UniWrap24: Reviewing the NFL’s All Black Uniforms

One of the more popular trends in the NFL is for teams to go full Icy White or Icy White below the neck (10 teams in 2024 went full mono-white, 17 more wore all-white below the neck), but the all-black uniform is still a popular option. Some teams are what we call BFBS (Black for Black’s Sake) while others have black as a team color; some go all-black as an alternate look, while a couple teams have gone all-black as part of their primary uniform. One team wears all-black as its CR uniform.

But no matter how teams come to go full black, there were probably more teams to wear it than you’d think. If you had to guess, how many teams wore an all-black look at least once in 2024?

It’s not quite as many as those who went Icy White, but it’s still 1/4th of the league: that’s right, 8 teams went all-black in 2024. This list will only include teams that wore head-to-toe black. There were a number of teams who wore all-black below the neck (Saints, Lions, for example) and a couple teams have very dark (but not black) mono uniforms (Titans, Texans, for example). But for today we’re just concerned with mono-black teams.

Here’s a look at all of them.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals all-black is their alternate uniform, and it was worn three times this past season (the maximum for an alternate). While these technically fall into the BFBS category, the Cardinals first introduced a black alternate jersey back in 2010. In 2017, the team added black pants and socks, creating the (then) Color Rush uniform. When the NFL dropped its one-shell rule in 2022, the Cardinals added a black helmet, creating their first all-black uniform. Finally, the team redesigned for 2023, creating the all-black combo seen above. Perhaps the biggest complaint is the red numbers outlined in silver don’t provide enough contrast and can almost disappear depending on lighting. Overall, strictly as a uniform, it isn’t terrible, but the numbers could be more legible and the Cardinals wordmark on the sleeve stripe needs to go.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons have worn black since their inception (although from 1971 through 1989 they were predominately red), and first wore an all-black combination in 2003, when they introduced black pants into their uniform lineup. Most agree the uniform design is not great, with a giant ATL wordmark on the chest, bespoke number fonts and red angular side panels. Despite all that, the Falcons’ all-black uniforms are almost a signature look. When you see this uniform, you don’t need a scorebug to know it’s them. The Falcons went all-black four times in 2024.

Baltimore Ravens

For reasons I cannot entirely explain, I have always loved the Ravens in mono-black — and for a team with stripeless pants, I would normally hate the look. It’s a combination the team has worn since 2004 (although in 2008 and 2009 they did not), so maybe I’m just used to it. But regardless, I think the Ravens in all-black may be my favorite mono-black uniform. The Ravens went with this combo only once this past season.

Carolina Panthers

Full mono-black is a relatively new look for the Panthers, who have only worn it since 2022, when the NFL allowed teams to wear a second helmet. Since the helmet is considered an alternate, it sees only minimal on-field use. Prior to this season, the Panthers wore the black helmet only with the all-black elements, but in 2024, the Panthers paired the black helmet with their Process blue jerseys for two games. The team had previously worn their silver primary helmets with the mono-black (in fact, they still do pair them together, including once this season), but I don’t like that combo at all. Adding the black helmet makes this look mono and actually looks pretty good. I know the Panthers love to trot out different many different uni combos throughout the season, but they should permanently drop the silver helmet with the mono-black below the neck. It’s a fine look with the black hat. Awful without.

New York Jets

Ugh. This may be the worst of all the mono-blacks, and this is the ultimate BFBS uniform. The Jets first went with an all-black uniform (but green helmet) back in 2019, when they introduced their previous uniform set. When the NFL permitted a second shell in 2022, the Jets immediately added the black hat to complete the full mono-BFBS outfit. When the team redesigned for this past season, essentially returning to the “Sack Exchange” uniforms the team wore in the 80s/90s, it was hoped they’d stick to green and white versions. But no, they created another BFBS kit, this time following the stripe/design pattern of the Sack Exchange uniforms. Fortunately, the black helmet and jersey are both considered alternates, and so will see limited use. They wore mono-black thrice in 2022, but just once in 2023 (and that was on Black Friday). This past season the team wore it twice. Which is two times too many.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are somewhat like the Jets in that they had previously worn mono-black below the neck, but weren’t able to go full mono until the one-shell rule was lifted. But that’s where the similarities end — the Eagles first wore all-black below the neck in 2014, and have worn it in every season since, and black is a part of the Eagles color scheme — so it’s not BFBS. But it’s still not an attractive uniform, and their midnight green is pretty dark anyway, so having an all-black uniform isn’t that much different than if they were to wear mono-midnight green. The Eagles went mono-black just once in 2024. But here’s a fun fact — the Eagles in all-black (with or without black helmet) seems to be the team’s de facto home uniform when they play the New York Giants. In fact, since 2014, when the Eagles introduced the all-black uniform, they have worn it against the Giants every season except for 2017.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Although the Steelers have a black helmet and jersey, their all-black uniform is actually their Color Rush outfit, so it too sees limited use. They debuted the all-black look in 2016, and have worn it at least once a year since. Both the jersey and pants were created specifically for the CR, as the jersey features only black and gold, and the numbers are in a block font. The black pants have only been paired with the CR jersey, and they are the inverse of the normal gold pants they wear (black pants with a thick gold stripe). Although the Steelers look excellent in black over gold, I actually like seeing the CR mono-black once a season. And I’d love to see (at least once) the team pair their white jerseys with the black pants, but so far they have not done so. The all-black was worn just once in 2024.

Washington Commanders

Another ugh! This one gives the Jets some competition as the worst BFBS uniform in the NFL. Some view this uniform (as well as the Commanders’ entire set) as former Daniel Snyder’s final “F-U” to Washington, and it’s almost a certainty the team will have new uniforms sooner rather than later. Although technically the team must wear this set another two years (to fulfill the mandatory 5-year rule), it’s possible the NFL may give the Commanders an exemption and allow them to redesign sooner than that. This uni is better than the Jets BFBS only because the helmet and uni numbers are much more visible than on the Jets’, but worse in almost every other way. It could just be an optical illusion, but the NOB and number appear to be a different shade of gold, and while the pants appear stripeless, they actually have a very subtle camo pattern for a pants stripe. That same subtle pattern is also on the shoulder caps. The sooner the team ditches this BFBS nightmare, the better. It was worn twice this season.

Which of these do you think looks best? Worst? And which teams should completely scrap the look?