Getty Cowboys QB Dak Prescott
The Dallas Cowboys made a rare tweak to their helmet as they take on the Denver Broncos in Week 9. The Cowboys revealed a helmet that the team has not worn since 1976 as players will wear stripes down the middle of their lids as a way to honor the military.
“For the 1st time since 1976, the @DallasCowboys will wear a red stripe on their helmets to honor our country’s armed forces and Medal of Honor recipients,” Cowboys vice president Charlotte Anderson tweeted on November 3. “As we officially launch the March to Groundbreaking of the @MohMuseum [National Medal of Honor Museum]!”
Here is a look at the unique helmet the Cowboys are wearing on November 7.
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The Cowboys Wore Similar Helmets in 1976
Not only is the move a nod to the military, but the Cowboys wore similar helmets during the 1976 season. The original helmets were worn to honor the United States’ bicentennial. The Cowboys will also wear the American flag along with a military ribbon on the back of the helmet.
“This will truly be a special day for all of us as we salute the men and women around the world who protect and defend our country,” Anderson explained, per DallasCowboys.com. “We are honored to have our Medal of Honor recipients in attendance, representing the 3,508 recipients of the nation’s most prestigious military decoration, who made heroic sacrifices, many the ultimate sacrifice, while preserving our freedom. The red stripe on the helmet provides a beautiful ribbon to wrap around this salute to those who currently serve our country’s military—and the patriotic love and appreciation that we all share for those who came before them.”
Prescott Will Play vs. Broncos
The Cowboys will once again have their franchise quarterback when they take the field in the new helmets. Dak Prescott confirmed that he will be playing against the Broncos after being sidelined in Week 8.
“Yeah, I’m feeling good, obviously I had two weeks to do a lot of rehab and recover, get everything that I needed to the different modalities, and I feel good,” Prescott explained during his November 4 press conference. “[I] had two great days of practice and looking forward to Sunday.”
The Cowboys Have a Tradition of Wearing White Jerseys at Home
At one point, the Cowboys had throwback helmets to go with their jerseys but the current NFL rules only allow for teams to wear one helmet. This put a stop to the old helmets, instead forcing the Cowboys to wear their current edition when they do wear the throwback jerseys. The NFL has changed the rule for 2022, so we could see the Cowboys throwback helmets back on the field as soon as next season.
One tradition that is not going anywhere is the Cowboys wearing their white jerseys at home. The look has a very practical origin story involving the Texas heat.
“Originally, the white at home started with the heat, especially at Texas Stadium,” Cowboys equipment director Mike McCord told FOX Sports in June 2017. “As hot as it could be for our late-August, early-September games, I think the heat was a big factor, and one of those things was making the other teams wear darker jerseys on the road, as well as standing in the sun on the sidelines in the old stadium was a huge factor in that. So any time you’re wearing darker colors, it tends to retain the heat. So that was a big part of why the Cowboys wore white jerseys at home.”