Who would have thought that decades later, Jason Kelce would demand something that no one expected? While discussing the Eagles’ jerseys, Kelce pointed out one shortcoming that he believes the team needs to fix, which could lead to a major debate.
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“I don’t know why everybody is not wearing retro jerseys. I hate all of the new jerseys,” Jason Kelce said on New Heights podcast. “… Kelly Green, in my opinion, should be the main jersey for the Eagles. Technically, Midnight Green was instituted in the 90s when Jeffrey Lurie bought the team. Jeffrey would not be happy that I’m saying this, but I do like the Kelly Green more.
“Midnight Green was better when it was Reebok-owned. There was a sheen and a shininess to it. Now that the Nike jerseys are stretchy and it’s not the same material, the Midnight Green doesn’t look anywhere near as cool.”
After Jeffrey Lurie bought the Philadelphia Eagles in 1994, the team decided to move away from its traditional Kelly Green uniforms. In 1996, the Eagles introduced Midnight Green as their main jersey color. That marked the end of the Kelly Green jerseys, which ran from 1985 to 1995, per Forbes.
The darker green became popular during the Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb era, which began in 1999. The Eagles have also reached three Super Bowls wearing their Midnight Green uniforms: Super Bowl 39, Super Bowl 52, and Super Bowl 57.
However, many Philadelphia fans still have a special connection to the older Kelly Green jerseys. Even though the team achieved greater success in Midnight Green, supporters continued to love the traditional look. Recognizing that popularity, the Eagles brought back their iconic Kelly Green jerseys in 2023 as an alternate uniform, allowing fans to see the team wear its classic colors again after nearly three decades.
The Philadelphia Eagles switched from Reebok to Nike as their official uniform supplier in 2012, but the change did not bring a major redesign. When Nike introduced its Elite 51 uniforms for all 32 NFL teams on April 3, 2012, the Eagles chose to keep their traditional look. As a result, the new jerseys looked almost the same as the ones they had worn under Reebok.
According to NBC10 Philadelphia’s April 3, 2012 report, the main visible changes were the Nike logo on the jerseys and slightly sharper-looking wings on the helmets. However, even the helmet change was hard to notice. But the fabric choice is what is bothering Jason Kelce. There was not much in Jeffrey Lurie’s hands, though.
Old jerseys bring nostalgia for both fans and teams, and even the NFL has recognized that. During the 2025 season, the league allowed teams to wear alternate and throwback jerseys more often. Earlier, teams could wear these special uniforms only three times in a season. Now, they can wear them up to four times. Teams can also pair alternate helmets with their regular home and away jerseys, giving them more options to change their look, per Front Office Sports.
The reason behind this decision is simple: fans love buying throwback and alternate jerseys. According to Front Office Sports, these jerseys make up as much as 30% of all NFL jersey sales.
Weirdly enough, the old Kelly Green is still a popular choice among fans. Louis Hernandez, manager at the Rally House Ivy Ridge, told Forbes that they ask for the older color more often than the new one. However, it doesn’t seem likely that the Eagles would return to the iconic color anytime soon.
“Right now, it’s a throwback,” Jeffrey Lurie told Forbes. “I don’t know what the future’s going to hold, but we love the kelly green, we love the midnight green and — anything we can win big in — we love. Those are two great ones.”
Well, franchise icon Jason Kelce has already made his point. Will Lurie perhaps lend an ear to the veteran offensive lineman’s suggestion? Only time will tell.