that the silhouette could be changed to some sort of fighter-jet while still encompassing all the other elements.

27. Houston Texans

There isn’t anything wrong with using a bull for representing a “Texan” on paper, in fact, most people probably couldn’t come up with any better design idea. However, the Texans use a shade of blue that I’m not a huge fan of and use a star within the logo itself, which was popularized by their giant in-state rival the Dallas Cowboys. It just comes off as little brother-ish.

26. Cincinnati Bengals

Nothing against the Bengals, but I would go a different way with the design choice rather than using just a letter. The Bengals are a great team name, and I feel like they could still incorporate the letter in some more elaborate, ambitious, design of the jungle cat.

25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I don’t really know what to say about this one. It’s okay, but I feel like one petty complaint I have is with using a third sword as the handle for the flag. A pirate with an eye-patch or a ship would be more exciting in my opinion, but this one does the job just fine.

24. Jacksonville Jaguars

We have arrived at the cat-tier–Cincinnati notwithstanding. Jacksonville’s logo is relatively new and very detailed, but I’m not too big of a fan of the colour choice here, particularly the blue tongue.

23. Carolina Panthers

Carolina ranks above Jacksonville for me due to colour preferences. It isn’t as detailed as the Jaguar but the Panther shares many of the same qualities in facial design.

22. Detroit Lions

Detroit is a bit different than Carolina and Jacksonville, which is why I have put the Lions in front. Instead of focusing just on the face aspect of the cat, the Lions go for an all-inclusive, full-body look. It struggles due to a lack of a secondary colour, though their shade of blue is one I like.

21. Washington Redskins

With the controversial nickname surrounding the team, it was hard to place Washington much higher than this. Still, the feathers on this logo, as well as the yellow perimeter, have always stood out to me as some of the most unique elements seen on NFL logos.

20. Seattle Seahawks

I like Seattle’s logo, but there are just others I think are more unique. One distinguishable element that I like is the green eye, which no other NFL team has.

19. Arizona Cardinals

Arizona has had this logo for a long-time, dating back to 1993. I like their colours more than Seattle but it isn’t very animated in the facial structure, which to me takes away from the character of logos featuring the face of animals.

18. Philadelphia Eagles

Yes, another bird. Once again, there is a focus on the head of the Eagle, but I really like the black border that makes it pop. Additionally, unlike Arizona and Seattle, it feels like an active-figure with the open beak of the bird.

17. Tennessee Titans

I would argue with anyone that Tennessee has one of the best colour schemes in the league. “Titans” isn’t one of the easier namesakes to work with, so the team did a good job adding details, like the flame around the shield. I don’t have a problem with the logo at all, I just find the final 16 to be more memorable.

16. New York Giants

While only letters, the Giants’ logo has such a memorable font to me, with way the N and Y wave. I also think the red borders of the letter fit the shade of blue perfectly, allowing for an extremely readable and appealing look.

15. Minnesota Vikings

When I first sat down to make this list, I thought Minnesota might go higher. My petty complain would be that there is maybe a bit too much going on in the lower half of the logo. On the other hand, the Viking helmet with the horns are iconic.

14. New England Patriots

Those that know me personally are probably thinking “Jason, don’t you hate the Patriots?” To that I say, it depends on the subject matter, as their logo is fantastic. Much like Tennessee, the Patriots don’t have a name that instantly brings to mind design ideas but it is remarkable how much character is put into this one. What stands out to me is that while they include a facial structure, it isn’t distracting so much as to take away from the focus of the wavy-shape of the design. Add in a star that symbolizes American patriotism, and this logo is one of the better you’ll find.

13. Las Vegas Raiders

One of the most unique designs in the NFL, most would probably put the Raiders higher on a list like this. Not many teams could pull off a logo with silver and black as the primary colours but that’s just what the Raiders have done. The only reason I wouldn’t personally have them much higher is that when comparing them to other logos, there perhaps is just a bit too much detail in the interior that isn’t very readable without taking a closer look.

