After 18 seasons in their current uniforms, the Arizona Cardinals will have a new look for the 2023 season. The team plans to unveil new uniforms on April 20. The Cardinals teased the unveiling on Friday night on social media.
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— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) April 15, 2023
Founded in 1920, the Cardinals adopted red and white as its primary colors in 1937. The team's uniform went through several changes in the following years before settling into its long-term look in 1960. The Cardinals essentially wore a variation of the same uniform from that point up until 2005, when the team ushered in a more modern look that continued to be in circulation through 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 nearly 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 sporting their outgoing uniforms.
Arizona's roster during this time span included several prominent players, including future Hall of Famers Larry Fitzgerald and J.J. Watt, Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, Hall of Fame running back Edgerrin James, and former Pro Bowlers Anquon Boldin, Patrick Peterson, Carson Palmer, Calais Campbell, Tyrann Mathieu, Dwight Freeney, David Johnson, Adrian Wilson and current Cardinals safety Budda Baker.
The team has slogged through some rocky seasons since their 2015 title game run, however. Arizona has made the playoffs just once since that season. The Cardinals bottomed out last year, winning just four games which led to the dismissal of head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Arizona is surely hoping that a new coach (Jonathan Gannon) and a new look, could spark a revival.
A big question is whether or not the Cardinals' new jerseys will include a revision of the team's helmet, which also went through a minor change in 2005. While the Cardinals' face went through an adjustment back, the helmet continued to be all white with a gray face mask. The Cardinals did unveil a black helmet last season that was part of their color rush uniform. The black helmet was a big hit among Cardinals players.
"I see the red sparkles in there -- I think that's the best part of it," Baker said upon seeing the new helmet for the first time, via the team's website. "It looks black but it has like a chrome-ish red look, those are going to look real clean. Play good, look good, feel good for sure."
Given the popularity of the black helmet, it will also be interesting to see if black becomes a focal point on the Cardinals' new uniforms. Either way, a change is coming to the desert for the 2023 season.
