Recently, a digital artist named Addison Foote created versions of rebranded logos for all 32 teams in the NFL. Foote’s illustrations have been used by various organizations, such as the NBA, NBC, Sony, Duke, and the 2016 and 2018 Olympics, as well as celebrities such as DeMarcus Cousins, Deandre Ayton, Jaquiski Tartt, Brandon Night, Ice Cube, and Future.
Here are grades and justifications for all 16 of the AFC redesigns. (NFC coming soon.)
AFC East
New England Patriots: C+
This one is a weird one to start with. It’s a bit tough to understand, and it’s not a real improvement from their current logo. It does stick with the patriotic theme using the red, white, and blue, so at least there’s that. And it also looks a bit cool.
New York Jets: B-
This new logo is interesting. Kudos to Foote for trying to tie together the letter J and the jet, but it just doesn’t seem to work. The J looks like a tail and — while this may be too picky — the logo itself is too tall and skinny.
Buffalo Bills: C-
This grade does not necessarily go for the logo itself, but for the so-called improvements Foote made to the current Bills logo. The red stripe does not extend beyond the body (not a big deal) and the outline is fluffier (not good; it makes it less intimidating).
Miami Dolphins: D-
This logo is a true disaster. First of all, then dolphin’s tail is too long, and it stretches too far beyond the orange circle. Speaking of the circle, Foote put the dolphin in the background and the circle in the foreground — it looks weird like that. Finally, the dolphin’s head is more round, and it looks cute. Ew.
AFC North
Pittsburgh Steelers: C+
I’m not sure how I feel about this one. The three-dimensional touch to the points on the diamond are nice, but the points don’t touch the circle, and the diamond is too basic and plain. It’s a nice improvement from the current logo, but it still needs some work.
Cincinnati Bengals: A-
This one is awesome. It’s a nice, smooth design that is somewhat simple but still detailed. The stripes on the bengal’s back add a nice touch, and the bold black outline really makes the figure stand out. It’s nearly flawless and certainly an upgrade from the current logo that is just a B.
Cleveland Browns: B+
This one is really good, too. There is a lot of detail that makes this dog look absolutely ferocious. Additional kudos to Foote for sticking with the Dawgpound idea. This logo is terrific. (Of course, it’s not too hard to beat an orange helmet.)
Baltimore Ravens: D-
Oh, no. This one is pretty tough to look at. The current Ravens logo is basic and somewhat lame, so it shouldn’t be this hard to make an improved version. Foote is a great graphic designer and all, but she missed the mark with this one, sticking with the old logo and adding a rounded head (not intimidating) and an odd B.
AFC South
Houston Texans: A+
Fabulous work by Foote with this one. She took so many crucial ideas and turned it into one slick logo. There is the Texas outline, the lowercase t, the Texas flag, and the Texans color scheme. I can’t stop admiring this one.
Tennessee Titans: A
Not bad. Not bad at all. It’s a bold move to completely veer away from the current logo and come up with a brand new concept, but Foote made it work here. Traditional battle imagery always makes for a good logo, and the color scheme fits so nicely on this one.
Jacksonville Jaguars: C
Uh-oh. Much like with the Ravens concept, Foote stuck with the current logo and added a few touches. First, she made it so it is front-facing. That could work in some instances, but here, she made it look too cute. The whiskers are cute; the smile is cute; the ears are cute. I would be excited to play against a team with a logo as unintimidating as this one. (Also, is that a heart inside the mouth?)
Indianapolis Colts: D-
This one is just the current Colts logo flipped on its side. I see what Foote was going for here: turning it on its side makes it a C (for Colts). But…
AFC West
Denver Broncos: A+
YES. This brilliant logo brings back the classic touch of the ferocious Bronco. Plus, the D (for Denver) in the background? Brilliant. This is absolutely fantastic work from Foote. More, please!
Kansas City Chiefs: B-
I love how Foote stuck with the Arrowhead concept with this one, but made some changes to the filling. The intertwined KC makes for a fun twist (ha, get it?!), and it’s a fun concept. The one thing that is missing is the wonderful yellow from the Chiefs’ color scheme that brings it all together.
Oakland Raiders: B
Replacing the current head with a banged up skull was a great idea. Also, getting rid of the smooth swords and lettering in favor or rougher, banged-up versions is perfect. But ponder this: is it too similar to the Buccaneers’ logo?
Los Angeles Chargers: A
Oooh, this one (which features a throwback to the logo the Chargers had when they were in L.A. the first time around) is really impressive. The horse’s composure paired with the lightning bolt and the shield-like figure paints a very intimidating picture.
