The New England Patriots will receive their Super Bowl LI rings Friday night. And while we’ve yet to catch a glimpse of the exact design, their previous championship rings give us a pretty good idea.
New England’s first four Super Bowl rings all followed the same pattern: 1) Each ring was larger than the last, and 2) another Lombardi Trophy trophy was added to the design with each successive championship.
For instance, the Patriots’ Super Bowl XLIX ring featured four trophies and was about the size of a baseball (not really, but close).
Here’s a look at all four:
A quick power ranking:
1. Super Bowl XLIX (far left): Is it gaudy? Yep. Is it obnoxiously large? Oh yeah. But that’s what a championship ring should be, especially one that commemorated such an epic Super Bowl.
2. Super Bowl XXXVIII (second from right): Maybe the most creative design of the bunch. It’s tough to see from that angle, but the face of the Patriots’ second Super Bowl ring is shaped like a stadium. Pretty cool.
3. Super Bowl XXXVI (far right): Understated, if you can call a ring with close to 100 diamonds understated. This one also had the letters “U.S.A” engraved on the side, a nod to the patriotism that pervaded this post-9/11 Super Bowl.
4. Super Bowl XXXIX (second from left):Â Not sure why, but this one just doesn’t do it for me. I guess it’s fitting that the Patriots’ least compelling Super Bowl produced the least attractive ring.
The Patriots offered a sneak peek of ring No. 5 on social media earlier this week.
Thumbnail photo courtesy of Jostens and the New England Patriots
