A Color Rush Retrospective: Nike’s Bold Step into the NFL and the Plan to Save Thursday Night Football

By Riley Galvan

Account Executive

Photo courtesy of US Nike Football

In 2015, Nike launched an ambitious campaign to reimagine the uniforms of every NFL franchise. Dubbed the “Color Rush,” the iconic apparel company designed monochromatic threads for the entire league, embracing bold colors as they pushed the NFL into football fashion future. The promotion endured a three-year lifespan marked by controversy. While the Color Rush ended in 2018, its contentious legacy is more relevant than ever now that its successor, NFL Rivalries, is set to take the field this year. 

Nike became the NFL’s uniform and merchandising supplier in 2012. The brand, known for pushing the boundaries of design, quickly set to work overhauling the league’s uniforms. While they mostly stuck to traditional looks, Nike’s flashy reputation had fans speculating over what their first big step would be. Three years later, Nike announced the promotion alongside the NFL and Thursday Night Football (TNF)  that would debut eight new uniform combinations exclusively during TNF games. Utilizing striking hues from each team’s color palette, the jerseys provided a modern twist to normal uniform rotations. The league also hoped the campaign would spark interest in TNF, which lagged significantly behind other primetime events in viewership and ratings.

Photo courtesy of Nike

The Color Rush got off to a rocky start in a matchup between the red-glad Buffalo Bills and all-green New York Jets. Millions of colorblind fans quickly realized they couldn’t distinguish between the two teams. The league faced an instant PR disaster, one that haunted the series throughout its lifespan. While extensive changes were made afterwards, its legacy alienated many skeptical fans. Reception stayed mixed when the full Color Rush began in 2016. Some uniforms became instant fan favorites, while others were universally mocked. While some fans appreciated Nike’s willingness to innovate, many others were appalled at the company for disregarding conventional uniform design rules.

Photo courtesy of the New York Times

The Color Rush met its unceremonious end before the 2018 season when Fox Sports took over TNF. Sentiments in league ownership circles were beginning to shift against the series, with some organizations threatening to opt out altogether. Sensing blood in the water, the league decided to drop the Color Rush requirement from future contracts.

Analyzing the success of the Color Rush campaign is highly subjective. The NFL made a clear push towards its younger demographic by saturating its games with bright colors and modern uniform styles, which ostracized some older audiences. At the same time, its efforts to boost Thursday Night Football visibility also fell short, with data from Nielsen indicating that TNF’s average viewership declined and never once met league average.

While the numbers seem to point towards failure, its legacy, as well as changes in league policies, have opened the door for Nike’s next big collaboration with the league: the NFL Rivalries series. Over the next four seasons, Nike will unveil unique jerseys that pay homage to each team’s city. The first eight uniforms were revealed in 2025, all of them bearing many similar features to their predecessors while taking advantage of the ability to color-match helmets with jerseys. With an inclusive campaign and staggered annual release schedule designed to maintain fan intrigue, NFL Rivalries aims to succeed where the Color Rush fell short. As Nike’s relationship with the NFL begins its next chapter, it will look to take what worked before and translate it into a more successful campaign forged in the legacy of the Color Rush.