NFL by mcrosby: 2024 Edition (7 of 32, Cincinnati)

[mcrosby]

I've done an NFL redesign before, first in 2018 and then again in 2020.  I look back on those once in a while and see some things I would do differently, and I'm a big fan of re-doing projects as a way to gauge development, creativity, etc. Since 2020 the NFL has changed some uniform rules, and uniform trends across the big4 have changed as well.

I'll be revisiting the rebrands I had previously done, making edits and expanding upon what I'd done. Some will be drastically different from 2020, others will have very little change. Every team will have a logo different from their current, even though some should NEVER be touched. Each team will have a Home, Away, Alternate, and Hall of Fame Game uniform. Let's pretend the NFL will have a HoF game each week, or something like that. The HoF sets will be what I think each team could have looked like back in the early years of the NFL. Some will use direct adaptations of historic uniforms, some will be amalgamations, some will use defunct identities, and others will be 100% fauxback. 

I'm much busier than I was back during 2018 and 2020, so this project might take quite a while. I'm working with a new template, so I'd happily take C&C on the template layout as well. Let's begin!

Arizona Cardinals: 
Only minor changes to the 2020 rebrand. Last time around C&C was that the new Desert Cardinal was a bit too chubby. I don't usually listen to body shaming, but the criticism wasn't wrong. I've stuck with the Desert Cardinal over the more common Northern Cardinal because I believe it's far more unique and allows for a really great color combination. 

Home: Striping is nearly the same as back in 2020. Striping like this hasn't really been used in the NFL, and though the Cards have history with more standard stripes, I think they could get away with this. The stripe is derived from the star and center 'ray' from the Arizona flag. The stripe is added to the helmet, the first helmet stripe for the Cardinals. 

Away: Same as home. Obviously the pants/socks are interchangeable, but this is the way I'd prefer they be worn. 

Alternate: Leaning even further into the flag, the jersey features the flag's rays on the shoulders, with a metallic copper in place of yellow. The helmet is in the same metallic copper, with the cardinal's facial features acting as a modern take on the classic winged helmets of yesteryear. 

Hall ofFame: Introducing the LONG SLEEVED JERSEY. Rutgers tried the long sleeve a few years back, and I've wanted more ever since. HoF jerseys will feature long sleeves across the league. The Cardinals HoF look is a nearly direct adaptation of the Chicago Cardinals 1921 uniform. 

[DCarp1231]

You keep doubling the years between concept threads. Once this one is finished, we won’t get another one for 8 years!

 

Anyway, I dig these. However, I prefer the 2020 logo to the modified 2024 one.

 

Keep up the good work! Always a pleasure to have your concepts here.

[mcrosby]

Atlanta Falcons: 
Again, fairly minor changes to the 2020 logo. I've opted for a neon outline, mostly because I was a big fan of the Atlanta Hawks red and neon. I've changed the angle of the logo to be more like Atlanta's original logo, along with some minor changed to angles and rounded edges. 

Home: nearly a standard stripe, but tapered to match the feathers in the logo. Nothing groundbreaking here. 

Away: I played with neon for the away instead of white, but the white really pops. 

Alternate: A bit of an amalgam uniform, but mostly the 1989 uniform that Prime began his career in. I tried adding some gold in, like the original 1966 helmet, but it ended up being muddier than I liked. 

Hall ofFame: The Falcons have only been around since 1966, and there wasn't much for pro football before them. Instead of a completely new fauxback, I went with something inspired by the Georgia Bulldogs turn of the century uniforms. The main difference is the lack of vest. 

 

[mcrosby]

Baltimore Ravens: 
I liked the 2020 logo, but wanted less gold. I've kept it to the outline and the eye. I've also opted for a more lavendary purple to add some contrast and to make the colorway unique. 

Home: A complete departure from previous sets, the shoulders feature an iridescent Maryland/Baltimore flag pattern. The iridescence carries into the pants stripe and the helmet. I've included a similar gradient in the socks to avoid the unitard look. The helmet keeps the Ravens unique striping, but in a more contrasting gold. 

Away: Instead of a more subtle shoulder pattern in light grey or keeping shoulders in black, I opted for keeping the iridescent pattern on the shoulder and pants. I also brought it into the name/numbers. 

Alternate: Leaning further into the purple gradient and a bunch of gold outlines. It's not going to be everyone's favorite, but I think the Ravens could pull it off. 

Hall of Fame: There were some classic looks around the league in 1996 when a team came to Baltimore. I didn't want to lean into the Browns history for inspiration, because the Ravens don't deserve the Browns storied history. Instead we've got a completely new creation. I've used a diamond motif on the jersey. Diamonds graced some uniforms in the early days of the NFL, and they aren't so far off from the flag motif. I've also used the winged helmet for this winged team. 

 

[neo_prankster]

Each team unveiled so far you've nailed with the Reverse Retros.

 

Particularly, the Ravens reverse retro/Fauxback can easily evoke the silks worn by jockeys at Pimlico.

 

When you get around to the Rams, all I ask is to fix the helmet horns.

 

If today's helmets don't really allow the horn to curl around the ear hole like it used to...

