Are Browns Adopting This Fan Favorite Uniform Style Full-Time?

A popular Browns uniform feature could be here to stay if recent reporting and breadcrumbs left by the team prove to be true.

Aug 3, 2023; Canton, Ohio, USA; A detail of the helmet of Cleveland Browns linebacker Jacob Phillips | Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Two years ago the Browns reintroduced white facemasks into their uniform repertoire, rocking the iconic look for one home game in each of the last two seasons. Now the fan favorite style could be here to stay.

As pointed out by Uni Watch earlier this week, there seems to be some circumstantial evidence that points to white facemasks becoming part of Cleveland's official uniform moving forward. For example, in a recent post from the team this week announcing that the Browns had received official marketing rights to help promote the NFL in Nigeria as part of the league's Global Markets Program, a Browns helmet with a white facemask is set to the backdrop of the Nigerian flag.

Versions of that image were also turned into the team's header and profile image on X, following the announcement.

If that's not enough tea-leaf reading on social media, back in 2022 team vice president JW Johnson chimed in on a poll on X about the team's logo going back to a white facemask when the team was first reintroducing them. Johnson suggested that the fan's voices had been heard and citing that there's a multi-year process involved in making uniform and logo changes official.

Adding to the speculation Uni Watch shared intel it received from helmet manufacturer Riddell, which had apparently "notified certain retailers that the Browns would be one of the teams with a new primary helmet this year." Uni Watch noted, however, that most of their information was based purely on speculation and nothing was confirmed regarding the the Browns helmets to this point.

If the speculation comes to fruition though, it would be the third time the franchise will featured white facemasks on their helmets. Grey was the initial primary mask color of the team until 1975 when they first made the switch to white. The white masks made a triumphant return with the franchise in 1999, but were switched back to grey in 2006. That re-furbished look lasted until 2015 when brown facemasks were debuted by the club.

If the rumors are true, another move back to white could be on its way. It's a look that should go over very well with the fan base.