Getty Dan Orlovsky prepares to fire a pass for the Lions in 2005 on Thanksgiving Day.
The Detroit Lions are in the middle of a rebuild and trying to turn over a new leaf on the field, and an obvious way many see to move the momentum forward is to get some new threads for the team.
This offseason, that topic has come into focus in a big way, and many folks have big opinions about what the Lions should or shouldn’t do to their uniforms. Tons of mocks have surfaced about what this could look like, and a new one offers an interesting balance of the past, present and future for the team.
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Recently, Twitter user PMM Design showed off a new mock up which offered Detroit fans a little bit of everything. For folks who like gray jerseys, those remained in the rotation. For those who appreciate the black alternates, those stayed as well. The classic Honolulu Blue and white designs were also in the mix for Detroit, giving a subtle nod to the past. The look also included a black, white and silver helmet.
Here’s a look:
classic & modern mix, no more wcf #DetroitLionsRedesign @AndrewMLind @sportslogosnet #lions #detroit #DetroitLions #OnePride
As the contributor notes, another change fans would love? The “WCF” William Clay Ford tribute on the side is removed. As sharp as that looks at might be, it seems unlikely to leave based on the fact that Sheila Ford is still in charge of the organization.
Otherwise, this is a pretty sharp reset of the Lions uniforms. If and when the time comes, it will be interesting to see what the Lions choose to do with their uniforms. If it’s something like this, that would blend the past, present and future within one package and represent a solid idea for the team.
Lions Pondering Jersey Changes for 2023
A jersey change could be on the horizon in Detroit to begin with. Speaking during the NFL owners meetings in Florida, Detroit’s team president Rod Wood took time out to address a bit of an elephant in the room within the fanbase. While uniform changes aren’t on the docket for this year, the team is looking into them for 2023 already. Justin Rogers of the Detroit News was tweeting about that a few months back:
On new uniforms, Lions beginning exploratory process. No guarantees, but something could change next year.
“On new uniforms, Lions beginning exploratory process. No guarantees, but something could change next year,” Rogers tweeted.
This news isn’t all that surprising for the Lions, who have felt like they could be game for a change for a few years now. Detroit’s last design alteration was well-received, but it was also in 2017. That would mean the Lions would have worn their current uniforms for six full years at the conclusion of next season.
There’s something to be said about maintaining tradition in the NFL, but the Lions could be searching for a design that suits them, and a big shift could represent something special. It’s something that many fans have been plotting for a while.
Lions’ Jersey History
One of Detroit’s most popular looks is a classic that is a throwback nod to their first uniforms from the 1930s. The Lions wore the throwbacks a ton on Thanksgiving and brought the look back within their last re-design after it had departed for some time.
Since, they’ve worn it on Thanksgiving and also during bigger home games. As part of the re-design, Detroit also revealed their all gray Color Rush uniform, their traditional blue and silver and a look with white jerseys and silver pants.
The team’s uniform also features the WCF patch on the shoulder, a nod to former long time owner William Clay Ford, who passed away in 2014. Since being unveiled, many have said they consider the new Detroit threads to be amongst the best in the NFL, and the team has gotten credit for their shakeup in font and design.
Detroit has had a few different looks in the past, most notable of which is a black jersey that debuted during Matt Millen’s time with the franchise. Many fans didn’t like the look but the vocal defenders of the look still maintain that Detroit should bring black back into their color scheme. Players might agree.
One look the Lions have never had? Red, which was actually a color the team featured from their days as the Portsmouth Spartans. With the Lions long known as a Honolulu Blue and silver team, a red look could be downright confusing, so don’t expect that one to enter the lexicon soon. That was all but confirmed by Wood as well.
While this mock up doesn’t do much to harken back memories of the 1990s look, it does add enough of an upgrade to perhaps pay tribute to that. It should be on the table given how good some of these recent internet mock-ups look, and given the fact change is in the air, it could be something to watch in the future to see how far the Lions are willing to go, if they are willing to scrap the gray color rush for a black alternate or keep both in the mix.
It’s becoming abundantly clear that Lions fans should stay tuned on the uniform front, and any of these designs would be interesting for the team.
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