The NFL has introduced a policy change for the upcoming season with regard to alternate/throwback uniforms. Under the new NFL policy, teams will be able to wear their alternate or throwback uniforms four times across 17 games.
Previously, teams were restricted to three times per season.
While it seems minor, the policy change will affect most teams, and will inevitably result in more uniform combinations being worn on the field.
One of the things I lamented about this season was that we were “deprived” of seeing certain uniform combinations, as teams who wore a combination of alternates simply ran out of their allotments without wearing other possible looks.
For example, I had been hoping we’d see the Lions wear their blue helmet/black jersey (a look they ended up wearing a total of three times) over blue pants (they had gone blue/black/black/black all three times). With one more alternate game permitted in 2025, we might have gotten to see this:
Another team I was hoping would bust out a look that couldn’t was the Denver Broncos. Due to the three alternate limit, the Broncos wore their throwbacks twice, and their new white helmets over blue jerseys (which they did once, wearing the white buckets over blue jerseys, pants and socks).
I was hoping we might see the Broncos go white/blue/white/blue — a far more aesthetically pleasing combo that white over dark blue.
This is of course not to say either team will wear certain combinations, but now there will be one more week in which such an alternate is possible.
The change would also mean teams like the Broncos could pair the white helmet with the orange jersey (it would still count as an alternate, even though the orange jersey is their primary).
In fact, Denver Broncos President Damani Leech announced just that today at the NFL Annual Meeting on the policy change.
“We just refreshed the policy, so now we’ll be able to wear the uniforms four times during the regular season,” Leech said Monday. “That will be great. More opportunity to wear the throwbacks, but also more versatility with the helmets. So, as an example, we can wear our white helmets with orange on orange pants and jerseys. Things like that will just add more flexibility to the closet and hopefully be exciting for the players, but also for the fans.”
Leech said the proposal was introduced on Monday and that uniforms held a level of importance “to basically everyone in the room.” Leech also said the weekly nature of NFL games helps add to the allure of the uniforms.
He also stated that NFL teams may now pair their alternate helmets with their primary jerseys — expanding the number of games when the Broncos could use their white helmets. Last year, the Broncos were limited to pairing their white helmets with navy jerseys. Now, they can use them with their orange and white jerseys.
While I’m not exactly excited to see the Broncos in white helmets over orange jerseys AND pants, as Leech noted they may do, there are other combinations (and other teams) who may be able to use the fourth alternate game to create interesting combos.
But as we saw when the NFL lifted the single shell rule, “Be careful what you wish for.” Maybe keeping alternate usage to a maximum of three games is more than enough. And with the NFL now permitting all teams to have a third helmet for 2025 and beyond, the number of possible uniform combinations for any teams who elect to adopt the third shell will be a lot greater.
What are your thoughts on the policy change? Is it something you’d welcome — or do you think teams already have too many uniform options as it is, and this will just make the overall aesthetics worse?
I’m willing to see how this one pans out and what teams take advantage. I’d definitely welcome the Falcons wearing their throwbacks four times a year, and I’d love to see the Lions in blue/black/blue/black, but there could be an awful lot of combos no one wants to see.
What say you?
Hmm. Maybe we’ll see the Jets’ hybrid throwbacks twice instead of just once. I was hoping the NFL would allow both ‘home’ and ‘road’ versions of the same throwback in addition to the non-throwback/”Color Rush”/whatever alternate, allowing the Jets to add a green-jersey throwback without having to drop the BFBS (which would, of course, be preferable but I doubt they would do it). Anything that gets throwbacks worn more often is probably a good thing.
I think the restrictions are silly. As long as they have visible numbers and you can easily tell the teams apart, I don’t think the league should be in there legislating how many times teams can wear each uniform.
I’d agree that many of the alternates are dumb and look dumb, but I don’t think the leagues should be able to restrict how many times the Broncos wear throwbacks, or how many times the Jets go BFBS. Leave it up to the teams to decide what they want to wear, when, and how often.
“As long as they have visible numbers”
That leaves out the BFBS Lions jersey. No matter what combo they wear with it, I don’t want to see it.
God Bless you Jim!! Couldn’t agree more
Finally! I’d always thought four was about the right number of maximum alternate games
If it were up to me, though, the limit would be three per alternate jersey, maximum four total games, so a team with only one alt could only wear it three times, but a team with two could do two and two, or three and one.
“For example, I had been hoping we’d see the Lions wear their blue helmet/black jersey (a look they ended up wearing a total of three times) over blue pants”
Don’t hold your breath. This is the team that could have worn their silver pants all year and instead chose to look like they just got home from yoga class.
After getting their arses whooped in the playoffs (in the blueberries), I expect we’ll see the silver pants this season. And hopefully the black jersey-blue pant combo. I just want to see it on the field once.
Wait does this mean the alternate helmets can be worn with standard unis now?
For instance: the Jaguars don’t have to just wear their white helmet with their black uniform? They could go all white, etc?
If so, can I coin that look “Snow Leopard” please?
Hopefully the Dolphins wear their throwbacks four times. However, they only wore them twice last year despite being able to wear them three times.
Give me the Broncos blue helmet on blue jersey and blue pants or a true whiteout of white helmet, white jersey and white pants.
Yes, Broncos in white, white, white, white would achieve the worst Bronco uniform in history. The 1960 brown, yellow, brown and vertical brown/yellow socks even looked better.
Give me the Oilers throwbacks four times a year – oh wait, can’t have Cam Ward wearing Warren Moon’s number.
I am very cautious about this sudden freedom in unform choices. To me it is a prelude to including ads on uniforms.
OK move but it will lead to NFL uniform ads in the near future, I am sure. Allowing all combinations possible has its price.
The problem is that the ratchet only turns one way. Once the boost in merch sales/social media hits from this move becomes normal, growth demands that they increase to 6, and so on until we get a free-for-all like the NBA.
Let’s see the Bucs in white/white/creamsicle!
I think this is both for the best and entirely unsurprising. Freeing up alternate helmets to be worn with other jerseys is particularly great, because frankly, the Broncos and Jags alternate helmets just never worked with the alternates they were forced to be paired with. It also felt like a matter of time, with the NFL already granting exceptions, like the Eagles wearing black helmets with the white jersey in Week 1.
It also felt inevitable just because I don’t think any team with multiple alternates likes officially relegating one to second fiddle, especially since they want to maximize sales of ALL jerseys.
I don’t think this is necessarily leading to a slippery slope the way some commenters here seem to believe though. Sure, will 6 alternates eventually be on the menu? Maybe. But if we recall one of Paul’s final Uni Watch pieces, about Color Rush, you’ll recall that NFL owners are perhaps the most conservative and hesitant to dilute their brand of any sports owner. Of course, the almighty dollar is a tempting mistress, but I think that calling these “a harbinger of uni ads” is a bit hyperbolic.
Love it! I don’t think there should be any uniform restrictions. I love seeing all kinds of new combos and if a team wants to wear their “alternate” 10 times a year, let them. Now we just a lot more color vs color games.
Broncos don’t need a white helmet at all. But if they insist, try white helmet, navy blue jersey, orange pants, navy socks
Pretty much great news, but you just know that the Cardinals will pair their black helmet with their primaries and look even worse
Normally I’d agree with you, but the Cardinals still haven’t mixed and matched their current set AT ALL. Stands to reason they won’t start now.