Anytime there’s a new uniform reveal, my mind immediately thinks of the players who will look the strangest in the new get-up. The Pittsburgh Steelers' new throwback alternate uniforms are certainly not for everyone, and that includes some of the players on the roster.
While the new threads are a throwback to nearly a century ago, they’re so outlandish with the vertical stripes and tan pants that it’s hard to picture an old veteran like Aaron Rodgers wearing them. It’s not as though Rodgers hasn’t worn strange uniforms; the factory throwbacks in Green Bay with brown helmets were certainly something.
But it’s no less hilarious to preemptively picture the Steelers’ new quarterback wearing these uniforms, whether you like them or not. I’m actually thankful he wasn’t included in the promotional material displaying the new look.
Legacy in every thread 🧵 pic.twitter.com/65eQd3fJAS
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) July 21, 2025
Pittsburgh Steelers' primetime debut of new uniforms will cement their place in the jersey rotation
Though even better is when the Steelers will wear them. Along with the release of the alternate uniform, the Steelers announced that the team will wear their prison stripe uniforms in Week 8 on Sunday Night Football, when Rodgers faces off against the Packers for the first and likely last time.
At the very least, fans can be thankful that these blazened yellow threads will be worn at night. The reflection from the sun would otherwise threaten to blind the entire crowd at Acrisure Stadium. At least at night, the colors will pop and the white numbers void of an outline will be easier to read, which I’m sure Mike Tirico is breathing a sigh of slight relief over.
Still, this is a monumental game in football history. Rodgers will be hosting the team with which he spent 18 seasons. And every picture, every highlight video of this game will showcase Rodgers in these over-the-top throwbacks for the rest of recorded history. In 10 years, when I reflect on this moment with my kids or decades later with my grandchildren, this historical moment in our family’s favorite team’s history, they’ll ask first about these uniforms before the legend of Rodgers.
This isn’t to say that the uniforms are awful. They’re in line with the Bumblebee throwbacks, which adds some silliness to the otherwise overly serious nature of Steelers football, which is always appreciated. After all, the Bumblebee throwbacks carried a special moment too, when Ben Roethlisberger threw for over 500 yards and six touchdowns against the Indianapolis Colts.
Time will tell which uniform is harder to justify to future generations of Steelers fans.
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Regardless, the Steelers truly chose the strangest game on the schedule to wear these uniforms. Why not a less historically impactful game like Week 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers or Week 15 against the Miami Dolphins? Maybe their sleek, modern uniforms would overshadow what the Steelers are wearing in front of the entire football world in primetime.
While we wait for Week 8 to roll around with even greater anticipation now, hopefully the top meme makers in the football social media community are ready to go for what should be a busy night on October 26 in Pittsburgh.