If you happen to be a fan of NFL throwback uniforms, then this is you weekend. Not only will the Green Bay Packers be wearing their “50s Classic” uniforms, and the Philadelphia Eagles will be sporting their own kelly green throwbacks, the New York Giants will be joining the party when they break out their 80s-90s throwbacks on Sunday against the Washington Commanders.
The throwbacks were made possible in 2022, when the NFL lifted its “one shell” rule. Although the Giants had been wearing a fauxback uniform as their “Color Rush” uniform, it wasn’t correct for the time period. The team replaced the “ny” on their royal blue helmets with “GIANTS” — but the helmets worn with those uniforms weren’t metallic, and were a much darker shade of blue. So for their “Legacy” throwback, honoring the uniforms worn by the two-time Super Bowl champs during the 1980s and 1990s, the team went the extra mile to ensure accuracy.
Paul covered the legacy throwback when it was unveiled, and it’s a fantastic deep dive into the design of the throwback, including how the designers made sure even the smallest details were rendered correctly. It’s definitely worth a couple minutes of your time to re-read that.
Since its unveiling, the Giants have worn the throwback four times — twice each in 2022 and 2023. And (perhaps surprisingly) they are undefeated while wearing them. Also of note, both in 2022 and 2023, the Giants wore their throwbacks against the Washington Commanders. They’ll debut the legacy uniforms for 2024 against the Commanders as well.
Here’s how those four games looked.
October 2, 2022
New York Giants 20 – Chicago Bears 12
This incredible matchup definitely brought back the battles these two teams had in the 80s/90s — with the Bears winning Super Bowl XX in essentially the same uniforms, and of course, the Giants won the Super Bowl the following year in the same uniform that is the legacy throwback now.
December 4, 2022
New York Giants 20 – Washington Commanders 20
The Giants actually didn’t win this game — it was a rare tie between the two clubs — but it wasn’t a loss either. By tying the game, the Giants were able to “back door” their way into the playoffs that year as the seven seed. They’d even win a Wild Card game in Minnesota following the 2022 season. For their part, the Commanders wore burgundy pants with their white jerseys.
October 22, 2023
New York Giants 14 – Washington Commanders 7
For the rematch, the Commanders wore mono-white below the neck. The Giants had a down season in 2023, finishing at 6-11, but two of their victories came in the legacy throwbacks.
December 11, 2023
New York Giants 24 – Green Bay Packers 22
The Giants would stay undefeated in the throwbacks by winning a nail-biter against the Packers, in one of the best looking games of the season. It was also another game that resembled a Packers/Giants 1990s matchup.
I love seeing throwbacks, and I’m excited for the Giants to again wear theirs. But while I do get a warm and fuzzy feeling seeing them on the field again, I always thought the Giants uniforms with the “ny” on their helmets were better. It’s one of the rare times that I came of age and saw the Giants first on-field success — including two Super Bowl wins — that I don’t feel is the team’s best look (the uniforms one grows up with are generally viewed more positively). One of the reasons for this is the (very) mismatched blues on the helmets and the jerseys — an element they took pains to replicate for the throwbacks. But the almost-navy of the helmets and the royal blue of the jerseys never looked quite right.
I also never liked “GIANTS” on the helmet, nor the white facemask. “GIANTS” of course first appeared on the teams helmets after they moved to the Meadowlands in New Jersey. We can argue about where the Giants physically play, but they weren’t named for the State of New York. They were named for the City of New York, where they played for many decades. They may have moved to East Rutherford, but that’s less than 10 miles, as the crow flies, from NYC. But they team is and will always be the New York Football Giants, so I prefer “ny” on the helmet.
Don’t get me wrong — I’m still excited to see the uniforms the team wore in my early teens to adulthood. And I appreciate the lengths to which the team has gone to ensure they are as close to the originals as possible. I just don’t think they’re the best uniforms the team has ever worn.
Clearly the team has had success in the throwbacks, so let’s hope they remain undefeated in them when they wear their for the third time against the Commanders this weekend.
I’m curious about what you guys think — do you like the throwbacks or do you prefer a different uniform from the Giants past or present? And do you appreciate the attention to detail that was present in these uniforms?
Fire away!
I miss the all white color rush one with the royal blue helmet. I wish they would just keep the royal blue helmet instead of this navy helmet
Look how much better these look with a “mis-matched” helmet color!
See, Eagles…this is how you do a right/proper throwback!
Daniel Jones is my son.
Agree this is not the Giants’ best look, but it seems to me that the blue on the current throwback jerseys is ever-so-slightly brighter than it was in the ’80s and ’90s, which may be attributable to photography lighting and fabrics and so forth but nonetheless, the contrast between the jersey and the helmet is more noticeable now than it was then.
I know the team was really successful in that era, but the word GIANTS, even underlined, is such a lazy, boring design for a helmet. Bring back the Disco NY for something more inspired.
I wager we’ll see the Jags 2-tone before Jersey A brings disco back from the dead.
Speaking of 2-tone helmets, why not throw back to ‘36?
link
They need to go back to these as their default home uniforms. The current ones lost its charm when they got rid of the gray pants and the road uniforms are pretty awful.
Definitely need to bring back the gray pants for the road. The current homes are fine with the white pants but would be better with the Tarkenton-era pants stripes, TV numerals on the sleeves, and non-metallic helmet paint.
I thought their original road uniforms after the change in 2000 are far superior to the plainish ones they have now, and the gray pants.
Totally agree with Phil. As a Giants fan from the Netherlands I first saw them play in these but when they changed to their current set I liked those better and still do. But it is good to see them back in action for a game. My preferred Giants home set is the current one but with the small white Giants wordmark on the front of the jersey instead of the NY (which is already on the helmet) with white pants and blue socks. For away: the white and red with the Northwestern stripes is OK but change the thin ones from red to royal blue, add the same striping to grey pants and red socks. Numbers and NOB in red with blue outlines. Again, GIANTS small logo on the front of the jersey in blue.
Grey pants at home with the blue jersey and blue socks is not a problem for me. It distinguishes the Giants from the Bills. But white is also OK. It is the navy and the royal blue clashing (plus the huge GIANTS on the helmet) that looks off to me, winning uniform or not. But again, for a game per season it is perfectly allright.
Every time they wear them, I think of the “Theismann game”. Still makes me cringe thinking about it. But, also makes me think of Jim Burt with the shoelaces on the sides to make his jersey skin tight LOL.