CLEVELAND — As NFL teams continued to roll out their new alternate helmets ahead of the start of the 2022 season, many wondered if the Cleveland Browns might be one of the teams to join the growing trend.
But when the NFL officially announced the 14 teams that will be wearing alternate helmets during the upcoming season, the Browns ultimately weren't one of them.
Rather, it appears Cleveland will be sticking with its traditional orange helmets for all 17 games during the 2022 regular season. The ability for teams to wear alternate helmets was reintroduced this year, with the league eliminating a rule requiring teams to wear the same colored helmet shell for all of its games.
As a result, the following 14 teams will be wearing alternate helmets on special occasions during the 2022 season:
- Chicago Bears (orange)
- Cincinnati Bengals (white)
- Arizona Cardinals (black)
- Washington Commanders (black)
- Dallas Cowboys (white)
- Philadelphia Eagles (black)
- Atlanta Falcons (red)
- New York Giants (navy blue)
- New York Jets (black)
- Carolina Panthers (black)
- New England Patriots (white)
- New Orleans Saints (black)
- Houston Texans (red)
As for what a hypothetical Browns' alternate helmet would look like, many have speculated that the team could wear a white helmet -- just as the franchise did during its first six seasons from 1946-1951. Last season, Cleveland wore a white alternate reminiscent of its 1946 uniform, but was unable to complete the throwback look with a white helmet due to the NFL's rules.
But should the Browns opt to wear their 1946 throwback uniform again in 2022, it will once again be with an orange helmet and gray facemask with the numbers on the side. Cleveland's decision to sit out the alternate uniform craze -- for this season, at least -- however, didn't stop the Browns from joining the conversation, as the team's official Twitter account poked fun at the Bears' new orange alternate helmet.