Earlier today I wrote about the NFL’s decision to allow teams to have a third helmet color. For most teams, the third shell color option will become available in 2025, but the four teams unveiling new uniforms in 2024 — the Broncos, Jets, Lions, and Texans — were permitted to include the third helmet option in their new uni sets, all of which are slated to be unveiled within the next two weeks.
At least one of those teams is apparently going that route, at least judging by this tweet from the Broncos:
Hm, that’s interesting. 🧐 https://t.co/jL1QbnvX8U
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) April 11, 2024
We already know that the Broncos’ primary helmet will be white, and reports have indicated that they’ll also have an “Orange Crush”-era throwback with a royal blue helmet. The most logical options for a third helmet color would seem to be navy (since they’ve used that helmet color for the past 27 years) or orange (because it’s their primary team color). Icy blue is also a possibility, since that’s purportedly going to be a new accent color. And of course we also can never rule out black.
We’ll find out for sure on April 22, when the Broncos are scheduled to unveil their new set. If anyone has more info, you know what to do. Anonymity assured, of course.
Update: It appears that the Texans, whose unveiling is scheduled for April 23, are also hinting at a third helmet:
View this post on Instagram
(My thanks to Tanner George and @AjikaOfficial for letting me know about the Broncos’ tweet, and to reader/commenter Jack for the tip about the Texans’ Instagram post.)
This full time white helmet idea is going to be BAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDD
Broncos fan here. Couldn’t agree more. I’ve been ready for a uniform refresh for a while now, but I’m now dreading what the team might roll out in a little less than two weeks.
Hopefully once they see how much everyone hates it they decide to just wear the royal blue “D” helmet all the time in a year or two. Then all would be right with the world.
Yeah hopefully the rules as they exist right now will let the Broncos “back door retire” the white helmets early instead of waiting the full 5 years the same way the Rams did with the bone jerseys and the Browns did with their old home uniforms and elevating their color rushes to primary status.
Its simple esthetics white clashes with neon orange. People are literally cashing in making this garbage
Why do y’all not like the white helmet? I thought it was ok. But I do the putting the D back but with the full body modern bronco. Kinda like what I have tattooed on my right calf. Lol. Which I could upload a pic of it!
I think the colors clash and it looks like a college uniform. Broncos have no reason or history to do this outside of being pushed into by Nike.
Yeah the Texans put on Instagram something similar… That surely means we’re seeing H-Town Blue there right?!?
Thanks! Now added to the post.
I’m Calling It Steal Blue.
Makes me hope the Titans unveil a Luv Ya Blue bucket before the Texans do…a homage to their nearly – perfect ‘72-‘74 sets.
3 options…ugly, uglier, ugliest.
It’s not like I come to uniwatch expecting a bastion of positivity and acceptance of any uniform created this century, but all the recent bashing of new uniforms and ideas before they even drop seems like a bit much
There is literally not one negative thought (much less “bashing”) expressed in this post.
Do you have any examples of this? This is purely a reporting piece here, no opinions expressed.
I gotta back paul, here. You could have made this comment on a number of recent posts (or even not so recent) and been 100% relevant and correct, but this barely cracks the boundaries of an info dump, or a blurb. It’s straight facts and reposts.
I think he’s referring to the comments.
Likely yes, but perhaps he’s also referring to the banal negativism expressed by the author in today’s previous three helmet post.
I wonder if they’ll keep alternates to a maximum of three games. Seems like they’d want these designs to have more exposure.
A 2nd or 3rd helmet can STILL be only worn a max of 3 times, in the 20 games the team plays during a season. Nothing has changed in that regard. A 3rd helmet will be matched with a 3rd jersey (either alternate or throwback) for one or two games a year. That’s all. This isn’t the NFL going all “Oregon” on anything. Which some of the teeth-knashers don’t seem to understand.
Im a huge Broncos fan who has long been anticipating a fresh design. A few things that I would note. First off the two people talking about the design have referenced that they saw pictures of the design last August. Local team reporters who have great inside knowledge have said that they had a design in place, and recently switched it. Mario himself has hedged a lot of his initial statement including helmet color recently. I think that the design will have very subtle mountain deisgn, potentially even just the stitching we see in the pic above. I also think that we will have blue helmets with white as an alternate. Maybe thats just wishful thinking. The whole white helmet thing is coming from one anonymous forum poster, who also said in another post Tom Brady will be the Broncos qb in 2024 so I am not ready to say they will 100% be white helmets full time.
This sounds much much better, As a life long Broncos fan i just want blue helmets and orange jerseys ( I prefer the navy to the royal blue though)
Us old folks don’t grasp “fleek”, “drip”, or “fire”.
And of course we also can never rule out black
Great…the NFL is devolving into the MAC.
Here comes Tuesday Night NFL-tion. Some team in all BFBS vs some team in icy whites. All I ask is that the radio announcers don’t bother describing the unis to me. Let me picture them the way they used to look.
Something about the phrase “Icy Blue” bugs me, which is strange to say because I think lighter blues are underused in sports and usually look great. The language and posturing in hype tweets and photo shoots is just so painfully uncool.
These Broncos uniforms have the potential to be really embarrassing, but I guess we’ll see.
We know they’re getting the white helmet (which I don’t like, but that’s fine). The throwback blue makes sense, and will end up being their best option regardless. If they *had* to have a third helmet, navy would be my top choice, but I don’t think teams need three helmets.
“Icy Blue” or whatever you’d call it seems really unnecessary and almost redundant (halfway between white and royal?). Orange would guarantee the obnoxious mono-Crush, which is almost certainly what they’ll do because its the most embarrassing way to lose 21-9 to Las Vegas.
One day all NFL teams will wear all white or all black uniforms as players seem to like this. The reversible practice uniform aesthetics. They will all be dressed like chess pieces. So I expect a white and black helmet for every team before 2030 and that is just the start to relegate team colors to small accent status. After that all NBA teams will follow this trend but without helmets, ofcourse: white and black headbands are already in place.