Teal (Finally) Returns to Jacksonville

Sunday is a big day for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Not only is the team looking to go 5-3 on the season for the first time since 2007, they'll be doing so wearing teal jerseys.

(image via EverBank Field)

Back in 2012 when Shad Khan bought the franchise, Khan spoke about building the team's image and branding in black going forward. Black uniforms were the once or twice a year alternates that excited the players and fan base. Since then, and with the Nike redesign in 2013, the Jaguars have basically dumped teal and designated it to nothing more than a trim color.

The Jaguars have only worn teal once since the new uniforms hit the field. The 2013 loss to the Chargers seems like so long ago. Jacksonville has played in two Thursday Night Football games sporting all gold Color Rush uniforms, but haven't worn jerseys sporting the original primary color of the franchise.

That all changes this Sunday, as Jacksonville will once again return to EverBank Field sporting the (now) fan favorite teal jerseys. The Jaguars have fully embraced the alternate jersey game, going all out with a #ForeverTeal campaign on the website and social media. All accounts have changed to teal profile and cover images, and the website has changed from a black to teal theme.

(Perry Knotts, NFL)

When Jacksonville hits the field Sunday, the jerseys will feature the same design as those worn back in 2013. The numbers will be black outlined in white and gold, the shoulder caps will be black, and the collar "horns" will be gold. The biggest difference, and one many fans probably won't notice, is the template. Like the majority of NFL teams, the Jaguars updated to Nike's newest tailoring design, the Vapor Untouchable. The VU template is a massive upgrade of the Elite 51 that was worn since Nike took over in 2012. The new template cuts down the multiple seams and panels and won't feature the ridiculous "sweat box" feature.

Even though the jerseys are mostly the same, the entire uniform combination will be different than the 2013 Chargers game. While the Jaguars wore white pants for the maiden voyage of the teal jerseys, Sunday's game will be paired with the black pants. A teal/black combo isn't unheard of with Jacksonville. This will actually be the 13th game the Jaguars have worn this combination. The last time they wore it was December 24, 2006 in a 24-21 loss to the Patriots.

.@Jaguars will wear teal on Sunday for first time since 2013 & are 59-44 all-time when sporting teal jerseys, including 8-4 w/ black pants. pic.twitter.com/wIagrDaNz3

— Tad Dickman (@Tdickman89) October 31, 2017

Even with Khan's comments about the Jaguars' branding being based in black from a few years ago, I think that is swinging back to teal. With rumors swirling about new uniforms coming next season (we'll dive in more on this in the coming weeks), it seems as though teal could be promoted from it's minimal role of the last six seasons.

Sunday's homecoming game for the Jaguars will be one to remember. Teal is something the Jaguars need to embrace, and hopefully this is the beginning of that.

The Jaguars and Bengals kick off at 12:00 CT on CBS.