Although Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino recently called for a switch, the Miami Dolphins have no plans to promote their 1966 throwback uniforms to primary status, chief executive officer Tom Garfinkel told reporters during the Dolphins Cancer Challenge on Saturday.
“I love our throwbacks,” Garfinkel said during the event, which raised more than $14 million for cancer research. “I love when we wear them. I love celebrating our history. I think they’re very appropriate for celebrating our history, and it keeps them special that we wear them a couple of times a year.”
Miami has worn the home version of the throwback uniforms at least once every season since 2015, when they were introduced as part of the franchise’s 50th season celebration. A road version was then added to the rotation in 2019.
The home version features a traditional striping pattern on the sleeves of the aqua jerseys, white helmets with a gray facemask and vintage logos on the sides and white pants, while the road version naturally includes a white jersey. Both are complete with socks with stripes that match the sleeves.
The Dolphins are 10-4 in the home version of the throwback uniforms, including a 22-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 24, and 2-3 in the road version, including a 31-17 win over the New England Patriots on Oct. 29. This marked the fourth time they wore both in the same year, joining the 2019-21 seasons.
That said, Marino – who currently serves as a special advisor to Garfinkel – was asked earlier this month by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk what it would take for him to convince owner Stephen Ross to make the throwback uniforms their primary look moving forward.
“I’d like to see them come back, too, because they look great – especially when we have those games where we’re wearing the throwbacks,” Marino said. “But, at the same time, he owns the team. I don’t think he wants to hear that question anymore. Just better leave it along. Leave it alone.”
Miami originally wore this design from 1966-86, a span that included five Super Bowl appearances and two championships, before switching to a version with its primary logo and smaller stripes on the sleeves in 1987. That coincided with the opening of Hard Rock Stadium – known then as Joe Robbie Stadium.
The throwback look returned briefly as an alternate during the NFL’s 75th anniversary in 1994, but was tucked away as the Dolphins underwent redesigns in 1997 and 2013, the latter of which included a brand new logo that ditched the mascot jumping through a sunburst in favor of a swimming dolphin.