The Carolina Panthers on Thursday morning officially confirmed our report that they will have new uniforms this season, which include an updated shade of blue and a modified shoulder design.
When Nike took over the NFL contract in 2012, the apparel company did not have Carolina’s shade of blue in its color book, an issue that also plagued the Philadelphia Eagles. That’s why both teams continued to wear the old Ripon Athletic template for several seasons.
Nike produced the correct shade of midnight green midway through the 2014 season, which is when the Eagles switched to the Elite 51 template. However, the Panthers ultimately settled on a slightly different shade of light blue when they moved to the Vapor Untouchable template in 2019.
The challenge in color matching older designs is the fabric, as Nike uses a matte fabric whereas many NFL teams used a dazzle fabric from Ripon Athletic under the Reebok contract. The Green Bay Packers are the only team still using this mesh template today.
That said, our sources have indicated that most NFL teams – including Carolina – will move to the Vapor Fusion template this season. Nike’s color book has expanded with this template, which will once again allow the Panthers to wear the correct shade of blue.
The template is also the reason that Carolina’s shoulder stripes are changing, as they end at the cuff rather than wrap around the arm, creating a UCLA stripe-like design. The color change will also be reflected in the stripes on the pants, which will have the updated template, as well.
The new uniforms – which will see no changes to the helmets, logo or rest of the color scheme – will be revealed on April 27, when the No. 1 overall pick holds up the jersey on stage at the 2023 NFL Draft. The Arizona Cardinals are also expected to unveil their new uniforms prior to that date.
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