An interesting Commanders redesign

The Commanders are switching to a new primary and alternate again in 2026.

At first, I thought the burgundy primary was the same as the 2025 alternate. It is in every respect except for one detail. The 2025 alternate had a matte finish. The 2026 primary has a gloss finish. The new Commanders primary (along with the new Titans primary) is available for a pre-order on the SESportsMemorabilia website.

The new primary is a clear homage to the 1972-2019 helmet design. The new alternate likely references the 1965-69 arrow helmet. The last time the Commanders wore that helmet as a throwback was in 2003.

What is interesting to me is that there is ZERO reference to the Commanders in this helmet design. In fact, it’s more of a reference to the past than the current Commanders team. I wonder what that means for the future.

Patriots Alternate Rivalry & Bills Drop Promotions

With this announcement, Riddell is almost certainly going to release the 2025 rivalry alternates this year. This helmet has a muted white look with a washed out blue logo. It is kind of an underwhelming design, in my opinion. Riddell didn’t have a lot to work with here. But maybe when the physical helmet arrives, I will have a different opinion.

More information on my Limited Edition site.

Bills Promotional Images

Every limited edition release had the same announcement branding, including the 2026 Seahawks. All of them are on the Limited Edition site, but a sample are below.

The 1987-2001 Bills throwback (from March), however, did not. The first image was from the release day, while the second is from the Riddell website. So, Riddell could be taking a new branding approach.

Interestingly, some of these Bills helmets are still available weeks later. Last year, they were selling out so fast. This surprises me as the Bills are a hot team. And these is a cool looking and unique helmet. We’ll see how the Patriots helmet does.

Bills Throwback Drop!

The Bills 1987-01 throwback dropped today. I love all the Bills logo and helmets. It might be my favorite (and that’s saying something as a Chiefs fan!) Some limited edition helmet facts:

42nd overall limited edition helmet
2nd in 2026 (out of 14)
First Bills limited edition
16th limited edition throwback
The 3rd red limited edition helmet (Texans alternate and Falcons throwback). According to Trucolor.net, the Bills helmet is a scarlet red. Other sources refer to it as plain red.

The Bills have worn four different versions of the red helmet, all between 1987 and 2010 (and the 2026 throwback). They are listed below, along with their pocket helmet history.

1984-1986: Royal blue facemask, white-red-blue stripes – throwback series 2
1987-2001: White facemask, white-red-blue stripes – traditional and chrome
2002-2010: White facemask, white-blue-silver-black stripes – traditional, chrome, revolution
1994 alternate: Plain white Bill logo, white facemask, white-red-blue stripes – no factory helmet

New Titans Primary and Where to get Pocket Helmets

This is the 3rd Titans design and 10th re-design if including the Oilers history (11th if one includes the 1975-96 style, which had a grey and then a red facemask). Read more about the new brand here.

When some sports teams move cities, they make a clean break with their previous brand (like the Ravens or Brewers). Even the Houston Texans colors lean into the Oilers’ colors. The Titans strongly lean into their Oiler history with this new helmet. The rebrand theme is “Born in Oil, Refined into Titans.” It honors both their history with the colors and their current city of Nashville. Note the stripe mirrors guitar strings. I don’t normally like letters in logos, but I think the “T” in the helmet works well by suggesting a shield or “Titan like” weapon.

Interestingly, this is the first Titans/Oilers helmet to have a white facemask. Other colors have been grey, red, or navy. The lighter blue is slightly different than the light blue the Oilers wore. According to teamscolorcodes.com, the Oilers light blue was simply “Light Blue.” This Titans light blue is “Titans blue.” The navy is “Titans navy.”

Where to get factory helmets

A question that comes up a lot is: Where can I buy the factory pocket helmet? I get my factory helmets in one of two places:

SE Sports Memorabilia. I have no stake in this business, but they have great customer service, reasonable prices, and fast shipping. I usually wait until the late summer or early fall so I can bulk order all the new primary helmets. Prices range from $6-8 per helmet.
Ebay. Some sellers on eBay somehow get their hands on new releases before everyone. Expect to pay more on eBay, but you will likely get your helmet sooner. That’s not a criticism of the sellers, by the way. All the sellers I have purchased from on eBay have been awesome. It’s just a business decision.

