How to Save on Official NFL Jerseys
‘Tis the season — football season. We’ve already taught you how to watch NFL games live after you’ve cut the cord, but today we’re going to bring you even more savings. We’ll cover how to save on one of the most coveted items for the NFL fans in your life: Officially licensed jerseys.
While official NFL jerseys are beloved by fans and make a great gift, they’re also incredibly expensive. Let’s get into how to make the purchase hurt your wallet a little bit less.
Find the Jersey Tier that Meets Your Budget
There are tiers to officially licensed NFL jerseys. While none of them could be considered “cheap,” there are options that are less expensive than others.
Pro Line Jerseys
Pro Line jerseys are the only ones sold by the NFL Shop that count as officially-licensed.They aren’t made by Nike; instead, they’re made by Fanatics. They’re easy to spot as they’re missing the classic Nike swoosh. These are the cheapest-quality NFL Shop jerseys and are made of 100% polyester. You can find them for $194.99 at NFLShop.com (when they’re not on sale) or on Fanatic’s website.
Nike NFL Game Jerseys
Game jerseys are the cheapest officially-licensed option made by Nike. Here are some of the features:
- Mesh side panels
- A tagless neck
- Screen-printed graphics
- Traditional clothing sizes
- A tailored women’s fit is available
They’re $129.99 through the NFL shop. (If you buy them through Nike, they’ll cost you a penny more.) So, if you want that Nike Swoosh as a status symbol, it won’t necessarily cost you more money. The quality is also a little better than that of the Pro Line jerseys.
Nike NFL Limited Jerseys
Limited jerseys are the next step up. They’re closer to what your team wears on the field, and they have the following features:
- Made from Dri-FIT chainmail mesh grill
- Tagless neck
- Heat-sealed twill letters and numbers
- Back seam design identical to real game-day jerseys worn on the field
- Traditional clothing sizes
- Tailored women’s fits available
There are technically three different design types, just like there are for the players: Vapor Untouchable, Speed Machine and Classic. The ones that are available depend on what your favorite team wears. Jerseys for active (not-yet-retired) players are $149.99 – $174.99 on NFLShop.com (when not on sale). The selection on Nike’s website is typically very slim, and it usually features retired players when there are Limited jerseys at all.
Nike NFL Elite Jerseys
These are the Rolls-Royce of officially-licensed NFL jerseys. They’re the closest you can get to what’s worn on the field, and they also come with the highest price tag: $334.99 – $384.99 via the NFL Shop or Fanatics. Here’s the stats on what you’ll get for your money:
- Made of durable, water-repelling nylon/polyester blend meant for game-day movement
- Tagless neck
- Sewn twill letters and numbers
- Back seam design identical to real game-day jerseys worn on the field
- Numbered sizing system
- Ventilation over the body’s heat zones
Depending on your team you’ll have the choice of the Vapor Untouchable, Speed Machine and Classic designs. You can find a few Elite jerseys on Nike’s website if you dig them, but the price is pretty much the same. For example, Nike does currently carry Josh Allen’s Elite jersey for $334.99.
Where to Buy Officially Licensed NFL Gear
You already know you can find officially licensed NFL gear on NFLShop.com, Fanatics or through Nike. But there’s a lot of other places you might see jerseys pop up, too! I’ve spotted legit NFL jerseys and more at retailers like:
- Kohl’s: Often marks down inventory as the season goes on, resulting in lower prices. For example, you can get a Patrick Mahomes’ Game jersey for $99.99 at time of writing.
- JCPenney: Generally the same price as you’ll find on NFL Shop, unless your local store is trying to move its inventory. For example, the CeeDee Lamb Game jersey is currently $129.95.
- Target: Advertises its cheaper jerseys as officially-licensed, but you’ll be able to tell them apart from the coveted, higher-tier versions above by the “NFLPA” label on the lower left-hand corner on the front of the torso. They’re of a lower grade and quality, but they do come at a lower price point. For example, you can get a CeeDee Lamb Jersey for $49.99.
