The National Football League primarily features colors like blue, red, and green, making purple a relatively uncommon choice for team branding. Only a few franchises have embraced this distinctive color as a foundational part of their visual identity. This limited usage makes the teams that do feature it prominently stand out, providing a clear list of those who use purple as a primary color.
The Primary Purple Teams
Two franchises anchor their entire brand aesthetic around purple, making it the most recognizable element of their uniforms and logos. These teams each use a distinct shade of the color, paired with metallic accents to create a unique visual identity.
The Baltimore Ravens utilize a deep purple alongside black and metallic gold. This specific shade, officially identified as Pantone 273 C with a Hex code of #241773, is a saturated, dark violet that appears almost blue in certain light. The team selected its name and color scheme as a direct tribute to the city’s literary history, particularly the famous poem “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe. Purple often appears as the dominant color on their home jerseys.
The Minnesota Vikings present a prominent purple and gold color scheme that has defined their franchise since their inception. Their shade, commonly referred to as Viking Purple, is slightly brighter and more vibrant than the Ravens’ color, officially designated as Pantone 268 C with a Hex code of #4F2683. This purple is paired with a distinct gold, which gives the uniform a traditional, striking appearance. Purple is the defining jersey color for the Vikings.
Teams Often Confused with Purple
Some teams use colors that, depending on lighting or monitor settings, can be mistakenly perceived as purple or a deep violet. These teams do not officially list purple as a primary or secondary color in their brand guidelines. Addressing these instances prevents confusion.
The Arizona Cardinals primarily use Cardinal Red, which is a deep, purplish-red that can sometimes be mistaken for a dark magenta or maroon. This color, with a Hex code of #97233F, is officially designated as Pantone 194 C and has a historical origin tied to faded maroon jerseys the team once wore. Despite the depth of the color, it remains firmly within the red spectrum and is not purple.
The Cincinnati Bengals sometimes cause confusion due to their use of black and orange. Their official palette is strictly black, orange, and white, with the orange being a bright hue (Pantone 1655 C). In some retro or specialized uniforms, their black may be accented with colors that appear purplish in low contrast. Any perceived purple is an optical illusion created by the interplay of deep shadows, rather than an intentional part of the team’s color identity.