Detroit Lions unveil new uniforms: Honolulu Blue and silver, white, and black alternates
Well, the Detroit Lions' new uniforms are here, but the arrival didn't have much luster thanks to a leak.
The Lions' new uniforms were originally scheduled to be released Thursday evening, but showed up online Thursday morning. The three Lions uniforms are Honolulu Blue, white, and a black alternate with blue lettering.
The Lions will have a couple of different pant options to use with their new jerseys.
The Lions introduced a black alternate uniform in 2005 and last wore it in 2007.
The Lions were ready for a leak, however: Their social team posted a pre-recorded video minutes later with defensive tackle Alim McNeill.
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While wearing the new Honolulu Blue and silver jersey, an exasperated McNeill said, "Whoever leaked the uniform video, we appreciate it. We appreciate you ruining all the hard work we put in. Video coming soon."
The Lions then released a second video titled "Inside job?" of quarterback Jared Goff joking he had to take a picture of the black jersey to "leak them to Twitter."
The Lions officially revealed their new threads Thursday night.
The Lions last updated their uniforms in 2017, when they removed black from the color scheme and introduced a steel gray "Color Rush" alternate. Team president Rod Wood said at the time a big reason the Lions went through a complete uniform redesign was to remove black from their uniform, but he insisted it wasn't about purging some of the final remnants from the Matt Millen era.
"It’s gone and I think we’re happy that it’s gone," Wood said in 2017 of removing black.
The new uniforms for 2024 include a Nike logo on the sleeve in place of the "WCF" patch worn on the Lions' uniform shoulder the past decade, memorializing former owner William Clay Ford, who died in 2014. Wood in March said they will honor Ford in a different way.
"We’re going to treat that in a little different way," Wood said. "I’m not going to tease exactly how it is but it’s going to be honored, but not in the same way it was on the current uniforms."
Ford's daughter, Sheila Ford Hamp, took over as the principal owner from her mother, Martha, in 2020.