The NFL might have bent the rules on introducing third helmets this season.
Earlier today, the Philadelphia Eagles announced they would be bringing back their black helmets for their season opener on Friday against the Green Bay Packers in Brazil.
Philly first introduced the helmets in 2022 when the NFL decided to allow teams to wear a second helmet. In 2023, the Eagles brought back their kelly green throwbacks and shelved the black helmets since at that time they could only have one alternate helmet.
Flash forward to this off-season, and the league announced an expansion to three helmets for teams — one regular, one throwback and one alternate. The caveat to this was that most teams would have to wait until 2025 to use a third helmet, unless they changed their uniforms for the 2024 season.
This ruling saw teams with new uniforms like the Texans and Broncos able to use three helmets right away. Philadelphia, however, did not change their uniforms for this season but still were allowed to add this third helmet for the opener.
Although, technically, that’s not 100% true. The Eagles introduced a new wordmark showcased on their jerseys this season, but the remainder of the uniform stayed the same. There’s a chance that the league deemed that enough of a change to allow the third helmet right away, but the timing makes that a bit murky.
Something like this would have likely been a big announcement earlier in the summer so the team could promote it and sell related gear. With this announcement being so under the radar and close to the game itself, it wouldn’t be shocking to me if this was a late reversal.
The one rule with the third helmet is that it can only be used with one combination and not mixed & matched, eliminating the possibility of an all-black alternate for the Birds in 2024.
— Written by Jack Connell of The Ross Tucker Podcast
Check out the Ross Tucker YouTube page for more and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow the show on X at @rosstuckerpod and Ross at @rosstuckernfl.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
