New York Giants Bring Back Classic Blue Helmets, Uniforms for Two in ’22

This morning, the New York Giants announced they’d be joining the alternate helmet party taking the NFL by storm with a throwback to their Super Bowl-winning look of the 1980s and ’90s.

The navy blue helmet is back. The GIANTS logo is back. Red and white striping on the royal blue jersey is back… and there are a few new additions as well, such as the immortal words of the late Giants owner Wellington Mara, “Once a Giant, Always a Giant,” embroidered into the back collar of the jersey.

“This era obviously still holds a special place in the hearts of Giants fans,” Giants president John Mara said in the press release. “Our teams during that time featured legendary players, some of the best in our franchise’s history. And these uniforms remind us of what was accomplished through those years. We are thrilled to wear that uniform again.”

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Yes, New York had thrown back to this era, one to two times a season, between 2016 and 2021 (they lost the first six of those throwback games before finally winning once, Week 12 last season to Philadelphia)… but not quite like this. For one, in all of those games, the team was wearing the white road jersey from this set, not the blue, and – by far most importantly – the helmets were stuck using the modern, lighter shade of Giants blue on the shell due to the league’s one-helmet rule. No longer are teams bound by that policy, one that every other major football outfit never enforced (think of how many helmets NCAA teams went through during this period). Thanks to this loosening of the rules, the Giants can now use the proper era-appropriate shade of navy blue as the helmet shell. Huzzah!

Worn initially for twenty seasons from 1980 through 1999, the Giants went 164-146-2 over this stretch, including two Super Bowl Championships (XXI over Denver and XXV versus Buffalo) and four division titles.

“This uniform represents a significant part of Giants history, and we have often been asked by our fans if we would ever wear it again,” Giants Chief Commercial Officer Pete Guelli said in the press release. “We started the uniform process with the NFL two years ago, and we’re excited to see it come to life for two games this season. These ‘Legacy Games’ will connect generations of Giants fans.”

The Giants will wear the throwback set – helmets, jerseys, and pants – for two games this upcoming season: October 2 vs Chicago and December 4 vs Washington, both at MetLife Stadium. Fans will get pennants featuring old designs when entering the stadium on those dates to help with the theme. The throwback feel won’t be limited to the uniforms as the Giants will also bring back the end zone design from Super Bowl XXI and retro-themed wall wraps around the field.

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“We’re going to try to take you back in time,” Guelli added while on the “Giants Huddle” podcast. “Everything that’s done around those games is going to be thematically tied to that history. So, when you walk into the building and you see the end zones, you’ll remember them. When you walk in, and you see the graphics on the walls, you’ll understand what we’re doing. When you hear the music that’s being played, the video graphics that go up, and you see how we integrate alumni and the merchandise that we tie in and the giveaway that we’re doing at the games, which is a retro pennant, all that stuff is connected to that part of our history. If you’re a longtime Giants fan and you have fond memories of that window and those two Super Bowls, you’re going to want to be here.”

The Giants say the new retro blue jerseys are available as of 9 am ET this morning at their team shop, or for the 99% of us who now do our shopping on the Internet, you can grab them via our affiliate link right here.

LINK: Our complete coverage of NFL logo and uniform changes for the 2022 season

LINK: New York Giants logo and uniform history