Ranking the best NFL uniforms of 1975: Why Dolphins, Broncos and Steelers jerseys withstood the test of time

The 1975 NFL season was a legendary one, and it's not only because "The NFL Today" was born. For some reason, the 26 NFL teams knew how to put on a great display of uniforms -- threads that stood the test of time. 

"The NFL Today" celebrates its 50th birthday on Sunday, and CBS Sports is ringing in the special occasion with an all-star affair: The Week 3 broadcast will feature Brent Musburger, "NFL Today" host from 1975-1990, returning to co-host the show alongside James Brown, Nate Burleson, JJ Watt and Matt Ryan. The classic pregame show will also include special guests, vintage graphics and music, plus a virtual recreation of the 1975 "NFL Today" set.

Whether the uniforms were good or bad, they stood out throughout history. Perhaps it was the plain look, as teams weren't trying to be flashy back then. Perhaps the colors used in 1975 were the franchise's original colors, not an attempt to go darker in an effort to become modern (looking at you, late 1990s).

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Maybe it was the older franchises playing in their original cities. The Baltimore Colts, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers and Houston Oilers existed. The Los Angeles Rams were also around before they moved to St. Louis (the franchise first played in Cleveland), and the original incarnation of the Cleveland Browns lived. 

In honor of the 50th anniversary of "the NFL Today," CBS Sports is throwing it back to 1975 all week. We're looking at all the uniforms of 1975, and ranking every one of them -- which was very hard to do. 

The overwhelming majority of these uniforms were good, but the ranking will go to a traditional look that had staying power and withstood the test of time. Some of the uniforms from 1975 are considered throwback uniforms today, showcasing how good they were back then.

There are some classics, along with some unique ones, which made it difficult to rank. Just because a uniform combination is on the bottom half of the rankings doesn't mean the uniform itself wasn't good. 

1975 was a good year for uniforms after all. 

26. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals uniforms just scream "Browns," because Paul Brown formed them. His final year coaching was in 1975, as the Bengals had an 11-3 record -- their best season in franchise history to date. 

Why are their uniforms so low? The wordmark "Bengals" on the helmet just doesn't do it with the Browns uniform to boot. Only Ken Anderson made this uniform look good. 

25. San Diego Chargers

The Chargers have an excellent uniform history, as their "powder blue" jerseys were one of the best in the game. San Diego didn't have the "powder blue" jerseys in 1975, opting for the "navy blue" with a gold number. The white jerseys with gold pants and the navy blue helmet are significantly better. 

24. St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals uniforms never really changed much over the years, but they did spark in the Don Coryell offense. St. Louis actually won the NFC East that season with an 11-3 record, but the uniforms were very plain. The triple stripes on the road uniform didn't match the home uniforms (red with no stripes), which was a solid look. 

23. New York Giants

Don't have a clue why the Giants changed the "NY" script on their helmet for 1975, but it was an apparent attempt to look modern. The design failed miserably, and the Giants never wore this helmet again. They went to the capitalized "GIANTS" logo on the helmet in 1976, which created the classic throwback combination from the 1980s and 1990s that the franchise wears now. 

22. San Francisco 49ers

These aren't the classic 49ers uniforms that Joe Montana made famous in the 1980s, as the number design is different on the home and road jerseys. Naturally, the 49ers changed the number design the following year -- so even they knew the jerseys could be better. 

21. New Orleans Saints

The Saints always had classic uniforms, but they were so bad in 1975 that the look didn't seem to matter. Archie Manning made the black jerseys with the gold helmets shine, but the white jerseys with white pants were a nice look -- which they wore the first nine weeks of that season. 

20. New York Jets

The Jets had their classic look from the AFL days in 1975, a uniform that defined their franchise. This is a great look and one they brought back in the late 1990s and use as a throwback today. The all-white road uniforms are still a classic, even though the home jerseys are more synonymous. 