 

Try a smoother version of the horn from 1949.

[mcrosby]

Buffalo Bills: 
The first major logo change from 2020. I rated my 2020 Bills logo among the best in the series, but as time passed it fell further and further and is now among my least favorite. It feels too collegiate, maybe.  The new logo is closer to the current, but beefed up and simplified. 

Home: Very similar to the 2020 set. The Bills have been using stripes and stripes and stripes for a while now, but I think they'd be better served with a simpler stripe scheme. These stripes are directly from the red streak in the logo and cross onto the chest instead of being stuck on just the caps. 

Away: An inverse of the home. You'll start to notice that I'm a big proponent of Home and Away being a matching pair. With the 4 uniforms per team this will likely be the case throughout. For this set of H&A I'd be fine with pants swapping, so long as socks are opposite color to the pants. 

Alternate: The Bills will get some home field advantage come December, but they may want to stick to the run game as finding whiteout receivers in whiteout conditions might be a bit tough.  Nobody in the NFL really uses baby blue, so I figured this would be the perfect opportunity. The NFL seems to be going the direction of patterns within numbers, so I gave that a try. The NFL Referees Association is already penning a letter addressing the visibility issues of this set. 

Hall of Fame: This set is based on the 1946 Buffalo Bisons, with the winged helmet altered to really show of those bison horns. 

[neo_prankster]

43 minutes ago, mcrosby said:

Buffalo Bills: 
The first major logo change from 2020. I rated my 2020 Bills logo among the best in the series, but as time passed it fell further and further and is now among my least favorite. It feels too collegiate, maybe.  The new logo is closer to the current, but beefed up and simplified. 

Home: Very similar to the 2020 set. The Bills have been using stripes and stripes and stripes for a while now, but I think they'd be better served with a simpler stripe scheme. These stripes are directly from the red streak in the logo and cross onto the chest instead of being stuck on just the caps. 

Away: An inverse of the home. You'll start to notice that I'm a big proponent of Home and Away being a matching pair. With the 4 uniforms per team this will likely be the case throughout. For this set of H&A I'd be fine with pants swapping, so long as socks are opposite color to the pants. 

Alternate: The Bills will get some home field advantage come December, but they may want to stick to the run game as finding whiteout receivers in whiteout conditions might be a bit tough.  Nobody in the NFL really uses baby blue, so I figured this would be the perfect opportunity. The NFL seems to be going the direction of patterns within numbers, so I gave that a try. The NFL Referees Association is already penning a letter addressing the visibility issues of this set. 

Hall of Fame: This set is based on the 1946 Buffalo Bisons, with the winged helmet altered to really show of those bison horns. 

You have Atlanta Falcons written on the top left.

[mcrosby]

9 minutes ago, neo_prankster said:

You have Atlanta Falcons written on the top left.

Thanks. Edited. Got any other feedback? 

[neo_prankster]

36 minutes ago, mcrosby said:

Thanks. Edited. Got any other feedback? 

If you can make the eye bigger that would help. Otherwise, that tiny eye would not be noticeable when reproduced in smaller sizes.

[Bomba Tomba]

On 4/23/2024 at 11:31 AM, mcrosby said:

Baltimore Ravens: 
I liked the 2020 logo, but wanted less gold. I've kept it to the outline and the eye. I've also opted for a more lavendary purple to add some contrast and to make the colorway unique. 

Home: A complete departure from previous sets, the shoulders feature an iridescent Maryland/Baltimore flag pattern. The iridescence carries into the pants stripe and the helmet. I've included a similar gradient in the socks to avoid the unitard look. The helmet keeps the Ravens unique striping, but in a more contrasting gold. 

Away: Instead of a more subtle shoulder pattern in light grey or keeping shoulders in black, I opted for keeping the iridescent pattern on the shoulder and pants. I also brought it into the name/numbers. 

Alternate: Leaning further into the purple gradient and a bunch of gold outlines. It's not going to be everyone's favorite, but I think the Ravens could pull it off. 

Hall of Fame: There were some classic looks around the league in 1996 when a team came to Baltimore. I didn't want to lean into the Browns history for inspiration, because the Ravens don't deserve the Browns storied history. Instead we've got a completely new creation. I've used a diamond motif on the jersey. Diamonds graced some uniforms in the early days of the NFL, and they aren't so far off from the flag motif. I've also used the winged helmet for this winged team. 

 

This would be sick if the home was an extremely dark purple instead

 

They own that color in the AFC, plus the division has 2 black teams already, including their rivals

[mcrosby]

10 hours ago, Bomba Tomba said:

This would be sick if the home was an extremely dark purple instead

 

They own that color in the AFC, plus the division has 2 black teams already, including their rivals

They do own purple, but black is such a raveny color I think it has to stay. Plus, they may be the only AFCN team with black as their primary color in this series...

[Chi-Tex_Kidd]

14 hours ago, mcrosby said:

Buffalo Bills: 
The first major logo change from 2020. I rated my 2020 Bills logo among the best in the series, but as time passed it fell further and further and is now among my least favorite. It feels too collegiate, maybe.  The new logo is closer to the current, but beefed up and simplified. 

