Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
These five NFL teams could definitely use a rebrand, but will they do it?
When your recent history stinks, why not embrace a full-scale rebrand?
If the NFL knows anything is it that we love it when a team changes its uniform concept. At first, we say on Twitter how much we hate it, but deep down, we love seeing something new and shiny to potentially buy online or at a sporting goods store. This offseason, seven teams underwent some variation of change to their uniform set-up, with some more involved than others.
Upgrading, or downgrading, threads is one way to keep fans engaged, as well as attract the younger crowd, which let’s be real, is the entire point of uniform changes. However, it may not be enough. Sometimes a logo or even a new nickname might be in order. No league has embraced this kind of change quite like the NBA.
The Washington Bullets became the Washington Wizards decades ago because who wants to actively promote gun violence? While the Wizards moniker was always wonky, at least they’ve embraced the Bullets’ iconic color scheme or red, white and blue. It’s campy, but it works. The same thing applies to Michael Jordan bringing back the Charlotte Hornets a few years ago.
So what we’re going to do today is highlight five NFL franchises who need to seriously think about making some major changes to their uniforms, the logos, or in some cases, their names. Every team on this list has reasons for being on it. Not all of these changes will happen, but who says change isn’t a good thing?
If these five NFL teams embraced a rebrand, that would be wonderful.
5
Arizona Cardinals
NFC West
The Arizona Cardinals have what looks to be an exciting team in 2020 and they should have a uniform or a rebrand that reflects that. While we understand the Cardinals are one of the oldest teams in the NFL, never once in their wildest dreams have they ever thought about personifying winning. In fact, they have defined losing for generations and it’s time for a change.
Cardinals aren’t even native to Arizona. If you want to keep channeling your inner Los Angeles Lakers or Utah Jazz for branding purposes, go right ahead. However, let’s do something cool with the uniform concept to include the sweet-looking Arizona state flag. Kyler Murray is the most exciting thing to happen to your franchise since you had Charley Trippi back in the Chicago days.
Murray is cool, DeAndre Hopkins is cool, Kliff Kingsbury is cool and Larry Fitzgerald is a Phoenician receiving god. Before Fitz retires, get him a uniform he can be proud of. It’s not that what the Cardinals were every fall Sunday sucks, it’s just kind of hopelessly bland. Well, guess who’s not hopelessly bland anymore? Arizona professional football! They need jerseys to reflect that.
If the Air Raid is ever going to work long-term in the NFL, it will be in the Valley of the Sun. It doesn’t look to be as gimmicky as the Mouse Davis/June Jones Run and Shoot. We believe Murray and Kingsbury will have tremendous staying power in the league, so let’s get the Cardinals some new jerseys to get fired up over. If you need to change the nickname, just do it, please. Who cares?