Nike is set to unveil its new line of NFL uniforms Tuesday, and some speculation over the designs has ranged from frantic to completely out of control.
Fear not, football fans. The changes will be minimal, primarily restricted to the technology of the design and the material.
So, Patriots fans shouldn't be worried about an uber-patriotic design in which the Flying Elvis is replaced by Uncle Sam and the jerseys are red, white and blue and loaded with American flags, bald eagles and apple pies.
Reebok's 10-year contract with the NFL ended as Nike took over Sunday, and the latter controls exclusive rights with jersey sales and uniform designs. As of Sunday, the NFL Shop had minimal team apparel, and jerseys won't be on sale until later in the month.
And because Nike has doled out some wacky redesigns for its college football uniforms, it's been easy for NFL fans to wonder if their teams are at the mercy of Nike's crew of mad scientists.
Again, that won't be the case. Any significant alterations would be subject to layers of approvals by the NFL and its teams, which means Nike doesn't have complete autonomy with the designs. Plus, due to that process, which would involve numerous people in different forums, it's unrealistic to think any radically different designs wouldn't have been leaked at this point.
Down the road, it's likely Nike will get more creative with its uniform plans, as its unique vision has routinely created successful marketing opportunities. But for Tuesday, expect Nike's first run of NFL uniforms, particularly in regard to the Patriots, to look similar to Reebok's recent models.
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