Jarrett Bell has been covering the NFL for USA TODAY since 1993 and is a recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Bill Nunn Memorial Award for career achievement. He’s been a member of Hall of Fame selection committee since 1997 and has voted on AP awards and Super Bowl MVP panels for more than 25 years. Each Monday during the 2026 season, he’ll take you around the league as only he can.
ATLANTA – Sitting across the table from Sean Payton, listening to one of the most accomplished play-callers in NFL history explain why he’s turned over the play-calling to rising coaching star Davis Webb, I’m still not fully convinced.
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It was the afternoon before the Denver Broncos opened the preseason and Payton, riding a high after spending a couple days in Canton for the Hall of Fame ceremonies that included the induction of his former quarterback Drew Brees has talked about his decision dozens of times.
Let’s do it again, Sean, as we chatted for more than 90 minutes in the ballroom converted into the dining hall for team meals.
“Is it still something I’m working through? Yeah,” Payton told USA TODAY Sports. “Because I’ve gotten that same question like 50 times. My older brother (Tom), is like, ‘Damn, you’re giving up play-calling?’
“But it has to work.”
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills: Age 36 (Sept. 23, 1989)
(Tina MacIntyre-Yee, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills: Age 36 (Sept. 23, 1989)
(Tina MacIntyre-Yee, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Kellen Moore, New Orleans Saints: Age 38 (July 5, 1988)
(Matthew Hinton, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks: Age 39 (June 26, 1987)
(Steven Bisig, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Mike LaFleur, Arizona Cardinals: Age 39 (March 3, 1987)
(Kirby Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Klint Kubiak, Las Vegas Raiders: Age 39 (Feb. 17, 1987)
(Kirby Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears: Age 40 (May 11, 1986)
(Kamil Krzaczynski, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams: Age 40 (Jan. 24, 1986)
(Kiyoshi Mio, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Liam Coen, Jacksonville Jaguars: Age 40 (Nov. 8, 1985)
(Stephen Lew, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings: Age 41 (May 25, 1985)
(Robert Deutsch, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts: Age 41 (May 11, 1985)
(Christine Tannous, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans: Age 42 (July 28, 1984)
(Troy Taormina, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals: Age 43 (May 10, 1983)
(Sam Greene, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Jesse Minter, Baltimore Ravens: Age 43 (May 9, 1983)
(Lexi Thompson, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Kevin Stefanski, Atlanta Falcons: Age 44 (May 8, 1982)
(Brett Davis, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles: Age 45 (June 15, 1981)
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(Jamie Sabau, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Dave Canales, Carolina Panthers: Age 45 (May 7, 1981)
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(Charles LeClaire, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers: Age 46 (Dec. 14, 1979)
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(Trevor Ruszkowski, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers: Age 46 (Nov. 3, 1979)
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(Dan Powers USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Jeff Hafley, Miami Dolphins: Age 47 (April 4, 1979)
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(Amber Searls, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Robert Saleh, Tennessee Titans: Age 47 (Jan. 31, 1979)
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(Kyle Terada, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions: Age 50 (April 13, 1976)
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(Junfu Han, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots: Age 51 (Aug. 14, 1975)
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(Eric Canha, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys: Age 52 (Oct. 16, 1973)
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(Kirby Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Aaron Glenn, New York Jets: Age 54 (July 16, 1972)
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(Julian Leshay Guadalupe, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders: Age 55 (Sept. 11, 1970)
(Geoff Burke, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Todd Monken, Cleveland Browns: Age 60 (Feb. 5, 1966)
(Patrick Gorski, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Sean Payton, Denver Broncos: Age 62 (Dec. 29, 1963)
(Ron Chenoy, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers: Age 62 (Dec. 23, 1963)
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(Kirby Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Age 62 (Nov. 18, 1963)
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Mike McCarthy, Pittsburgh Steelers: Age 62 (Nov. 10, 1963)
(Barry Reeger, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
John Harbaugh, New York Giants: Age 63 (Sept. 23, 1962)
(Julian Leshay Guadalupe, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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From Andy Reid to a 36-year-old rookie, NFL head coaches ranked by age
Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs: Age 68 (March 19, 1958)
(Jay Biggerstaff, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Payton explains his reasons, although he doesn’t touch what turned out to be a pivotal decision in the AFC title game against the Patriots, when he opted not to go for a short field goal that might have put Denver up 10-0 early in the second quarter – only to see New England blow up the fourth-and-one call and force an incompletion by backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, which changed the game’s momentum.