Home: Very similar to the 2020 set. The Bills have been using stripes and stripes and stripes for a while now, but I think they'd be better served with a simpler stripe scheme. These stripes are directly from the red streak in the logo and cross onto the chest instead of being stuck on just the caps. 

Away: An inverse of the home. You'll start to notice that I'm a big proponent of Home and Away being a matching pair. With the 4 uniforms per team this will likely be the case throughout. For this set of H&A I'd be fine with pants swapping, so long as socks are opposite color to the pants. 

Alternate: The Bills will get some home field advantage come December, but they may want to stick to the run game as finding whiteout receivers in whiteout conditions might be a bit tough.  Nobody in the NFL really uses baby blue, so I figured this would be the perfect opportunity. The NFL seems to be going the direction of patterns within numbers, so I gave that a try. The NFL Referees Association is already penning a letter addressing the visibility issues of this set. 

Hall of Fame: This set is based on the 1946 Buffalo Bisons, with the winged helmet altered to really show of those bison horns. 

I like the jerseys but I think the logo could use some work it looks a little akward with just two legs and a little like a drumstick. Would love to it with 4 legs or a color swap of last year’s to match the normal coloring.

[mcrosby]

21 minutes ago, Chi-Tex_Kidd said:

I like the jerseys but I think the logo could use some work it looks a little akward with just two legs and a little like a drumstick. Would love to it with 4 legs or a color swap of last year’s to match the normal coloring.

Let's call it an homage to buffalo wings? I'll mess around with going back to 4 legs and increasing the size of the eye. 

[mcrosby]

[Chi-Tex_Kidd]

That bottom one is much better. Reminds me of how the Jets just cleaned up their logo.

[MJD7]

This series seems very adventurous so far, I appreciate your creativity & willingness to try new ideas, as that's something I often struggle with. Just some comments on each of the teams so far:

• Arizona: I love the "Copper State" alternate, just as I did in your previous series.
• Atlanta: I also really dug the red & neon look for the Hawks, but I'm not sure how I feel about it for the Falcons. Maybe it could work as an accent to a helmet stripe (like they used to have a bit of gold in their stripe), but as the main color of the logo besides black it's a bit distracting.
• Baltimore: I actually don't hate the lavender-to-black-back-to lavender gradient of the alternate, it makes sense with the shimmering of a raven's feathers. I'd be curious to see how something like that would look in real life.
• Buffalo: The Bills traditional-style set works really well for them, but if they ever decided to go the more "modern" route, this would be about perfect. The "Blizzard Bills" alternate is really fun.

Looking forward to seeing the rest!

[mcrosby]

Carolina Panthers: 
Some minor changes to the 2020 logo, but changes that I think vastly improve it. Whiskers and eyes are the major changes here, as well as just overall cleanup of the linework. I've also abandoned the idea of plum and light blue in favor of black and an even more vibrant version of Panther Blue.  

Home:  If the Texans are going to go away from their beautifully simple uniforms then I've got just the team to make the look their own. The current helmet stripes are a bit too curved, so I've straightened them a bit and added the same stripe to the pants. 

Away: I worry there's not enough black on the white  jersey, but I think this works. Would love to hear everyone's thoughts. 

Alternate: The alternate is an all black uniform, top to bottom. I'd usually avoid this look, but I've decided to give it a try here. Oversized panthers adorn the helmet. 

Hall of Fame: There's some history of pro football in the Carolinas, but very little photographic history. I was able to find some photos from a program of the Charlotte Bantams. I used the helmet from this club and some design cues from the only other NFL club to use the Panther nickname, the Detroit Panthers. 
 

[mcrosby]

Chicago Bears: 
I tried modernizing Chicago's bear logo last time around. Hate it. Loathe it. This time around I went with something I've seen a few  others attempt, but with my own take.  I started by making the wishbone C symmetrical and by removing the outline. I then used the wishbone end of said wishbone C as the space for classic Bears stripes. Like on the uniforms, the stripes on the logo change based on their background. 

Home:  The Bears uniforms are classics, and I didn't want to change much on home or away. For the home I've switched numbers to orange with no outline, same with the striping, moved GSH to the back neck, and put some Chicago stars on the inner collar because apparently the Bears used to be good at football. Must have been before my time. 

Away: See above. These away explanations are getting boring. But I like what I like and what I like is matching home and away. 

Alternate: By now we all know the Chicago flag. It's perfect and I love it and now it's on the Bears uniform. The Cs on the helmet have striping to reflect the new flag striping.  

Hall of Fame: The Bears nailed it with their 1936 throwbacks. They did not nail it with their orange jerseys and orange helmets. Here I've created a bit of an amalgam of former Bears looks so that they could use the orange helmets in a throwback situation. 

 

[Wildcomet]

I get that many would say to never change the Bears logo, but if one were to, I think the way you did incorporating their striping pattern into it is a great way to go! It feels very Chicago Bears to me. Like many others I am down with the Chicago flag motif and it looks great on that uniform template.

[mcrosby]

I'm struggling to come up with a good logo for Cincinatti. Would love to hear some suggestions!