The Minnesota Vikings announced on Tuesday afternoon they will once again honor the most successful era in franchise history by wearing throwback uniforms during the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 10 (1 p.m. ET on CBS).
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The uniforms, which are synonymous with the “Purple People Eaters” defense that led the Vikings to 10 division titles and four Super Bowl appearances between 1968-78, notably feature block numbers and classic stripes on the jerseys and pants.
Minnesota previously wore this uniform as a throwback option for at least one game every season from 2007-11, going a combined 3-5 against the Chicago Bears (2-1), Detroit Lions (0-1), Green Bay Packers (1-2) and Miami Dolphins (0-1).
Unlike those seasons – when the Vikings wore a glossy dark purple helmet to match the original design – this year’s throwback uniform won’t be historically accurate, as they’ll simply put throwback decals and a gray facemask on their standard satin purple helmet.
It’s curious given the NFL did away with its one-helmet rule ahead of last season, paving the way for Minnesota to reintroduce the dark purple helmet. But with most fans not able to tell the difference, it leads us to wonder why they waited 12 years to wear this look again.
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As for the rest of the uniform, which will be worn for one game each season moving forward, it features a gold stroke around the numbers to match the 1961-69 teams and is complete with white pants with classic purple and gold stripes and purple socks.
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