Blog

Aug 25, 2023

Buffalo Bills to begin wearing Nike Vapor F.U.S.E. Limited jerseys in 2023

Filed under: The change is subtle, but uniform aficionados should immediately spot the difference The Buffalo Bills have made a switch to the Nike Vapor F.U.S.E. Limited jersey template beginning with

Filed under:

The change is subtle, but uniform aficionados should immediately spot the difference

The Buffalo Bills have made a switch to the Nike Vapor F.U.S.E. Limited jersey template beginning with the 2023 NFL season. Per Uni Watch, the Bills are one of 13 NFL teams set to wear the new jerseys. What does that mean for Buffalo’s on-field look?

The bulk of fans won’t see a huge difference, if any at all. Most notably will be a change to the collar, with a more pronounced V-neck using white collar stripes that don’t meet at a point above the “NFL” shield. Some have dubbed the look as “business casual/polo collar.”

Previously, it appeared as though the collar ends met/ended above the league shield (aka: covered up at the southern-most tips by the “NFL” patch). It’s arguable that the new collar more visibly (and symmetrically) interrupts the striping with placement further-incorporated over the stripes. Additionally, the “BILLS” logo on the front is no longer part of the neckline as it sits a lower, per the report by The Buffalo News.

As noted in the tweet below by @BillsUniTracker, the move to Nike’s Vapor F.U.S.E. Limited jerseys brings a change to the way the uniforms are cut. The “breathe holes” have also shifted, moving from the bottom half to the top half. This change is largely responsible for the more dramatic cut to the collar.

Additional differences appear to be a change from embroidered names/numbers to a heat-sublimated transfer process.

Best comparison photo yet of the new Nike FUSE Template. Note not only the collar differences, but how the jersey is cut too. Not as smooth as it once was with the deep V cut coming from shoulders, “breathe holes” also return, & BILLS word mark lower from the shield bc of the V. pic.twitter.com/hYCH1fficG

Since the Bills undertook a massive uniform update (throwback) for the 2011 season, the franchise has kept things mostly the same apart from no fewer than five collar modifications and some changes to striping throughout the uniform, as noted by Uni Watch.

There remains no word on whether the Buffalo Bills will re-introduce red helmets to their uniform repertoire. For a certain segment of the fan base, those red helmets are the pinnacle of Bills helmet fashion. But the team did fail to win a Super Bowl while sporting them, so there’s a superstitious argument to be made against the current Bills wearing red helmets.

It’s difficult to deny that a color-rush uniform featuring red helmets/jerseys, and white pants would look incredible during the regular season and beyond.

Josh Allen in the red Bills helmet (via @BuffaloBills)pic.twitter.com/M1VijGhDm7

Recall that the NFL did away with the one-helmet rule last season. That could mean the Bills have a plan that involves red helmets. We know that, at minimum, Allen’s preseason trot onto the field above means One Bills Drive has invested something into the idea of a renewed red helmet.

But should they? With sports uniforms, it appears that what’s old is new again.