CLEVELAND — Appearing on 92.3 The Fan's "Baskin and Phelps last week," Cleveland Browns executive vice president and owner JW Johnson announced the team will wear alternate uniforms in 2021 to celebrate its 75th anniversary.
"We will have an alternate uniform this year," Johnson said. "So all the uniform heads out there that try to come up with them on social media can have a little fun now if they're listening to see what they can come up with. But we will have a nice alternate to be able to present to everybody at some point for the 75th anniversary."
While the Browns' uniform design has largely remained consistent since the franchise's inception in 1946, the team does have a handful of historical looks it could draw inspiration from. With that in mind, let's take a look at three potential throwback options that could return to the field in Cleveland as the Browns celebrate their 75th anniversary.
White helmets
While the Browns have come to be known for their orange helmets, the franchise wore white helmet shells for the first six years of their existence. And while the NFL currently has a rule in place barring teams from wearing different colored helmets throughout the season, there has already been speculation that rule could change as soon as 2021.
Should the Browns wear white helmets for the first time since 1951, they could either stick with a retro version of their current look for the jerseys -- in brown or white -- or bring back the drop shadow numbers they wore in 1946. Either way, based on the speculation already happening on social media, white helmets would be more than welcomed in Cleveland.
Numbered helmets
Even if the Browns' alternate uniform includes the team's traditional orange helmet, Cleveland's headwear could still change. From 1957-1960, the Browns wore their uniform numbers on their helmets -- a look the team reprised fas an alternate from 2006-2008.
It's worth noting that the throwback logo the Browns unveiled for its 75th anniversary includes a gray facemask, which differs from the brown facemask the team currently wears. That logo, however, doesn't include a helmet number, which may or may not be a hint regarding the team's upcoming alternate.
Orange jerseys
In 1953, the Browns didn't wear brown. Rather than donning the traditional brown jersey top that matches its team's name, Cleveland opted to wear an orange jersey that it later made its preseason uniform top.
While the Browns later donned orange alternates from 2002-2004 and again in 2015 and 2016, the team's history is largely tied to the same color as its name. An orange alternate in 2021, however, could be the perfect choice to tie Cleveland's past to its present.