When you look good, you feel good, and in the case of NFL players, they appear to play better when they walk into a stadium with a fire fit. In this week’s edition of The Athletic NFL Style Rankings, we put an emphasis on players who came dressed to kill and then proceeded to kill it on the gridiron.
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The top-ranked dresser and finesser put up numbers that only one other player in his franchise’s history had done before, and the runner-up used his platform to help promote and elevate a small business.
Let’s get right into the thick of it, shall we?
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10. Alex Highsmith
Business trip to Cincinnati 🛫 #HereWeGo
More 📸: https://t.co/WPmsyzTe5C pic.twitter.com/tguNhdQ57E
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 27, 2021
📍 Paul Brown Stadium pic.twitter.com/eD9orrfnJ0
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 28, 2021
Alex Highsmith and that short collar, combined with the pinstripe blue suit, are such a simple but well-put-together pairing. Anything that shies away from the traditional suit-and-tie assortment, all the better in these style rankings. This is a sharp and clean look. The suit is also very well-tailored to Highsmith. The arms and shoulder work fit him to a tee and are neither too loose nor too snug.
9. Miles Sanders
.@BoobieMilesXXIV out here 🔥@Eagles | #FlyEaglesFly
📺: #PHIvsNYG — 1pm ET on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/2TN0A4rdeL
— NFL (@NFL) November 28, 2021
He looks ready to spin.@BoobieMilesXXIV | #PHIvsNYG pic.twitter.com/u0KkVhdenv
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) November 28, 2021
This face mask is just too cool. There’s no way around it, and to top it off with that icy chain? Ohh wee, that’s a bad man. Admittedly, Miles Sanders looks like he’s about to put on a full coat of armor, which we could have our jokes about given the fact he’s about to play in a professional football game. All this ice might have noted Icy Girl, Saweetie, shook.
8. Zach Ertz
The drip is truly unmatched.@ZERTZ_86 x #RedSea pic.twitter.com/CtQWMRDNKs
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) November 20, 2021
From the hang 10 to the iced coffee, the wide-brimmed hat and the comfortable casual wear, Zach Ertz shows off how less can sometimes be more. Yes, the outfit is simple, but look at the confidence of the Arizona Cardinals tight end. He’s giving easy, breezy, beautiful cover boy, and not an ounce less. He’s got his stunna shades on looking like something.
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7. Travis Kelce
Another week, another fire fit ❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/hjt7wzKu9q
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) November 21, 2021
The upside-down Nike headband is giving me Drake in “Way 2 Sexy” vibes. This is a simple fit, yes, but y’all know how I feel about any level of color coordination. The yellow glasses match the jacket, and the black headband lines up with the shirt. What do we call that? Symmetry, and I love it here.
6. Saquon Barkley
Time to work ⏰ pic.twitter.com/1r0RVWGIx4
— New York Giants (@Giants) November 28, 2021
Saquon Barkley decided to throw it back to the late 1950s and 1960s with this retro look. The argyle pattern suits the Giants running back quite well, and the black pants round out the old-school look. Once again, clean and straightforward outfits with a different pattern, style, texture or modern touch to them will always be a winning combination.
5. The Bengals
📍 Paul Brown Stadium@Bose | #RuleTheJungle pic.twitter.com/PmEzxwmTdq
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 28, 2021
I don’t know which of these fits I like more. I love some overalls, I really do — and the North Face crossover and the layered chains. I’m a huge fan of this new trend, actually. I’d say it adds a nice, subtle touch, but the whole point of stacking the chains is to draw a little extra attention to the person wearing them and give the outfit a little pop. The other is wearing the Columbus Blue Jackets kit, which was done in honor of Cancer Awareness Month in October. Columbus and Cincinnati aren’t exactly close neighbors, but the latter doesn’t have an NHL team, so the support from the Bengals is probably greatly appreciated. Showing support for a good cause and the state’s professional hockey team, well done.
4. Joe Mixon
Business attire with a smile 💼😁#RuleTheJungle | @Joe_MainMixon pic.twitter.com/Rpq0HJR532
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 28, 2021
Ric Flair drip goes wooooo, and Joe Mixon, to quote another song featuring Migos, came through dripping ahead of the Bengals’ 41-10 beat down of the rival Steelers. I love this color of blue, the texture in the legs of the pants and the finish. In general, I love when players find unique ways to express their personality and individualism. Is it eccentric? Absolutely. Is it gaudy? Hell yes! And that’s what makes it all the better, in my opinion.
3. DeVonta Smith
.@DeVontaSmith_6 looks ready to put on a show. 🤩@Bose | #FlyEaglesFly
📺: #PHIvsNYG — 1pm ET on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/pxODwVlZKX
— NFL (@NFL) November 28, 2021
I see DeVonta Smith is all ready for Christmas, and I’m right there with him. I love this double-breasted suit. It fits the receiver well and does just enough to show off his style with the emerald-green color and plaid pattern. Smith looks as smooth as he does running routes on the field in this combination. I wish there was a lighter-colored tie or handkerchief he could’ve worn with this particular outfit, but I’m a huge fan of the overall design.
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2. Joe Burrow
Cozy @JoeyB @onlocationexp | #RuleTheJungle pic.twitter.com/nf8pO3FIfe
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 21, 2021
Don't let the Bengals big win over the Steelers distract you from the fact that Joey Burrow wore this amazing Black-Owned bomber jacket in his post game press conference. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/sTkBpp3Y29
— Shaneika Dabs⚜️Henny (@ShaneikaDabney) November 29, 2021
A week ago, Joe Burrow was stylin’, wildin’ and profilin’ in a Dunder Mifflin hat and an artistic print Jordan lounge set. Such a comfy outfit immediately skyrocketed the second-year quarterback up the rankings. But to come out this week repping BlaCk OWned’s Stripes Don’t Come Easy satin bomber? It’s one thing to be stylish, but it’s another thing to be stylish and support small, Black-, women-, minority- or LGBTQ+-owned apparel as the most front-facing member of a team. Burrow understands he’s going to be standing front and center in news conferences and among photographers, and his support will help elevate the profile of this company.
1. Justin Jefferson
goated pic.twitter.com/VXgvC7gVIx
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 21, 2021
If you’re going to wear a shirt with one of the GOATs on it, you better back it up with your play on the field. In the Vikings’ Week 11 upset of the Green Bay Packers, the second-year receiver went off for 169 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches to help Minnesota. But in addition to that, Justin Jefferson joined Hall of Famer Randy Moss as only the second player in Vikings history to have 1,000 yards receiving in his first two seasons. When Jefferson catches seven or more passes in a game, Minnesota is 5-0. But when the receiver hauls in six or fewer, the team is 0-6. So maybe feed him a little following the Thanksgiving Day holiday?
(Photo of Justin Jefferson: Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)
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