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

Colts + Weird drops

Colts drop

The Colts dropped the black alternate. There are two gaps in the Colts factory helmet history (after 1955):

1956-57. The Colts wore this as a throwback in 2004 and 2021-23. More about this later.
1978-94: The helmet with the white facemask. The Colts haven’t worn this since 1994.

Here are the numbers for the limited edition series totals. Michael Dole has an excellent visual checklist on the Facebook pocket helmet site. It’s a great visual reference.

Throwback / Alternate

Total: 27
2024: 15/15
2025: 12/25
Throwbacks: 12
Alternates: 15

NFC: 17

East: 6 – Commanders (1/1), Cowboys (2/3), Eagles (1/1), Giants (2/2)
North: 5 – Bears (2/2), Packers (1/2), Lions (1/1), Vikings (1/2)
South: 4 – Buccaneers (1/1), Falcons (1/1), Panthers (1/1), Saints (1/2)
West: 2 – 49ers (1/1), Cardinals (0/1), Rams (0/0), Seahawks (1/1)

AFC: 10

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

Weird Drops

A few weeks, factory limited edition helmets began appearing on ebay. None have been officially released. They were for the Cardinals (alternate), Texans (alternate), and Jaguars (throwback). The seller has other limited edition helmets as well. They appear to ship from China. I won’t speculate on the authenticity of the seller or the helmets as others more knowledgeable about this have speculated on the Facebook site.

Let’s assume they’re legitimate and they can be checked off the list. To me, that signals that Riddell is sticking with helmets that were worn in 2024. That would leave room for only two more alternates: the Broncos and the Chargers. That would also leave 6 throwbacks: the Cowboys, Lions, Packers, Colts, Vikings and Jets. If I were a betting man, I would say the Broncos alternate and Cowboys, Vikings, Colts, and Jets get manufactured this year. The Packers and Lions are plain yellow and silver, so likely not. I hope not as they are so easy to customize. Not sure about the Chargers.

The Bengals 1968-79 helmet suddenly appeared. It’s not packaged as a Limited Edition series and I have not confirmed it’s authenticity, although the seller – picksixpreiews – is legitimate.

The Bengals haven’t announced a throwback in 2025, to my knowledge. So the existence of htis helmet implies they will soon. Opinion altert: I don’t like this helmet. It’s only letters, not a logo. It’s difficult to read from a distance. The Bengals striped helmet is one of my favorites because it’s unique to the team brand and a clean, simple design. Regardless, this helmet has is notalgic. It’s kind of neat to see it in the speed format.

Interestingly, this is not packaged as a limited edition helmet. Riddell did this with the Eagles throwback and Bengals alternate in 2023. I have no idea where sellers got the Eagles and Bengals helmets. I could only find them on ebay. And who knows why this throwback is not part of the limited edition brand. The Eagles and Bengals helmets from 2023 are still for sale on ebay, so I won’t be in a hurry to purchase this Bengals throwback…I’ve spent enough already on this year’s limited editions!

Eagles Alternate Pocket Helmet Drop

The latest limited edition drop is the Eagles black alternate. The first year this helmet was worn was in 2022, suggesting Riddell may go back a little history with the alternates.

For those counting, this is the 16th limited edition helmet. A list of the limited edition – along with all factory speed helmets – is here. Eight of the limited editions have been throwbacks and eight alternates. As Riddell noted earlier, they plan to release 25 in 2025. Get ready to open the pocketbook 🙂

All of the factory Eagle pocket helmets are in the picture below (with the exception of the new drop from today, of course). The Eagle factory helmets are fairly comprehensive, with a few gaps (1969 “alternate” and various iterations of green throughout the 70s). Two alternates were worn in 2007 and 1994. These are custom helmets, not factory.

Riddell has a lot of places to go in terms of alternates in 2025 for its Limited Edition series. By my count, there are 18 recent alternates alone.

Browns 2022 white
Broncos 2016-23 midnight blue; and 2023 and 2024 whites (3 total)
Cardinals 2023 black
Chargers alternates (2)
Colts 2022 black
Commanders 2022 black
Jaguars 2024 white
Jets 2022-23 black, 2024 black, 2015-18 white
Lions 2023 honolulu blue
Texans 2022-23 battle red; 2024 battle red and stell blue (3 total)
Vikings 2024 white

There could be an opportunity for team sets, like Riddell used to do in the old days. For example, the three Jets alternates could include 2024 throwback. Or the three Broncos alternates with a throwback. It should be a fun year!!