When to Buy Officially Licensed NFL Gear
NFL jerseys aren’t as seasonal as you might think. If you’re shopping directly through the NFL or Nike, the prices tend to stay pretty stable throughout the year, with a few exceptions like Black Friday. If you’re shopping at a retailer, though, there can be ways to schedule your purchase for maximum savings.
Mid-October Through Black Friday
If you shop somewhere like Kohl’s, you’ll be able to find discounts starting a few weeks into the season. You can expect these discounts to get bigger leading up to Black Friday, when even the NFL Shop has a big sale.
If there’s a specific player’s jersey that you want to buy, you likely won’t want to wait until December, though. All those sales leave inventory picked over, and retailers are less likely to restock the further into the season it gets. The NFL Shop runs out of stock less often, as jerseys are its business year round, but sale prices don’t go down throughout the season like they would at a retailer — you’ll have to rely on sales during holidays and promo codes to get a discount.
During the Off-Season
If you’re not picky on which player you get, you’ll see rock bottom prices on last year’s jerseys during the off-season. This really only happens if you’re buying through a retailer that happens to have some stock that survived past the Super Bowl.
When a Player Leaves Your Team
Whether it’s a trade or retirement, the price on a player’s jersey goes down by up to 60% when they leave the team. For example, Dalvin Cook’s Limited jersey for the Minnesota Vikings is only $77.89 in the NFL Shop — a steep discount off the original $174.99 price.
There are exceptions to the rule, though. You’re not going to get a good deal on Tom Brady’s Patriots jersey. That’s still going to full price even though Brady has moved on, first to the Bucs and then to retirement.
Additional Ways to Save Officially Licensed NFL Gear
Don’t stop your shopping strategy there! There are more ways to score a deal when you’re purchasing officially-licensed NFL gear.
Sign Up For Emails and get Save 10% off at NFLShop.com
As a new customer, you can get 10% off at the NFL Shop just by providing them with your email address. If you already have an account, you can try signing up with another email account to see if they’ll issue you the new coupon.
Claim the Military Discount at the NFL Shop
If you’re active duty, a veteran or a first responder, you qualify for 15% off your NFL Shop order. (You also qualify as a spouse or dependent.) To claim your military discount, first fill your cart. Then, at checkout, click the “First Responder ID” or “Troop ID” button before entering your payment information. The NFL Shop’s military discount is run through ID.me, so you’ll be asked to create an account if you don’t already have one.
Once you’ve signed in, your 15% discount will be applied to your order.
Check NFLShop.com’s Promo Code Page
When the NFL Shop has coupon codes, you’ll find them listed on their promo code page. At the time of writing, there are deals for free shipping and $10 off orders of $49+. This page will be your best friend during Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend, as this is when the NFL Shop runs some of its best sales of the year.
Optimize Your Kohl’s Cash
Not only does Kohl’s mark its jerseys down as the season wears on, but it also gives you the opportunity to earn and spend Kohl’s Cash. There are two different periods: An earning period and a redemption period.
For example, there was an earning period from Nov. 9 through Nov. 10. During that time, you earned $10 in Kohl’s Cash for every $50 you spent. Printed on that Kohl’s cash was the redemption period: Nov. 17 through Nov. 22.
Let’s say you spent $100 on the 10th. You’d then receive $20 in “free” money via Kohl’s cash, which you could redeem on your jersey purchase on the 18th. That $20 would bring your total down from the sale price of $103.99 to just $83.99. That’s 35% off the original list price of $129.99 on a Limited jersey.
Purchase Your NFLPA Jersey with Your RedCard
While Target’s NFLPA jerseys aren’t the most coveted on this list, there are ways to save on the already cheap price if you’re going to buy one. For example, you save 5% on every purchase you make with your RedCard. Using it to purchase your jersey could save you $2.50, bringing the price down from $49.99 to $47.49.
Pittsburgh-based writer Brynne Conroy is the founder of the Femme Frugality blog and the author of “The Feminist Financial Handbook.” She is a regular contributor to The Penny Hoarder. The Penny Hoarder staff also contributed to this post.
