Which XFL team has the best jerseys? Ranking the uniforms from worst to first

The NFL is missed, but the XFL is doing its part to help pro football die-hards overcome unbearable withdrawals.

Let’s be honest: XFL 3.0 has had its moments since opening the regular season in mid-February. The Athletic’s Bill Shea is a fan. And though TV ratings have dropped since Week 1’s anticipated start, fans are watching close results. Of last week’s four games, three were decided by six points or fewer.

In preparation for Week 4 of the season, we at The Athletic wanted to test Deion Sanders’ “look good, feel good, play good” theory. Does it ring true in the XFL? Are the teams with the best jerseys playing the best football?

There are some interesting XFL jerseys this year. Whether they should be labeled as “great” or “terrible” is in the eye of the beholder.

(Courtesy of the XFL)

The Athletic’s Josiah Turner, Adam Coleman and James Jackson — three editors who keep up with XFL action — engaged in a roundtable discussion in which they not only offered their opinions of the eight XFL team jerseys but also came up with their own power rankings. The editors ranked each team using a scoring system in which eight points were given to their favorite jersey and one point was given to their least favorite. (This explains the numbers in parentheses next to each editor’s name below.)

(All photos below are courtesy of the XFL.)

8. Orlando Guardians (3 points)

Turner (1): These aren’t my favorites. The different tones of green just don’t do it for me. Sorry, but if my opponent had these on, I would immediately feel like we were going to win.

Jackson (1): Can I love the idea of these more than the actual uniforms? The colors are great, but the execution isn’t sharp enough and looks like something the Oregon Ducks did without.

Coleman (1): I hate these. I feel like if you start out with neon green and then proceed to ruin the rest of the uniform, you should have to pay restitution to the University of Oregon. The gray sleeves make them worse.

7. Seattle Sea Dragons (7)

Jackson (3): For a second I thought these were uniforms for the NFL’s Denver Broncos. I’m a fan of orange and blue, but a more prominent illustration of the team mascot would’ve given these some distinction. You’re the Sea Dragons!

Turner (2): The orange base color is loud, for sure, but they give the Sea Dragons (not the best mascot name, by the way) some flavor. I would like these a little better if navy blue was the primary color with orange trimming around the shoulders.

Coleman (2): A quick blink made me think these were off-brand Broncos jerseys — and one of my least favorite NFL uniforms is Denver’s. That’s a poor reason for ranking the Sea Dragons so low, but here we are.

5. (Tie) D.C. Defenders (12)

Jackson (5): I enjoy the vibrance of these uniforms. Red and white is a tried-and-true combo for an area like D.C. High-energy uniforms are a huge confidence booster, as evidenced by the Defenders’ 3-0 start and second-ranked scoring offense.

Coleman (4): These uniforms are fine. You can never go wrong with red and white and whatnot. All I care about with this team is the beer snake. I need to see it everywhere in D.C. — Nationals games, the next State of the Union address, wherever y’all are doing brunch these days. It’s the best tradition in American sports and needs to cross over.

Turner (3): These Defenders jerseys have an Ohio State feel to them — and the Buckeyes are notoriously known to be winners. I guess that’s why the Defenders are off to a 3-0 start, giving at least one football team in D.C. some hope. These aren’t bad, but they would pop more with black trimming.

5. (Tie) Vegas Vipers (12)

Turner (7): Anytime you can pair black and red together, sign me up. That BRED look just can’t miss. Maybe that’s because Michael Jordan was so iconic during his playing days with the Chicago Bulls. I’m more a fan of the black version than the white edition — especially with the black helmet — but regardless, this colorway is always a winner in my book.

Coleman (3): Red, black and white/gray is typically a great combination, but these are just a little bland to me. Nothing horrible, but nothing special.

Jackson (2): I would’ve enjoyed more of a theme with these uniforms. I love the colorway, but the team warrants something with more of a creative design to stand out.

4. San Antonio Brahmas (17)

Turner (8): Gotta give these some love just because the black and gold are reminiscent of my alma mater, VCU, and the middle school I attended in Chesapeake, Va., Hugo A. Owens. The black is bold, and the gold adds some flashiness.

Coleman (5): The only team to make use of the collar … major points for that. I like the colors. The helmet brings this all together, too. I would have preferred a team name more unique to San Antonio, but as far as the uniforms are concerned, they did well here.

Jackson (4): These uniforms pop off the screen with the trusty combo of black and gold. It would have been great to see the Brahmas copy the Roughnecks’ approach of using shading and trimming to make a great colorway pop.

3. St. Louis Battlehawks (18)

Coleman (8): You know how some teams in sports should never change uniforms? That could be the Battlehawks if XFL 3.0 lasts 20 years from now. They could’ve gone with white for the away unit, but I’m glad they chose gray. The team name, number font, uniform color — it all just fits St. Louis somehow.

Jackson (6): Gray is a remarkably underrated color for jerseys. It always adds the perfect element of subtlety. The Battlehawks’ 2-1 start has come with each game being on the road, which begs the question: Should St. Louis go with gray or blue for its home debut?

Turner (4): I can get behind these. Any shade of blue does the trick for me, and royal blue might be my favorite. The gray colorway is smooth and switches things up from the basic white you’d expect for a football uniform.

2. Houston Roughnecks (19)

Coleman (7): The color gradient on the numbers stands out to me. You can paint anything with the state’s colors and few will complain in Texas. I have to say, I liked the Roughnecks’ uniforms from 2020 a little better.

Jackson (7): These are in a close race with the Renegades for the XFL’s best uniforms. These have a theme, great shading within the jersey numbers and engaging trimming throughout. Houston’s 3-0 record makes this jersey a credible gift.

Turner (5): The Roughnecks might rock the same colors as the Texans, but they sure aren’t playing like them. They are undefeated heading into the weekend. The American flag colorway will always have appeal. Pair these with some Olympic 7 Jordan cleats and you’re all set.

1. Arlington Renegades (20)

Jackson (8): Powder blue colorways are undefeated for just about any article of clothing. The trimming within the jersey numbers and along the shoulder pads give these uniforms dope personality.

Turner (6): You can never go wrong with a powder blue uniform. These give me Tennessee Titans vibes, and the red trim is a nice touch. If you’re a Renegades player, if nothing else, you’re feeling fresh when running onto the field each week.

Coleman (6): I, too, am a sucker for baby blue. The dash of red reminds me of the old Houston Oilers, actually. The number font is kind of similar to the City of Dallas’ emblem, too. I’m unsure if that was intentional, but it’s cool either way.

(Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; photos: Russell Lansford / IconSportswire, Scott Taetsch and Sam Hodde / Getty Images)