The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting new lids for the 2025 season. According to a report by Andrew Lind of SportsLogos.net, the Steelers are one of a number of NFL teams that are unveiling new alternate helmets for the 2025 season.
The Cleveland Browns , Los Angeles Chargers , New Orleans Saints and Washington Commanders are also set to get new alternate helmets this offseason.
The Steelers have had had just one helmet since the 2010 season. In 2013, the NFL put in place a one-helmet rule that mandated each team could wear just one helmet shell per season, though they were free to change the design over the shell if they wanted to.
The purpose of the rule was player safety, because the league wanted to ensure full availability of new helmet technology before committing extra resources to alternates. In 2022, the league rescinded the one-helmet policy, meaning that teams can were secondary helmets with alternate uniforms.
Some teams, like the Atlanta Falcons , chose to go with a throwback motif, bringing back their red helmets from the 1970s and 1980s. Others like the Baltimore Ravens , went with a more-futuristic look. Baltimore unveiled a matte purple helmet for the 2025 season. White-base helmets have been worn by the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns in recent years.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens during a game against the New York Jets on Oct. 20, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
The biggest change the Steelers have made in recent years has been wearing gray facemasks with their throwback uniforms in 2025. That was done as the team acknowledged the 50th anniversary of the 1974 Super Bowl IX-winning squad. The Steelers wore gray facemasks for much of their early history before switching to black in 1977.
The last time the Steelers wore an alternate helmet was also a nod to the team's history. From 2007-09, the Steelers wore gold alternate helmets to match uniforms that were a throwback to their look from 1962 — the first year the steelmark appeared as a logo on one side of the team's helmets.
Nov. 18, 2012 – Pittsburgh, PENNSYLVANNIA, U.S – November 18th, 2012 – Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall (34) on the sidelines during the fourth quarter as the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA
Though the Steelers stopped wearing those throwbacks in 2009 — instead changing to the infamous "bumblebee" 1934 throwbacks starting in 2012 — they've continued to wear that uniform top as part of their color rush jerseys, which debuted in 2016. That uniform combines the 1962 top with black pants that feature a gold stripe and the team's traditional black helmet.
It's not clear what the Steelers second helmet for the 2025 season will look like or how often it can be deployed. It's also not clear if the Steelers will return their block-numbered throwbacks and color rush uniforms, or go a different route with their alternate jerseys this season.
The NFL has also changed its policy about how often alternate uniforms can be worn. A change at the 2025 NFL owners meetings now means that teams can wear non-standard uniforms up to four times over the course of a 17-game season.
🏈 Oct. 28, 2018, 33-18 W vs. Cleveland Browns
🏈 Nov. 19, 2019, 24-17 W vs. Los Angeles Rams
🏈 Dec. 24, 2022, 13-10 W vs. Las Vegas Raiders
🏈 Nov. 12, 2023, 23-19 W vs. Green Bay Packers
🏈 Oct. 20, 2024, 37-15 W vs. New York Jets
Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt during a game against the New York Jets on Oct. 21, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
🏈 Oct. 28, 2024, 26-18 W vs. New York Giants
🏈 Dec. 7, 2023, 21-18 L vs. New England Patriots
🏈 Nov. 20, 2022, 37-30 L vs. Cincinnati Bengals
🏈 Nov. 8, 2021, 29-27 W vs. Chicago Bears
🏈 Dec. 2, 2020, 19-14 W vs. Baltimore Ravens
🏈 Dec. 15, 2019, 17-10 L vs. Buffalo Bills
🏈 Oct. 28, 2019, 27-14 W vs. Miami Dolphins
🏈 Dec. 16, 2018, 17-10 W vs. New England Patriots
🏈 Nov. 8, 2018, 52-21 W vs. Carolina Panthers
🏈 Nov. 16, 2017, 40-17 W vs. Tennessee Titans
🏈 Dec. 25, 2016, 31-27 W vs. Baltimore Ravens
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Payton Wilson during a game against the New York Giants on Oct. 28, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Report: Steelers Set to Debut New Alternate Helmets in 2025