12. Denver Broncos

There aren’t many teams that can pull-off a logo that has significant portions being white, but that is what Denver accomplishes here. With a strong, navy-blue border along with an orange mane, the Broncos have a logo that has a lively-feel.

11. Buffalo Bills

My personal favourite team just misses out on the top 10. Regardless, Buffalo’s logo is incredibly detailed and like Denver, has a focus on motion with the charging buffalo. Top it off with a detailed and unique silhouette, and it is hard to find any complaints.

10. Baltimore Ravens

We’ve reached a point on this list where there isn’t a whole lot of negative to say. Despite being a bird with a facial point of view, the Ravens make up for it with an awesome colour combination, while adding some finer-details like the red-eye.

9. Green Bay Packers

While I did criticize other teams for having just letters as their focus, Green Bay is a little different. For starters, there aren’t many good creative visualizations for the term “Packers” so options are limited. Here, the lettering works due to colours that really make it standout, almost giving me the impression of a packing-stamp.

8. Atlanta Falcons

Welcome to bird-logos done-right. In my view, Atlanta has easily the best logo design of any bird team, primarily since it doesn’t go for a generic facial-view. Instead, there is an emphasis on the whole body, encompassing the wings and talons, while still bringing some attention to the head at the end.

7. San Francisco 49ers

The best of the letter-focused logos, the 49ers are what I think the Chiefs could be with a few design tweaks. The way the S and F intertwine is beautiful, while strong background and border colours give the impression of a strong overall brand.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers

One of the oldest logos on this list, it also happens to have some historical significance. Initially emerging in the late 1960s, the logo, called the “Steelmark”, was used to promote the steel industry of Pittsburgh. When I think NFL, one of the images that pops into my head is the Pittsburgh Steelers and this logo. Perhaps the most unique logo in the entire NFL.

5. Los Angeles Chargers

Sneaking into the top five are the Chargers, who have designated this design as their primary logo since 2017. For all of their current flaws as a franchise, the Chargers have one of the best looks in the NFL, and it is all about the Bolt. To me, turning the bolt yellow in 2007, and adding the powder blue border in 2017 were some of the best design choices in NFL logo history.

4. Indianpolis Colts

I became a huge NFL fan during the mid-2000s to early 2010s, an era that often featured Peyton Manning and the Colts in primetime match-ups that frequently took place in the dome in Indy. The Colts logo, to me, looks fantastic at the midfield stripe of an NFL field, only truly surpassed in my books by the team we will talk about in a second. Ultimately the Horseshoe might not be the most flashy colour wise, but it is super readable and one of the most different you will find.

3. Dallas Cowboys

NFL fans reading this probably expected the Cowboys to rank high after many years of having “America’s Team” shoved down our throats. It is hard to find a team that has a symbol that matches their nickname quite like the Cowboys, who are often associated visually with star badges. The Star’s colour is just perfect when combined with the two outlining borders. Oh, and as mentioned earlier, it looks great during Dallas home-games.

2. New Orleans Saints

Whatever shade it might be throughout the years, the Saints have always kept their iconic silhouette. The shape is one of the most special designs you will see in all of sports, and that’s saying something. It doesn’t hurt that there have been plenty of high-stakes games played involving the Saints throughout my lifetime. In particular, I think the Saints logo really shines on the shoulders of their uniforms.

1. Miami Dolphins

This was an extremely hard decision for me. In deciding my favourite logo for this list, I had an idea of who would end up near the top but no clear one stood out as the best. I have long thought Miami has had good logos, but I had no idea how incredible it could become with a few changes that were implemented in 2018. The more I analyzed it, the more I realized that all the elements that I liked in previous iterations were perfected. The Dolphin, who I thought was greatly improved in 2013’s re-design, was shaded even better in 2018. The background was darkened too, producing the best, most complimentary version yet. In addition to the Dolphin being a perfect mascot fit for the city of Miami, the sun provides a perfect backdrop. It is why it is currently my favourite logo in the NFL today.

Thanks for reading! Where would you have ranked teams differently? Be sure to let us know how we did in the comments below!

Big shoutout to both SportsLogos.net and SportsLogoHistory.com for tracking the logo history for every team!