*Row 1: 1985-95 (2023-present throwback)*
*Row 2: 1996-present*
*Row 3: 1955-68, 1985-95*
*Row 4: 1949-53, 1955-68*

What happened to NFL teams that won 15+ games in a season?

Nine teams have won 15 or more games in a season. It happened twice this year: the Chiefs and the Lions.

What does history say about the other seven teams?

7/7 made it to the playoffs.
6/7 made it to the conference championship game.
4/7 made it to the super bowl.
2/7 won the super bowl.

The teams

All of the teams except the 2007 Patriots, 2024 Chiefs, and 2024 Lions were 15-1.

2024 Chiefs: Made the playoffs.
2024 Lions: Made the playoffs.
2015 Panthers: Lost the Super Bowl to the Broncos.
2007 Patriots: Lost the Super Bowl to the Giants.
2011 Packers: Lost in the divisional round to the Giants (who later beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl).
2004 Steelers: Lost in the AFC championship to the Patriots.
1998 Vikings: Lost in the NFC championship to the Falcons.
1985 Bears: Won the Super Bowl.
1984 49ers: Won the Super Bowl.

Which team was the best?

For my money, that 1985 Bears team is the best in the super bowl era. The best on the list to not win a super bowl was probably the 2007 Patriots. But man o man, that 98 Vikings team was pretty much unstoppable.

Who has the better shot in 2024: the Chiefs or the Lions?

If history is any guides, the Chiefs likely won’t make the super bowl or lose in it. . A threepeat has never happend and is incredibly difficult. They’ll likely have to go through the Bills and Ravens, two teams coming off very strong campaigns. Finally, the Chiefs don’t dominate teams the way the other 8 teams on the list do. Several of their wins were fluky

Still, experience matters. And Mahomes can never be counted out. And Steve Spagnolo’s defense is very strong. You know the old saying about defense…

The Lions have a better shot as they will likely have an easier path. The Lions have dominated teams this year. America is rooting for a Lions – Bills super bowl, which would be amazing. We’ll see…

The greatest franchises in the Super Bowl era

Reasonable fans can agree. The top franchises since 1966 are teams like the Patriots, Cowboys, Steelers, and 49ers. The debate gets interesting in the next tiers.

A data nerd, I thought I would quantify it with five criteria:

Regular season winning percent – 20%
Playoff appearances – 5%
Playoff winning percent – 10%
Super bowl appearances / conference championships – 20%
Super bowl championships – 45%

I adjusted the scores based on the number of eligible years. Most teams have existed for 58 seasons in the Super Bowl era (not including 2024). However, the Ravens (27), Seahawks and Buccaneers (47), Panthers and Jaguars (28), and Texans (21) have played fewer seasons. So I had to weight the data. While the Bucs have 2 super bowl championships, it would be unfair to compare them to the Ravens (who also have 2) as the Bucs have had more opportunities.

The data is up to the 2023 season. I will update my rankings after the 2024 super bowl.

Overall Rankings

With a high weight placed on super bowls, it’s no surprise the Patriots come out as the top franchise in the super bowl era. The Steelers are consistently good year after year. They have had four coaches in the super bowl era. The Cowboys and 49ers rankings should also not be surprising.

Stories

Some might be surprised by the Ravens strong showing as the 5th best franchise. But they’ve had a strong run for 27 years.
This is a somewhat obscure fact. The Vikings have the 4th best regular season winning percentage in the super bowl era (the last 58 years). Yes, you read that right. Only the Cowboys, Steelers, and Ravens have performed better in the regular season over the last 58 years. The Vikings rank 17th as a francishe due to their lack of postseason success.
The Vikings and the Bills are the highest ranked franchises to not win a super bowl, coming in a 17 and 18 in the overall rankings. While they are both 0-4 in the super bowl, the Vikings have a much stronger and consistent regular season record of success.
The Giants are the opposite of the Vikings. The Giants rank 21st in regular season winning percentage. In fact, it’s below .500. However, the Giants have had remarkable postseason success. This capapults them to 9th in the rankings.

