Though they originally intended to unveil their new uniforms on April 14, the Atlanta Falcons did so early Wednesday morning after an unexpected leak revealed the look a week early.
This marks the first uniform design in 17 years for the Falcons, who worked with the NFL, Nike, current and former players and the Atlanta community to create the new look.
“We took a fan-first approach in gathering feedback and design input and have modernized the look of our team and our brand,” team president Rich McKay said in a statement.
The Falcons’ new uniforms prominently features the abbreviation “ATL” across the chest alongside a new number font that matches the franchise’s updated wordmark. The jerseys are much more simplified than the previous iteration, with the team’s primary logo on the sleeves and a modernized size panel that mimics the design in the wing of said logo.
There are three new uniforms and three new pairs of pants, with an all-black set serving as the primary home uniform. The all-white uniform will be Atlanta’s main road look, while a red-to-black gradient uniform will be worn as an alternate.
The Falcons can switch it up from time to time, of course, by wearing white pants at home, black pants on the road or red pants in either situation.
The red-to-black “Rise Up” uniform is without a doubt the most jarring part of the Falcons’ update, but is meant to pay homage to the next generation of fans and “offers a fresh representation of a city constantly on the rise.”
The new matte black helmets, meanwhile, feature a 30 percent larger logo with a chrome outline and a complementary silver facemask — something Atlanta hasn’t worn since the 1983 season, when the team still donned red helmets.
“We’ve stayed true to our roots by keeping our colors and the Falcon bird intact — making it even more prominent than ever before but delivering a more modern design that reflects our team, our fans and this great city,” team owner and CEO Arthur Blank said. “Black has been a part of our history since 1966 and both our fans and players have asked us to bring it back. The ‘ATL’ moniker is known around the world and we now wear it proudly as our badge of unity, diversity and togetherness. Something our world needs more of, especially in these tough times.”
Lastly, the 1966 throwback uniform remains in the rotation, but with a bit of a twist.
The Falcons had been wearing the uniform — which originally included a red helmet — with the glossy 1990s-era black helmets because of the NFL’s one-helmet rule. As a result, the throwback uniform will now be paired with the aforementioned matte black helmet, but the facemask will be switched from silver to black on those occasions.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to see this look come together,” head coach Dan Quinn said. “Not only will the players be happy, but I think our fans will be happy. I know the head coach is. During this tough time for so many, we hope this new look gives our fans something to look forward to.”
Photos via the Atlanta Falcons.