Lions News: Detroit Lions new alternate helmet is a big winner

Table Of Content

• 24 COLLEGE FOOTBALL UNIFORM PREVIEW
• NFL UNIFORM PREVIEW
• Regular season
• Detroit Lions' alternate helmet a little something old, something new and something blue
• THE DAILY DRIVE: Predicting how Detroit Lions spend their NFL draft picks in trade up, trade down scenarios
• THE DAILY DRIVE: How Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell helped bring black jerseys back

Please read the rules on our original contest page and submit your design on Twitter by using the hashtag #DetroitLionsRedesign and tagging @AndrewMLind and/or @SportsLogosNet. It takes really two years to really get going, so (chief communications and brand officer) Brian (Facchini) and a team have been kind of working with Nike, looking at uniforms that will probably be for 2024. The post feature a classic Ford car with the license plate “ALT HMT” and a decal with the June 21 date. Either way, here's what you need to know about the Motor City's latest innovation in fashion. The Lions chose not to update uniforms this year—but suggested they could be coming in 2024.

24 COLLEGE FOOTBALL UNIFORM PREVIEW

The shoulder sleeves are not hard on the eyes and are simple enough to not draw too much attention away from the center of the jersey. The organization will be able to pair the jersey with both the silver and blue pants, so the 'blueberry' look that became popular last season will continue to be in the fold going forward. The white of the numbers pops with a nice contrast to the darker hue of blue. Additionally, the color of the jersey pairs nicely with the new blue facemasks. The Lions made a small tweak with the color, as it appears to be a shade that is a touch darker than the last rendition. This is a solid change and looks crisp along with the white lettering and numerals on the jersey.

NFL UNIFORM PREVIEW

Two fender-benders were tended by the Michigan State Police as the several-mile drive took 45 minutes. Detroit police, bolstered by other cities, were out in big numbers, with officers in cars, on foot and on horseback. They were busily issuing orange parking tickets to cars parked next to no-parking signs. The entire department was working the next three days, said police Chief James White. Chicago Bears fans were especially ravenous because their team had the first pick.

VIDEO: Detroit Lions unveil 2023 alternate helmet design - Pride Of Detroit

VIDEO: Detroit Lions unveil 2023 alternate helmet design.

Posted: Wed, 21 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Regular season

The Lions say this will be the first time the shell color is worn in NFL history. The helmet logo shows the team's 1960s logo, with a lion across a blue and silver stripe "to pay tribute to the club's heritage." It is also the first time the logo will be on a helmet. The logo is also being used as part of the team's 90th anniversary patch. The league previously had rejected alternate helmets out of concern for player safety. As part of the policy change, teams are required to obtain a full set of the new helmets for players before the season, with the alternates being the same make, model and size as their regular versions.

Grading Lions' New Uniforms

The “Indiana Nights” alternate was a generally nice addition to the collective locker last year, though the black helmet was an unnecessary whiff. The Lions' black alternate uniform, called "Motor City Muscle," includes a Honolulu blue helmet that was introduced into the 2023 season. With the silver helmets, the silver stripe pairs along with the white trim.

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NFL uniform guidelines only permit the alternate helmets to be worn with an alternate uniform, which includes both a throwback and an all-gray setup for the Lions. Given the awkward contrast between the new, modern helmet design and the throwback jersey, which is noted for its simplicity, the team only intends to wear the blue helmet with its gray uniforms. The Lions' home uniforms feature a modern take on classic Detroit jerseys, starting with a "refreshing" of the characteristic Honolulu Blue the Lions have had in their color scheme for most of their history. The blue jersey features the return of white numbers and will be worn with silver pants, moving on from the gray color worn in recent years. The contrasting stripes on the shoulders and pants resemble those used on the Ford Mustang and feature white accents as well, while the collars will be inscribed with "One Pride" on the inside. The Honolulu blue helmet displays the team's 1960s logo, a lion prowling across two vertical stripes (one blue, one silver) on the sides of the helmet, with a silver facemask attached to the shell.

Detroit Lions' alternate helmet a little something old, something new and something blue

As they teased a couple times earlier in the week, the design is a classic look, throwing back to the days where they had an old logo. However, they kept the design modern looking with a sleek matte blue helmet—the first time this franchise has ever donned a helmet that wasn’t predominantly silver since the 1950s. Beyond the blue, the Lions expressed a desire to Nike's design team to bring silver back to their color scheme after drifting more toward gray in their recent uniform incarnations. While the helmets have maintained a metallic look, the new uniforms do a better job incorporating silver on the sleeve stripes and trim around the numbers. While most seemed to like the helmet, it clearly clashed with the all-gray uniforms they were paired with (and had to be paired with by NFL rules).

The Lions will continue to embrace their classic look in an all-silver helmet paired with their classic jersey. The team will have the option of matching the helmet with a silver facemask or providing some contrast with their new blue facemask. As we mentioned last spring when Wood told reporters gathered at the annual NFL owners meetings that Detroit was exploring potential uniform changes, the Lions have worn their current uniform set since 2017. League rules allow teams to modify their uniforms every five seasons.

Fans could test their skills in throwing, jumping and running the 40-yard dash. They posed for pictures with mannequins dressed in new football uniforms. At Hart Plaza before the draft began, guests packed into the NFL Experience, a festival of food and games all connected to the sport of the hour. Some fans waited in line to take selfies with the Vince Lombardi Trophy, which is given to the winner of the Super Bowl.

The others opted for a modernized color variation of their current design , such as Cincinnati's white helmet with their traditional tiger stripes, or black versions for Carolina, Philadelphia, Arizona and the New York Jets. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears inverted their traditional helmet and logo color schemes, going with a orange shell to complement their orange alternate uniform. Honolulu blue will remain present in the numbers, trim and "Lions" lettering across the front, and it will be inscribed with "Motor City" insider the blue collar. The team will also have a new blue helmet to wear with these jerseys, as they made tweaks to the alternate revealed last season. These blue helmets feature a more neon appearance with a black stripe and the traditional Lions' logo.

With the initial hype in the rearview mirror, here are grades for each of the Lions' three new jerseys and their respective combinations. The Lions are celebrating their 90th season of existence with some new threads. "We thought as sleeves continue to shrink, there's less and less room," Facchini said.

Now the Lions, as well as all other NFL teams, can add another helmet design into the mix. The NFL approved a third game-eligible helmet design with some restrictions on usage. The Lions unveiled their new alternate helmet for the 2023 season and it’s beautiful.