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No, this play-calling turnover happened because Webb, 31, was such a hot offseason coaching commodity, and Payton, 62, loves the creative energy his newly-promoted offensive coordinator brings in addition to his bond with quarterback Bo Nix.
“I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think it was going to help us win,” Payton said. “I know it’s a big deal because that’s all I’ve done. I think he’s ready for it. He’s probably quicker. There aren’t many things where you are quicker at 62 than you were at 32.”
I’ve known Payton for at least a couple decades and over the years we’ve had many deep discussions about so many things – even non-football matters like losing family members. In any event, I must’ve twisted my face a bit as he went about his reasoning.
“Now I got your reaction!” Payton shot back, adding a choice curse word.
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I told him something about the benefit of experience and that in another realm, a lot of CEOs hit their stride in their ’60s. After all, he likens giving up play-calling to what it would have been like for Jerry Rice to stop running post patterns.
Payton admits that game days will be strange – the Broncos open on Sept. 14 on Monday Night Football at Arrowhead Stadium, when Patrick Mahomes is expected to make his return from the torn knee ligaments that ended his 2025 campaign in mid-December – but is determined to fill the void by being a better game manager.
Of course, he saw his mentor, Bill Parcells, handle it with aplomb.
“Bill’s superpower was, ‘How do we win this game?’ ” Payton said. “Now it doesn’t always unfold that way. But Bill always thought each game had a different challenge. He said there’s a way to win all of them, so that bigger picture is what I’m paying attention to. That’s what occupies my mind.”
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Payton called plays under Parcells while on the Dallas Cowboys staff in his last job as assistant before becoming the Saints coach in 2006. That had to be a trip to have Parcells grumbling in his ear.
“When you called plays for Parcells, it was like every play you heard Darth Vader,” Payton said.
Why did you call that? What are we doing?
“It had to become white noise or it would mess with you,” Payton added. “I’m not going to do that. I spent 20 years calling plays. I know what it’s like. This has to work, by the way. It has to work. Because we have too good of a team.”
Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Davis Webb during the first quarter of a preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings on Aug. 29, 2026, at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver.
Payton, whose squad went 14-3 last season to earn a No. 1 seed, acknowledged that Webb needs autonomy in calling games, although the head coach will be involved in the preparation during the week and add input with specific plays he wants in the gameplan.
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“I can’t micromanage that, though,” he said. “Now, we’re not going to run off the side of the road here, with the start of our schedule. We don’t have time for growing pains here. We’ve got to be on point.”
After Kansas City, the Broncos host defending AFC South champ Jacksonville, which drubbed the Broncos on their own turf last December, and the Super Bowl favorite Los Angeles Rams. Then there are back-to-back road games at San Francisco and the L.A. Chargers before a Week 6 date against the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks.
It’s a murderer’s row kind of lineup that comes with a first-place schedule.
I’m wondering if there’s any chance of Payton taking the play-calling role, pending the circumstances.
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“I think a lot of people are waiting on that. That’s where you’re going with it,” he said. “But listen, I told Davis, ‘That can’t happen. We’ve got too good of a team. The notion of that happening is like we’re 2-4. Like, we can’t start slow. And I’m not going to allow us to. I’m going to be in those meetings, but you can’t halfway do this.”
With an elite defense, a new weapon in receiver Jaylen Waddle and balance, he doesn’t hesitate to speak expectations. “Man, I like this team,” Payton said. “This team can win a Super Bowl. And this QB can.”
Payton gave up play-calling twice during his reign with the Saints. He barely remembers the time he gave it up for a couple games in 2016. He’ll never forget how it went down in 2011, when he suffered a brutal knee injury from a sideline collision that left him on crutches for weeks. Then-OC Pete Carmichael, whose departure to Buffalo last offseason, created the void for Webb to fill, was splendid in handling the duties for about half the season.
