Philadelphia Eagles: The path back to Kelly Green is finally open

College football is the wild west of uniform color schemes.

With no imposed restrictions, teams can have new uniform and helmet designs/colorways every week, and while there are plenty of teams that like to keep their uniforms… well… uniform, teams like the Oregon Ducks have used this opportunity to the fullest.

The NFL isn’t so lucky.

Sure, teams are able to utilize some alternate jersey colorways, but there’s only so much you can do when the helmet designs are locked in place, barring special occasions.

However, the higher-ups in the NFL have finally thrown fans a bone, as they officially announced that starting in 2022, teams can utilize a second helmet design.

While it’s still a far cry from Oregon-levels of customization, it’s still a cool concept and opens the doors for in-season retros becoming commonplace.

Oh yeah, and it opens the door for the regular return of Kelly Green for the Philadelphia Eagles; way to bury the lead.

The Philadelphia Eagles could be back in Kelly Green before we know it.

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The Philadelphia Eagles initially introduced Kelly Green in 1943, a decade into their existence as a team.

After starting out their run in a bizarre blue and yellow uniform that initially belonged to the long-since defunct Frankford Yellow Jackets, the Eagles settled on their iconic colorway following their single-season combined with the Pittsburgh Steelers, which you can read about here.

From there, the Eagles uniformed changed every few seasons in small ways – adding stripes, changing the helmet’s color, etc. – but it largely remained uniform until the turn of the century, when new owner Jeffrey Lurie opted to change things up with the debut of Midnight Green.

If you’re from Philly, you know some old-school fans have never forgiven the team or its owner for that decision.

Sure, the Eagles don’t have any past multi-year Super Bowl dominating dynasties to look back fondly on, but nostalgia is still a powerful thing, and the classic Kelly Green uniforms have largely eluded the team as an alternate design, with the helmet design lock surely being the primary reason why.

But with this rule change, the Eagles can finally bring the look back with ease. They can immediately swap out their admittedly cool black alternative jerseys for Kelly Green or do a weird mix-match of looks that reimagines the old with the new in a mix-and-match combo.

I can see it now: the team has their home opener, with the COVID pandemic a not too distant memory, and they come out in the classic uniforms to the delight of the masses? Now that would be a breathtaking way to start the 2022 season off right. Dedicated long-term fans can break out their old merchandise, and something iconic to Philadelphia can once again be represented by their professional football team.

After having to live off of the memory of Michael Vick running around the field in a one-off Kelly Green reunion, fans can finally make new ones around current stars. Jalen Hurts throwing touchdowns to DeVonta Smith, Miles Sanders breaking off a Shady-esque run, the list goes on and on.

*psst* and maybe Kelly Green’s return will prove so popular that the team has no choice but to bring it back full time. I know that may be unlikely, but hey, anything is possible.

What’s your favorite memory of Kelly Green? Are you excited to see it return in 2022? Let us know in the comments section below!