New York Jets: Their Logos, Their Name, Their Colours

From their early-sixties inception as the Titans of New York to their modern, throwback-inspired green and white logo, the New York Jets have had several distinctive looks over their 60-plus year history. This team has found itself navigating through different eras, frequently alternating between two primary logos and uniform styles since the mid-1960s as generations evolve. In this piece, we will look at why the New York Jets wear green and white, how the New York Jets got their name, and share the all-time New York Jets logo history.

HOW DID THE NEW YORK JETS GET THEIR NAME

They were originally known as the New York Titans, first playing in the American Football League starting with the 1960 season, before changing their owner, stadium, colours, and name in 1963. The new name, “New York Jets,” was chosen primarily due to the location of their new home, Shea Stadium, and how it is situated between the city’s two major airports. Announced on April 15, 1963, The Brooklyn Eagle report said the new name “reflected the spirit of these times and the eagerness of all concerned to give New York another worthy team.”

It also just so happened to rhyme with the name of the other team that called Shea Stadium home, the New York Mets. Fun fact: The New York Jets are credited as the inspiration for the name of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets, as the owners of the two franchises were close friends during the early days of the hockey club.

WHY DO THE NEW YORK JETS WEAR GREEN

According to the same report in The Brooklyn Eagle, the New York Jets wear green and white because “through the ages, green has always signified hope, freshness, and high spirits.” and that New York is “a green-conscious town, from the dividing stripe down Fifth Avenue to the verdant hills and dales of Westchester to the beautifully landscaped parks and parkways of Long Island.”

However, according to designer Todd Radom, referencing a 1965 profile of Jets president Sonny Werblin in Sports Illustrated, the colour was chosen simply because it was the owner’s favourite. Which is usually why these things happen.

“The real reason for the Jets’ switch to green in 1963 is that team president David A. ‘Sonny’ Werblin was born on St. Patrick’s Day in 1910,” Radom wrote. “He once said that the green and white were assigned to the team ‘because they’re my colours.'”

NEW YORK JETS LOGO HISTORY

1963 New York Jets Logo

The original New York Jets logo was rather simple: a commercial jet with the team name “JETS” across the side. This logo was worn on either side of the Jets’ white helmets throughout their first season with the new name in 1963.

1964-77 New York Jets Logo

The logo with which the Jets won their only Super Bowl was adopted for their second season with the new name in 1964. The logo shows an overall football shape with the same JETS wordmark within it, a large “NY” behind that, and a smaller football near the bottom. This logo first appeared mostly in white, with the only green used as a trim colour, before switching to the predominantly green version shown above in 1965.

1978-97 New York Jets Logo

“There’s nothing like a new suit when you’re depressed…” read the New York Daily News report on the new Jets logo and uniforms in 1978. The Jets, fresh off a 3-11 season, switched to green helmets for the first time with this new, more modern JETS logo, including a jet flying past the top of the logo.

1998-2018 New York Jets Logo

After two decades of lacklustre performance with the previous logo, the Jets hoped changing to their Super Bowl-winning design would bring them luck. Throwing back to the design of the 1960s for the 1998 season, including re-adopting the white helmets. Nostalgic designs were the style of the time, and fans loved them. However, as time passed and the younger generation grew older, those fans started to miss the green helmets of their youth. Also, they didn’t win any more Super Bowls.

2019-23 New York Jets Logo

The team returned to green helmets in 2019 with a modernized version of the Super Bowl-winning logo. The same football shape was there, as was the “JETS” and the football’s position within the design. The green was lightened, and the “NY” in the background was removed and replaced with a matching “NEW YORK” wordmark above. This combination of eras made nobody happy, and after only five seasons, it was retired.

2024- New York Jets Logo

The New York Jets decided just to pull the plug and return to how things looked when they first wore a green helmet in 1978. The JETS wordmark was tweaked a little, and the jet itself got an update, but the uniforms were largely the same as what they wore back in the ’70s and ’80s. A new all-black version of the throwback set was introduced as an alternate option.

NEW YORK JETS ALL-TIME LOGO HISTORY

The New York Jets have flip-flopped between eras, bouncing from the “NY/Football” design to the italicized jet mark twice now. There’s a great possibility the Jets will forever ride the logo and uniform merry-go-round as each generation grows up and demands a return to the design they grew up with. It’s fine.

Check out our New York Jets logo and uniform history collection right here