While former NFL defensive end J.J. Watt never donned a Steelers uniform, unlike his brother T.J., he’s a big fan of Pittsburgh’s throwback uniforms. Watt called Pittsburgh’s 1970s throwback jersey with block letters and numbers his favorite throwback uniform in the NFLon That Other Pregame Show on CBS Sports Network.
“If I could only pick one, there’s so many good ones. I am personally partial to the Steelers block number throwback. I think the block number should be their main jersey, I think it’s just a classic, iconic. Makes me think of Mean Joe Greene, makes me think of those great Steelers teams. So I love a nice classic.”
Watt, however, was not so much a fan of Pittsburgh’s bumblebee uniforms
“Those are awful.”
While Pittsburgh’s uniform hasn’t changed much, they don’t have the block numbers or lettering on their main uniforms anymore, even though the look remains clean and really visually appealing when the Steelers do wear their throwbacks. Pittsburgh last wore their throwbacks in Week 9 of last season, a 23-19 win over the Green Bay Packers. They’ll likely wear them at some point this season, although the game hasn’t been announced yet.
There’s no doubt that they’re one of the best throwback uniforms in the NFL, and as teams continually tweak and change their uniforms or re-introduce throwbacks or create new alternate uniforms, the Steelers have stayed consistent. There’s something nice about the simplicity of the design of their uniforms.
While the Steelers went 4-2 in their bumblebee uniforms, they were routinely regarded as some of the worst jerseys in football, and Pittsburgh hasn’t worn them since the 2016 season, and it’s unlikely they’ll be returning any time soon.
The Steelers could join the growing trend of teams introducing new uniforms or different throwbacks, but I agree with Watt that the ones they have now are some of the best in football, if not the best. They look really good and they honor the most dominant era of Steelers football in team history. It means something putting on a Steelers uniform, and wearing one that honors players like Terry Bradshaw, Mean Joe Greene and Jack Lambert, among many others, shows the Steelers what they’re playing for and the legacies they’re representing.
