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Pittsburgh Steelers Wearing Throwbacks To Honor the 50th Anniversary of Super Bowl IX

We just got some good news out of Pittsburgh, where it was announced that the Steelers will wear their throwback uniforms this Sunday against the New York Jets. This is a special game, as the team will honor the 50th Anniversary of Super Bowl IX.

“As we approach the 50th Anniversary of Super Bowl IX we think it is a good time to celebrate the team that ushered in an era of great success,” said Steelers President Art Rooney II. “We’re excited about being able to celebrate that pivotal time in Steelers history and honor the team that started it all.”

Super Bowl IX featured the Vikings against the Steelers (the team wore their white jerseys for that game), and would mark the beginning of a dynasty for Pittsburgh. It would be their first Super Bowl victory, and was the beginning of a run in which they won four Super Bowls in six years.

And the team isn’t just rehashing their current throwback (which includes a helmet with a black mask). In order to be more period appropriate, the uniforms to be worn this Sunday will have the period-appropriate gray facemask.

If you enlarge the above photo, you’ll notice the jersey has a special new addition. The Steelers have added a commemorative patch honoring the 50th Anniversary of Super Bowl IX, with the team’s Super Bowl IX ring as part of the design.

The biggest difference between what the team will wear Sunday and their current jerseys is the return of the block numbers, which they wore for many years. It’s hard to believe they switched to the current futura bold italic numbers all the way back in 1997, so they’ve been wearing that style for almost 30 years. 1976 was the final season the Steelers wore gray face masks.

“Something that is so important being a Steeler is the legacy that comes with being a Steeler,” said special teams captain Miles Killebrew. “We are always talking about the history of this team and the past. And Coach (Mike) Tomlin does a great job of bringing guys back, legacy players who have been here. We see guys who have been on some of those teams, and we respect them. Their pictures are up. The trophies are up. We are always reminded of the history that is the Pittsburgh Steelers, that culture of winning. To be able to put on those jerseys is another physical reminder of the shoulders of the giants that we stand on.”

In addition to the throwback, the Steelers will honor the Super Bowl IX team at halftime of the game. This will be the fifth time the team has worn this particular throwback uniform, previously doing so in 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023.

Naturally, the team cut a short video showing the original uniforms and then the throwbacks.

“It’ll be cool to just be wearing history and to honor them,” said receiver Calvin Austin III. “It’s something that we strive for and is our ultimate goal. So, to be able to put on the uniform that they wore, and they look pretty cool as well. That’ll be fun to play in them and hopefully get a big win.”

Not only are the jerseys (uniforms) awesome, but they’ve had great success when wearing the throwbacks. In 2018, the Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns, 33-18. They defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 17-12, in 2019. In 2022, the Steelers defeated the Las Vegas Raiders, 13-10, on Christmas Eve while celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Immaculate Reception and honoring late Hall of Famer Franco Harris. And finally, the win streak continued for the Steelers in 2023 when the team defeated the Green Bay Packers, 23-19.

They hope to extend that streak to five consecutive wins in the throwbacks against the Jets. It’ll be a national TV game too, as the game will be played on Sunday Night Football.

While I’ve never been a Steelers fan, I’ve always respected their uniforms, and since I came of age during the Steelers Super Bowl runs (I was nine when they won their first, and 14 when they won their fourth), I will always equate these uniforms with the Steelers. This was “always” their look to me — and even when they made the switch to the futura numbers in 1997, I still picture Bradshaw, Harris, Swanny and Stallworth when I think of the Steelers. It’ll be great to see them on the field again, and I appreciate that the team is wearing gray masks to more closely match those worn during Supe IX.

What do you all think of the throwbacks? Are you pleased they’ll be wearing the period-appropriate cages? If this isn’t your favorite Steeler uniform, what is?

 
  
 
Comments (26)

    Phenomenal look. I’ve never been a fan of the tacky outdated futura look. Would love to see these classics in white

    Different number font and different color face mask and they’re calling it a “throwback”?
    Gimme a break.

    I can’t believe they’ve stuck with the futura numbers for so long. Hard to believe they ever tampered with the dynasty uniforms at all. I know I’ve read that some people like the italic numbers because they set the current unis apart from the four Super Bowl era but, like, why would you want that?

    Also I love the way the grey facemask picks up the grey in the ring around the logo. These are just beautiful.

    I believe the “reason” they made the switch was because they wanted the jersey font to “match” the font of the numbers on the front of the helmet.

