The coronavirus pandemic has impacted the Rams’ plans, and there’s still no release date on the horizon.
This has been a big year for new uniforms in the NFL. Six teams have already unveiled their redesigned looks, some more drastic than others. The Colts, for instance, only tweaked their branding with new typefaces, numbers and a secondary logo. The Falcons scrapped their past uniforms for a complete redesign, while the Patriots essentially made their Color Rush uniforms their primary ones.
The Browns, Buccaneers and Chargers also redesigned their uniforms, drawing off past looks throughout each franchise’s history.
And then there are the Los Angeles Rams, whose brand refresh was probably the most anticipated of any team’s coming into 2020. They already pulled back the curtain on their new logos, which the majority of fans hate, as well as their updated colors – which are essentially just brighter, more vibrant versions of the throwback blue and yellow scheme.
Yet, it’s now mid-May and the Rams still haven’t revealed their new uniforms. Back in March, just before the logo reveal, COO Kevin Demoff said in a letter to fans that the team would roll them out “later this spring.” Reports have also indicated that the uniforms would be released after the draft, which is now almost three weeks in the rearview.
And still, no new uniforms.
Fans on Twitter are growing impatient, anxiously awaiting the big reveal. Some have speculated that the Rams are making last-minute changes to the uniforms after all the outrage over the logos. There have been no leaks yet, and the Rams haven’t released so much as a teaser for the new jerseys.
So what’s the reasoning for the Rams waiting this long to reveal their uniforms? The other six teams all revealed theirs between April 7 and April 21, with the Chargers being the last team to show off theirs about three weeks ago.
It’s likely that the coronavirus has had an impact on the Rams’ original plans. It was always going to be a two-part reveal with the logos and colors coming before the draft and the uniforms afterwards, but it’s possible the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the uniform reveal.
According to NFL Network’s Andrew Siciliano, who also calls Rams preseason games on TV, the team originally planned to release the new uniforms at SoFi Stadium with fans being able to attend the event – likely similar to the way the Titans unveiled theirs on Broadway in Downtown Nashville two years ago.
“That uniform reveal was going to be – one of the ideas, at least – at the stadium, kind of like a soft opening,” Siciliano said on Instagram Live. “Bring people to the stadium, you do the jerseys, they’re kind of cool. Well now obviously you can’t do that, so the Rams are trying to think of a good way to do it. They’ll do it, there might be a charitable element, I’m just assuming. I don’t know. But don’t a date yet on that. I think you’re going to like them, though. I think you’re going to like ‘em.”
That video was from April 30, and yet there still hasn’t been an update on when the uniforms will be revealed. Siciliano has clearly seen the uniforms, as have other reporters, but no one knows when they’ll be released to the public.
At this point, there’s really no rush for the Rams. There are no practices, no OTAs, no minicamp and it’s unclear if training camp will take place in July as it’s scheduled to. Therefore, players won’t be putting on practice uniforms or the new helmets anytime soon.
The Rams could conceivably wait until this summer to release the new uniforms because of the lack of football currently being played. That’s not to say they should do that, but waiting until July when SoFi Stadium is closer to being finished is a possibility – even if fans wouldn’t be able to attend the event.
No matter when the Rams release them, all eyes will be on the new uniforms. When it comes to sports, there are no other major events happening. There are no NBA playoffs to compete with, no MLB season to draw attention from. Whenever the Rams do pull back the curtain, the sports world will be paying attention.
Hopefully they release the uniforms sooner rather than later, not only because fans are growing tired of waiting, but because it could help change the public perception of the rebrand after the logo debacle. Or, there’s always a chance the uniforms will flop like the logo did, and fans will be even more upset with the team.
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