The Saints are switching things up for "Monday Night Football" in Week 5.
No, New Orleans isn't making any major lineup changes, but the team will be bringing out an alternate look for its primetime trip to Kansas City.
When they take the field on Monday, the Saints will wear their retro-inspired white "Color Rush" uniforms and black helmets, a shift away from the gold lids most fans are accustomed to.
New Orleans first debuted this particular look during its trip to London in 2022 but it is still a rarity for the team to bring out this uniform combination. Simply put, it's a look saved for special occasions, and a primetime showdown with the back-to-back defending champions certainly qualifies.
Here is everything to know about New Orleans' uniform combination for Week 5.
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Why are the Saints wearing black helmets?
New Orleans introduced its black alternate in the 2022 offseason after the NFL amended its rules to allow alternate helmets.
The helmet essentially inverts the color scheme of the Saints' traditional gold helmets with a twist — a gold fleur de lis pattern running down the middle. Before their reintroduction, the Saints had not worn black helmets in 50 years, opting for the look in 1969.
New Helmet Drop…. 🔥
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) June 16, 2022
The Saints will wear a black helmet for a game(s) this season.
The specific game(s) are yet to be confirmed 👀 pic.twitter.com/utN6Hid0NA
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Ahead of Week 5 of the 2024 season, the Saints teased the return of the black helmets by sharing a photo of QB Derek Carr wearing one in practice.
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 3, 2024
The team later confirmed the uniform combination as DB J.T. Gray outlined that the team would wear its Color Rush jerseys with black helmets on Monday in Kansas City.
Color Rush for Monday Night Football 🥶@Verizon | #BlackAndGoldFriday pic.twitter.com/0LnKpIPGle
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 4, 2024
New Orleans first debuted the look during its Week 4 trip to London during the 2022 season and brought it back for "Monday Night Football" in Week 13. Last season, the Saints wore it for a Week 12 trip to Atlanta — the Color Rush-black helmet combination was one of eight uniform combinations used by New Orleans in 2023.
Introduced in 2016, the Saints' Color Rush uniforms are all white with gold numbers and a gold and black stripe pattern.
The jerseys draw inspiration from the franchise's inaugural uniforms as well as uniforms worn during the NFL's celebratory 1994 season. The gold numbers are notable as they deviate from the team's standard black numbers on white jerseys, which has been the primary look since 1999.
