Panthers get absolutely shafted in NFL uniform rankings

Maybe the Carolina Panthers aren’t one of the more popular or successful franchises in the NFL. But they surely aren’t among the least aesthetically-pleasing teams out there, at least when it comes to what they’re wearing.

But Mike Kadlick of Sports Illustrated begs to differ, as he placed the Panthers near the bottom of his uniform rankings for the 2026 campaign. Kadlick has Carolina all the way down at No. 29—ahead of only the Arizona Cardinals (No. 30), New York Jets (No. 31) and Los Angeles Rams (No. 32).

Since their debut season in 1995, the Panthers have kept it simple. They wear black jerseys at home and white on the road—each of which features a baby blue—excuse me, process blue—shoulder stripe. Their pants, meanwhile, have mostly rotated between grey and white. In 2002 they added blue jerseys, and paired them with blue pants in ’15 as part of the league’s Color Rush promotion. Carolina’s all-black look—which debuted in 2012—is probably its top look, but overall, this fleet should be considered subpar at absolute best.

Since their debut season in 1995, the Panthers have kept it simple. They wear black jerseys at home and white on the road—each of which features a baby blue—excuse me, process blue—shoulder stripe. Their pants, meanwhile, have mostly rotated between grey and white. In 2002 they added blue jerseys, and paired them with blue pants in ’15 as part of the league’s Color Rush promotion. Carolina’s all-black look—which debuted in 2012—is probably its top look, but overall, this fleet should be considered subpar at absolute best.

To Kadlick’s credit, he does give the all-black uniforms some deserved love. The look got even better in 2022, when the organization debuted the slick black helmets to rave reviews.

And, to be fair, perhaps they are due for a tweak or two. Some Panthers fans have been lobbying for an update to the jersey numbers, which have been the same throughout their 31-year existence, as well as the addition of a white helmet.

Nonetheless, there aren’t 28 teams in the NFL with cleaner threads than the reigning NFC South champs.

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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers get absolutely shafted in NFL uniform rankings