Speaking of ebay sellers, some really nice new Titans custom primary helmets have popped up. The photo below is from picksixpreviews. Good job!

Seahawks alternate and other factory helmets

My Seahawks alternate rivalries helmet arrived. It’s really nice!

Here are the three factory helmets from 2026.

The Seahawks are one of few teams that have a factory helmet for each era:

Years	Color	Facemask	Logo	Stripes	Pocket helmet
1976-82	Silver	Grey	Classic Seahawk	None	Throwback Series 1 Throwback 2-bar
1983-2001 2023 throwback	Silver	Blue	Classic Seahawk	None	Traditional/ Throwback Series 2 Chrome Speed – limited edition series
2002-11	Teal	Teal	Modern Seahawk	None	Chrome Traditional Revolution
2012-present	Teal	Teal	Modern Seahawk	Tapered blue stripe	Revolution Speed
2025 rivalries altnerate	Iridescent green with metallic chrome finish	Iridescent green	Rivalries Seahawk		Speed – limited edition series

The first 2026 drop: Seahwaks alternate

They’re baaack!

Riddell released the first of what is promised to be 14 NFL pocket helmets in 2026: The Seahawks rivalries alternate. I would assume they will release the other 2025 rivalry alternates in 2026 as well. 525 of each will be released in 2026, or about one every three weeks. Riddell has also released “non limited edition” helmets (like the Bengals orange speed, Bengals white speed, and Eagles kelly green speed), so there could be more on their way.

Riddell also changed the branding announcement. The announcement brands for 2024 and 2025 are on my limited edition website.

There was a little sticker shock…$20! I hope this will not foreshadow all of them will be $20 in 2026. The Seahawks helmet does have unique painting, so maybe that’s the reason. It looks pretty good.

Assuming the other rivalry helmets are included this year, that leaves room for six more. Also assuming the 2025 Bills throwbacks are included this year, that leaves room for four more, possibly newer throwbacks or alternates in 2026. Primary helmets, of course, would not be part of limited edition series releases.

Happy collecting.

Commanders drop!

Well, we have reached the end of the 2025 limited edition series. It’s a good one, IMO: A homage to the classic helmet of the 90’s. A lot of people were hoping for the Bills, but this is nice. Surprisingly, the Bills had zero helmets in the limited edition series, as did the Rams, Raiders, Chiefs, and Bengals (although the Bengals alternate is available online).

The Cowboys had the most limited edition helmets with three. Teams with two helmets were the Commanders, Giants, Packers, Bears, Vikings, Saints, Jets, Patriots, Browns, Jaguars, Texans, and Broncos. The NFC had the most (8), followed by the AFC south and NFC north (6).

Who’s left?

Riddell pretty much covered 2025 throwbacks and alternates, with 11 exceptions. Maybe they’ll appear in 2026:

Bills 65-73 throwback (factory helmets are in the traditional and 2-bar styles)
Bills 87-01 red throwback (factory helmet in the traditional style)
Lions 55-56 plain silver throwback (also worn in 2017-20 and 2022 through 2025)
Cardinals, Bills, Rams, Dolphins, Patriots, Jets, 49ers, and Seahawks rivalries

Or they could go back to 2024 (4 helmets):

Chargers alternate with the navy bolt and yellow outline
Packers plain yellow-grey facemask alternate (worn in 2001 and 2021-24)
Saints 1976-99 throwback (worn in 2011, 2017 and 2022 through 2024)
Steelers 1974 throwback (essentially the same as the current helmet with a grey facemask)

2023 would also be cool (5 helmets). That’s the year of the honolulu blue Lions helmet with the mustang logo, the white Broncos with the D logo, the Jets black alternate, the Texans red alternate, and the other Chargers alternate (yellow blue with royal blue outline).

