The Nike NFL jerseys that were unveiled today look a whole lot like the Reebok NFL jerseys that players have been wearing for years. (Except in Seattle.) But the players who tried them on say the performance will change.
Nike touts what it calls a “lock-down fit” on its jerseys, making them tighter around the shoulder pads and harder to grasp. Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher told SI.com the new jerseys will make it “harder to get held, which is good since I get held on every play.”
According to Nike, this year’s NFL uniforms will also be lighter, will keep the players wearing them cooler, and will stay drier than the materials used on the old uniforms.
Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor, who modeled the “new age” new look that the Seahawks have adopted, said he likes the new uniforms for more reasons than than the aesthetics as well.
“The shrink-wrap fit, we can move our body around,” Chancellor said. “We can move and be free.”
For fans, however, the biggest question is whether other NFL teams will follow in the Seahawks’ footsteps and go with that new-age look that Nike likes. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suggested that it’s just a matter of time before that happens. We’re never going to see all 32 teams going with those futuristic designs that have circulated around the web for a couple years, but Nike’s uniforms are the future of the NFL.