The photo shown above is from Super Bowl LIV, four years ago, when Kansas City defeated the 49ers, 31-20. With the Niners and KC winning their respective conference championship games yesterday, we could end up seeing that exact same uniform matchup this year — or maybe not.
Let’s shift into FAQ mode:
Which conference is the Super Bowl home team this season?
The AFC is this year’s designated home team, so Kansas City has the choice of wearing color or white.
So they’ll choose red jerseys, right?
Probably. The last time KC wore white at home was the season-opening game in 2006. And the time before that was in 1980 (when they wore white at home for the entire season).
On the other hand, Super Bowl home teams have sometimes opted to wear white if they wore white throughout the postseason. KC wore white in the divisional and conference championship rounds (although they wore red in the Wild Card round), so it’s possible they could opt to stick with white as a superstitious thing.
On the other-er hand, as I noted at the top of this article, KC already has a Super Bowl victory over the 49ers while wearing red, so that superstition could also factor in.
They could go with their mono-red combo, right?
In theory, yes. But they’ve never worn that combo in the postseason, and I can’t envision a scenario in which they do so in the Super Bowl.
If they go with white jerseys, they could also go with white pants, right?
Again, that’s theoretically possible, but it seems highly unlikely. KC wore that combo just twice this season, and they just won two playoff games on the road wearing white over red, so it’s hard to see the rationale for white over white.
What about the 49ers?
Simple: If KC wears red, the Niners will wear white, and vicey-versey. Either way, they’ll wear gold pants, so there are no mix-and-match options to worry about.
The Niners have two different throwbacks in their wardrobe. Couldn’t they wear one of those?
Teams need to request and receive permission from the league in order to wear throwbacks during the postseason. The 49ers did that for the 1994-95 playoffs, culminating in their throwback-clad Super Bowl win over the Chargers, but there’s no reason to think they’d want to wear the throwbacks in this year’s Supe when they haven’t worn them in their two playoff games.
Is there a historical breakdown of what these two teams have worn when facing each other?
Yes. KC and the Niners have played each other 15 times over the past 52 years (that includes Super Bowl LIV), and you can see the uni matchup for each of those games here.
Which matchup are you hoping for?
I think KC looks better in white than the Niners do, plus we already saw KC wear red against the Niners in a Super Bowl four years ago, so I’m hoping KC will opt for white.
Will you have more to say once the uniform combos are announced?
Yes. I’ll have my annual (and final!) Uni Watch Super Bowl Preview on Substack next week.
Aren’t you a 49ers fan?
Yes. Go Niners!
I didn’t want to see the Lions in mono-diaper in the Super Bowl (even though I still pulled for them as an underdog) or the Ravens in purple over black, but potentially getting the same uniform matchup from the Super Bowl 4 years ago is a bit boring.
The Steelers and Cowboys played three times in the same uniforms. I couldn’t picture them any other way.
The Cowboys and Bills played each other two years in a row. Ditto… especially since Buffalo didn’t have the option to wear blue pants back then.
I’ll be just fine with a repeat of four years ago.
it’s hard to see the rationale for white over white.
I can never see the rationale for KC to do that. Unless they’re throwing back to their Dallas Texans days.
Or Super Bowl I.
link.
KC’s best look ever.
I prefer the Schottenheimer-era all whites + white masks…but the all-time best is probably the red shoes/mostly all white Dungards mid-’70s home look.
The link for the Browns drawings story isn’t working.
Yup, already fixed. Here’s the proper URL: link
I’ve always thought the phrase “turned himself into police” should read “turned himself in to police” so it doesn’t read like the fellow snapped his fingers and POOF, became a police officer.
Well, yes, “in to” is how it’s supposed to be written. That’s why I called out the site that used “into.”
Also the headline says he’s the “latest,” and the deck says he’s the “first.” I guess logically he could be both, if he’s also the only.
Seems like he’s the latest *person* but the first *player.*
I don’t think he was the first player though. In fact, I’m pretty sure I read somewhere a couple days ago that four other players had already turned themselves in.
I could be wrong.
I mean, that’s pretty clever though.
Reminds me of when I used to tell my kids that I was a magician because I could turn in to the driveway…
Link for the Browns drawings isn’t working for me.
link
Uni-wise, this is the best we could hope for. If the Ravens and Lions had won, we’d very likely have the Raven in purple over black and the Lions in mono-white. While would have been a chance for something different, it would’ve been a small chance, IMO.
