Earlier this summer, Andrew Lind at sportslogos.net reported that the Green Bay Packers would be introducing a new helmet for the upcoming season. The helmet was reportedly airbrushed, the first of its kind. That led people to believe we were getting airbrushed leather helmets, similar to the ones the University of Illinois wore last season.
Lind said the Packers would wear the airbrushed helmets with their 1950s uniforms, meaning this version would likely be a yellow leather helmet.
Green Bay’s social media team continued the hype by releasing a sneak peek of the helmet on social media on Tuesday.
And, of course, with every release like this, people analyzed the 10-second clip to its fullest extent.
This screenshot, which we all thought confirmed the rumors of a leather helmet, changed the next day when Dick’s Sporting Goods released a new uniform, leading to even more confusion and speculation.
Some people suggested it may be a 1954-1955s throwback because of the blue and gold uniforms with stripes on the sleeves. However, that would mean no leather helmet. Others suggested it was a 1922 or 1931 throwback because they wore leather helmets and blue uniforms at that time, but neither had the striped sleeves.
Green Bay has some of the most iconic uniforms in the NFL, and they tend not to want to mess with them too much.
Some people love it when they change it up.
Others can’t stand it.
Regardless of what people outside of the organization think, Green Bay went out of its element with the white helmet last year. Before that, they had a plethora of alternate uniforms honoring past teams, but none like this.
The rumors were right, and Green Bay went all in this year with their throwback design, going with the rumored airbrushed leather helmet.
The look honors “the ones that wore the G before the G” in 1923, the year that Green Bay became a publicly owned corporation.
Similar to the various versions of the Acme Packers uniforms we’ve seen in the past, these will feature the navy-blue-and-gold jerseys that they wore before becoming the green and gold we know today, with brown/tan pants. However, in the past, Green Bay would wear plain brown helmets. Until there were restrictions on the number of helmets that could be worn, they became just plain yellow helmets.
Introducing the leather look brings the whole uniform together. While the look of the leather helmet painted onto the traditional one may seem a bit wild, the creativity behind it is awesome, and it’s much better than a plain yellow or brown shell. The talent of the individuals involved is incredible. It’s truly a work of art.
The jersey also perfectly matches the helmet. It’s a sharp navy blue and a perfect shade of gold, and the design isn’t overdoing it. The simplicity of the jersey lets the helmet shine. One gripe I had with the Illinois version of these uniforms was that the jersey was too flashy and distracting.
The national reaction to the uniforms was positive overall.
People praised the detail, time, creativity, and artistic work that the organization and the people put into hand-painting the helmets.
To accompany the uniform reveal, Packers fans will also incur a dent in their bank account from all the new merchandise that comes with it. They could not wait to get their hands on one of the replica helmets.
I will have a Tucker Kraft jersey on the way soon.
Is having a uniform that’s the first of its kind a good thing?
Yes, it very much is.
When opting for a throwback uniform with a design this bold, you can expect to receive mixed reviews. It may not be everyone’s favorite look, and I wouldn’t say I love it.
However, I applaud an organization that has been slow to catch up with modern times when it comes to marketing the team in the age of social media and the internet. An organization whose social media team was criticized by one of its own players for its lack of creativity. An organization that otherwise maintains a traditional approach, opting for something that is the first of its kind and as unconventional as an airbrushed leather helmet.
It encapsulates an organization that is rooted in tradition and its rich, deep history, while evolving into a modern entity that still maintains its traditions and celebrates its past.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this set off a trend of airbrushed helmets, with more to come.
