It’s tough to find a more iconic helmet than the classic design the New Orleans Saints wear each week, but that isn’t stopping some from trying. And to be fair, there are some really strong looks in this league. In this helmet logos ranking from Christian D’Andrea over at For The Win, the Saints clocked in high — very high, in fact. D’Andrea put New Orleans’ helmet logo above all but two other designs across the NFL, at No. 3 overall, writing of the placement:
“Black and gold is a great combination and the fleur de lis is a lovely nod to New Orleans. Again, simpler is better.”
Can’t fault that logic. The Saints have only made minor tweaks and adjustments to their helmet designs over the years, touching up the linework here and trying out a different shade of gold there. Quality of play aside, their debut look was an instant hit, and it still carries a vintage aesthetic that deserves its place along with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys and other venerable franchises around the league.
So it’ll be interesting to see how this year’s new black alternate helmets are received. It’s already a more complicated design than what fans are used to, beyond the palette swap, including a patterned stripe running down the middle. New Orleans has done well with their throwbacks and “Color Rush” variants before. Maybe this new look hits the ground running, too.
