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Getty Randall Cunningham wore the kelly green uniform better than anybody in Philadelphia Eagles franchise history.
It’s official: the Philadelphia Eagles have unveiled their kelly green throwback uniforms. The details on when they will be worn remain unknown, but pictures of them are in the wild and apparel will go on sale at the team’s pro shops starting at 8 a.m. on July 31.
The Eagles confirmed the news with a celebratory tweet on Saturday evening, via a photo of Brandon Graham, DeVonta Smith, and Jalen Hurts wearing them. The retro uniforms come as advertised, true to the design Randall Cunningham made famous in the 1990s: kelly green jersey, cool grey pants, white socks, and football cleats, along with that winged Eagles logo clutching a football in his talons. The only thing not yet revealed was a matching helmet.
The team is turning release day into a party by opening the gates to the Pepsi Plaza at Lincoln Financial Field at 8 a.m. on July 31. They are expecting long lines as fans presumably show up in droves to purchase them. In addition to the jerseys, they will be selling shirts, sweatshirts, hats, pennants, and other kelly green merchandise. Eagles Pro Shops locations include stores at Lincoln Financial Field, Cherry Hill (NJ), and Lancaster (PA).
When Will Eagles Wear Kelly Green Uniforms?
The Eagles haven’t announced when they will be wearing the throwbacks, but the uniforms will count as an alternate jersey. According to NFL rules, teams can only have four different uniforms during the season — a home one, an away one, plus two alternates. The kelly green uniforms would count as an alternate and those can only be worn three times. So, depending on if the Eagles use the black uniforms this year, three times is the maximum amount of games they could wear the kelly green uniforms.
Naturally, Eagles fans were ecstatic about the news and took to Twitter to rejoice. Eagles Nation received 359.2K views on a tweet announcing the news, while Josh Reynolds put into words what everyone else was thinking: “I don’t think I’ve ever loved a uniform more in my entire life… They’re literally perfect.”
Meanwhile, 6abc’s Jamie Apody shared a photo of the throwbacks and made sure to credit Brandon Winston for leaking them. Jack Fritz of SportsRadio 94 WIP thinks the new alternates should replace the midnight green regulars in the rotation.
Long Time in the Making, Marketing Plan
The kelly green uniforms have been a talking point for the Eagles’ organization since 2010 when Christina Lurie first mentioned bringing them back. She recalled an old conversation from 1996 when she and her husband, Jeffrey Lurie, first bought the franchise. They were the ones who decided to dump them in favor of midnight green. “When we bought the team, Jeffrey and I were like, ‘We can’t live with the Kelly green color,” reported The Inquirer. Oops.
Anyway, credit Lurie for spearheading the revival of the fan-favorite color. He has been a staunch crusader for returning them to glory ever since 2012, but there was a rule against adding a new alternate helmet and the kelly green wouldn’t match the midnight green. Long story short, the Eagles patiently waited for the rule to change and it finally did. Kelly greens are back and on sale.
“I am looking forward to the fans’ excitement,” Director of Merchandise Emily McNichol told the Eagles’ website. “I know the demand has been there, I have seen it in our stores. I know how well we sell retro products and retro jerseys. So, for the fans to be able to finally have that dream of Jalen Hurts wearing a retro jersey come true, I am looking forward to checking that box with our fans.”
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Fans React Wildly After Eagles Reveal Kelly Green Uniforms