The Buccaneers Should Have Brought Back the Creamsicle Jerseys

The Bucs played it safe with a modest reboot of their look from the Jon Gruden era. They should have leaned into it and taken a big swing.

Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated

It would seem that lately, NFL uniforms have followed the same cycle we see in the yearly release of items like new cars, cell phones, sports video games or contemporary menswear. Relentless overpromotion leads to the eventual realization of the truth that the new version is just slightly different from something you were already content and familiar with.

In releasing their new look Tuesday, the Buccaneers had the built-in advantage of immediate fanfare. Whatever they had demoed to the audience would be an instant…