Report: NFL to repeal rule preventing Patriots from wearing ‘Pat Patriot’ throwbacks

Author Alex Barth

June 24th, 2021 3:27 PM

After eight seasons away from the game, a New England football legend could be set to make a return. And while no, this isn’t about a player, it is an individual most Patriots’ fans are deeply familiar with.

On Thursday afternoon,

NFL approved alternate helmets today for teams wearing throwback uniforms starting in 2022, per league sources. This opens the door to the defending world-champion Bucs wearing the old white helmets with the orange swashbuckling Buccaneer as early as 2022.

The “One Shell Rule” limited teams to just one helmet shell per season (the stickers and facemask could be altered week-to-week) as a player safety measure. In addition, at the time some players were using dated helmet models which teams struggled to get their hands on. With the NFL now banning the use of older helmets, supply is no longer an issue.

With the “One Shell Rule” being lifted, the Patriots are now able to bring back their classic white helmets featuring the ‘Pat Patriot’ logo – and the red jersey that goes with them. It’s something the team hinted at doing last year, when they unveiled their first new uniforms in 20 years. The team included a pledge in that release, stating “we recognize that fans also have an affinity for the red ‘throwback’ uniform and we hope to incorporate that into our uniform rotation in the future.”

In addition to the Pat Patriot logo helmets, the team can also bring back their first helmets, only worn in their inaugural season in 1960. That look featured a tricorn hat, with the players number underneath.

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Will the Patriots use this new helmet flexibility to revive an old uniform? Or create a new look fans haven’t seen before? If they do go the classic route, they’ll have options to choose from. Here’s a look at the team’s entire uniform history, ranked worst to first.

UPDATE: Teams will have until July 31, 2021 to inform the league about alternate helmets for 2022, according to

NFL teams have until July 31, 2021 to inform the league office of their intent to use an alternate-color helmet for the 2022 season.

• 9. Blue with red numbers (1993)

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  The road version of these jerseys weren’t awful, but the home blues were a disaster. It was the first blue jersey the team ever wore, and the first of the post-Pat Patriots era. The red numbers make it look like one of those cheap knockoffs you’d buy from China, and somehow the white TV numbers (numbers on the shoulder) make it even worse. On top of that, the grey facemask on the helmet makes it look incomplete. Thankfully, these only lasted one season.

• 8. Silver (Alternate, 2003-2007)

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  It’s not so much that these jerseys are bad, they were just forgettable. They look like the dynasty-era white jerseys got dirty, especially when seeing them on TV in standard definition back in the day. It didn’t help that the team almost always wore them late in the year, when Gillette Stadium had a grass field and most of those games were muddy. These were cooler to own than see the team wear.

• 7. ‘Color Rush’ (2020-present, 2016-2019 alternate)

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  When these blue jerseys were introduced in 2016, they were the first true ‘alternate’ look the Patriots had ever had. Fans seemed to gravitate towards them quickly, especially since the team tended to wear them in big games. In 2020, a white version was added and they were adopted as the team’s primary uniforms. The design is a good mix of traditional Patriots looks (the shoulder stripes) combined with some new ideas (blue pants with a blue jersey).
• 6. Blue With White Numbers (1994)

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  The Patriots second attempt at a blue jersey went much better than the first, although that isn’t saying much. They made all of the numbers white, and added a red outline which is a good touch. On the pants, they replaced the Flying Elvis-style striping with a more traditional look. But that’s not the best upgrade the team made from the 1993 edition. That would be the switch from a grey facemask to a red one - creating the iconic helmet look the team is still using over 25 years later.

• 5. Red Jersey With Arm Stripe (1969-1983)

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  Before you break out the pitchforks for seeing the red jersey ranked fifth, keep in mind the Patriots have worn two red uniforms in their history (with each having their own minor alterations over time). The one most Patriots are familiar with has the striped over the shoulder, but the team actually wore this one with the stripe on the arm exclusively for 14 years. So why is it ranked lower? First off, it’s just not as good of a jersey. It looks more like a rugby uniform than an American football one. Secondly, because I know the Patriots agree that it’s not as good. When they decided to add a throwback uniform in the 2000s, did they go with this version of the jersey? No, they used the shoulder stripes.

• 4. Red Jersey With Tricorn Helmet (1960)

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  This Patriots uniform is often forgotten because they only wore it in their inaugural year, but it’s one of their best. It has the shoulder stripe version of the red jersey, but that’s not the only reason it’s ranked this high. That hat design on the helmet is fantastic. It probably should have hung around longer as a secondary insignia or something. Add in the number on the helmet, which gives such an old-school collegiate feel, and this is a look the Pats should definitely consider recreating in some form in the future.

• 3. Flying Elvis Shoulders (1995-1999)

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  This is probably the most polarizing uniform in Patriots history. Maybe it’s just 90s nostalgia that makes people love the cartoonishly big Flying Elvis logo on these jerseys, maybe it’s actually a good look. We may never know. These are ranked as high as they are for one simple reason - they’re fun. Ultimately that’s what this is all about. That being said, it’s easy to see how it could get old watching a team wear them week-after-week, year-after-year.
  
  Because of the NFL’s “One Shell Rule”, this is the only ‘throwback’ the Patriots could actually wear on the field until 2022. They have the perfect chance to make that happen this season, when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were on the other end of the team’s biggest win while rocking this look in the 1996 AFC Championship game. That being said, bringing this back as the full-time look doesn’t seem like a good idea.

• 2. Dynasty Era (2000-2020)

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  When a uniform sticks around for 20 years, you know it’s a good one. The white jerseys can be a point of contention, but some may say they’re underrated. Overall, it was a unique look for a team that had unique success. Even the departure worked out perfectly, with the uniforms being replaced as Tom Brady left. These uniforms demarcate an era perhaps as well as any in the history of sports.

• 1. Red Jersey With Shoulder Stripes (1961-1968, 1984-1992, Alternate 1994, 2002, 2009-2012)

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  Saving the best for last. This uniform, worn more than any in Patriots history, is the classic red fans all know and love. Save for the NFL’s “One Shell Rule”, this probably would have become the Patriots’ Color Rush look, if not more. The only downside - and there is one - is that the team was absolutely dreadful for the majority of the time this was their look, as any old time Patriots fan will tell you. Maybe ‘look good, play good’ isn’t as much of a lock as many would like to think.

Click here for 98.5 The Sports Hub’s complete coverage of the Patriots.

Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.

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