The first game, a Monday night contest against the Colts, the Saints scored 62 points with Carmichael calling the plays.
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“I’m like, ‘Damn, Pete! I’m in a contract year. My value just went down a little,'” Payton recalled, chuckling. “If I’m Mickey (Loomis, Saints GM), I’m like we can score 62 with Pete calling the plays.”
When he worked for Parcells, Payton would sometimes get needled by his boss for being too cute or putting too many plays in the mix.
“It was, ‘More is not better, Sean,'” he recalled.
Webb will get a similar vibe from his boss. Last year, Payton said Webb might suggest the volume of plays was a bit heavy; now that feedback is poised to be reversed. Payton seems ready for it. He bought a life-sized cardboard figure of Webb in his coaching gear and put it in a meeting room. He cut holes above the ears in order to affix the reading glasses he bought to go with the prop.
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“It was just a message,” Payton said. ” ‘Man, we’ve got a lot of stuff in. I want you to look at yourself when you’re installing all this stuff.’ “
The message, of course, is subject to change pending the results.
What it is, and what it should be
Kudos to the NFL and NFL Players Association (NFLPA) for collaborating to launch an expanded Behavioral Health Network (BHN) on Tuesday that will provide more options for players and their dependents to access clinicians as part of their CIGNA insurance plan.
Earlier this year, the NFL-NFLPA mandated that each team integrate at least one full-time clinician. Yet an expanded network of providers not connected to the teams – in NFL cities and many other locations across the country, vetted by the league and union – needs to be robust as an alternative resource.
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While building relationships with clinicians within the team could offer immense value, it’s not automatic that every player would be comfortable delving deep into personal issues with the team’s staff psychologist.
“You see that sometimes,” Dr. Amber Cargill, the NFLPA’s director of wellness services, told USA TODAY Sports. “You see players who either from their own perception or they’re getting talked to by outside forces saying, ‘Hey, maybe not talk to that person in the building’ and they will access services elsewhere.”
Cargill added that it’s key for players to understand that there is no preference where the player is engaging to get support.
“And I think whether real or perception, if players think for any moment that seeking support will have any impact on playing time or on personnel decisions, it could make them hesitant. And we try to make sure that team clinicians understand that and that they know that they’re aware, so that they don’t do anything to exacerbate that perception or feeling.”
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The topic of mental health in the NFL undoubtedly has heightened awareness after two players, Marshawn Kneeland of the Cowboys and Rondale Moore of the Vikings died by suicide within a five-month period beginning in November 2025.
More: NFL’s Marshawn Kneeland had CTE at 24. Alarming statistic shows that’s not rare
This week, BHN postcards will be placed in players’ lockers, following up on electronic and traditional mailings that inform players about available resources. There are also plans to establish a pilot peer program that engages players to promote wellness.
What we’ve learned…or confirmed
The ramped-up trade market that juiced the offseason has carried over to cut-down day. Although nothing came close to the blockbuster that sent Micah Parsons from Dallas to Green Bay last year, at least a dozen deals were struck as teams trimmed rosters to get to the 53-man roster limit. Two of the most intriguing trades involved Pittsburgh shipping two former high draft picks to two of coach Mike McCarthy’s old teams with former first-round tackle Broderick Jones (14th overall, 2023) sent to Dallas and running back Kaleb Johnson (3rd round, 2025) to the Packers. The latter move was sorely needed to beef up depth after Josh Jacobs, facing two misdemeanor charges stemming from a domestic incident, was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list.
Raiders rookie coach Klint Kubiak still didn’t name his starting quarterback for Week 1 after the preseason finale, although it’s expected Kirk Cousins (as planned) will get the nod over Fernando Mendoza. On a landscape where, per Pro Football Talk, 12 teams didn’t play their starting quarterbacks during the preseason, Kubiak sent quite the message as he trotted out Cousins and the first unit during the preseason finale against the 49ers on Thursday night. As in, they need the reps as Kubiak tries to make over the NFL’s worst team.
