Pat Patriot may be making his triumphant return to Gillette Stadium this fall.
New England cornerback Jalen Mills on Thursday shared a photo on his Instagram story of an old-school Patriots helmet, possibly signaling the team is reviving its beloved red-and-white throwbacks for the 2022 season.
Now, that photo is not definitive proof of the Patriots' uniform plans -- the helmet could simply have been lying around the facility -- and we haven't heard any official announcement from the team. But coupled with the tweet the Patriots Hall of Fame's verified Twitter account sent in December, it's a pretty strong indication.
The NFL is ditching its much-maligned one-helmet rule for the upcoming season, allowing teams like the Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans to reinstitute fan-favorite uniforms that feature a different color lid than their primary set.
Supply-chain issues have caused problems for at least some of those franchises, however, with the Eagles and Bucs announcing their kelly green and creamsicle unis, respectively, won't be back until 2023.
Were the Patriots able to avoid that same fate? That remains to be seen. But Mills' update is a positive sign for fans who've been pining for those gorgeous red jerseys.
