A throwback to a new era of Broncos football...what are we waiting for?

1997 was an exciting year for the Denver Broncos and the fans of the team. Denver was coming off of a crushing playoff loss to a Mark Brunell-led Jaguars squad that had played its best game of the season. Despite the heartbreaking defeat, fans knew that this team had a legitimate chance to be special. Key offseason additions of guys like Neil Smith, Keith Traylor, Darrien Gordon, and Howard Griffith along with the drafting of future All-Pro Trevor Pryce were fueling the excitement of the upcoming campaign.

But fans of the orange and blue were equally as excited about the new season for a completely separate reason.

With the exception of the 1994 season, in which the team wore the 1965 throwback unis commemorating the NFL’s 75th anniversary, this would mark the first season that the Broncos would have a different logo on their helmet since the late 1960’s. The new uniform combinations, designed in conjunction with Nike, were a complete rebranding of the team and they were incredible. I couldn't wait to get my hands on new merchandise.

Flash forward to the start of the season, and I had never seen so many fans at Mile High Stadium with brand new jerseys than the first game. When Johnny, Shannon, Terrell, and the boys came out of the tunnel in the navy blues, the place absolutely erupted. Obviously, winning the franchise’s first ever championship later that season created a sentimental bond with those uniforms for a lot of people. I am one of those people. Those uniforms were unlike any others being worn in the NFL at the time. They were stylish and trendy and blended well with the fashion of the era.

That said, there is a reason why I’m not wearing overalls with one strap down, a rayon shirt buttoned all the way up, and high-top British Knights in 2023. That reason is it isn’t the 90s anymore. If I see a guy at the grocery store today rocking frosted tips with a white blazer and a pastel tee underneath, I’m going to have some questions but I’m probably not going to ask them.

More often than not, when you go bold with a look, much like most fashion trends, it has a shelf life. That’s what has happened to the appearance of our beloved Denver Broncos.

We have been rolling out the same look for 25 years and it is time to do something about it. The team
changed the primary home jerseys to orange in 2012 but, does that really count as a uniform change? The uniforms are outdated. The swooshes on the pants are not cool anymore. They never seem to be lined up with the stripes on the jerseys and we won’t even talk about the time we went all the way to London to look ridiculous in mismatched stripe colors.

It is time for a wholesale reimagining of what Broncos football looks like, on and off the field.

We have a new ownership group with boatloads of money that seems determined to get the direction of this franchise turned around. We have Super Bowl winning head coach Sean Payton at the helm, and he has put together an impressive staff. We have made some positive and much-needed changes through free agency, most importantly to the offensive line. There are legitimate reasons to be optimistic.

What better time than now to give the team a fresh new look and move forward, fueling the optimism of the new changes and not looking back to the disappointment of the last 7 years? Just as the uniform change in 1997 helped fans to leave the disappointment of the previous season behind, we all need something to help us let go of the horrors of the Vance-Vic-Nate era.

That new look doesn’t have to be incredibly bold. Classic and clean is the way, and it stands the test of time when you don't go over the top. Combine the old logo with the current one so it doesn’t look like the horse is sneezing and let’s get that D back on the helmet boys and girls. So, whoever is in charge of making this happen, let’s get it going. You make the changes, we will spend all of our money on new gear, and everyone will be happy. Deal?