Steelers Remain Unchanged Despite Cardinals New Uniform Design In 2023

The Pittsburgh Steelers looked on with the rest of the football world Thursday night as the Arizona Cardinals unveiled their new uniform design for the 2023 season. NFL teams have to wait five years between these kinds of changes, with some itching to use the updated design as a possible catalyst for the team's success. In the Cardinals situation, though, it has been nearly two decades since they last rolled out a new uniform (2005), so perhaps the Arizona front office is hoping all that potential has been saved up over the years. On the other side of that spectrum, are the consistent, traditional Steelers.

Steelers Unfazed By Surrounding Changes

Since the Steelers franchise began in 1933, tradition has been at the core of everything they do on and off the field. While many teams thrive on staying current with flashy trends, things tend to move at a much slower pace in Pittsburgh.

Except for a few minor adjustments to align with league rules, the original design for the Steelers' uniforms remained the same - but when it diverted from the course, things got a bit weird. When the franchise was founded and was getting its bearings, they actually looked very different for a few years. Steelers fans should be familiar with the "Bumblebee" design that was very much hit-or-miss without much middle ground. Those designs were actually based on the first uniforms worn by the team until 1936.

In 1966, pop culture and the changing landscape in Pittsburgh collided and created one of the more offbeat events in Steelers' history. A now-archived article from the Steelers explained this bizarre shift from the norm:

"In 1966, the city of Pittsburgh was trying to remake its image, trying to get away from the perception of a dirty, smoky city. One of the downtown areas being refurbished was called the Golden Triangle, because that was the shape of the land created by the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers flowing into the Ohio River. Dan Rooney decided to incorporate this unique bit of the city’s geography into the Steelers' new uniforms, and that’s how the triangle design came to be a part of the jersey."

The owner of Uni-Watch, Paul Lukas, tweeted a tribute to the now-defunct "Batman" uniforms to give every Steelers fan a chance to see a vintage part of their history:

While the design was certainly different, the change did not have the desired effect as the team went 9-17-2 during the two years that the "Batman" uniform was in use. The switch back to the norm couldn't come fast enough.

Steelers Stay The Same, But Different

When the Steelers switched back to the traditional black and gold design that we all know and love, it remained that way even when the entire league shifted. In 2002, the NFL became the fourth and last of the major sports leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) to give teams the "third jersey" option. Despite curiosity, nothing happened in Pittsburgh until they celebrated their 75th anniversary in 2007 and a 1962 throwback was announced.

That was enough for the team and fans, but then in 2012, the Steelers decided to switch things up again, though not to the "Batman" extent. The new design - a tribute to the 1934 team - split opinions down the middle as the infamous "Bumblebee" uniforms were loved or hated - no gray area to be found. For all the mixed reviews, the memories of the team in those striped jerseys will live on in all of our minds, as shown by the Steelers on Twitter:

Sticking To Tradition Has Worked For The Steelers

Whether you are a fan of the "Bumblebee" jerseys or got nostalgic for those "Batman" uniforms, the Steelers have shown that they know what they are doing when it comes to alternate jerseys (aside from the 1966-1967 debacle). Since the team joined with the rest of the league and changed their uniform design - to one extent or another - the results truly speak for themselves.

From 2007, when the Steelers made their first change since "Batman" was phased out, until 2011, Pittsburgh went 7-3 in their alternate uniforms. The "Bumblebee" design was used from 2012 until 2016, and in that time the Steelers posted a 4-2 record. Since 2017, the Steelers have only changed things up three times, winning all three times they celebrated a past team.

The only one that hasn't been touched on yet is the Color Rush design that was introduced in 2016. The stark black that is usually brought out for big night games helped the team go 7-2 in the games that they sported the sleek black of the Color Rush.

Even though they may not change things up as often as other teams, and while the Cardinals can have their big announcement, in those rare times when the Steelers do decide to look differently, they know how to win. Overall, in all alternates (not "Batman") and Color Rush, the Steelers have posted an impressive 21-7 record that would surely make any of those past teams proud. That's a pretty good reason to sit back and trust that when the team needs it, they will know the jerseys for the job!