No more teases, no more waiting— the Detroit Lions finally released the long-awaited ‘Rivalries’ uniform this morning, just two weeks before the beginning of the new NFL season. Not just the Honolulu Blues; the other three NFC North teams, alongside AFC South teams, have also revealed their respective ‘Rivalries’ uniforms, meaning a total of eight teams have unveiled their jerseys.
The Lions posted a series of pictures of the new uniform on social media, captioning “Defend. The. Den.” The likes of Jared Goff, Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jameson Williams were seen sporting the new jersey.
It is a clean and all-white design with the word ‘Detroit’ displayed on the chest alongside a player’s jersey number in Honolulu blue and black. The franchise’s big mantra, ‘Defend. The. Den,’ is inscribed inside the jersey, while it has the signature lion’s-eye graphics on the shoulders, which symbolize the team mentality. Moreover, the jersey is well-matched with white pants and chrome blue helmets that were previously used in the all-black uniforms.
While the Rivalries uniform has been released, Jared Goff and Co. are scheduled to wear it for only one game.
Lions Set to Debut New Uniform Against Vikings in Week 8
The Detroit Lions will take on the NFC North divisional rival the Minnesota Vikings twice in the 2026 season— first in the home game at Ford Field on November 1 and another time in the away game at US Bank Stadium on December 20. The Lions are set to wear the newly released uniform in the Week 8 home game, whereas the Vikings will wear theirs when they take on the Lions in their second encounter in Week 15.
This special edition jersey was created in collaboration with Fanatics and Nike. Instead of bringing back throwback kits, these uniforms have a futuristic look, paying homage to Detroit’s culture and heritage.
The Rivalries jersey initiative started in 2025, beginning with AFC East and NFC West teams. This year, the NFC North and AFC South teams have launched their jerseys, while the next two seasons will be the turn of the AFC West, NFC East (2027), and AFC North and NFC South (2028) teams.
The new uniform launch, however, hasn’t won everyone over, with some Lions fans questioning the latest look.
Lions Fans Share Their Reactions to the New Look
Interestingly, the Lions’ Rivalries look has drawn comparisons with the Carolina Panthers‘ white and blue uniform, which is not exactly a stretch.
“How many layers of approval did these go through with no one realizing that the Carolina Panthers exist?” wrote one user, taking a subtle jab at the Lions, while another one noted, ” I mean…listen I love yall but these literally the Panthers scheme.”
While admitting the two franchises’ jerseys have a similar look, a user reminded everyone that the Lions have been around far longer than the Carolina team.
“The Lions have existed since 1934, the Panthers have only been around since 1995. We have seniority.”
On the flip side, another user had a completely different reaction, offering high praise for the Week 8 look.
“Idc what anybody says these are fire.”
Another Lions fan shared a similar sentiment, seeing the new jersey and saying,
“I must be tripping cause I love these.“
While the jersey launch has received mixed reactions from fans for a design similarity with the Panthers, fans will get the real look when the Lions take the field wearing it against the Vikings.
Lions Fans React as Detroit Finally Unveils New ‘Rivalries’ Uniform