Tiers

Tier 1: Elite Franchises: 30-26 score.

The Patriots, Steelers, Cowboys and 49ers emerge as the elite franchises. These teams have a consistent record of regular season success and postseason achievements.

The 49ers score is closer to tier 2 than tier 1. I made a judgment call for tier 1 because the 49ers have been in so many NFC championship games. My data does not capture that (although it does cover playoff winning percentage).

Tier 2: Great Franchises: 26-23 score.

The Ravens, Packers, Chiefs, and Broncos are in tier 2. These teams might have some off years, but they are contenders pretty much every year. The Broncos are tied with the Steelers and Cowboys for the 2nd most super bowl appearances (8).

The Chiefs have catapulted to a tier 2 franchise in the Mahomes era. If they get more super bowl appearances and wins under Mahomes, they could catapult to tier 1.

Tier 3: Great Franchises: 22-19 score.

Eight teams make teir 3: the Giants, Raiders, Commanders, Rams, Dolphins, Colts, Eagles, Seahawks, and Vikings. These are usually solid teams who occasionally make the playoffs. Except for the Giants, they all have positive regular season winning percentages. They all have a super bowl win, except for the Vikings.

Tier 4: Middle of the Pack: 18-17 score.

The Bills, Bucs, Panthers and Bears fall in the middle of the pack. The only reason the Bucs fall in this category and not a lower one is their two super bowl wins. Their history is one of balaned win-loss records or years of mediocrity with periodic successful spikes (like the Bills latest run).

Tier 5: Below Average: 16-15 score.

The Saints, Chargers, Jets, Bengals, and Titans/Oilers are in tier 5. They have generally struggled or been consistently mediocre, despite the Bengals three super bowl appearances.

The Chargers and Titans/Oilers kind of stand out in this group. I always feel like these teams can be dangerous and competititve at any moment. The Bengals as of the last few years as well.

Tier 6: Poor: 14 score

The Jaguars, Falcons, and Texans. I really can’t say more.

Tier 7: Bottom Tier: 13 and below score.

These three teams – the Browns, Lions and Cardinals – are known for their lack of success. I’m not telling the fans something they don’t already know.

However, I have always found these teams likeable and root for them. Their fans are incredible and continue to support them. Maybe this will be the year Lions break out?

Divisions

Not surprisingly, the NFC east is the best, led by the Cowboys, Commanders and Giants. The Eagles have also been successful. They are the 15th highest ranked franchise, but lowest in the NFC east.

The AFC west is led by the Chiefs and Broncos with 14 super bowl appearances between them and the 9th and 10th best regular season winning records overall. The Raiders were successful for a long time, particularly in the 60s through the 80s.

The AFC west is led by the Patriots and Dolphins, who were always competitive in the Don Shula era.

The Steelers and Ravens clearly stand out in the AFC north, as do the 49ers, Rams and Seahawks in the NFC west. I was a little surprised by the low NFC north rankings, but the Lions and Bears bring down the average. At 19th overall, the Bucs are the highest ranked team in the NFC south (lower than the lowest NFC east team, the Eagles). The AFC south is led by the Colts, the only divisional team to win a superbowl.

NFC east – 22.6
AFC west – 21.1
AFC east – 20.6
AFC north – 20.4
NFC west – 19.8
NFC north – 18.7
NFC south – 16.4
AFC south – 16.1

More Pocket Helmet Drops!

Riddell just posted there will be 25 (!) drops in 2025. No information on whether the drops will be NFL or college. Of if they will be released individually or in sets. Riddell noted the helmets will be more limited. Instead of 2000, only 525 will be manufactured.

While I am excited Riddell is making these, the prospect of purchasing 25 indiviual helmets over the course of an entire year can get expensive. 25 * $15 for each helmet is $375. Part of being a collector, I suppose 🙂

Assuming these are NFL helmets, what can we expect? The first thing Riddell could do is release contemporary alternates. Helmets that have not been manufactured by Riddell are below. Helmets that have been manufactured are on my speed style site. As you can tell, there are more than enough for 25 helmets.

If would be cool if some were released as sets, like Riddell used to do in the old days. For example, the three Broncos alternate helmets plus the 1966 Broncos throwback?

