The Steelers are taking a new look to Paris on Sunday. In the NFL Paris Game against the New Orleans Saints, they will wear white away jerseys, black Color Rush pants and black helmets.
The combination matters because this is the first ever NFL game in France, and the team wanted to change things up for the setting. The white jerseys fit the road assignment, but the black pants and helmets give the outfit a sharper edge for a game that is being staged in Paris, where style is part of the backdrop as much as the football.
Nick Herbig got a sneak peek of the uniform and did not hide his reaction. “It’s cool, and we’re going to have to see it on game day,” he said. “But I’m a fan. I think it looks good.” He called it “a little change-up, something different,” and added, “Like they say, when in Rome, but we’re going to be in Paris, so let’s do it.”
Darnell Washington, who also saw the setup early, sounded more measured. He said, “Now seeing it together, it’s unique for us to wear,” and added, “It’s a little bit different, but I like it.” He also said, “We are playing in a different environment, so it’s cool to mix and match.”
That is where the contrast sits. The Steelers are treating Sunday like a moment that can be dressed up, while Washington said plainly, “Me personally, I don’t think much about what I am wearing. I just wear the same thing and go out and play.” For Herbig, the outfit is part of the occasion; for Washington, football still comes first.
The uniform will not stay on a hanger for long. On Sunday in Paris, the Steelers will wear it for real against the New Orleans Saints in Week 7, and that will be the only verdict that counts.
