The NFL and Nike announced a new uniform program during the NFL Draft: Rivalries, where teams wear specially designed uniforms for one home game against a division rival.
The Arizona Cardinals are among the first eight teams in this program, which will focus on the rest of the NFC West (Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Seattle Seahawks) and the AFC East (Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and New England Patriots). Other divisions will get their Rivalries gear in the following years.
So…what does that mean, exactly? As some have pointed out, this is similar to MLB’s City Connect and NBA’s City Edition events.
These uniforms will pull “inspirations from the history of each market and aspects of the community,” according to a press release. There will also be sideline apparel and fan gear—new additions to your wardrobe this season
The reveal will come before the first rivalry game, which will be announced on May 14 with the release of the 2025 schedule.
Wait, the Arizona Cardinals have rivals?
Do these teams know that?
I never thought the Arizona Cardinals had rivals because the Cardinals never really did anything to spark a rivalry.
Truthfully, if the rest of the NFC West wanted to show up the Cardinals with these ‘Rivalries’ jerseys, just have the dates of their respective Super Bowl wins across the front.
(It would also soothe 49ers fans. The once-championship contenders may wind up dead last in the division again, left to console themselves with the fact that they have more Super Bowl wins than the rest of the NFC West — combined.)
With the NFC West being highly competitive this year, I suspect the NFL will have the Cardinals wear their Rivalries jerseys for their home game with the Niners, with the Rams and Seahawks wearing these new threads during what will be crucial home games.
If such is the case, I have some recommendations.
DO: Stick With a Southwest Theme
I think it’s cool when the Phoenix Suns bust out the “Los Suns” jerseys to recognize the Hispanic community in Arizona. I wish they translated the team’s name better—Los Soles seems cooler to me than “Los Suns.”
Arizona should follow suit. Have a local artist design Los Cardenales de Arizona. Embrace how Mexican and American cultures come together in this fantastic part of the world. Give something that football fans in western New Mexico would want to wear instead of their faded Cowboys jerseys from the 90s. Let’s make these Rivalries uniforms celebrate the Southwest.
DO: Color, Color and More Color
Arizona (rightfully) has a reputation for being brown, dusty, and tan. That’s because it’s dry, arid, and full of dirt. But Arizona is also gorgeous. Have you ever been? It’s the crossroads of the Mojave, Chihuahuan, and Sonoran deserts, with vivid purples, greens, and reds swirling across the landscape. The Painted Desert and Lost Dutchman State Park are in Arizona. You should check them out.
If you’re going to use the landscape to influence these Rivalries colors, pick those instead of a patch of dirt outside the State Farm Stadium parking lot.
DO: Go Deep Into The Red
When the Cardinals first relocated to Arizona, they were the Phoenix Cardinals, which, in my opinion, still sounds better than their current moniker. These Rivalries uniforms can find success by leaning back into that part of the franchise’s history by embracing the flame.
Play around with all different shades of red to turn the Cardinals into firebirds, rising from the ashes to live and play another game. Let’s have some exciting crimsons, ponceaus, rosewoods, and vermilions. Use black and white to highlight and outline, but let’s have opposing teams see red.
Personally, I would love for the Cardinals to embrace a “firebird” identity. “Go birds!” is for Philly, and “Dirty Birds” is Atlanta. What does Arizona have? Red sea? What sea is near Arizona?
We’re all used to this team being a dumpster fire, so turning that on its head seems cool. Firebirds—ho!
But there is a risk of hitching the brand to a type of car that hasn’t been in production for over two decades. I imagine Arizona is where all the old Pontiac Firebirds have retired to, along with El Caminos and Ford pickups as far as the eye can see.
DON’T: Avoid Camo—Please.
The NFL has an “unwavering dedication to honoring, empowering, and connecting with our nation's service members, veterans, and their families” through its Salute To Service partnerships—including with the Pat Tillman Foundation. And Pat Tillman will always be an essential part of the Arizona Cardinals' history. And I write with full respect for him, his foundation, and those military members serving our nation when I say that the Cardinals can’t do a camo-inspired uniform and call it a day.
It just seems TO ME that opting for an Army Rangers color palette in tribute to Tillman feels reductive. Yes, he will be rightfully celebrated for a man who chose his country above all, enlisting in the Army after the September 11 attacks. But before that decision, Tillman was a great man—and an Arizona Cardinal legend.
He passed on the St. Louis Rams’ $9 million contract offer (according to the San Francisco Chronicle) so he could stay with Arizona. He was loyal to the team, and that's sometimes lost when we discuss his legacy.
Let's remember not just his decision to serve his country, but the values and freedoms he sought to protect by enlisting.
If there’s a Tillman reference on the Rivalries jersey, that would be great. He literally didn’t go to a rival NFC West team. But please. I’m begging: think beyond desert camo.