The Los Angeles Rams have unveiled their new uniforms as part of the National Football League team’s brand identity refresh.
The redesign comes ahead of the team’s planned move this year to the $5bn (€4.4bn) SoFi Stadium and surrounding entertainment district in Inglewood, California.
To symbolize the franchise’s fresh start in the state-of-the-art venue – which will become the world’s most expensive sports complex when it opens – the Rams have undertaken a complete brand refresh which includes new colors, logos, uniforms, and helmets.
The design process was a two-year effort, which involved the creative teams of the NFL, the Rams, leading sports apparel company Nike, plus consultation with the team’s players and supporters.
The new colors and logos received a decidedly mixed reception last month, with former Rams legend and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Eric Dickerson becoming a leading critic. Dickerson continued his criticism, describing the new uniforms as “soft.”
“This is football and this has nothing to do with surfing or waves,” Dickerson said on Lunchtime With Roggin and Rodney. “This is a man’s sport. And to me, it just looks soft and doesn’t look like football.”
The uniforms feature three different color combinations, including an all-bone, off-white option which will be used in away games.
Intriguingly, there is a patch on the front of the jerseys, which currently contain the team name. There is widespread speculation that the patches could ultimately become an advertising patch, which would be a first in the NFL.
“Our focus was always, this is going to be an amazing, iconic, modern building; you want the uniforms to match the style and design of the building,” Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff told ESPN. “But still have the tradition and some elements that our fans had grown to know and love. I think that’s a balancing act for any team to go through this as you move forward.”
The Rams also teased that there are going to be two more uniforms coming in 2021 and 2022.
“We thought with the new stadium, with two new jerseys, that would be plenty to unveil in 2020, and we didn’t need to have all of our potential looks come out this year,” Demoff added. “We have every available possibility to us to expand our uniform concepts as we move forward into 2021 and 2022.”
It remains far from clear, however, when the Rams will play their first games at the SoFi Stadium due to restrictive Covid-19 restrictions in both Los Angeles and statewide across California.
The venue, which is also home to the Los Angeles Chargers, is poised to be unveiled in primetime on NBC’s Sunday Night Football on September 13 with the Rams taking on the Dallas Cowboys.
