With the NFL season wrapping up, the Eagles have seemingly shelved their sole alternate uniforms for the year in a surprising turn of events.
Interesting note I’m just realizing.
The Eagles have not worn their black alternates at all this year despite selling them with the new wordmark all season. pic.twitter.com/5eDQI4GuGu
— Jack Connell (@JackPConnell) December 29, 2024
The Eagles’ black uniforms have been a staple for the franchise for over 20 seasons, debuting in 2003. Philadelphia has periodically gone away from them, ditching them initially in 2007 for their “Yellow Jackets” throwbacks. They were again shelved in 2010 for the 1960s Kelly Green throwbacks, before returning full time once more in 2012.
What’s interesting here is that the Eagles switched their wordmark to a new look starting this season, and have been selling jerseys of new players, like Saquon Barkley, in the black design with that updated wordmark.
The likely reason here is because of a fine print in the NFL’s uniform rulebook. In Week One in Brazil, the Eagles wore their black helmets with white jerseys & black pants against the Green Bay Packers.
According to the NFL’s helmet rules, starting in 2024 teams could wear a third alternate helmet with an alternate uniform, but the pattern could not be mixed & matched. NFL teams are also only allowed to have one alternate & one throwback uniform, or two alternates with no throwbacks, alongside their traditional home and away.
Wearing the black helmet deemed that combination the Eagles’ 2024 “Alternate” uniform, meaning they could not wear the black uniforms. My own guess is that the whole Brazil combination with the white uniform was last minute, and it was supposed to instead be all-black like they wore in 2022.
If Nike is selling these black jerseys with new players like Saquon Barkley & Cooper DeJean, it is highly likely these will return in 2025 but it remains to be seen.
There’s always the chance the Eagles could break these out shockingly in Week 18. This is doubtful since it would break league rules, and the black jerseys have historically been saved for big games in Philadelphia. It’s doubtful they would have scheduled them for a Week 18 game against an inferior opponent coming into the season.
— Written by Jack Connell of The Ross Tucker Podcast
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