It was sure weird seeing Keenan Allen, the Chargers’ all-time leading receiver, wearing the Colts uniform after signing on as a free agent for a 14th NFL season. Even worse was Allen being arrested early Sunday on two misdemeanor DUI charges. It’s possible that Allen could wind up suspended or exempted before stepping on the field in a real game for Indy.
Love ya, Blue? Time will reveal the impact of new coach Robert Saleh and new OC Brian Daboll but regardless, the Titans new uniforms are fire. Of course, the Columbia Blue hue comes straight from the Houston Oilers wardrobe that preceded the franchise’s move to Nashville.
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Los Angeles Chargers
They lack for nothing – awesome logo, awesome colors, versatility among myriad combinations. The Bolts even have the requisite self-awareness when something isn’t working – for example, the gold “Charger Power” jersey and pants combo introduced last season that was widely panned on social media … on a day when the Chargers got panned by the Colts on the scoreboard. This year, they’ll break out the “Charger Power” jersey but with white pants – and in Week 13 against the Bucs in what could be the uniform matchup of the year. Conversely, as great as the powder blues are, I’d vote for the all-navy “Super Chargers” retros to become the version most heavily used in this rotation.
(Kirby Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Los Angeles Chargers
They lack for nothing – awesome logo, awesome colors, versatility among myriad combinations. The Bolts even have the requisite self-awareness when something isn’t working – for example, the gold “Charger Power” jersey and pants combo introduced last season that was widely panned on social media … on a day when the Chargers got panned by the Colts on the scoreboard. This year, they’ll break out the “Charger Power” jersey but with white pants – and in Week 13 against the Bucs in what could be the uniform matchup of the year. Conversely, as great as the powder blues are, I’d vote for the all-navy “Super Chargers” retros to become the version most heavily used in this rotation.
(Kirby Lee, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Las Vegas Raiders
The Silver and Black’s look is as intimidating – yet glorious – as any in pro sports. (Hopefully new saccharine QBs Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins can embrace the sinister ethos … though the Autumn Wind apparently doesn’t blow inside a desert’s indoor stadium.) Yet while maybe some embrace the Raiders’ simplicity and lack of variety, I’ll continue to vouch for the introduction of predominantly black pants and a dark helmet with the color scheming reversed.
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
New Orleans Saints
Perhaps the only way to tie them more closely to the Big Easy would be adopting a purple, green, and gold color palette while perching a king cake baby from the timeless fleur-de-lis symbol – and, yes, we’re still advocating for such an imaginative alternative. Regardless, the Saints almost invariably look good in Old Gold and black – last year’s monochromatic all-black choice (helmet included) offsetting the (unnecessary?) return of gold jerseys. The alternate white helmets resembling vanilla ice cream were a nice touch.
(Matthew Hinton, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Philadelphia Eagles
They’ll never look better than they do in those glorious Kelly Green throwbacks that took Nike so long to replicate. But the Eagles have never had such a sustained run of success, including both of their Super Bowl triumphs, since switching to Midnight Green in 1996. It’s all good … save maybe for those seemingly extraneous black helmets.
(Bill Streicher, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Pittsburgh Steelers
Black and gold scream Pittsburgh. The Steelmark symbol used by the American Iron and Steel Institute with the trio of hypocycloids is uniquely identifiable to both the city and team – the Steelers the only one to place their logo on just one side of the helmet. The Dark Knight alternates and occasionally worn Steel Curtain throwbacks are also on point. What typically isn’t are the team’s attempts to reach way back into its history.
(Sam Greene/The Enquirer, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Seattle Seahawks
Maybe most folks wouldn’t have a team that was slightly better than the Rams in 2025 ranked slightly ahead of them. But the look the Seahawks have predominantly used since 2012 has always been original – from its nods to the “12s” fan base, unique color choice and the subtle feather patterning, including a tapered effect down the crown’s centerline. A logo inspired by regional Native American art remains one of the league’s best. Add in the throwbacks, which are perhaps the equal of their 1976 expansion siblings in Tampa, and the “High-Decibel Zone” installment from the “Rivalries” collection (worn in last year’s Week 16 classic vs. the Rams) – I can’t tell you how many Seahawks players told me they love them – and you have the makings of a quality closet.