Final 2024-25 Limited Edition Checklist

See the Limited Edition site for more details

Throwback / Alternate

Total: 40
2024: 15/15
2025: 25/25
Throwbacks: 15
Alternates: 21
Alternate throwbacks: 4

NFC: 23

East: 8 – Commanders 2, Cowboys 3, Eagles 1, Giants 2
North: 6 – Bears 2, Packers 2, Lions 1, Vikings 2
South: 4 – Buccaneers 1, Falcons 1, Panthers 1, Saints 2
West: 3 – 49ers 1, Cardinals 1, Rams 0, Seahawks 1

AFC: 17

East: 4 – Bills 0, Dolphins 1, Jets 2, Patriots 2
North: 3 – Bengals 0, Browns 2, Ravens 1, Steelers 1
South: 6 – Colts 1, Jaguars 2, Texans 2, Titans 1
West: 3 – Broncos 2, Chargers 1, Chiefs 0, Raiders 0

2024 Limited Edition Speed Series (1 of 2000): release date – team and details – manufacture date

2024/03/07: Dallas Cowboys 2022-present alternate – 2023/11
2024/03/28: Seattle Seahawks 1983-2011 throwback – 2023/11
2024/04/18: Chicago Bears 2022-present alternate – 2023/11
2024/05/09: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1976-96 throwback – 2023/11
2024/05/30: Carolina Panthers 2022-present alternate – 2023/11
2024/06/20: Atlanta Falcons 1966-69 throwback – 2023/11
2024/08/01: Green Bay Packers 2024-present alternate – 2024/05
2024/08/15: Detroit Lions 2024-present alternate – 2024/05
2024/09/05: Baltimore Ravens 2024-present alternate – 2024/05
2024/09/12: New York Giants 2024 throwback throwback – 2024/05
2024/09/26: Denver Broncos 1993-96 throwback – 2024/05
2024/10/17: New England Patriots 1982-90 throwback – 2024/05
2024/11/07: New Orleans Saints 2022-present alternate – 2024/05
2024/11/18: Miami Dolphins 1966-69 throwback – 2024/05
2024/12/19: Houston Oilers 1981-96 throwback – 2024/05

2025 Limited Edition Speed Series (1 of 525): release date – team and details – manufacture date

2025/01/23: Philadelphia Eagles 2022-present alternate – 2024/05
2025/02/06: Minnesota Vikings 2024-present alternate – 2024/09
2025/02/20: New York Giants throwback (GIANTS logo) – 2024/09
2025/03/06: San Francisco 49ers throwback – 2024/09
2025/03/20: Houston Texans 2024-present alternate (H logo) – 2024/09
2025/04/10: Washington Commanders 2022-present alternate — 2024/09
2025/04/17: Dallas Cowboys white throwback – 2024/09
2025/05/01: New York Jets 2024-present alternate – 2024/09
2025/05/14: Jacksonville Jaguars 2024-present alternate – 2024/09
2025/05/29: Chicago Bears 2019-present throwback – 2024/09
2025/06/12: Cleveland Browns 2023-present alternate – 2024/09
2025/06/26: Indianapolis Colts 2023-present alternate – 2024/09
2025/07/10: Denver Broncos 2024-present alternate – 2024/09
2025/07/24: Arizona Cardinals 2022-present alternate – 2024/09
2025/08/07: Minnesota Vikings 2023-present alternate throwback – 2024/09
2025/08/21: Houston Texans 2024-present alternate – 2024/09
2025/09/04: Dallas Cowboys 1976 throwback – 2024/09
2025/09/18: New York Jets 1965-77 alternate throwback – 2025/09
2025/10/02: Jacksonville Jaguars 1995-2008 throwback – 2025/09
2025/10/02: Cleveland Browns 2025 alternate – 2025/09
2025/10/30: Green Bay Packers 2025 throwback – 2025/09
2025/11/13: New Orleans Saints 2025 alternate – 2025/09
2025/11/20: LA Chargers 2025 alternate throwback – 2025/09
2025/12/11: Pittsburgh Steelers 2025 alternate throwback – 2025/09
2025/12/18: Washington Commanders 2025 alternate – 2025/09

Steelers drop, pt. 2

My new Steelers drop arrived today. Riddell really stepped up their game with this one. It’s sharp.

Thanks to Cole Thompson and Steve for clarifying some things about the Steelers drop. Let’s take a look.

It only resembles the Revolution pocket helmet from 15 years ago. (I have two of the Revolution helmets and the date stamps are June 2010 and July 2011).

The 2025 speed helmet has a matte finish and grey facemask. And there is a black circle around the Steelers’ logo.

It is the fourth gold pocket Steelers helmet.