Arizona Cardinals 2023-present alternate – black
Arizona Cardinals 2016 alternate – white
Atlanta Falcons 2016-21 alternate – black
Cleveland Browns 2022-present alternate – white
Denver Broncos 2016-23 alternate – midnight blue
Denver Broncos 2023 alternate – white
Denver Broncos 2024-present alternate – white
Detroit Lions 2003-10 alternate – plain silver, black facemask
Detroit Lions 2023 alternate – honolulu blue
Green Bay Packers 1994, 2013-19 alternate – plain yellow
Green Bay Packers 2010-11, 2022 alternate – plain brown
Houston Texans 2022-2023 alternate – battle red
Houston Texans 2024-present alternate – steel blue
Houston Texans 2024-present alternate – battle red
Indianapolis Colts 2023-present alternate – black
Jacksonville Jaguars 2024-present alternate – white
LA Chargers 2016-19 alternate – White helmet, yellow bolt with dark blue outline, yellow facemask
LA Chargers 2020 – present alternate – White helmet, yellow bolt with light blue and dark blue outline, yellow facemask
LA Chargers 2020 – present alternate – White helmet, yellow bolt with light blue outline, player # on helmet, yellow facemask
Minnesota Vikings 2024-present alternate – white
NY Jets 2016-18 alternate – white
NY Jets 2015, 2017-18 “color rush” alternate – white
NY Jets 2022-23 alternate – black
NY Jets 2024-present alternate – black
Philadelphia Eagles 2022-present alternate – black
Washington Commanders 2022-present alternate – black

Of course, Riddell could go further back in history and made some other alternates, maybe in traditional or revolution styles. Some fun ones could include the 1994 Bills, 1993 Jets, or 1994 Jets alternates.

Many teams wear throwbacks in contemporary speed helmet styles. Riddell could also fill some gaps here:

Chicago Bears 1936-37 (2019-present throwback)
Cleveland Browns 1956-67 (2006-08, 2021 throwback)
Dallas Cowboys 1976 (2021-22 throwback)
Detroit Lions 1956-57 (2017-20, 2022-23 throwback) – plain silver, grey facemask
Indianapolis Colts 1956-57 (2004, 2021-present throwback)
Jacksonville Jaguars 1995-2012 (2024 throwback) – black
Kansas City Chiefs 2019, 21 “throwback” – grey facemask
Minnesota Vikings 1961-79 (2007-11, 2023 throwback)
NY Giants 1981-99 (2016-present throwback)
NY Jets 1965-77 (2024 throwback)
Philadelphia Eagles 1994 “alternate” throwback
Philadelphia Eagles 1933 (2007 throwback)
San Francisco 49ers 1989-95 (2005-08, 2018-present throwback)
Washington Commanders (aka Boston Braves) 1933 (2012 throwback)

Or Riddell could go way back and fill some other gaps and make helmets in traditional or 2-bar styles. I think it would be cool to see the 1966 Broncos, 1960 Chargers, 1974-87 Chargers, 1980-88 Dolphins, 1989-96 Dolphins, 1969 Saints pre-season, 1975 Giants, 1964 Jets, 1962 Steelers, 1964-65 Oilers, and 1972-74 Oilers.

Patriots 1982-1990 Pocket Helmet Drop

Riddell dropped the Patriots throwback today. For a little context, there are basically four iterations of this helmet.

1961-63: White helmet, Pat Patriot logo, red-white-red stripes, grey facemask. Riddell manufactured a factory helmet for the Throwback Series 2 and AFL 50th anniversary sets.
1964-92: White helmet, Pat Patriot logo, red-white-blue-white-red stripes. The only change made in 1964 was the addition of the middle blue stripe. This helmet had a grey facemask (1964-81), white facemask (1982-90), and red facemask (1991-92).

The 1964-81 factory pocket helmet is available as a two-bar and traditional style factory helmet. The 1991-92 factory pocket helmet is available in the traditional style (as part of a 4-piece team set).

So, what makes this drop unique is that it is the first factory helmet for this style. Very cool.

