Good morning, and happy Pi Day! (Also known as one week before I turn 60, yikes!)
Now then: In one of the more unusual developments of recent years, the Eagles changed their official wordmark in June of 2022 — sort of. They added the new lettering to their end zone design but also announced that the new mark wouldn’t be added to their jerseys until 2024.
In case you hadn’t noticed, 2024 has now arrived. And right on schedule, the Eagles’ online shop is now selling jerseys with the new wordmark. Here’s a comparison:
No sign yet of the new mark on the team’s white jersey, but you can use your imagination.
Why did it take so long to change the logo on the jersey? Because any NFL jersey change — even if it’s as minor as this one — requires two years’ notice. I don’t really understand why the Eagles didn’t just wait until now to launch the new mark, so everything would be unified, but I’m sure they had their reasons.
Still to be determined is the fate of the Eagles’ nose bumper. In 2022 (the season right after the new wordmark was announced), the bumper still had the old mark, matching the logo on the jersey chest; in 2023, the bumper went blank:
I think it’s a pretty safe bet that the bumper will feature the new mark in 2024, but we’ll have to wait and see.
One amusing side note to all of this: Just as the jerseys with the new mark were appearing on the team’s online shop, the team tweeted a welcome to newly acquired running back Saquon Barkley, including an illustration of him wearing the old wordmark — on the jersey and the nose bumper — even though he’ll never wear that logo on the field. Here’s the tweet and a close-up of the illo:
🗣️BACK IN PA! Welcome to the City of Brotherly Love, @saquon.@Toyota | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/mB1f7flTgG
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 13, 2024
(My thanks to Patrick Bourque, who was the first of several readers to bring this development to my attention.)
Does something this minor count as a change per the five-year rule? Also I generally hate these tiny wordmarks introduced with the league-wide Reebok deal and am glad some teams have abandoned them. I assume they were added for marketing retail jerseys. Tail wagging the dog.
Does something this minor count as a change per the five-year rule?
Good question. Don’t know, but doubt it.
And yes, chest wordmarks are all about retail merch. Fans don’t want to wear just a green jersey with white numbers; they want to tell the world the name of the team they’re supporting. Sigh.
Because the unique midnight green color, bespoke font and drop shadowing aren’t enough to tell the world what team you’re representing? I thought that’s what the giant eagles’ heads on the sleeves were for! /s
I weep for this Uni-verse.
“Fans don’t want to wear just a green jersey with white numbers; they want to tell the world the name of the team they’re supporting.”
This is exactly what the corporate sales weasels say in their meetings. I think maybe 14% of fans “get it”, and 86% of fans don’t give a sh*t.
Is it the NFL that establishes these crazy uniform
rules where a tiny wordmark is a two year production to change or Nike? Soccer clubs change their kits every year, those kits are sold at retail (at least the jersey). If they can change so frequently, don’t get the NFL and its five year rule. Seems like they are unnecessarily handcuffing themselves.
You’re absolutely right about soccer kits changing every year, but the design process takes about 18-24 months, so it’s not that different.
I suspect the five year rule is to discourage constant tweaking and the carousel of crap we’re seeing in the NBA.
I always appreciate your knowledge of and contributions/perspectives from the soccer world, Charlie
Cheers Jem!
The drop shadow on the old logo played so much better with the numbers.
I think the minimalist style across all the major sports was welcome at some point but it feels like an overcorrection now.
100 percent agreed about minimalism being an overcorrection, the old wordmark complemented the uniform while this new one looks too much like it was meant for something else and slapped on last minute.
The drop shadow of the old logo, to me, adds boldness and weight while this updated one really seems like it’s better on a banner.
Totally agree with minimalism in typography for team wordmarks going too far. Embelleshing letters or names with outlines, drop shadows, etcetera is not a sin.
I agree that the pendulum has swung too far toward minimalism but the previous wordmark was overwrought. The arch at the bottom of the letters, the extraneous darts in both directions off the ends, the oversized S at the end of the word. Never warmed to it, but the new one isn’t any better. I would say go back to the Jaworski Era wordmark but that is also a product of its time and wouldn’t really fit with the current look.