The two helmets are the left and identical styles. They are in the throwback series. The far right is the 2007-11 revolution alternate throwback.

The logos are different on all three of the styles and reflect the different eras.

Steelers Drop!

If this looks familiar, it’s because Riddell released a revolution style helmet about 15 years ago. The Steelers wore it as an alternate throwback between 2007 and 2011. I say alternate throwback because the actual gold helmet the Steelers wore in 1962 read “Steel,” not “Steelers.” The difference between the 2025 alternate throwback and the 2007-11 throwback is that the 2025 helmet has a grey facemask.

This is the 4th alternate throwback from the limited edition series, the others being the Chargers, Vikings, and Jets. It’s also number 24 out of 25 for 2025 (and 39 out of 40 for 2024). Whew. My pocket book needs a break 🙂

With one week left, we still have the white Bills and red Bills throwbacks, the Colts throwback, and the Commanders alternate throwback. I’m betting the next release will be the Commanders.

Click here for the updated checklist.

May be an image of football and text that says 'Steelers'

Oilers Chrome Pocket Helmet?

For years, I saw the photo below floating around the internet. It displays four Oilers helmets. The middle row shows the following:

1981-96 traditional style helmet
1997-98 traditional style helmet (with the small flag under the earhole)

The interesting thing about the picture is the helmets in the front and back. The helmet in the front row takes the small flag logo and moves it to the middle, like a prototyle. I always assumed it was a custom. The helmet in the back shows the 1981-96, but it’s shiny, like a chrome helmet. I didn’t know what to think, and nothing could be verified, so I moved on.

Recently, on the Custom Pocket Pro facebook site, a collector posted a picture and video of what appears to be a chrome helmet.

It’s an awesome helmet. That being said, I am skeptical (nothing against the person who posted the picture!) I’m a professional researcher. I can’t help it. Here’s the reasons for my skepticism:

The Oilers wore this style helmet through the 1996 season. In 1997, they added the Tennesse flag logo under the earhole. As far as I can tell, Riddell started manufacturing chrome helmets in 2000, two years after this helmet expired. The Giants, Saints, and Rams redesigned their helmets in 2000. The Ravens did in 1999. None of them have chrome helmets for earlier years. For instance, there is no chrome helmet for the 98-98 Ravens. Or for the Giants helmet with the GIANTS logo.
In the early days (and maybe still today), it was not uncommon for collectors to gloss-coat helmets. These helmets can look a lot like chrome helmets. For instance, I found the Oilers helmet below on worthpoint (an archive of past ebay items). The seller states: “Up For Bid is a Custom 1970-71 Houston Oilers Alternate 2 Bar Pocket Pro Helmet. Helmet is Sanded, Painted, and Gloss Coated. Will combine Shipping For Multiple Items. Thank you.” A popular seller on eBay (stormyday) used to gloss coat a lot of helmets.
The facemask on the 1981-96 helmet appears to be chrome as well. My chrome helmets (and I have a lot!) have the regular, non-glossy facemasks. In fact, the Oilers facemask almost looks gloss coated as well, as if the whole thing was coated. That’s a total guess on my part. I could be wrong.
I have never seen this or the other helmets in their original packaging. They were allegedly sold or given away as a four-team set, but I haven’t seen convincing evidence. Maybe it’s true? Maybe it’s a rumor?

Why I am also not skeptical:

I can’t tell if the prototype is a custom or factory. It’s really difficult to tell in the old photo. And white helmets with clear decals look really convincing. Maybe Tennessee had planned on actually wearing the prototype and Riddell made the pocket helmet, only to have Tennessee change their mind?
It’s possible Riddell released the chrome helmet as a special edition, two years before other chrome helmets were released. Riddell has released one-off Chrome and special edition helmets before, but doing that in 1997 would have been unusual, for sure. Still, it’s possible.
Maybe it was part of a team set and Riddell included the chrome helmet as a throwback. Riddell did this with other team sets.

I am definitely not calling anyone a liar or suggesting someone is trying to scam anyone. I only have several reasons to be skeptical. If the 81-96 Oilers chrome helmet is a true factory chrome helmet, that would be an awesome find! I certainly hope that’s the case. I’m curious if anyone else has this helmet or set.