WE FINALLY HAVE THROWBACK JERSEYS!!!! 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/LOuzl9tD0X
— Zach Gaines (@JetsPrime) July 19, 2023
As if we didn’t already have enough NFL throwback news circulating, Jets fans are currently buzzing about an extremely short and low-res snippet of video that’s circulating on social media. The video, shown above, is purported to be from a Jets photo shoot and appears to show a player wearing something akin to the team’s old “New York Sack Exchange”-era uniform, which the team wore from 1978 through 1989.
I do not know who shot the original video, which has now been duped and reposted many times. I’m told it was shot and originally tweeted by a Jets employee who then deleted the tweet, but I have not been able to confirm that. It does appear to have been shot at the Jets’ training facility, however, as you can see in these comparison shots:
As for the uniform, here’s the original “Sack Exchange” design and two key screen shots from the video snippet:
You can see why Jets fans might get excited about this — lots of things match up.
A major reality check: The Jets already have two helmet shells — green primary and black alternate — so they wouldn’t be able to wear a historically accurate shade of green as a throwback helmet. But they could go with their current green helmet and say that it’s close enough, or they could mothball the black helmet. Either of those options would be surprising, at least to me, but they’re possible.
Personally, I have not heard any previous rumors about a Jets throwback. But I hadn’t heard anything about the Colts unveiling a new uniform either, and that’s apparently going to happen tomorrow, so who knows. I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.
The 1989 NFL is coming back strong and I’m here for it. Just about all that’s left is for the Broncos to bring back that D logo and uniform set.
They SO need to go back to their 90’s Broncos design and colors. They’d look great. Their current uniforms are so outdated now. Their 80’s ones are classics!
I’m all for the 1989 NFL look returning too! Although, ironically, the Jets are one of the few teams that I think have had better looks throughout their history (I personally like the Namath-era uniforms the best, which are more or less similar to the look they had after the NY Sack Exchange). The other teams that I think have had better uniforms before and/or since 1989 are the Bills, Bucs (sorry, was never a huge Creamsicle fan, but I do embrace their return this year, such a unique uniform regardless of which side you come down on), and Chargers. Although the Bills and Chargers in particular still looked darn good in 1989, which just points to what a strong uniform history both teams have had. For the record, I like the uniforms that the Bills have now (although for me it is an EXTREMELY close call between the current look and the 1989 look), and I like the Chargers in their original powder blues the best.
Please let this be true. Please, please please!
This would be a huge upgrade from their current set. Two major additions are the helmet logo and getting rid of the chest stripes (in favor of normal sleeve stripes)
For me it’s not the current unis that bother me (excessive use of black aside). It’s the fact that they aren’t using this throwback logo on their helmet. It’s a MUCH BETTER design match for the darts on the uniforms than the current logo, and would at least make it a complete look.
For me kill the enormous wordmark, fixed the logo to the throwback, and if you have to have black jersey fixed the numbers so they match the helmet logo and wear them with green pants.
Wouldn’t be great but would be more of a B- look
This NFL throwback movement has been fun and looking good! We need to get the Jaguars in on this.
It’s really too bad that the Cardinals came out with their new uniforms the way they did. A nice throwback with the deeper red would have been awesome
Scrap the black, bring back the Sack!
Fingers crossed that this pans out!
Really hoping this is real. That uniform fixes all of the elements I hate with the current set.
The Namath unis need to return full-time!!!
Agree…these Sack Exchange unis were not great looking IMO. Would still be a great upgrade from the stupidest uniforms ever worn which they currently have,
Absolutely!! I HATE their current unis. They should all be piled up & burned!!!
While I strongly support a return to Jersey B being just a green/white team, they’ve gotten enough mileage out of that look in its’ original form and the 1998 reboot. Make some tweaks to the current uniforms (ex: remove all black, the wordmarks on the jersey and revise the helmet logo) and they’d be set.
I wish the Namath’s would come but these are rock solid. Also the Namath’s need to longer sleeves to make the striping effect work. This look can work with tapered sleeves better.
Holy hell this would be amazing. A-A-Ron would look great in these.
Just wondering… because a uniform design is old that makes it better? Then why get interested in seeing new designs? I like seeing new concepts; sometimes I like them, sometimes not. But just rolling back to a previous version seems lazy to me when you have a blank palette.