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    I’m not sure if that was the *official* reason the Steelers gave for the swap, but that’s my understanding. Thing is, while it’s the same font (Futura), the jersey numbers are italic, but the helmet numbers are not. So they don’t *quite* match either way.

    Actually, I remember when they first did the switch (I have always hated the futura font), Dan Rooney was quoted as saying that he thought the Steelers would make a ton of revenue by selling more jerseys if they switched fonts. His comment was that one day in the 90’s he looked into the crowd and saw old Lambert, Harris and Bradshaw jerseys and the fans fit right in. They were not motivated to buy a new jersey with a current player because they all looked the same. So Dan pushed for the change and jersey sales skyrocketed.

    I just wish they’d go back. I hate the slanted futura font. Looks like hot garbage. I associate the futura font with mediocrity and Mike Tomlin, so maybe they keep the mediocre look until Tomlin goes away.

    I’m also surprised they never made a switch back, but they’ve had a ton of success with this font, so why change it?

    I prefer the futura font to the block numbers for a number of reasons;
    1. It was already a part of their look
    2. Too many teams already have block like numbers, so it makes it look unique
    3. I started watching football right when they made the switch and the difference in numbers marks a sharp line between the players I know and the players came before me.
    4. Since Iowa’s uniforms are almost identical, it feels to me like they own the block number version of these unis now.

    That said, I’ll be excited to see them on the field, though I would prefer they make the bumble bee throwbacks their main throwback.

    Also, if you’ve ever been to Pittsburgh, you know there’s no lack of buying of new jerseys every season, so a Rooney looking around and thinking a change was needed to push merch is funny and almost a little hard to believe.

    They should flip to block and wear the Futura numbers as throwbacks, but only for anniversaries of their last Super Bowl wins. Or better yet not at all…

    I have been a long time Steeler fan and wrote a lede article, with Phil’s support, a few years back on the Steelers block font and its significance. I welcome this news, but they have yet to replicate the font properly and I doubt they will this time. Only the Penguins are totally faithful to it, ironically.

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    As a lifelong Steelers fan and someone who REALLLY likes the Bumblebee Uni’s this is the throwback that I have been waiting for….

    Gray facemask is huge, I really have been wanting the Steelers to go with this for years since they already had the “BLOCK NUMBERS” back on the jersey for sometime now.

    Two things I hope they add in the future:

    -AFC Patch on the jersey similar to what Kansas City does, the Steelers used to have this and it looked great

    -I would love for them to use a more matte gold, basically a muted yellow for the pants and stripes on the jersey and the helmet. That color would make this really feel like the 1970’s and a true throwback, as the pants they wear now are too shiny for my liking, Notre Dame does a great job with this….

    Good progress, again the Gray facemask really is a step in the right direction, way to go Rooney’s!

    AFC Patch on the jersey similar to what Kansas City does, the Steelers used to have this and it looked great

    What?

    And I’m pretty sure that Bicentennial patch was only worn for Super Bowl X in January of 1976. I don’t think it was worn by the Steelers in any regular season games during the 1976 season.

    If they’re honoring the first Super Bowl victory, why aren’t they wearing white jerseys?

    The wording says they are honoring that “team” more than the victory itself. The Steelers have not worn white for a home game in Pittsburgh since they opened Three Rivers Stadium in 1970, so I suspect they want to keep that streak alive.

    Not a Futura numbers fan (they are also too small) but it does distinguish it from the Iowa Hawkeyes.

    Hello! One of the few here who prefers the italic Futura jerseys over the block numbers.

    I like these, and I’m happy to have them come back for a game every season or so. The gray masks I think at this point are a MUST, to help add an additional layer of differentiation between it and the standard uniform. But I will always prefer the current uni to this one.

    I’m glad that they are using the gray facemask to make this throwback period-appropriate. The first two times they wore this throwback, it was a nod to the 1978 & 1979 teams, so the black facemask was appropriate. When they wore these uniforms in 2022, they were honoring the Immaculate Reception game from 1972, so I was very disappointed that they did not use gray facemasks, especially after they went to great lengths to have the field decorations match that game, right down to period-appropriate AFC and NFL logos.

    I hope they also have the field painted up like the Superbowl with the bright yellow endzones and helmets in them. That look is soooo good instead of the suped stripes in one endzone

    Unlike other teams who have tinkered with their look and then worn throwbacks, the Steelers have always looked ready for prime time. The Futura numbers were less a repudiation of old times, than a new spin on an old favorite. Pittsburgh has played the uniform game perfectly.

    One of the rare instances where I prefer the current uniform over the throwback. I like the Steelers current number font and I don’t like gray face masks. I find them to be dull and unimaginative.

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