(Audacy) The NFL's controversial one-helmet rule is a policy of the past, and more than one-third of the league's teams are prepared to immediately welcome a second helmet into their rotation.
A few teams are bringing back classic helmets in 2022, with others introducing new alternates for the upcoming season. Here's a ranking of all 13 alternate helmets that will be used during the 2022 season.
13. Chicago Bears
The orange alternate tops that the Bears wear are excellent. However, a matching helmet in the same shade is just overkill. The Bears' orange helmets will debut on Oct. 13, when they host the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football.
12. Washington Commanders
We aren't anti-black helmet, but with some teams, it just doesn't make sense. The Washington franchise is on its third nickname in four years, but burgundy and gold remain the team's colors. Why did the Comanders need a black alternate uniform?
11. New York Jets
These black alternate helmets might be the best the Jets can do currently, but the new look that the team introduced in 2019 is one of the worst the league has ever seen. The Jets plan to wear their "stealth black" helmets three times in 2022 -- in Week 8, Week 12 and Week 16.
10. Houston Texans
They aren't as egregious, but we'll put these into a similar category as the Bears -- the Texans are one of the few teams in professional sports that pull off a red alternate uniform, but a matching helmet is too much. The "battle red" helmets will first appear in Week 9, when the Texans are slated to host the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football.
9. Arizona Cardinals
While the cardinal on this alternate helmet looks pretty cool, the Cardinals are another team who feels like they need a complete uniform refresh. From here, all they have going for them is how good their traditional white helmets look. The team's matchup against the Eagles in Week 5 will be the first time that these helmets are worn during the regular season.
8. Philadelphia Eagles
There's not much to say about these -- they'll look solid with the team's black-on-black alternates. But what everyone is waiting for is the return of the kelly green alternate helmets and uniforms, which will happen in 2023.
7. New Orleans Saints
Any helmet with the Fleur-de-lis is going to look sharp. However, we do wonder if a white helmet would have looked even better with the Saints' all-white uniforms. The Saints have yet to announce when these helmets will make their debut.
6. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers are a team for which it makes sense for them to have a black alternate helmet, even if their typical silver ones are excellent. It's scientifically proven that these helmets will look 100% better if a player wears a matching black visor. These will also be a helmet that debuts on Thursday Night Football, with the Panthers slated to host the division rival Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 10.
5. New York Giants
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and from here, the Giants look better with their full name on their helmets than with the "NY" they've used for much of their history. The Giants plan to wear these throwbacks twice in 2022 -- against the Bears in Week 4 and against the Commanders in Week 13.
4. Atlanta Falcons
While we'd argue that the black throwback helmets that the Falcons wore with these uniforms was already perfect, their red helmets are classic and it's good to see them return. The Falcons full uniform kit right now is a train wreck, but when they wear the red helmets against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6, they'll be among the best-looking teams in the league.
3. Dallas Cowboys
Thanksgiving just didn't feel right without the Cowboys wearing these uniforms. It will be hard to pick against the Cowboys when they face the Giants on Nov. 24 while donning these.
2. New England Patriots
While the Patriots have won six Super Bowl titles in the "Flying Elvis" era, they've never looked better than when "Pat Patriot" was on their helmets. It will be great to see this full throwback uniform return for the first time in a decade.
1. Cincinnati Bengals
Chef's kiss. The belly of a Bengal tiger is white, and some that get recessive genes end up all white. The Bengals' white alternate uniforms have become really popular in recent years, and the addition of a white helmet figures to make this look a modern classic.
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