The Pittsburgh Steelers stepped onto the field for Sunday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers wearing something they hadn’t shown off since the franchise’s founding year. The 1933-inspired throwback uniforms featuring a striking gold matte helmet, a yellow jersey with black chest stripes, and beige trousers that nod to the khaki uniforms drew immediate attention from the moment the team took the field. However, it wasn’t the kind of attention the organization had hoped for.

Fans, analysts, and even NFL legend JJ Watt wasted no time sharing their thoughts, and the verdict was pretty clear: these uniforms missed the mark. When fans asked JJ Watt for his honest take on the uniforms, the retired defensive end didn’t hold back.

Watt responded by saying these throwback jerseys are “quite easily the worst uniform put on an NFL field this season.”

The comment resonated instantly across social media, with countless fans echoing his sentiment and joining the conversation about whether Pittsburgh had made a mistake by opting for this particular throwback design.

The decision to resurrect a look from nearly a century ago came with plenty of historical weight behind it. Pittsburgh wanted to honor the franchise’s origins when the team operated under the name Pittsburgh Pirates, connecting modern players to a legacy that goes back to the Great Depression era. The front of the jersey even features Pittsburgh’s city crest on the left chest to underscore the connection to the city itself.

Players like edge rusher Alex Highsmith had embraced the look during practice.

Highsmith told the media that when he first saw the uniform, “my jaw dropped because we haven’t worn a jersey like that in a while as a team.”

Tight end Pat Freiermuth chimed in as well, saying the “yellow helmet is sweet” and that switching from black helmets “gets players excited. It gets the fans excited.”

The players seemed genuinely thrilled about wearing something so different from their usual black and gold aesthetic. However, what the players loved on the practice field didn’t translate the same way when millions of viewers watched them on the field.

Fan rally against the Steelers’ Uniform Choice

Fans didn’t mince words when weighing in on what they’d witnessed.

One fan pointed out the historical confusion in the uniform, saying, “I thought I heard they were from the 1890s when the team was the Pittsburgh Pirates. That said, I couldn’t even watch the Eagles game. That green was too painful to look at. Way worse than the yellow.”

Another observer made a creative comparison, quipping, “They took the Terrible Towels and made these.”

Fan frustration extended to the overall presentation of the game itself.

When asked to compare the uniforms to other eyesores from Week 8, one supporter posted, “Which is worse? Those horrible Steelers uniforms or that horrible field of divots and bad grass?” indicating that the uniform choice was so bad it warranted comparison to the poor field conditions of the Acrisure Stadium.

The statement suggested the uniforms were just as much of a distraction to the viewing experience as inadequate field maintenance that had gained attention, with players like Aaron Rodgers calling it “borderline unplayable.”

The psychological weight of the uniforms seemed to impact some observers’ perception of the team’s performance as the Steelers lost to the Packers with a score of 35-25.

“The loss for Pittsburgh started with the uniform,” one fan declared.

The Steelers have actually worn throwback uniforms successfully throughout franchise history. When debuting a brand-new throwback uniform for the first time, the Steelers have gone undefeated, boasting a perfect 4-0 record. But last night that wasn’t the case.

A more detailed critique emerged when another user broke down exactly what didn’t work. “Not even close too. Some jerseys belong in the dustbin of history and there’s a reason they changed em lol. Who tf thought it would be a good idea to put the Steelers in a yellow helmet instead of black, and not even gloss but matte yellow. Could’ve been a classic uniform matchup.”

This reaction captured the specific issue that bothered many viewers: the matte finish on the gold helmet looked particularly dated and drained the vibrancy from what could have been a visually striking ensemble.

One fan even posed a defensive question to those defending the uniforms. “Do you feel it’s the worst defense put on a field this season, too? Be honest…”

According to Fox Sports’ Week 8 defense rankings, Pittsburgh ranks 19th in scoring defense, allowing an average of 23.3 points.

The most concise criticism came from a fan who identified the exact problem with the uniform combination. “The jersey isn’t bad, but the helmet pants combo make it horrendous.”

No single element of the uniform was necessarily terrible on its own, but when assembled together, the pieces created an unfortunate visual experience that felt poorly coordinated.

The Steelers’ uniform choice on Sunday served as a reminder that not all throwbacks deserve to see the light of day.