I get this too. I think the Knicks comic book logo is similarly dated.
The old arched logo and the dribbling Dutchman wearing knickerbockers deserve a comeback. The Marvel superhero triangle logo is indeed past its expiration date.
I think it would fit with a tight, wordmark unifying outline in silver and/or black. That wordmark from the period you mention still looks very good, just give it a slight polish
Minimalism is never welcomed by me. Simplification, yes, but not minimalism.
Sadly, I don’t see it going away soon. Nike has somehow managed to buy massive amounts of black and white material (bulk discount), add very little in the way of trim and shrinking names and numbers (saving time, effort and money), and selling it to the teams as “Ooooo…clean icy whites! Aaaaahhh…ninja stealth!”
And so many teams, players and fans eat it up.
At least the Swooshketeers did one thing right. Every time I see that Rams Color Rush uni it puts a smile on my face.
Was hoping the new wordmark was going to coincide with a new uniform for them, but the end of the one-shell rule is allowing ownership to have its cake and eat it to, appease the fans overwhelming preference for kelly green with the throwbacks twice a year, but hold on to the dark green. I wonder if it is just the ownership feels that since they came up with this uniform, it is their mark on the franchise and they dont want to get rid of it.
I have never quite understood why there is this obsession with photoshopping players into their new uniforms after they sign. What is the purpose of this? “We just signed a new player, look at this fake photo of him on the field in our uniform, which is obviously fake since this is an announcement of him joining the team today.” Can we not just have a photo of said player wearing the team cap or holding up the new jersey in a press conference. The purpose of these fake photos is completely lost on me.
Eagles unis just lost part of their soul. Lots of people say the outgoing wordmark was dated, but I don’t care what anyone says, it’s timeless. It “is” the EAGLES
The new wordmark was dated the second it released. Brands have already started moving away from unnecessary oversimplification and started creeping back the other way, albeit slowly.
It’s dated in the same why a teal jersey with black drop-shadow numbers is dated. And that’s not a bad thing necessarily. They went together.
Finally? said like this was wanted by any Eagles fan… the graffiti font was awesome
“Finally,” as in the logo was unveiled nearly two years ago but wasn’t added to the jersey until now.
The new Eagles wordmark is a snore. I wish they’d added a drop shadow.
Wow, that’s a terrible wordmark and already beyond dated. It’s like someone wanted the trendiest corporate design aesthetic of 2011.
I’ll take the 1973-1995 Art Noveau wordmark, thank you very much.
Looks like it wants to say EA Sports
Yep, that sure is six letters that spell out the word “eagles”.
It’s been years now, and it’s still a ludicrous downgrade.
Is there any significance in the cutouts on the E’s? I don’t think I ever heard any?
I’m OK with either, but I wonder if this new logo will be problematic on the white jersey and the nose bumper. The old logo didn’t have to change colors when on a white background, but I’ve got to think this will need to happen or it won’t show up very well. I hope they elect to go with their green instead of black.
This sucks ! massive downgrade.
E-A-G-L-E-S would have been better than this change.
Kidding!
I’m certainly not an Eagles flea fan but I prefer the new word mark.
Also while I’ve been enjoying the daily cans today’s is by far the best can yet, love it.
Thanks for sharing my mugs! I love them as a pair. Plus, it’s an educational piece for visitors!
For professional football those team name wordmarks on the chest above the front numbers have always looked tacky and minor league or worse to me no matter their lettering style.
Removal would be both very unexpected and welcome.
I’ve always thought the same. Stop shoving the number downward! The color scheme tells people what team they’re watching.
Agreed! I always thought of wordmarks as a “collegiate” look. Once you graduate to the professional levels, the uniform should reflect that.
It bothers me because it doesn’t really match the numbers…. anywho… we have our own uniform debacle to worry about. HTTC!!!!