APPEARANCE: Cardinals unveil new uniforms for the 2023 NFL season, with a distinct silver difference

After 18 seasons in their newest uniforms, the Arizona Cardinals will have a new look for the 2023 season. The team introduced three new uniforms on April 20, less than a week before this year’s NFL Draft begins.

As you can see below, the Cardinals have gone for a simplistic look. Along with a simpler stripe pattern, the Cardinals have joined the recent list of teams choosing to stop carrying numbers on their shoulders. The “Arizona” lettering on the team’s home jersey and the “Cardinals” font on the shoulder of the away jersey are two of the more noticeable changes from the outgoing kits. The added emphasis on the silver color is another striking difference.

It appears that Arizona’s main helmet hasn’t seen any changes. The Cardinals’ black helmet, which debuted last year as part of the team’s Color Rush uniform, will remain in circulation as part of the team’s alternate uniform.

Some of the immediate reactions to the Cardinals’ new jerseys had to do with how similar they are to Ohio State’s current uniforms, specifically the team’s alternate jersey versus the Buckeyes’ black jersey. This commemorates when the Iowa Hawkeyes changed their uniform to emulate the dynastic Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s.

The Cardinals, formed in 1920, adopted red and white as their primary colors in 1937. The team’s uniform went through several changes over the following years before assuming its long-term appearance in 1960. The Cardinals essentially wore a variation of the same uniform from until 2005, when the team introduced a more modern look that was also circulating in the 2022 season.

The Cardinals had a successful run in their outgoing uniforms. In 2008, the franchise advanced to the Super Bowl for the first time, where it all but upset the favored Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII. The Cardinals made the playoffs four more times — including a trip to the NFC Championship Game in 2015 — while wearing their outgoing uniforms.

Arizona’s roster included several prominent players during this span, including future Hall of Famers Larry Fitzgerald and JJ Watt, Hall of Famer quarterback Kurt Warner, Hall of Famer running back Edgerrin James, and former Pro Bowlers Anquon Boldin, Patrick Peterson , Carson Palmer, Calais Campbell, Tyrant Mathieu, Dwight Freeney, David Johnson, Adrian Wilson and the Cardinals Current Protection Budda Baker.

However, the team has endured some difficult seasons since their title game in 2015. Arizona has only made the playoffs once this season. The Cardinals hit rock bottom last year with just four wins, which led to the firing of head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Arizona is certainly hoping that a new coach (former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon) and a new look could spark a revival.