The final game of Week 8 of the 2023 season is between the Detroit Lions and Las Vegas Raiders. For the Lions, a win would help them pull further away from the Minnesota Vikings for first place in the NFC North. For their primetime game, the Lions wore some new uniforms.
Before the start of the season, the Lions unveiled their alternate blue helmets. Said helmets featured the retro Walking Lion logo used from 1946-62 and grey face masks. The team announced that these helmets would be worn during Week 8 against the Raiders but with their grey color rush uniforms.
Let's say the reaction to the uniforms has been a mixed bag.
Lions uniform choice criticized on social media during Monday Night Football
This uniform combination was announced at the time of the unveiling of the new helmets back in June.
For those wondering why the team isn't wearing the new helmets with their Honolulu Blue home uniforms or even their white road uniforms, it's because the NFL rules state that alternate helmets must be worn with either alternate, retro, or Color Rush uniforms. The all-grey uniforms are Detroit's alternate uniforms this year, hence the decision to wear the new helmets with them, instead of their throwbacks.
Lions team president Rod Wood told the Detroit Free Press back in February, new uniforms could potentially arrive in 2024.
"There will not be new uniforms in 2023," Wood said, h/t Pride of Detroit. "I know people get over their skis on that. It takes really two years to really get it going, so (Lions chief communications and brand officer) Brian (Facchini) and a team have been kind of working with Nike, looking at uniforms that will probably be for 2024."
The Lions will also wear this uniform combination in Week 18 in their season finale against the Vikings.
