The 2000s,
The 2000s are the Reebok decade. Reebok signed a 10-year deal in 2000 to become the NFL's exclusive uniform supplier. A few teams switched in 2001, and from the 2002 season Reebok made the on-field and replica jerseys, sideline apparel and caps for every team, marketed as NFL Equipment, until Nike took over in 2012.
The 90s licensee field had thinned out. Starter and Fruit of the Loom both filed for bankruptcy in 1999, and the Pro Player brand was liquidated in 2001, so a Pro Player tag points to 2001 or earlier. Most production was now offshore.
Teams leaned into alternates and throwbacks. The NFL began allowing alternate jerseys in 2002, Thanksgiving throwback games ran in the early 2000s, and in 2009 the AFL's original eight teams wore throwbacks for the league's 50th anniversary. Mitchell & Ness reproductions of older jerseys were a hit early in the decade.
- Reebok labels and NFL Equipment branding on jerseys and sideline gear from 2002, and on a few teams' jerseys from 2001.
- Pro Player tags stop by 2001, when the brand was liquidated. Original Starter-company pieces predate its 1999 bankruptcy.
- The NFL shield: the 2008 redesign cut the stars from 25 to eight and changed the lettering, so an eight-star shield means 2008 or later.
- Tighter cuts and shorter sleeves from about 2000, with sleeve stripes cut short (Steelers in 2000, Colts in 2002).
- Alternate jerseys after 2002, such as the Broncos' orange (2002), the Eagles' black (2003), the Titans' light blue (2003) and the Falcons' red (2003).
- Team updates: Giants lowercase "ny" and Patriots nautical blue (2000), Bills navy redesign (2002), Lions black trim and Falcons new logo (2003), Lions redesign (2009).
- Throwback-style jerseys are everywhere: team alternates, Thanksgiving throwbacks and Mitchell & Ness reproductions all copy older looks, so check the maker.
- Offshore labels are standard by now, with production spread across Mexico, Central America and Asia.
- Reebok — exclusive NFL on-field and replica jerseys, sideline apparel and caps from 2002 until Nike took over in 2012 (some teams from 2001)
- Nike — on-field jerseys for some teams until the Reebok deal took effect (the Steelers through 2000)
- Champion — NFL license through 2000
- Pro Player — until the brand was liquidated in 2001
- Majestic — licensed NFL fan wear through the decade; acquired by VF Corporation in 2007
- Mitchell & Ness — reproductions of older jerseys, very popular early in the decade; bought by Adidas in 2007
League moments that date gear
- 2000: Reebok signs a 10-year exclusive NFL uniform deal that takes full effect with the 2002 season.
- 2001-03: the Classic Throwback Weekend puts throwback uniforms on the field on Thanksgiving.
- 2002: the Houston Texans join as the 32nd team, and the league's rules begin allowing alternate jerseys.
- 2008: the NFL updates its shield logo for the first time since 1980.
- 2009: AFL Legacy games, with the AFL's original eight teams in throwbacks for the league's 50th anniversary.
Super Bowl, bowl-game and championship designs from 2000–2009, NFL and college, one page per game with every design we found for it.