Heartbeat of History: Red helmets, throwback uniforms remain staples of Falcons’ closet

Heartbeat of history: Red helmets, throwback uniforms remain staples of Falcons' closet

By design, the Falcons are keeping their most cherished look special.

Story by Tori McElhaney

The Atlanta Falcons' throwback uniforms with the iconic red helmet are not going anywhere.

That decision was not made lightly.

As the franchise approached eligibility for a uniform redesign in 2026, a growing wave of fans pushed for a full-time return to the throwbacks. Red helmets and all. The sentiment was loud, persistent and passionate.

The organization heard those pleas. They were impossible to ignore.

However, after careful consideration, a lot of back-and-forth, the Falcons ultimately decided on one path forward: The organization would keep the throwbacks as a special feature while moving forward with a new primary uniform.

They made this decision not because of a lack of support for the throwbacks, but because of the significant level of support and love these looks already had in place.

"We have, if not one of, and our belief, the best throwback uniform set in the NFL," Shannon Joyner, the chief marketing officer for the Atlanta Falcons said. "The fans love them, and when we come out of the tunnel in those red helmets, there's a special energy."

That energy is rooted in history.

The red helmets date back to the Falcons' inaugural seasons from 1966 to 1969, before the gold trim was removed in 1970. The look returned as a throwback in 2009 and quickly became a staple, worn twice annually until NFL helmet rules changed in 2013 with teams only being allowed to wear one helmet.

When those rules loosened in 2016, the Falcons brought the throwbacks back once again — this time with a different pairing with the black helmet instead of the red. By 2022, the current iteration, complete with the red helmets, was fully re-established.

Now, with league rules allowing teams to wear alternate helmets up to three times per season, the throwbacks have become something else entirely. They are an event.

"It's supposed to be called a throwback," Bijan Robinson said, "and it's supposed to be worn (a few) times a year because it is unexpected and when it does come out it just looks amazing."

All of that history has built a deep sense of pride around the uniform for players, fans and organizational leaders alike.

There's a sense of anticipation attached to the throwbacks. They're novel. Special. These connotations are the ones the Falcons want to protect.

"What makes the throwbacks so special is they are a unique opportunity when we wear them," Joyner said. "We really love the uniqueness of the elevated moments when we wear our throwback uniforms."

During throwback weeks, the staple black helmets disappear from players' lockers. They're replaced by a flash of red as the throwback helmets take their place. The shift is felt, and players want to preserve that feeling.

"It brings a lot of energy to the whole organization," A.J. Terrell said. "We have pride throughout that whole week having the throwbacks on."

That energy has carried over to gamedays.

The Falcons are 15-3 since reintroducing the red helmets in 2009. This past season, the Falcons wore the throwback looks on football's biggest stage multiple times: Twice on Monday Night Football to defeat the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams, and once on Thursday Night Football to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their own throwback uniforms, the creamsicles.

From a business viewpoint, the decision to move forward with new primary uniforms that didn't involve the throwback logo landed in logistics.

Straight up, a full-time switch to the throwback look would have required more than just changing the uniforms. It would have meant reshaping the franchise's broader brand identity.

"While the uniforms are the most visible elements of our brand, it's just one piece of where our brand shows up," Joyner explained. "Our brand shows up in a variety of spaces from uniforms, to what you see in terms of buildings and the stadium, all the different fan gear, all the different places where our brand shows up — through that lens, and through thoughtful research, analysis and consideration, our brand is in a really strong spot and we have had a lot of positive growth of our brand since we switched to our current design set with the bird logo in the early 2000s, so we wanted to continue to invest in that."

The past matters, but so does the present. And players agree.

"I think it is good to have both because we are trying to go back in time and have that grit about the team, but also, it's a new step forward. I think it is creating a mashup between the two," Drake London said about the new uniforms and throwback uniforms in one closet moving forward.

It's this balance — one found somewhere between tradition and innovation — that's at the core of the Falcons decision.

"It certainly brings a different atmosphere in the building," Josh Blank said, "but I think only being able to wear it three times a year, picking out those pivotal moments, those pivotal games, really allows us an even bigger opportunity to spotlight it and take it to another level."

Because when the Falcons run out of the tunnel at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the red helmets, it doesn't feel routine.

It feels rare.

"Our fans certainly love it, and they lean in," Blank continued. "I think it is a perfect way for us to pay respect to the past, to honor Falcons' history while still having our mind set in our current uniform, our current logo of we are in the present, but looking forward into the future, too."

And that's the point.

Make the red helmets permanent and primary, and they become normal. Keep them a rarity, only brought out for special occasions, and they stay powerful.

So, no. The red helmets are not going anywhere. Because in the end, the throwbacks don't compete with the present. They enhance it.

"With the new jerseys and the throwback jerseys all in the same arsenal," Jalon Walker said, "I feel like there is a different and new fire power for each week of what we put on."