Frankly, for as much has I despise the Chiefs, (I’m a Raiders fan.) they have a classic uni and the Niners current set is pretty nice regardless of jersey. All in all, I’m good either way this game goes. Uni-wise, at least. I’ll be actively rooting for the Niners.
I’d rather have the absolute ugliest possible combination of Ravens and Lions unis than another who-cares Chiefs and 49ers matchup.
Least enticing uniform matchup, even though they are the two best dressed teams out of the four (and both are tops in the entire league). Too similar colors. Hopefully KC wears red, that will minimize the amount of red SF wears, at least provide a little more contrast between them. That said, between the overexposure of everything KC, and my dislike for the salty SF team, I may not even watch this game, don’t want to see either of them hoist the trophy.
Detroit’s collapse last night was epic, it would be hard to explain to someone how everything swung in SF’s favor after that dropped 4th down catch early in the second half. Maybe they’ll never abandon their silver pants again after that debacle.
Well, it should be easier to make the transition to a new uniform set since they didn’t win the title.
I just hope for no more plain pants.
Chiefs in White jersey red pants would be better than SF in White jersey gold pants. SF in Red/gold looks better. Hopefully not a Uni replay of 4 years ago.
It won’t happen, but I’d love to see the Niners in the white throwbacks for the big game.
The 49ers also requested to wear their white throwbacks in Feb 2020, but were denied.
link
Actually, if you follow the links to the source story, it’s not clear that the Niners ever made that request. link
I hope the Chiefs will wear white over red, so the Niners can wear red and gold, one of the best uniforms in the NFL (along with the classic aqua and orange Dolphins look, the Steelers and the Bears). Go Niners (I am a Football Giants fan but I always root for the NFC team in the Super Bowl, not sure why actually)!
”…NFC team…”
Me, too!
Just looked at the Lids/Fanatics side and saw 49ers scarlet jersey with a SB patch, a grey fashion jersey but also black jerseys with a SB patch. I hope this will be out of the question for the actual game. KC in white over red and the Niners in mono black sounds like a nightmare.
it’s out of the question. they do that every year for SB teams
Phew, what a relief, thanks!
“…so it’s hard to see the rationale for white over white.”
My rationale is easy – that KC combo just looks better!
It’ll be a moot point if they go with the red tops.
Disagree. Chiefs away look is best with the red pants given the red helmet. Similar issue with the Browns away. The orange pants go best with the helmet, otherwise, too much white.
KC will go red/red/white and SF will go gold/white/gold. Book it.
Nothing wrong, as Jimmer said above, with repeat SB combos.
Rematch unis
VII: Miami (white) def Washington (red)
XVII: Washington (white) def Miami (aqua)
X: Pittsburgh (black) def Dallas (white)
XIII: Pittsburgh (black) def Dallas (white)
XXX: Dallas (white) def Pittsburgh (black)
XVI: San Francisco (white) def Cincinnati (black)
XXIII: San Francisco (red) def Cincinnati (white)
XXVII: Dallas (white) def Buffalo (blue)
XXVIII: Dallas (white) def Buffalo (blue)
XXXVI: New England (blue) def Rams (white)
LIII: New England(white) def Rams (blue)
XXXIX: New England(white) def Philadelphia (green)
LII: Eagles (green) def New England (white)
XLII: Giants (white) def New England (blue)
XLVI: Giants (white) def New England (blue)
Thanks for that summary. Interesting that there have been so many rematches. Of course, that can happen when some teams go to the Super Bowl often while others never or rarely make it.
Realistically, I’d say it’s about a 90% chance we’re going to see same unis as SB 54. This is the best from a contrast standpoint too. If KC chose white over red, there would be red overload. By the way, I’m so glad the Lions lost and quite tragically in their hideous white pants yesterday. I thought they might wear blue pants since they won previous two games in those, but they opted for ugly instead.
Great point about better contrast with KC wearing red over white. Instead of both teams rocking red, SF wearing white jerseys really makes them primarily a gold and white team.
Totally agreee about the red overload! I’m worried the lions are tipping what they are moving to. I’m guessing Nike will roll out a plain blue mono and white mono uniforms with Lions on the chest, just embarrassing and gross. Hope I’m wrong.