That being said, I was anxious to see the Browns new uniforms a few years ago and was instantly disappointed. Being stuck with them for five years was the penalty. Yet the re-do was pretty plain, too. Could have easily honored tradition with a slight twist.
I never said I liked the Sack Exchange design; I just said it might be coming back.
In fact, I never liked it. But anything would be better than what they have now.
Anything is better than what they have now so this is great. However, these might as well be the Texas State University uniforms from Necessary Roughness. Very plain and boring but again, I’ll take that over anything they wear currently.
A little strange they are going all white. Do the Jets just hate wearing green anymore?
Phil and I were talking about that yesterday. Barely wore green at all last season, and now a potential white throwback. Weird!
We were doing it from memory, but we both knew they only wore the green jersey ONCE (for a mono-green look), and the green pants twice (including the aforementioned mono-green look). By contrast, they wore their white shirts 13 times, black shirts 3 times (all mono-black), white pants 4 times, and their black pants 11 times.
Gang BFBS
Yeah it is a little weird but from the last half of the sack exchange era, 85-89, they were a white at home team so it’s not that surprising.
It isn’t a Sack Exchange throwback without comically oversized Champion TV numbers.
I am in the minority on this and Jets-neutral as a fan but I like much of their current look. Get rid of the BFBS and the weird chest stripe and it would be fine.
Love the sack exchange Uni’s. I know a lot of Jets fans are clamoring for the original Jets uniforms to come back, but I’d say keep them on ice for a while. Much like when the Sack exchange uniforms were introduced it feels like a new era for the team, and I feel like it’s perfect time to throw back to these uni’s.
Please no. I hate those uniforms. The only throwbacks they should ever consider are the Titans unis and the SB III era unis. I suppose going back to the Namath era ones is less likely though, since the shitty new ones were redesigns away from that look. Too bad, since the white helmet era is by far their best uniform design to date. They’ll probably do something stupid like wear the black helmet with the sack exchange “Jets” on the sides and the green/white combo. Ugh.
Your comment keeps reminding me of individual tastes. The Titans uniforms should never see the light of day again while these and the original Jet unis are just fine.
Interesting that you don’t like the old Titans uniforms. I like the navy blue and old gold combination quite a bit. Also, there was no helmet logo or strange striping to deal with so I’m not sure why you don’t think they should ever see the light of day again. From an overall design perspective, I thought they were quite nice. To each their own, though.
SPOILER alert. The Colts uniforms are GARBAGE.
Could this be a surprise for the HOF game to honor Joe Klecko maybe?
Seems plausible.
The Jets must realize that their current set is not too popular (does not sell as much as they expected or hoped for) so they go retro. Got to rake in that merch money. They currently have one of the worst uniforms while they had one of the best before. This is not my favorite Jets outfit but it is a lot better than their current muck.
I feel like this is a running theme for the Nike designs as teams like the Bucs and Browns continue to pivot away. Hopefully this is a test run for a more permanent moderization
Was watching an old NFL film of the Jets in the sack exchange unis and liked how clean they were. O course the old Namath era and updated ones are the best. What they wear now is an embarrassment.
Very excited for these to comeback as while I prefer the Namaths these are strong seconds. I am surprised they’re going with the 78-89 versions as opposed to the tweaked 90-97 look as with the black already there as trim (the right amount of black btw) it would mean they wouldn’t have to tweak the helmet as much.
While to Paul’s point they are plain, sometimes that’s better (especially after Nike nonsense). Hope a modern version would be a full time look as their 5 years with this disasters ends this year. With the simplified striping pattern they work better with Nike’s template. Also if they really want a BFBS (I don’t) uni these are much much simpler to pull off (similar to the Celtics which while I don’t love I can accept). Fingers crossed.
I actually quite like the current Jets uniforms, as long as they’re wearing the correct color combinations (not green over green or white over black, I think they should maybe try green over black, though), but this maybe because I really didn’t like the previous set. I found the color drab and the white shoulders on the green jersey weird.
Per reports online and a leak we will get to see the “sack exchange” uniform likely on Sunday or early next week. The Eagles are going to be the last one to unveil a throwback, it looks like the first week of August.
It would be perfect if they wear the sack exchange uni against the Giants with the Giants wearing the GIANTS throw back.