Falcons unveil flashy new red helmet as part of throwback uniform that will be worn in 2022

For the past 10 years, the Falcons have worn a black helmet in every single game they’ve played in, but that’s going to change in 2022 after the team announced on Wednesday night that their iconic red helmets will be making a comeback. 

The Falcons will wear their red helmets as part of a throwback uniform for their Week 6 game against the San Francisco 49ers (Oct. 16). That game will mark the first time since November 2012 that the Falcons have worn a red helmet.

And since you’re probably now wondering, here’s what the new helmet looks like: 

The new red helmet is a close replica of what the Falcons wore from 1966 to 1969. The new red helmet not only features a grey facemask, but it also has three different colored stripes going down the middle: White, black and gold. According to the Falcons, the helmet’s color scheme was designed to represent the two major colleges in the state: Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia.

For their game against the 49ers, the Falcons will pair their red helmet with a black 1966 throwback uniform that they’ve worn before. Here’s what the combo looked like back in 2012: 

The Falcons actually wore their red helmets for 23 years (1966 to 1989) before making the switch to a black helmet in 1990. Despite the switch, the red helmets were still popular, so the Falcons started wearing them as part of a throwback uniform in 2009. 

From 2009 to 2012, the Falcons wore the red helmets twice per season. However, that tradition ended heading into the 2013 season after the NFL implemented a one-helmet rule, which meant that teams had to stick with one helmet color for the entire season. 

The NFL rescinded the helmet rule in 2021 and when that happened, the league announced that teams would be free to wear an alternate helmet starting with the 2022 season, which is why the Falcons are now allowed to wear their red helmet. 

Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell was one of the first players to see the helmet and he was definitely excited. 

“Can’t wait to put this one on,” Terrell said. “I definitely like looking at all the throwback uniforms. This one always comes to mind. It’s very rare seeing a red helmet with the gold stripe down the middle.”

Although the Falcons are the first team to officially announce that they’ll be wearing an alternate helmet in 2022, they almost certainly won’t be the last. According to UniWatch, there could be as many as 15 teams that end up wearing an alternate helmet for at least one game. The Patriots have been hinting all offseason that their “Pat Patriot” helmets will be returning this year, so it won’t be surprising at all to see that happen. 

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie has said that his team will be wearing black helmets for at least one game this season, but Philadelphia has yet to unveil the new look.