Every New 2026 NFL Alternate Helmet, Ranked: The Rams Nailed It and the Ravens Went Too Far

Helmets are the hardest part of a uniform to get right, because you cannot hide behind a jersey swap. It is one shell, one logo, and one shot to say something. The 2026 offseason gave us a fresh batch of new alternate helmets, and the range is wide: one of them is close to perfect, and two of them try way too hard. Here is our ranking of every new NFL alternate helmet this year, worst to first, with a grade for each.

6. Ravens "Purple Rising" Helmet

C

via @Ravens on X

The Ravens went for drama and landed on gimmick. The "Purple Rising" helmet drops a big front-facing team logo onto a purple shell, and it is just a lot. A front-facing crest is a hard trick to pull off on a helmet, and here it reads as busy rather than bold. There is a good team identity underneath all of this, but this lid buries it. It is our least favorite new helmet of the year.

5. Ravens "Darkness" Helmet

C+

via @Ravens on X

The second of Baltimore's two new helmets is a step up, but only a step. The "Darkness" shell brings black talon stripes and a two-toned front-facing raven with red eyes. The menace is the point, and we get it, but it is chasing a Halloween-costume vibe more than a timeless look. Dial the theatrics back and there is a real helmet in here. As is, it is a C+.

4. Bills "Charge" Helmet

B-

via @BuffaloBills on X

We know a lot of people do not like this one, and we get why: the Bills' new all-blue "Charge" helmet, with its red charge, is unlike anything Buffalo has ever put on the field. But that is exactly what we like about it. It is a swing, and it commits. The color is electric and the concept is original, and we would take a team trying something this bold over another safe repaint any day. It is polarizing, but polarizing beats boring.

3. Jets White Helmet

B

via @nyjets on X

Sometimes the move is just to keep it clean, and the Jets' new all-white helmet does exactly that. Paired with the all-white look for the home opener, it is crisp, sharp, and hard to mess up. It does not reinvent anything, and it does not need to. A simple, well-executed white helmet is an easy B.

2. Commanders Black Helmet

A-

via @Commanders on X

Washington's all-black "Hail Raiser" set is anchored by a slick black helmet with the Spear W on both sides, and it is one of the best black alternates in the league. Black helmets are everywhere now, so standing out takes a clean logo and the right amount of restraint, and the Commanders nailed both. It is aggressive without being a costume, which is the exact line the Ravens missed.

1. Rams White Helmet

A

via @RamsNFL on X

This is the one. The Rams' new white helmet with blue horns is gorgeous, and the blue-on-white combination is about as clean as a football helmet gets. Our only nitpick is the horn: it runs as one solid shape without the cut or separation of the classic Rams horn, so it reads a touch too hard up close. That is the difference between an A and a perfect score. Everything else about this helmet is exactly right, and it is our favorite new lid of the year.

The Bottom Line

The lesson from this year's helmet class is an old one: restraint wins. The Rams and the Commanders trusted a clean shell and a strong logo and came away with the two best helmets of the group, while the Ravens piled on effects and ended up at the bottom. The Bills land in the fun middle with a real swing, and the Jets prove a simple white shell still works. Give us the Rams' white and blue any day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the new NFL alternate helmets for 2026?

This year's new alternate helmets include the Rams' white helmet with blue horns, the Commanders' black "Hail Raiser" helmet, the Jets' all-white helmet, the Bills' blue "Charge" helmet, and the Ravens' two new lids, the "Darkness" and "Purple Rising" helmets.

Which new NFL helmet is the best?

We rank the Rams' new white helmet with blue horns as the best of the group and grade it an A. The clean blue-on-white look is our favorite of the year, with the only knock being that the horn lacks the cut of the classic Rams design.

What is the Ravens' Darkness helmet?

The "Darkness" helmet is one of Baltimore's two new 2026 alternates, a black shell with talon stripes and a two-toned front-facing raven with red eyes. We grade it a C+ for leaning too far into theatrics.

What is the Bills' new helmet?

Buffalo's new alternate is the blue "Charge" helmet, an all-blue shell with a red charge that is unlike anything the Bills have worn before. It is polarizing, but we grade it a solid B-.

Which new NFL helmet is the worst?

We rank the Ravens' "Purple Rising" helmet last and grade it a C. The big front-facing logo on a purple shell reads as busy rather than bold.