To my knowledge, 8 teams are wearing throwbacks this year. Riddell had manufactured a speed helmet for 5 of them. The other teams are the 49ers, Jaguars, and Jets. None of these teams have a speed helmet for the throwback. The 49ers is in the traditional style, Jaguars in the 2-bar, traditional, and revolution styles, and Jets in the 2-bar style.

Giants Pocket Helmet Drop

I like this one! Riddell will drop at Giants pocket size throwback helmet today. It’s a reference to the 1937-47 leather wing front helmet.

Pocket helmet trivia. This is only the 2nd factory Riddell pocket helmet that references a leather helmet. The other is the 1948 Rams which was part of the throwback series 1 and throwback 2-bar sets.

Leather helmets as contemporary throwbacks. Six teams have worn leather helmets as throwbacks in modern times:

The Bears have wore the 1936-37 leather helmet as a every year since 2019.
The Packers wore a throwback of sorts in 2010-11. It might be a reference to their original helmet color in the 1920’s through the 1930’s.
The aforementioned Giants 1937-47 helmet worn in 2024.
The Eagles wore a throwback to their 1933 leather helmet in 2007.
The Steelers wore a plain black throwback in 1994 as a tribute to the 1942 team. The 1942 team only wore the plain black leather helmet for two games. I assume it was easier to just remove the sticker.
The Commanders wore a plain brown helmet in 2012 as a throwback to the 1932 helmet when the team was the Boston Braves. In 1994 and 2020 the Commanders wore a plain burgundy helmet with a yellow (1994) and grey (2020) facemask. These could be homages to the burgundy leather helmets the Commanders wore in the 1930’s and 40’s.

Throwback / Alternate / Primary Updates

All factory 2024 primary helmets are up to date. These can be purchased online or in pro shops. Riddell has done a good job staying on top of these.

Since Riddell likes to stick to contemporary alternate helmets in the most recent speed style, I would guess the next factory helmets will be the Broncos, Jaguars (white), Jets (2024 black), Texans, or Vikings alternates. I suspect the alternates from the previous few years for the Broncos, Browns, Cardinals, Colts, Commanders, Eagles and Saints would be a lower priority. In terms of a throwback, I would guess the Patriots or the Dolphins.

Recent *Factory* Throwback and Alternate Helmets

Throwbacks:

Buccaneers 1976-96 – released in 2024
Eagles 1970s80s – – released in 2023
Falcons 1966-69- released in 2024
Seahawks 1983-2001- released in 2024
Giants 1937-47- released in 2024

Alternates:

Bears 2022-present (orange)- released in 2024
Bengals 2022-present (white)- released in 2023
Cowboys 2022-present (white) – released in 2024
Lions 2023 – released in 2024 (very rare)
Lions 2024 – present – released in 2024
Packers 2024-present (white) – released in 2024
Panthers 2022-present (black) – released in 2024
Ravens 2024-present (purple) – released in 2024

Gaps in Throwbacks and Alternates:

Throwbacks:

Bears 1936-37 (three orange stripes) – worn since 2019.
Broncos 1976-78 – starting in 2024.
Browns 1957-59 (player numbers on helmet) – worn in 2006-08 and 2021.
Chargers 1961-73 (white helmet with player number) – worn in the early 2000s. Factory helmet exist in throwback sets, however.
Colts 1956-57 (white helmet with horseshoes on back) – worn in 2004 and since 2021.
Cowboys 1976 (red white blue stripes) – worn in 2021-22. Also available as a factory throwback, however.
Dolphins 1989-96 – wore in the 2003 Thanksgiving game.
Dolphins 1966-73 – wore since 2015 as a throwback.
Eagles 1933 – wore in 2007 as a throwback
Giants 1981-99 – wore since 2016 as a throwback. Factory traditional style helmets exist.
Jaguars 1995-12 (factory helmets exist in other styles, however. Revolution, traditional, and 2-bar) – starting in 2024.
Jets 1978-89 – worn in 2023 as an alternate. However, Jets adopted this helmet as their primary in 2024. So factory helmets are around.
Lions 1954-56 (plain silver with grey facemask) – worn periodically since 2017.
Oilers 1960-63 (columbia blue) – wore in 1994 and 2009 as a throwback. Factory throwback helmets in traditional and 2-bar styles exist.
Oilers 1975-96 – wore in 2023 as a throwback by the Titans.
Packers 1955-50 (plain yellow with a green stripe) – worn in 2001 and 2021.
Packers 1920s helmets (plain brown) – worn in 2010-11 and 2022.
Patriots 1961-63 – wore in 2009 as a throwback. Factory helmets exist in throwback sets, however.
Patriots 1964-81 – wore in 1994 as a throwback. Factory helmets exist in throwback sets, however.
Patriots 1982-90 – wore in 2002, 2010-12 and 2023 as a throwback.
Vikings 1961-79 – worn in 2007-11 and 2023 as a throwback

