What Do the Patriots’ ‘Rivalries’ Jerseys Mean?

A look at why New England is donning nor’easter-themed uniforms on Thursday night against the Jets.

The Patriots are wearing their NFL Rivalries uniforms on Thursday night. / Photo via @Patriots.

The 8–2 Patriots will look to continue their seven-game winning streak on Thursday night against the Jets—and when they do, they’ll be rocking a brand new set of uniforms.

The NFL is in the midst of debuting its new “Rivalries” uniform series this year, a set of alternate kits that are designed and inspired by the local communities of the teams that will wear them. The AFC East is one of two divisions kicking off the new sets in 2025, and in turn, New England will don their “nor’easter” uniforms in primetime to kick off Week 11 in the NFL.

MORE: Ranking the NFL’s New Rivalries Jerseys

Needless to say, these kits the Patriots will wear on Thursday—created with “the power and unpredictability of a New England storm in mind”—have plenty of homages and hidden meanings woven within them.

Here’s a closer look at what each detail represents.

What do the Patriots’ “Rivalries” jerseys mean?

A look at the Patriots’ “Rivalries” jerseys. / Photo via Patriots.com.

From the outside looking in, these are pretty simple: A white helmet, blue jerseys and white pants to complete the uniform sandwich. What the Patriots have done, however—via their team website—is provide some further details on what each design element means, and how they connect “New England's past, present, and future.”

First and foremost, the “Storm Blue” color of the jersey is meant to reflect “both the unforgiving power of nor'easters and the perseverance of the people who face them head-on.” The white helmets with grey face masks, meanwhile, are a nod to snow and “icy cold that defines the region’s winters.”

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Additionally, the vertical striping on the jersey numbers is a nod to the team’s Drew Bledsoe-era uniforms, the netting pattern on both the shoulder and pant stripes is an “homage to the working harbors that define the New England coast” and the “NE” logo on the shoulders is designed with “nautical lettering and compass points.”

But that’s not all.

A look at the details in the Patriots’ Rivalries uniforms. / Photo via Patriots.com.

To round the uniform out, the collar of the jersey—both inside and out—is filled with meaning. The six stars on the front represent the six New England states (and perhaps the team’s six Super Bowl championships as well), the red is a “connection back to the team’s traditional color palette,” and the script on the inside is a reminder that, “through every storm, We Are All Patriots.”

Long story short, there's a lot behind these uniforms, and it's quite the unique way for the Patriots to honor the region they’ve played in for 65 years. Kickoff from Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium on Thursday night is set for 8:15 p.m. ET and will stream on Amazon’s Prime Video.

Take shelter, a storm is coming.

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