Somewhere amid the NFL Draft hoopla, the league announced a new series of alternate uniforms for 2025, which will involve the New England Patriots.
Quarterback Drake Maye was ahead of the game in February when he hinted about it during The 33rd Team “Green Light” podcast. Maye, who got to wear the “Pat Patriot” throwback in 2024, indicated that another alternate was on the way. The NFL made it official on April 25 that a new Patriots alternate uniform is coming.
“I think they’re maybe coming out with a — maybe — the fans are wanting some blues, some throwback blues,” Maye told host Chris Long. “Those would be sweet. The fans are wanting some of those, which would be sick.”
Maye was referring to the blue uniforms from the Drew Bledsoe era in the 1990s, which feature the Patriots logo on the shoulders and white italic numbers with red shadows. It marked an era when the Patriots turned things around from a cellar dweller to a playoff contender, which included the franchise’s second Super Bowl appearance.
While the Patriots have not yet released what the one-time alternate uniforms will look like, it’s coming. The NFL and Nike partnered to make the Rivalries series, which will take place during the next four years.
How the Rivalries Series Will Work
GettyDrake Maye got to wear the “Pat Patriot” throwback twice in 2024.
AFC East and NFC West teams will all have special alternates for their respective games this year. The uniforms will be “celebrating storied traditions and united communities with unique and elevated” designs according to an NFL news release via Patriots.com on April 25.
“Think “City Edition” and “City Connect” uniforms in NBA and MLB,” CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones explained on April 26.
Besides the Patriots, the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and New York Jets will have Rivalries alternates. The same goes for all four NFC West teams — Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Seattle Seahawks.
“The NFL is home to some of the biggest football rivalries and today marks a historical moment for the NFL as we share ‘Rivalries’ with the world,” NFL chief revenue officer Renie Anderson said in the league’s news release.
“Together with Nike, we are harnessing the power of rivalry matchups to bring fan excitement and community pride to the next level,” she added. “Through specially designed player uniforms and limited-edition fan gear, we will embark on a journey that inspires competitive spirit and reveals the winner in all of us.”
Patriots Have Made a Series of Uniform Changes Since 1993
New England has done a series of uniform changes since the big logo change in 1993 when the team moved on from “Pat Patriot” to the Flying Elvis logo with silver helmets. The Patriots had the “Bledsoe Blues” followed by a darker blue jersey in the 2000 season, which lasted the whole Tom Brady era through 2019.
New England moved to a new variation of the dark blue in 2020 with red shoulder stripes to mark a new era after Brady. It most-resembled the Color Rush uniform, which became popular in the 2010s.
The Patriots will continue with the 2020s rendition of the dark blue uniforms and the “Pat Patriot” alternate in 2025 in addition to the Rivalries series uniform.
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