49ers should not be among teams taking advantage of relaxed helmet rules

The NFL is relaxing more uniform rules. According to a memo distributed by the league, teams will be allowed to wear more than one color helmet beginning in 2022. Teams previously had been allowed to change the logo on helmets, but the base color was to remain the same. Some teams like Seattle or Tampa Bay can take advantage of the relaxed regulations with throwbacks featuring their old, different-colored helmets. The 49ers should not be among the teams impacted by the new rule.

The memo specifies that teams using a different helmet for throwback uniforms have to maintain historical accuracy. A throwback look wouldn’t require a change for the consistently gold-capped 49ers. The league also allows for a changed helmet to match the color rush uniforms, which is where the 49ers could get weird.

While San Francisco has undergone a slew of uniform changes over the years, one constant in their altered looks has been their gold helmet. Even when the sheen changed, or the facemask was altered, or the stripes were redone – the gold helmet was a staple of the 49ers’ iconic red and gold uniforms.

Changing it for the sake of matching the all white uniform or even a new iteration of the black jerseys would be an affront to one of the NFL’s classic uniforms. If the uniform set doesn’t work with a gold helmet, it should be scrapped. RIP to the all-black color rush set (2015-17).

The last time they tried changing the helmet came with disastrous results. They introduced a gold helmet with a new logo in 1991 that received so much backlash they didn’t even try and roll it out during the season.

That’s not the only iconic look they’ve at least tried changing in the past. From 1996-2008 they wore a completely different shade of red. They tweaked the scarlet and gold look they made famous in the 80s with a deeper red color and a uniform set that featured a variety of trim colors and shadowing on the numbers. It eventually became clear the brighter red was the superior shade.

Trying to make new alterations with the helmet color would be a completely unnecessary move. The 49ers’ gold helmet is among the NFL’s classic, most recognizable uniform features. They already tried messing with it once, so it’s hard to believe they’re overly eager to do it again.