This offseason, the Falcons indicated that they were interested in bringing back a throwback look as alternate uniforms — possibly in time for their move to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. However, the team has given the football world a bit of a surprise by releasing a throwback uniform that mixes two different eras.
One of the things that kept the Falcons from truly dipping into their uniform catalog is the fact that they couldn’t switch to red helmets. However, the Falcons got around that by deciding to mash up eras. From the neck down to the knees, it’s the 1960s. From the neck up, it’s the 1990s. As such, the team has dubbed these as “blended” throwback uniforms that they will wear this season.
Here’s the explanation of the look from the Falcons:
The modern interpretation of this historic fifty-year-old design features a black Nike jersey with a bold white name and number font trimmed in red, and the original Falcon crest on both sleeves. The jersey will be paired with white pants and socks – both highlighted by a distinctive bold red and black stripe pattern.
As a tribute to their inaugural year, the Falcons throwback design aesthetic will stay true to 1966 with exception of the helmet. The original uniform featured a red helmet with a similar bold stripe pattern down the center to match the pants and socks. This year, due to NFL helmet safety rules, the team will punctuate the throwback uniform with their current black helmet. It will showcase the original Falcon crest used by the team from 1966 to 2003 – the same black on black design worn in the team’s 1998 Super Bowl appearance.
There is something new here, and it’s the socks. This sock pattern is actually new for the Falcons, and it fits the throwback look as a whole so it’s a welcome sight.
This will be the Falcons’ alternate uniform this season — they won’t be able to wear their Color Rush uniforms this season due to a color clash with the Buccaneers, so this will be their change-of-pace uniform. It’ll be a pleasant change of pace since their current uniforms are pretty badly outdated and stuck in a previous era. They’ll be wearing these for two games this year, and it’ll be a sight for sore eyes for fans of the older, simplified look for the Falcons.
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