Detroit Lions unveil new alternate helmets

The Detroit Lions unveiled their brand new alternative helmets for the 2023 season, which will be the team’s 90th year in the Motor City.

The team released the new design with a video shot in front of Ford Field. A driver pulls into the parking lot in a late 1960s model Ford Mustang painted in Lions colors. After getting out of the muscle car, the drive pulls the new helmet out of a bag and places it on top of the hood.

The design is a bright Honolulu blue with an old-school white Lions logo, outlined in blue. Detroit’s logo is on top of blue and silver stripes that look like a nod to the Mustangs’ classic red, white and blue stripes. The facemask on the alternate helmet is light gray.

start your engines pic.twitter.com/aHOUjl9VQ0

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) June 21, 2023

The Lions’ ties to the Ford Motor Company are extensive. William Clay Ford paid $4.5 million in 1964 to gain full control of the franchise. Years later, Ford put the name on the new stadium, which started construction in 1999.

According to the team, the alternate helmet will only be worn with the Lions’ all-gray alternate uniform. They also revealed that the blue of the helmet is a hue that’s never been worn before in the league.

Hard Knocks lobby Lions for another season

Last year, HBO’s Hard Knocks followed Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions’ journey to the kick-off of the regular season. The preseason behind-the-scenes look of the Lions was so well received, the show reportedly requested Detroit to appear for a second year in a row.

The request is also very likely due to the show struggling to find a team to follow this year. However, according to The Detroit News, the team has turned down the offer to appear again so soon.

With just over a month to go before training camp begins, the show has yet to announce which team gets the spotlight this year. In 2022, the announcement that Hard Knocks would follow the Lions came out in late March.

There are only so many NFL franchises to choose from. The guidelines in previous years stipulate that a team with a new head coach, a playoff berth in the previous two seasons or an appearance on the show in the last decade would be exempt from participating.

Based on those guidelines, there are just four teams that Hard Knocks could follow, unless there’s another volunteer. The New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders are the only four teams that don’t have any excuse not to be on the show.