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The story behind the iconic Lions jersey banned for playoff games

After snatching the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the Detroit Lions will be on home turf when they take on the Washington Commanders on Saturday.

Why can’t the Lions wear black in the playoffs?
GREGORY SHAMUSAFP

The Detroit Lions barely put a foot wrong in the 2024 regular season, cruising to a 15-2 record to clinch top spot in the NFC. Their postseason journey begins this weekend with the visit of the Washington Commanders in the Divisional round.

The Lions had gone 31 years without a playoff victory until a 24-23 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in last year’s Wild Card round, marking a new era in Detroit football. That triumph paved the way for the Lions to introduce the ‘Motor City Muscle’ alternate kit for 2024. The all-black affair pays tribute to the city’s rich industrial history but has another fascinating backstory.

This is not the first time that the Lions have sported a black jersey, previously wearing an all-black kit in the 2000s when current head coach Dan Campbell was a player for the Lions. During his playing career Campbell was particularly enamoured with the black jersey but this alternate colourway was dropped in 2008.

Lions president Rod Wood has revealed that Campbell was pushing for a return to a black jersey in recent years but was told that it would only be reinstated once the team had won a division title. Last season’s NFC North triumph ensured that Campbell got his wish and in 2024 the Lions took to the field in a black jersey for the first time in more than 15 years.

“We’re in the draft room literally months into his tenure — and he wore the black when he was here — and he said, ‘Rod, when can we get the black jerseys back?’ I said, ‘I’ll make a deal, when you win the division I’ll bring the black jerseys back.’ So I went out on a limb, and thankfully, he delivered. That’s a true story,” Wood told reporters.

Why can’t the Lions wear black in the playoffs?

Although teams are afforded some flexibility over kit choices in the regular season, the postseason uniforms are more heavily policed. Only the official ‘home’ and ‘away’ jerseys will be allowed, meaning that the ‘alternate’ Motor City Muscle kit will not be worn at any point.

League rules on the matter are unflinchingly clear: “Optional uniforms (e.g., Alternate, Classic, Color Rush) may not be worn in the postseason. This is inclusive of optional helmets and pants paired with primary jerseys. Postseason uniform designation must include Primary Jersey color (team color or white) and Primary Pant color choices.”

The Lions will likely go back to their ‘blueberries’ kit combination, with Honolulu Blue jerseys and pants. It’s proved successful for them this season, enjoying a 5-0 record in the all-blue ensemble.

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