Ever since the Cincinnati Bengals took Joe Burrow No. 1 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, the team has had an entirely different look and feel. An air of instant confidence and swagger, one might put it, and a Super Bowl appearance in year two of the “Joey Franchise” era certainly put a stamp on that assessment.
On Thursday night when Burrow and the boys play host to the Miami Dolphins, the Bengals will take that look and feel a noticeable step further — this time in the literal sense — by switching up their traditional orange and black color scheme and instead go all-white.
As many will quickly be able to recall, several NFL teams have gone the route of distinctly different alternate uniforms in the past with expected mixed reviews. Some teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers have often leaned on the always dicey turn-back-the-clock approach while others have been straight-up confusing.
Who could forget when the San Francisco 49ers went with all-black uniforms but stayed with the traditional gold and red helmets? The transition from the jersey to the helmet was as seamless as Jimmy Garoppolo dropping back to throw from his own end zone.
However, what the Bengals have planned with this all-white look from top to bottom is nothing short of flawless. Now of course there will be haters, but that’s standard procedure these days and nearly required at this point. In fact, if no one was found complaining about the changeup in aesthetics, it would be cause for great concern.
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It’s all-white on Thursday night for the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins
It never dawned on me that All-Pro wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase could manage to up the ante and look any more fierce on a football field than he already does, yet here we are after taking one look at the photo tweeted by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
With the possibility of Tua Tagovailoa not being available for Thursday night’s game and the Bengals’ dire need to continue their winning ways after a surprising 0-2 start, it sure feels like these ultra-clean shiny new alternates have found an ideal landing spot to make a memorable debut for the home crowd.