Why latest NFL rule change should excite Patriots fans

Remember eight years ago when the NFL came under scrutiny for banning alternative helmets under the absurd rationale of player safety?

While the league didn’t need to offer much of an explanation for trying to maximize player safety, forbidding an awesome tradition to make its already-violent game less violent (if that’s even possible) was a tough sell for fans, and they reacted with great disappointment.

It goes without saying that the Patriots are responsible for creating some of the most appealing jerseys in league history, right?

Well, thanks to a new rule change, they could bring back their throwback threads as early as the 2022 season.

Per a report from ProFootballTalk, the NFL sent a memo confirming it will allow teams to wear two different helmets starting in 2022.

This rule paves the way for the Patriots to reinstate their old school red unis with the iconic white “Pat Patriot” helmet.

The latest NFL rule change is huge news for Patriots fans.

According to the report, all 32 teams must decide whether they’ll be sporting a second helmet in 2022 by July 31, which is about one month away.

Based on the collective reaction from Patriots fans on social media, they’re already imploring the franchise to embrace this rule change, and rightly so. After all, the red throwback uniform is up there with the most iconic looks in NFL history.

While Bill Belichick likely couldn’t care less about which color uniform his players are wearing on Sunday, he simply has to be on board with this, even though he might end up not even having a say in the matter.

Remember last offseason when the team revealed its first new set of uniforms in two decades? In a press release, the Pats addressed their fans’ yearning for the return of the red classics, saying, “We recognize that fans also have an affinity for the red ‘throwback’ uniform and we hope to incorporate that into our uniform rotation in the future.”

In other cool news, this rule change will also allow New England to resurrect their blue “Flying Elvis” jerseys they donned for most of the 1990s. Who cares if the team wasn’t overly successful during that era? You simply cannot be that superstitious.

In any event, if the Patriots do choose to exercise this opportunity, it’s worth noting fans wouldn’t see these uniforms very often. However, the fact that both could enter the rotation as early as 2022 is plenty of reason to get excited for the future.

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