(Steven Bisig, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Los Angeles Rams
The first team to adorn its helmets, the Rams initially painting those famous horns on their headgear back in 1948, they return to a deserved spot in the top 10. Earlier this year, they fixed the mistakes from their 2020 overhaul – mothballing the bone uniforms and gradient elements, which had included the numbers on the home jerseys. Earlier this month, they rolled out two alternate looks which hearken back to their early days in L.A. both from the 1950s and ‘60s. A team expected to be awesome in 2026 will certainly look the part.
(Harry How, Getty Images)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Long underrated and underappreciated, the Creamsicle throwbacks are again a regular aspect of the rotation – the team already announcing that the original roadies brought back last year to celebrate the franchise’s 50th season will return in 2026. Yet the Bucs don’t get enough credit for the swashbuckling vibe they introduced in 1997 and again in 2020 upon Brady’s arrival – following a six-season mistake in an exaggerated version of it. The red and pewter tones, ship and pirate flag logos plus skull and crossbones all tie in nicely with the port city’s history – and have been worn for both of the franchise’s Super Bowl victories.
(Kim Klement Neitzel, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Cincinnati Bengals
Moving to the tiger-striped helmet in 1981 was viewed as a bold decision at the time, but it’s held up quite well. This will be the fifth season the Bengals have the even better all-white uni at their disposal, the team set to take that alternate to the next level with a “White Bengal Stripe” effect at Paycor Stadium against the Ravens on New Year’s Eve.
(Sam Greene/The Enquirer, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Minnesota Vikings
Elegantly simple while incorporating aspects of Norse culture with the helmet horn and longboat-esque striping. The icy “Winter Warrior” uniforms even have Nordic knots and shields woven into the neckline. Skol, baby.
(Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
New York Jets
Just when it seemed they’d finally found their way with the 2024 reversion to their glorious 1980s look, the Jets seem to be slowly veering off course again. The manhole effect of the “Rivalries” uniforms was a fashion fail, especially for a team perpetually stuck in the gutter. The recently announced “White Out” model for 2026 gives the NYJ a fifth helmet option, four of them essentially varying color combos around their primary logo. But if you’re going to go to that much trouble, why not go the Texans’ route and at least come up with one truly inspired departure given the potential of the source material?
(Wendell Cruz, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Indianapolis Colts
One of the NFL’s iconic looks – one the Colts should probably tinker with less … namely, those “Indiana Nights” alternates, though a blue helmet with a white version of the familiar horseshoe logo would go a long way toward remediating them.
(Robert Goddin, Robert Goddin-Imagn Images)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Dallas Cowboys
One of the NFL’s iconic looks – one the Cowboys should probably tinker with less … aside from the red helmet stripe they add annually to celebrate the league’s “Salute to Service” program.
(Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Houston Texans
Credit the league’s youngest franchise, entering its 25th season, for creating its own tradition – adhering to its primary bullhead logo, which dually resembles Texas’ state flag, throughout its history. The primary jerseys were modified slightly in 2024 but remain clean. And, like them or not, give the Texans credit for taking big swings for their alternates, also released in 2024, which were crafted with a great deal of fan feedback. Now, if only they could be the Oilers for a week or two every season, but fat chance the division rival Titans ever permit that.
(Troy Taormina, Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Tennessee Titans
After years of overly busy designs that included a flaming logo and details hinting at a Roman centurion, the Titans basically reverted to their Oilers roots in March. The color scheme nearly duplicates the franchise’s final years in Houston, though the new unis are officially “Titans Blue.” No oil derrick, but the current logo has been nicely simplified. The “6-String Stripe” an ode to the musicians − guitarists in particular − who have helped make the Music City what it is, is a deft element. Still, a shame the Oilers unis are once again mothballed – and, worse, not sent back to Houston, where they truly belong.
(Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Detroit Lions
The recently added shoulder stripes nicely conjure a Mustang for a team owned by the Ford family. Coach Dan Campbell also got the Lions to re-embrace black alternates, the “Motor City Muscle” look debuting in 2024. Honolulu Blue and silver may not exactly scream king of the jungle, but it is distinctive.
