A Look Back at All the Green Bay Packers Throwbacks, Fauxbacks and Alternates

With the news that the Green Bay Packers will be debuting a brand new alternate combination this Sunday, I spent some time researching the Packers uniforms this morning.

While we equate the Packers with traditional uniforms, having worn basically the same uniform now going on well over 60 years, they have worn a number of throwbacks and fauxbacks over the years that show off different colors and uniform styles the team has had. Like many teams, the Packers never wore a throwback until 1994, when the NFL celebrated its 75th anniversary season, and almost all teams wore throwback uniforms, to varying degrees of success.

It was in that season that the Packers wore two throwbacks, which were based on the 1937-48 uniforms the team wore.

While the team did wear white jerseys during the 1937-48 era, the team basically created the white jersey seen above. Since most squads wore throwbacks that season, not too much was made of the Packers foray into their past history, but it did produce one epic uni moment on Hallowe’en against the Bears, when Ken Ruettgers created a pumpkin out of his throwback helmet.

The Packers next wore throwbacks for two different Thanksgiving games against the Detroit Lions, in 2001 and 2003. The first of the two uniforms wasn’t a true throwback, but rather a fauxback. For that uniform, the team stripped the decals from their regular gold helmets, and created a plain white jersey with forest green numbers, and had tan pants.

The team wore similar uniforms in 1938 and 1939, although those featured numbers that were more kelly than hunter green.

The Pack would wear different throwbacks for their 2003 Thanksgiving game.

Those uniforms were similar to what they team was currently wearing, but featured jerseys with five alternating green/gold stripes and thinner thinner pants stripes. By then the team had also moved to solid green under socks, so the for the Thanksgiving game, they wore throwback socks with gold/white/gold/white/gold stripes. While not explicitly stated, this would most closely match the uniforms the Packers wore against the Raiders in Super Bowl II.

The team would get a bit more adventuresome in 2010 and 2011, when they would introduce a new set of fauxbacks, which were supposed to harken back to their 1929 uniforms.

Obviously, the team didn’t wear the jersey that matched the fauxback, but it did feature the very small number in a circle on the front of the jersey. In order to conform to NFL regulations concerning number size, the team but a much larger gold circle/number on a blue jersey, and paired it brown helmets and tan pants (meant to mimic the leather helmets and canvas pants of the day).

They’d wear that look for two seasons, but didn’t wear it in 2012. When 2013 rolled around, the NFL had instituted the “one shell” rule, so the Packers either couldn’t continue to wear the “throwback” or would need to pair it with their current gold shells.

And that’s exactly what they did. While the uniform was still a fauxback, the team the gold helmet had the effect of better matching the gold helmet of the jersey. Oddly, the team did not replace the green facemask with a gray one. The team would wear this franken-uni in both 2013 and 2014.

At this point, the Packers were pretty well itching from the throwback/fauxback bug, so in 2015, they decided to introduce another throwback (which was basically the same as the team wore in 1994).

These were quite similar to the previous fauxback of 1929, basically swapping out the “circle/number” for full size gold numbers, but with a large gold yoke. These proved to be quite popular with fans, and the team wore them for five full seasons, until 2019.

Finally in 2021 (and continuing in 2022 and 2023), the Packers introduced their current throwback uniform, an all-green jersey/pants combination that evoked the team’s uniforms from 1950 through 1953.

These uniforms use the Packers current gold shell with the decals stripped off, and used a gray cage. The green jersey and pants should be a slightly lighter shade but still look like Green Bay green. And although this is a throwback, the mono-green below the neck would fit right in with today’s uniform trends.

And there you have it. A look at all the throwback uniforms the Packers have worn. The only other time the team has strayed from their classic look was in 2016, when they introduced their white pants and socks to create a “color rush” uniform.

That all white look will be accompanied by the Packers new white helmet, which they’ll pair with their white pants and socks.