19. Kansas City Chiefs

The best part about the Chiefs? Their jerseys have never changed. Once the franchise arrived in Kansas City in 1963, the jerseys stayed the same. No throwback, no redesign. Kansas City still uses this design today. 

18. Chicago Bears

The Bears uniforms have also never changed, as the home and road uniforms from 1975 are the same design the franchise wears in 2025. Chicago didn't have the navy blue pants yet, but the traditional helmet with the all-white jerseys and pants is a nice look. 

17. Atlanta Falcons

The red helmets the Falcons use as a throwback design today are the same color the franchise used in 1975, but didn't have the triple stripe with the gold on the helmet. The red home jersey worked well with the uniform, and the black numbers with the white road jersey also looked sharp. These uniforms look a lot like Georgia's. 

16. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles jerseys were a modern design compared to the rest of the league, and they introduced the gray pants the year prior. The triple stripe with green, white, and gray was sharp. These uniforms should be brought back as a throwback. This is one of the newer uniforms of the era. 

15. New England Patriots

The "Pat Patriot" jerseys are as sharp today as they were in 1975, made even better with the addition of a blue stripe on the sleeve. The home jerseys (red) were better than the all-white combination, but both stood out. 

14. Cleveland Browns

A classic look that never really changed, and the Browns wore orange pants on the home and road uniforms. This moves Cleveland up a bit. 

13. Washington

Something about the gold pants with the burgundy jerseys just signals Washington, which was a solid look with the white jerseys as well. This is a classic look that the franchise rarely abandoned. 

12. Buffalo Bills

The Bills have generally had nice uniforms in their franchise's history, but the O.J. Simpson era uniforms were one of the nicest. White helmets with blue jerseys and white helmets with white jerseys and blue pants, just a clean look. 

11. Detroit Lions

The classic Honolulu Blue Lions jerseys lasted a long time for the franchise, as Detroit never worried about being modern. The gray pants with the home and road jerseys matched the gray helmets well. 

10. Minnesota Vikings

A uniform that is still used as the throwback today, the Vikings uniforms lasted well into the early 2000s. The road jerseys were different than the home, with no stripe on the sleeve and a stripe on the shoulder. These uniforms signaled Fran Tarkenton and Chuck Foreman. 

9. Baltimore Colts

The Colts have rarely changed their uniforms, but these are the Baltimore Colts' classic look. No gray pants and no blue pants. This is the look of the Colts. 

8. Oakland Raiders

Another team with a classic look, the Raiders looked great in the silver and black. These are the "Commitment to Excellence" uniforms that led to numerous victories in the 1970s. 

7. Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys white uniforms with gray pants are arguably the most recognizable in the NFL, and were worn in all but one game in 1975. The blue tops with white numbers are nice too, but "America's Team" typically wore one uniform combination. 

6. Green Bay Packers

The Packers had their traditional set in 1975, a look that has remained largely unchanged since 1958. While the Packers looked good on the field, the team wasn't. 

5. Los Angeles Rams

The classic Rams uniforms, which lasted for decades, debuted in 1972 and remained in use until 1999. These uniforms represented the Rams well, from the gold horn on the helmet to the gold horn on the home blue and white road jerseys. These were the Rams' best uniforms. 

4. Houston Oilers

A uniform that is truly missed, the "Houston Blue" color debuted in 1975 and remained throughout the franchise's time in Houston. The "Houston Blue" pants with the white road uniforms were a nice touch as well. 

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

The look of the Steelers throughout their dynasty in the 1970s. The black helmets and black uniform with gold pants and block numbers are one of the best uniform combinations ever. 

2. Denver Broncos

The "Orange Crush" uniforms, which are immensely popular today, debuted in 1967 and became a staple in the 1970s. The orange uniforms are still one of the best in NFL history, pairing even better with the blue helmets. The white pants with the white jerseys were a nice combination as well. 

1. Miami Dolphins

The best uniforms in the game today (Miami uses them as throwbacks) were the best uniforms in 1975. The aqua home and white road jerseys were perfect, and both were excellent with the white pants. These uniforms withstood the test of time.