National Football League


American Football Conference - West Division

DENVER BRONCOS KANSAS CITY CHIEFS LAS VEGAS
RAIDERS
LOS ANGELES
CHARGERS

Historical Helmets

DENVER BRONCOS

1960 - 1961;
October 11, 2009;
October 19, 2009
1962 preseason 1962 (first five games)
*see note 1 below *see note 2 below
1962 - 1965,
1994 special
1966 1967
*see note 3 below
1968 - 1973 1974 - 1996;
November 22, 2001
October 13, 2016
October 8, 2023 1997 -

*1 In addition to its use during the 1960-1961 period, this helmet design was brought back for use during two games in 2009: October 11 (vs New England), and October 19 (at San Diego).

*2 During the Broncos' first five regular season games in 1962 a dark-colored version of the new bronco logo was worn. The color of the logo was "lost" or unknown for many years, as there were very few surviving color photographs from these first five games; both brown and blue were claimed for the color of the logo. I originally had depicted this helmet with a brown bronco (as this is how it was listed at the Mike Stanhope helmet web site) but have changed it (in January 2012) to blue based on information from this webpage. Beginning with the Broncos' sixth game white decals were used, to provide better contrast with the orange helmets.

*3 Some sources indicate that, in 1964 and 1965, the white stripe was flanked on either side by two blue stripes. Below is the only photograph I have from this era, which appears inconclusive (at least to me) on this matter. If anyone has a clearer photograph (especially a color one) from these two seasons, I'd greatly appreciate a copy of it.


KANSAS CITY CHIEFS including Dallas Texans

1960 - 1962;
some games in 2009
1963 - 1973 1974 -
*see note 1 below *see note 2 below

*1 This franchise was originally based in Dallas and known as the 'Texans'; this is the helmet used by the Dallas Texans from 1960 through 1962. The team moved to Kansas City and changed its name to the 'Chiefs' for the 1963 season.

This design was used for some games during the 2009 season as part of the NFL's observance of the American Football League's 50th anniversary: vs Dallas (October 11), vs San Diego (October 25), and at Oakland (November 15).

*2 The arrowhead logo was significantly larger during this period than on the current helmet, and the black outlines around the arrowhead and the letters "KC" were narrower.


LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

1960 c.1960 - 1962 1963; September 14, 2009
*see note 1 below
1994 special 1964 -

The Raiders were based in Los Angeles from 1982 through 1994, and in Oakland throughout the rest of their history until the move to Las Vegas in 2020.

*1 This historical design was brought back for use during the following games in 2009: vs San Diego (September 14), vs New York Jets (October 25), vs Kansas City (November 15), and vs Dallas (November 26).


LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

1960 1961 - 1965; 1967 - 1973;
some games in 2009
1963 - 1964
*see note 1 below *see note 2 below
1966 1974 - 1987 some games in 1994,
2000, 2002, & 2003
*see note 3 below
1988 - 2006 2007 - 2018 October 13, 2016;
2019
'A' 'B' 'C'
2020 - 2020 - 2020 -

The Chargers were based in Los Angeles during their first year (1960). In 1961 they relocated to San Diego, where they remained through the 2016 season before returning to Los Angeles in 2017.

*1 The color of the outline around the gold lightning bolt may have changed from blue to black during these years, but I have not attempted to depict both of these possible variations here.

This design was brought back for use during some games in 2009 as part of the NFL's observance of the fiftieth anniversary of the formation of the old American Football League. In 2009 the design was used during games at Oakland (September 14), vs. Denver (October 19), and at Kansas City (October 25). (I have listed the 2009 "throwback" helmets with this helmet image because photographs appear to show that the helmet numerals worn during the 2009 games were larger than those used during other "throwback" games earlier in the decade (those listed in note 3)).

*2 A shield-shaped logo containing the text "ALL-AMERICA CITY" and "SAN DIEGO" was worn at the front of the helmet by some players during some games during these two seasons.

*3 The Chargers used white helmets a number of times in the 1990s and early 2000s before switching permanently to white helmets again in 2007. White helmets were used for several games during the 1994 season (which was the NFL's 75th anniversary); also on October 29, 2000 for a home game against the Oakland Raiders (as part of the team's recognition of its 40th anniversary); on November 3, 2002 for a home game against the New York Jets; and on September 21, 2003, during a home game against the Baltimore Ravens. The numeral style varied to at least some degree on these occasions. While I have several photographs from the 2002 season, I have found only a single one from 1994 (the one shown at Mike Stanhope's web site); a comparison of these implies that the numerals used in 2002 were both larger and bolder than those used in 1994, and that neither was necessarily a close match for the numerals used during the 1960s and 1970s. I would appreciate additional photographs from the 1994 season and from the October 29, 2000 game, so that I can more accurately identify the differences in these helmets.