(Junfu Han, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
(Kelley L Cox, Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Kansas City Chiefs
They’re fine – basic uniforms topped with an arrowhead logo featuring their city’s interlocking initials. The Chiefs are the only team in the NFL that continue to resist sporting some kind of secondary uniform, though they’re scheduled to get their “Rivalries” next year.
(Mark J. Rebilas, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
(Jeff Hanisch, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Chicago Bears
Traditional. Historic. Staid. Meh. But stick with what you know given Da Bears’ struggles to do captivating alternates – as we await this year’s “Rivalries” model with bated breath.
(David Banks, David Banks-Imagn Images)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
(Brian Fluharty, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Baltimore Ravens
They know how to do a reveal party, rolling out their slightly modified uniforms in front of 6,000 adoring fans at a Maryland concert venue in April. A heavier emphasis recently on purple and gold nicely brightens an inherently dreary look. That said, the new “Darkness Helmet,” now topping the all-black alternates, should be a showstopper when they’re first worn at M&T Bank Stadium, likely in prime time.
(Peter Casey, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Predicting the final record for every NFL team in 2026
New York Giants
We know you don’t want to mimic the Jets, but going back to the 1980s uniforms full-time is also the right call for Big Blue … which still doesn’t have any blue, the helmet notwithstanding, in its regular roadies.
(Brad Penner-Imagn Images)
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Predicting the final record for every NFL team in 2026
(Julio Aguilar, Getty Images)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Jacksonville Jaguars
They’ve done far more tinkering through the years than the Panthers, the Jags’ 1995 expansion brethren. Ironically, while Jacksonville’s contemporary uniforms are forgettable if inoffensive stylistically, their best option is their “Prowler” throwback. Adding some light jaguar spots to the striping might jazz up the current variant.
(Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Unio, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Carolina Panthers
The sweetest part of uniforms that largely appear trapped in their 1990s roots? The panther head logo designed to resemble the combined states of North and South Carolina. The easiest way to rectify this? Pivot to the niftier alternate black matte helmet permanently with stripped-down modifications of the team’s black and “Panther Blue” jerseys. Phase out the silver.
(Stephen Lew-Imagn Images)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Denver Broncos
Good luck finding anyone within the Mile High City’s limits or elsewhere who wouldn’t advocate to turn back the clock to the “Orange Crush” or John Elway-era look with the horse rearing back inside the former “D” logo. There are some decent Easter eggs in the new version – “5280” and summit markers appear throughout – but the Broncos are among several franchises (Patriots? Eagles? Seahawks?) where the uniform apex didn’t align with organization’s best teams.
(Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
(Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Atlanta Falcons
Like the Browns and several other clubs, they’ve managed to stray too far toward uninspired and not close enough to classically understated. Worse, the Falcons had an opportunity this year to rectify so many past wrongs – namely, following the Jets route and re-instituting their 1980s (or even glorious 1960s debut/throwback … or black 1990s Deion Sanders-era version) unis and scrapping their recent iterations. Alas.
(Todd Kirkland, Getty Images)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
New England Patriots
They look best in their “Pat Patriot” throwbacks. The best alternative? Last year’s “Nor’Easter” look from the “Rivalries” collection. Maybe it’s hard to leave the “Flying Elvis” era that dates to the 1990s and has basically been used in 11 of the team’s record 12 Super Bowl appearances. But it’s time to fully move beyond the Tom Brady epoch … particularly given how Drake Maye and Co., uh, looked in Super Bowl 60.
(Winslow Townson, Getty Images)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Washington Commanders
A franchise that’s been in constant flux since leaving its former, racist identity behind in 2020 can’t necessarily be faulted for trying to retain the more appropriate ties to its past – namely last year’s throwbacks, which approximated what the Joe Gibbs-era teams wore (the Commanders logo replacing the one from the Super Bowl glory days of the 1980s and ‘90s). Those throwbacks have now been effectively adopted as the Commanders’ primary unis … though the team just couldn’t help but introduced a “Hail Raiser” alternate that added a spear into the current “W” logo meant to, per the team, symbolize “the top fighters, the front lines, those leading a mission who are unafraid to step into the fire.” OK, stop. And stop – to listen to the Native Americans on that front.