I love SF in the red or white jersey with gold pants. I hope for a repeat of 4 years ago, but there is precedent for the home team wearing white when they wore white successfully on the road in the playoffs. KC looks great both Red/Red/White and Red/White/Red. As long as they don’t go blood clot it should be a great looking Super Bowl.
Kansas City has played three playoff games, the first was at home in a win against Miami, and they wore red over white in that game, so only 2 of their 3 playoff wins have been road wins (white over red)., so as far as being superstitious about wearing white jerseys, they did wear red jerseys to start the playoffs.
Ah, fair point! Will adjust the text accordingly.
Yep, it’s not like the 2005 Steelers (2006 Super Bowl), when they won 3 road playoff games wearing white, and then elected as the home team to wear white in the Super Bowl.
The story behind the Cleveland Browns drawings was incredibly sweet. Thanks for sharing.
FWIW: The 49ers posted a graphic depicting them in white jerseys with KC in red, with the tag line, “So we meet again.” — but it’s not from their meeting in Supe 54.
Looks like SF thinks this will be the matchup
link
Agreed with some of the comments above – I like Super Bowls with highly contrasted unis so Chiefs in red is the best. I take that to an extreme – I think the Broncos-Seahawks Super Bowl looked excellent, while the Packers-Steelers Super Bowl was an eyesore. Super Bowls should contrast!
So matching pants is a deal breaker, even though their helmets and jerseys contrasted? Were past USC/Michigan Rose Bowls eyesores?
To each his own, but
“I think the Broncos-Seahawks Super Bowl looked excellent, while the Packers-Steelers Super Bowl was an eyesore.”
That take is hotter than an acetylene torch welding molten lava on the Sun.
“…we could end up seeing that exact same uniform matchup tomorrow”
Are you saying that they’ll unveil their uni combos tommorow? Or is this a typo?
Typo. Now changed to “this year.”
Sooo much goodness in this post. Super Bowl prediction is the headline, and rightly so.
Browns’ story reference – a great example of what’s “Too Good for the Ticker”.
“Too Bad for the Ticker” – sad news on quality and/or quantity of editors, yet worth sharing for language nerds.
Cat photo with brilliant title can be your #1 single for anyone who doesn’t love cat photos.
Add the cat food can to that group, and it’s 5 stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Had a little fun with Paul’s American Feline Gothic ;)
link
From a contrast point of view, the best a KC-SF game can look is either Chiefs in home reds vs Niners in standard road white where their red is minimal, or Chiefs in all white (which we all know they rarely wear) vs Niners standard home.
Assuming superstition goes both ways, those Lions’ all white longjohns sure are unlucky. Here’s hoping that, if their new set contains the all white option, they never wear it.
Prediction: Based on what we’ve seen the past couple seasons with Washington and Arizona, the Lions will get three new uni options:
Mono-lulu Blue
Mono Gray
Mono White
All three will have stripeless pants.
Mark my words.
Yep. It would be nice if the pants could be interchangeable with the other colored jerseys. If you’re correct about no stripes on the pants, then it would be easier to wear with other jerseys. I think most of us agree that the Cardinals red jerseys would look much better with white pants, but their white pants stripes don’t really go with the red jersey, even though they should still wear it because it would be a thousand times better.
“If you’re correct about no stripes on the pants, then it would be easier to wear with other jerseys.”
That’s not necessarily true at all. It would be true if the three jerseys are different from one another, like Washington (in Arizona, the red has no stripes, but both the white and black do). I would contend you could wear the red jerseys with the white pants or the white jerseys with the red pants. I don’t think the black would mix/match well with either.
I think they’re going to have stripeless pants because that’s de rigueur these days, and the designers will reflect this.
Just a hunch.
More importantly, the Monolulu Blue will have blue socks. The white will have white socks. The gray will have gray socks (or they’ll be wearing tights in those colors) Those will always be paired with same color pants. At least Washington, who basically started going mono-every color, have begun to mix it up. I hoped Arizona would, but they went the entire 2023(-4) season without so doing. I see the Lions going down this same path.
Considering the shit show of recent NFL redesigns that aren’t the Browns, I’m afraid you’re almost surely right.
Whatever jersey the 49ers wear in this year’s Super Bowl, they will have three shoulder stripes instead of the two they wore back in 2019-20. And that’s a good thing.
They also updated the wordmark on the chest to the saloon font