Modern American football shirts are designed to meet several physical and material requirements if they are to be successfully used in the NFL or other pro leagues. American football is a complex, physical sport centred on speed, agility, power and aggression. As such, American football shirts need to be light, flexible and tough if they are to be any use to a professional player. Therefore, most if not all American football shirts are made from 100% polyester.

Each NFL franchise has its own American football shirt design in their respective colours, ranging from the garish orange/black combination of the Cincinnati Bengals to the more relaxed and darker black tones on the San Diego Chargers shirt. All professional American football shirts have the player's number on the front and back (with the player's name on the back too) to help the officials identify each player on the field at any given time.

Prices for American football shirts compare favourably with other sports such as soccer (or 'real' football as some deem it), with shirts generally requiring the purchaser to part with £40 for a new season shirt. Soccer shirts can often cost as much as £60, depending on how prestigious the soccer club is and how much lettering is required on the back. The other main significant difference between American football shirts and soccer shirts are the lack of sponsors present on the American football shirts. Most soccer clubs often rely on shirt sponsorship for extra income, an aspect that is not a factor in the NFL.

More American football equipment: American Footballs