(Scott Taetsch, Getty Images)
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Which NFL team has the best uniforms? The definitive ranking
Cleveland Browns
From the horrid color combination to the boring presentation – Cleveland still the only NFL team without a helmet logo – to the DUDE Wipes sponsorship of their monochrome brown “Alpha Dawg” alternates, which land somewhere between self-deprecating and humiliating, they remain anchored to the bottom of this list. And their secondary Dawg Pound logo remains underutilized − further proof of their cultural aversion to wins.
(Ken Blaze-Imagn Images)
The helmet decal the Ravens will wear all season to honor O.J. Brigance, the former linebacker and player development director who died recently after battling ALS, is a class move. The team also held a moment of silence for Brigance before the preseason romp against Washington on Friday night. Homegoing services will be held at 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday at Evangel Cathedral Church in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
The eyeball test suggests that Rams coach Sean McVay has a legitimate decision to make about first-round pick Ty Simpson winning the job over second-year vet Stetson Bennett IV as the No. 2 QB behind reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford. Simpson closed an impressive preseason (74.3% completion rate, 0 INTs) with a strong start against the Chargers and a sweet, 11-yard TD pass flung while rolling left. Either way, Simpson is making McVay and Rams GM Les Snead look smart for investing the 13th pick overall into the QB-of-the-future.
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Best thing I saw online last week
I watched Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast for the first time on YouTube for research purposes – just happening to catch an episode that featured Ryan Clark, the former teammate who once chided a younger Heyward as a first-round bust – as I was lined up for a one-on-one interview with the venerable defensive lineman on the final day of a three-day visit to Steelers training camp.
Now it’s a continuing pattern – good insight and behind-the-scenes chatter, great humor. Heyward has tapped one teammate after another during camp – including DeShon Elliott, Patrick Queen, Keeanu Benton and Sebastian Joseph-Day – for his podcast.
Then there was Germie Bernard, the second-round rookie receiver from Alabama, who revealed on the podcast why he’ll wear the Guardian Cap atop his helmet all season. And it was a timely explanation, given the report published last week that cited results from researchers at Mass General Brigham and Boston University who concluded that nearly 25% of former NFL players who died between 2016-21 – and 91.4% of the 231 deceased players who donated their brains to science – suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
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The Guardian Cap is a padded layer of protection that reduces the shock from collisions and is optional for players to wear during the games.
“I’m standing on it. I’m going to wear it…the entire year,” Bernard said on the podcast.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Germie Bernard takes the field to play the New York Jets in a preseason game wearing a Guardian Cap on Aug. 21, 2026, at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.
He said a conversation with his girlfriend, discussing long-term risks of CTE, prompted his decision. CTE is a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma.
“For me to play, like longevity, it’s not normal for our brains to be rattled for 10-plus years,” Bernard said. “So, that is something that can help me in the long run. That’s how I look at it.”
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Although some players shun the cap as bulky or an eyesore, it hasn’t cramped Bernard’s style. He had a nifty, 13-yard TD at Buffalo on Thursday night when he caught a pass in the flat and promptly juked Maxwell Hairston to create his lane to paydirt.
Closing Bell
With the sale of the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks formally approved on Wednesday for $9.6 billion to Vinod, Neeru and Neal Kholsa, the record for NFL franchise purchases has more than doubled in the four years since the Denver Broncos sold for $4.65 billion in 2022 – which more than doubled the then-record $2.27 billion for the Carolina Panthers.
The Seahawks topped the $6.05 billion the Washington Commanders went for in 2023.
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Which begs the question: What could the Dallas Cowboys command from a sale?
No, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones isn’t selling, with the franchise structured to be passed along to his children. Still, with the latest Forbes valuation at $13 billion for the Cowboys, some suggest the USA’s most valuable sports franchise could fetch $15 billion.
“That would be an insult,” sports consultant Marc Ganis counters. “That’s a joke.”
If Ganis had to put a number on what the Cowboys are worth on the open market, he’d start at $25 billion. And that’s without a Super Bowl crown in more than 30 years. In other words, recent championship mettle or not, the Cowboys would blow away the competition at the bank.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Monday Morning JB: Sean Payton’s master plan, Donald’s return and a $25 billion NFL team
