DENVER BRONCOS	KANSAS CITY CHIEFS	OAKLAND RAIDERS

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

Comments

The San Diego Chargers are using a new helmet design in 2007 (shown above).

Historical Helmets

DENVER BRONCOS

1960 - 1961	1962 preseason(?)	1962
	*see note 1 below	*see note 2 below

1962 - 1965, 1994 special	1966	1967
*see note 3 below

1968 - 1974	1975 - 1996; November 22, 2001	1997 - present

*1 The logo-less helmet was used for at least one game during the 1962 preseason, but apparently not at all during the regular season.

*2 The brown bronco logo was apparently used for only a game or two of the 1962 regular season before white versions of the decal could be ordered.

*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	1963 - 1973	1974 - present
*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.

*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.

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OAKLAND RAIDERS

1960	c.1960 - 1962	1963; 1994 special

1964 - present

The Raiders played in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994 and have been based in Oakland throughout the rest of their history.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

1960	1961 - 1965; 1967 - 1973	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 -

The Chargers were based in Los Angeles for their first year only (1960) and have been located in San Diego since then.

*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.

*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 have used white helmets a number of times in recent years: for several games during the 1994 season (which was the NFL's 75th anniversary); 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.