Alternates:

Bills 1994 (red)
Broncos 2016-2023 – color rush
Broncos 2023 (white) – old Broncos logo
Broncos 2024-present (white) – current Broncos logo
Browns 2022-present (white)
Cardinals 2016 color rush
Cardinals 2022-present (black)
Chargers 2016-18 color rush (white)
Chargers 2020 alternate (different bolt colors; Chargers wore three helmets)
Chargers 2020 alternate (different bolt colors; Chargers wore three helmets)
Colts 2023-present (black)
Commanders 2022-present (black)
Eagles 2022-present (black)
Falcons 2016-present (matte black)
Jaguars 2024-present (white)
Jets 1993 (green)
Jets 1994 (green)
Jets 2015-18 color rush
Jets 2022-23 (black)
Jets 2024-present (black)
Lions 1994, 2001-02 (plain silver helmet with blue facemask)
Lions 2003-04, 08, 10 (plan silver helmet with black facemask)
Packers 1994, 2013-19 (plain yellow helmet with a green facemask)
Saints 2022-present (black)
Texans 2022-2023 (battle red)
Texans 2024-present (steel blue)
Texans 2024-present (2024 red)
Vikings 2024-present (white)

Atlanta Falcons Pocket Helmet Drop

Riddell announced the drop of the Falcons 1966-69 throwback pocket helmet. It’s part of their 2024 limited edition series.

This should be straight forward, right? Well, kind of.

First, the pocket helmet is a 100% accurate depiction of the 1966-69 Falcons helmet: gold/white/black stripes, grey facemask, the feather has floating lines, and the arm and neck meet in a V-pattern.

Of course, the speed style helmet was not around in the 1960’s. The falcons wore it as a throwback in 2009 and 12. And again in 2022-23. The helmet is accurate save for one minor detail: the neckline. In 1966-69, the logo had a V-pattern. The throwback the Falcons have worn in the 20th century has a straight line between the head and arm. Look at the photo above and the photo below.

So, the pocket helmet is an accurate throwback in the speed style. The actual throwback helmet wore by the Falcons is not 100% accurate. This is a minor detail that may not matter to most collectors, if not all of them. Happy collecting!

May and June Updates

I had an incredibly busy 6 weeks. But am back! I want to express my appreciation to Michael Dole for the motivation 🙂

All of the team websites and the team checklists below have been updated. I will be busy the rest of the summer updating my collection and will post photos as they come in.

Riddell dropped factory primary helmets for 2024. These are separate from the recent “special edition” releases.

Broncos 2024 primary.
Browns 2024 primary.
Jets 2024 primary.
Lions 2024 primary.
Texans 2024 primary.

The fact these were released is a hint that these will be all of the primary helmet updates for 2024. These are available on various shopping sites.

Two special edition factory drops

Riddell dropped one factory throwback and one factory alternate for the Bucs and Panthers, respectively.

The Bucs helmet is a 1976-96 throwback. The Bucs wore this helmet again in 2009-12 and 2023-present as a throwbabck. Riddell previously manufactured this helmet in the 2-bar and traditional styles.
The Panthers helmet is an alternate the Panthers have worn since 2022.

Vikings alternate

The Vikings dropped a new white alternate. All indications are that the Vikings will continue to wear the 1961-79 throwback. The Vikings will wear three helmets in 2024. A factory pocket helmet has not been announced as of today.

New York Giants Throwback

For their 100th anniversary, the Giants will wear a blue wing-front helmet with a grey facemask. No factory helmet as of June 2024.

Ravens alternate

In April, Uni Watch released a rumor about the Ravens adopting an alternate helmet in 2024. The Ravens have been a model of consistency, wearing only one design since 1999.