The Washington Commanders dropped their new alternate uniforms last week, and fans got exactly what they wanted. The team went back to their championship roots with a clean throwback design that screams 1980s success.
Washington hasn’t changed its look this dramatically since the 2022 rebrand.
The design brings back memories of the championship squads from 1982, 1987, and 1991 when the franchise was at its peak.
The Design Details
Washington went with white jerseys that feature burgundy numbers with gold trim, plus burgundy pants and coordinated striping.
The helmet sticks with the current “W” logo but brings back five classic stripes running down the center in white, burgundy, and gold.
The gold facemask returns for the first time in over a decade.
Team president Mark Clouse called them “Super Bowl Era” uniforms during the reveal.
The uniform pulls key features from those title seasons, with sleeve striping and number font coming straight from the championship years.
When Washington Will Wear Them
The Commanders will sport these throwbacks three times during the 2025 regular season, all in nationally televised games.
The first appearance comes on November 2 during Sunday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks. They’ll return November 30 against the Denver Broncos and again Christmas Day versus the Dallas Cowboys.
Netflix will broadcast that holiday matchup through the league’s expanded streaming deal.
The Christmas showdown with Dallas works perfectly since Washington wore these same colors when they beat the Cowboys 31-17 in the 1982 NFC Championship game.
Fan Response Shows Strong Support
The reaction online was swift and positive. Fans flooded social media with praise for the team’s decision to honor its championship era after years of brand instability. Many called for the uniforms to become Washington’s permanent look.
With sports betting popularity continuing to grow, many fans are already placing early wagers on how the team will perform in these special uniforms. Credit card betting sites have become increasingly popular among NFL fans who want convenient ways to place bets on their favorite teams. These platforms offer quick deposits and withdrawals for those looking to add excitement to game day.
The timing works well with expanded NFL uniform policies that now allow teams to wear alternate designs in up to four regular season games, up from three.
Part Of A Broader Effort To Reconnect
This uniform change represents one piece of a larger push to restore the team’s identity. Owner Josh Harris made reconnecting with the past a priority from the start of his ownership in 2023.
Team officials met with former players including Darrell Green and Doug Williams to discuss ways to honor the franchise’s legacy.
The organization has also started exploring options for a new stadium at the old RFK Stadium site in D.C., where they played during their glory years.
These uniform changes align with Harris’s broader mission to restore the identity that disappeared over the past decade.
The franchise has struggled recently.
Since becoming the Commanders in 2022, Washington has cycled through multiple coaching staffs and finished with losing records in five of the last six seasons.
New ownership and front office restructuring has brought renewed focus on both winning and restoring fan trust.
The Business Side
The project involved collaboration with Nike for design and Fanatics for merchandise sales. Jerseys and replica helmets will be available in early September, well before the November debut.
The timing takes advantage of new NFL uniform flexibility. The league only allowed teams one helmet color through 2021, which made throwback uniforms nearly impossible.
That rule changed in 2022, and further updates this year expanded alternate uniform opportunities.
Teams can now use up to three different helmet designs throughout the season.
League merchandise trends suggest high demand for throwback uniforms, as similar jerseys from teams like the Eagles and Buccaneers ranked among the best-selling alternate looks recently.
Washington chose to use three of their four allowed alternate games for these throwbacks, saving one for their current all-black alternate uniform.
More Than Just Marketing
For a franchise with decades of proud history but the longest active playoff win drought in the NFC, this uniform release goes deeper than marketing strategy.
It signals a genuine desire to rebuild trust with fans and remind them what Washington football used to represent.
The Commanders hope this year’s team can create new memories while honoring the championship legacy. Head coach Dan Quinn emphasized that these should represent the toughness and pride that defined those Super Bowl teams.
Looking Ahead
Industry insiders expect this could be the first step toward a larger uniform overhaul.
Similar to how the Jets introduced throwback uniforms as alternates in 2023 before making them full-time road uniforms in 2024, Washington could be testing the waters for a complete redesign.
The NFL requires teams to submit uniform changes more than a year in advance, and Washington accelerated the process to have these ready for this season.
That suggests longer-term planning beyond just these three games.
The November 2 debut against Seattle will be the first real test of whether these throwbacks can spark the kind of on-field success they represent.
After years of disappointment and brand confusion, Washington finally has something that feels like home again.
