Could the Pittsburgh Steelers bring back an old uniform in 2021?

With the NFL’s approval of alternate helmets for 2022, the Pittsburgh Steelers could soon have a fan favorite uniform return to the fold.

Between 2007 and 2011 the Pittsburgh Steelers throwback uniforms consisted of white pants, a black jersey with yellow names and numbers, and a yellow helmet, with a black facemask. These were throwbacks to the uniforms the team wore during some of the 1960s.

However, the Steelers decided to change over to the “Bumblebee” uniforms as their primary alternates after the NFL decided for player safety only one helmet was allowed per team. While, those uniforms were short-lived the Steelers quickly transitioned over to their classic uniforms from the 1970s as their alternates, while also adding a Color-Rush alternate when the league came up with the idea for uniforms that were all one color.

These color rush uniforms were clearly derived from the fan-favorite alternates the team wore from 2007-2011. The jerseys are both very similar as the font is block style, and the jerseys are black with yellow names and numbers. The main difference with the new color rush uniform is that the team opted to add the Steelers logo underneath the shoulder pad, right where it lies on the home and away uniforms.

These throwback uniforms are a huge piece of nostalgia, as it’s easy to look back upon the peak of the Steelers vs. Ravens rivalry, with players such as Ray Lewis, Hines Ward, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, James Harrison, and Troy Polamalu, and during several of those games, the Steelers were donning the yellow helmets in some of the most hard-nosed and physical games the league has ever seen. Steelers vs. Ravens is one of the best rivalries in the history of pro sports, and you can’t look back on it without seeing the yellow helmets and the Steelers throwback uniforms.

Unlike the “Bumblebee” uniforms, which should not ever be considered as a potential alternate jersey again, the 1960’s Steelers uniforms would provide the team with a different flare and should be considered if the team looks to bring in a new uniform.

The team could even opt to not bring back the uniforms as a whole, but rather wear the yellow helmets with their color rush uniforms if fans do truly want to see this helmet return. The team has stuck with nearly the same primary uniforms since Chuck Noll took over as head coach in 1969, and a flashy change such as bringing back a different colored helmet for an alternate uniform is about the biggest change we can expect in uniforms in Pittsburgh.

It’s unknown whether or not these uniforms will return, particularly due to the popularity of the team’s two current alternate uniforms, both the Color-Rush and the 1970s throwbacks, but it is definitely a possibility due to the popularity in the fan base.