On June 21, the Northern Hemisphere’s summer solstice stretches daylight and heralds the arrival of summer. On this day, the Detroit Lions have a bright surprise.
Perhaps nodding to their own “Sun God,” Amon-Ra St. Brown, the team plans to illuminate the longest day of the year with the highly-anticipated release of their alternate helmet design.
Wood’s Words: A Glimpse into the Future of Lions’ Branding
Lions President Rod Wood gave fans a taste of what’s to come during a conversation with Dave Birkett of the Free Press on Monday. Wood shared that “there will not be new uniforms in 2023…we will have a new alternative helmet though this year.” The Detroit Lions social media team teased that the reveal will be taking place on Wednesday.
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) June 20, 2023
Although Wood held back specifics of the new helmet design, he confirmed it would look significantly different from the team’s traditional silver helmet featuring the Lions logo and blue striping. Rules stipulate these alternates, worn exclusively with alternate uniforms, must feature a logo from the team’s history—new logo creations specifically for the helmet are off-limits.
The adoption of alternate helmets has gained popularity since changes to the NFL’s one-shell helmet policy in spring 2021. Last season saw 13 NFL teams embracing this trend.
New Uniforms on the Horizon
Amid talk of alternate helmets, Rod Wood also noted ongoing discussions with Nike about creating new uniforms for the 2024 season.
Wood reassured fans, explaining the time-consuming nature of such changes: “Brian (Facchini) and a team have been kind of working with Nike, looking at uniforms that will probably be for 2024. It could be an interesting overhaul of the uniforms. We will have a new alternate helmet though this year.”
As the sun reaches its peak, the alternate helmet reveal marks the dawn of a thrilling new era in the Lions’ brand evolution.
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For more from our Detroit Lions beat writer, Matt Broder, check him out on Twitter here: @mattbro21
Contact: Broder@woodwardsports.com
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Original Photo Credit: © Isaiah J. Downing – USA TODAY Sports