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You did a double take, didn't you?
If you’re streaming Thursday night’s NFL game between the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks, which ushers in Week 4, it won’t take long to notice that the Cards look different – and we don’t mean their 2-1 record at kickoff.
Whether you think they look sandblasted, adjacent to Tostitos or tortillas or like they should be playing football on Arrakis – lovers of “Dune” should check out the team’s social media feeds – the Cardinals are rocking their new “Built to Last” alternate uniforms, the first of the eight teams this season that will showcase kits cooked up as part of Nike’s “Rivalries” initiative.
What are NFL ‘Rivalries’ uniforms by Nike?
Think of them as the football version of the sports apparel company’s NBA "City Edition" uniforms or Major League Baseball’s "City Connect" jerseys. Signaled during the NFL draft and unveiled in August, Nike has strived to create something that further strengthens NFL teams’ bonds to their unique civic environments.
"The 2025 Rivalries uniforms will celebrate storied local traditions and unite fan communities with designs unique to select cities and teams,” Nike announced during the rollout.
"The designs are rooted extensively in the legacies and inspirations true to each team, serving as authentic, competitive expressions of community pride while giving athletes and fans an opportunity to connect like never before."
Which NFL teams have ‘Rivalries’ uniforms?
Eventually all of them. But for 2025, each team in the AFC East and NFC West is scheduled to wear their “Rivalries” unis one time this season. Two additional divisions will be added to the rotation in each of the next three seasons, and the “Rivalries” option then becomes part of a team’s closet for the following three years.
What’s new about the Cardinals’ ‘Rivalries’ uniforms?
Arizona’s “Built to Last” threads are meant to spotlight the state’s desert motif.
“No one survives here untested. The desert air burns with every breath. Most teams dry up, break down, and vanish like a mirage on the horizon. Some call it unforgiving. We call it home. It scorches, it tears, and it doesn't forgive–leaving your defenses blurred and your offense drying up under the relentless sun, each step grinding against a billion shards of grit. Tempered by the harshness, forged by the heat, Arizona is built different. Where others falter and break, our toughness thrives in these conditions,” proclaims the team’s website, laying it on as thick as uniform reveals seem to demand these days.
“Survival isn't given–it's earned. BUILT TO LAST.”
Shop Cardinals NFL Rivalries uniforms
The jerey's shoulder features a re-imagined state flag – the Cards used to have the actual flag on their former white jerseys when they relocated to Arizona from St. Louis in 1988.
The end zones are also spectacularly painted in a manner Thursday that calls back the flag design. The helmet bumper is yet another element honoring it.
The team’s “Rivalries” color scheme officially includes a palette of seven disctinct hues: Sunbaked Clay, Southwest Sand, Ore Dust, Desert Sunset, Tough Red, Arizona Copper and Sandblast. The uniform's copper trim highlights are a nice nod to Arizona’s state metal. The presentation predominantly features the sand-smeared look of a team residing in the desert southwest.
The Cardinals’ uniforms have gotten many positive reviews on social media and were ranked No. 1 by USA TODAY Sports last month among the eight initial “Rivalries” versions.
"(T)hese were the best jerseys we've got," quarterback Kyler Murray told the team's website when they debuted. "Probably the best jerseys I've seen us wear. I like our (current) uniforms, but I think these turned out well, especially with the ultimate shock that these were happening.
"(T)hey turned out perfect."
When will NFL teams wear 'Rivalries' uniforms in 2025?
Arizona Cardinals: Sept. 25 vs. Seattle Seahawks
Buffalo Bills: Oct. 5 vs. New England Patriots
Los Angeles Rams: Nov. 16 vs. Seattle Seahawks
Miami Dolphins: Sept. 29 vs. New York Jets
New England Patriots: Nov. 13 vs. New York Jets
New York Jets: Dec. 7 vs. Miami Dolphins
San Francisco 49ers: Jan. 4, 2026 vs. Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks: Dec. 18 vs. Los Angeles Rams
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Arizona Cardinals become first team to wear Nike 'Rivalries' uniforms in NFL game
Reporting by Nate Davis, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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