The Arizona Cardinals have worn white helmets regularly for over 60 seasons, yet come Sunday, the new black helmet makes its return.
Per Gridiron-Uniforms, the Arizona Cardinals will wear their black helmets for their Week 5 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. And although I have always been a traditionalist in the uniform column, I completely jumped on the black helmet bandwagon after initially disliking the look.
On the field, however, the black helmet on black jersey combo is something I can describe as elegant, especially when you factor in the red reflections when light hits the shell a certain way. This is a look unique to the Cardinals, and it’s something they should consider switching to on a full-time basis if they undergo a major uniform change.
Arizona Cardinals would skyrocket in the uniform rankings
Most radical redesigns simply don’t work because there is just too much going on unless that redesign returns a team to their classic roots. Most intense redesigns – Seahawks in 2012, Jaguars in 2013, Falcons in 2020, have so much going on that they distract one from the game itself.
The Cardinals black helmet on black jersey look, however, offers cleaner aesthetics than what they are currently wearing. With lesser color contrast and just enough flair to give it some uniqueness, moving to the black helmets permanently could send the Cardinals flying up the NFL uniform rankings, where they often reside at the bottom.
Not that the jersey and pants don’t need some changes, as they could stand to get rid of the Reebok Era piping. I’d also like to see them ditch the chrome helmet logo and perhaps even try out a matte finish. But those are just personal preferences. Oh, and don’t go with the mono look – keep the white pants with the home look and go with black pants on the road.
Overall, the darker look equals a cleaner look. And one of very few radical redesigns that would actually work. It’s not often you see teams look better with a full uniform makeover; especially one that has never been done before. But the Cardinals could be one of even fewer exceptions.