There’s more than one reason the Arizona Cardinals will be a new-look squad in 2023.
The Cards unveiled brand-new primary uniforms for the first time since 2005 on Thursday night.
Players modeled fresh home all-red, away all-white and alternate all-black looks Thursday night in downtown Phoenix.
For the first time in franchise history, the state the Cardinals represent will be emblazoned upon their jerseys, as "ARIZONA" is across the teams' home jerseys.
There were detail changes aplenty, including on the helmets -- though the main helmet remains white.
Further changes to the home look is "Protect The Nest" embroidered inside the collar along with a silver outline on the perforated twill numbers.
On the white aways, red and silver stripes run across the shoulder of the jerseys and the pants. Numbers are outlined in black on the aways with "Bird Gang" stitched inside the collar.
For both the home and away looks, the white helmet showcases a silver facemask and a bigger Cardinals head logo enhanced in 3D with a sparkle of silver flakes.
For the black alternates, a red and silver striping is used on the shoulders and pants with silver outlining on the numbers and "Bird Gang" inside the collar.
"The three main things we focused on were, how do we tell the traditional story and amplify some elements from the past, how do we bring it through the lens of modern-classic so it feels fresh, unique, and different for the franchise, and also how are we inclusive of all the fans in Arizona and the players as well, to get people really excited for what is coming with this uniform?" said Kristi Lauzonis, Nike's design director of licenses and team, who worked on the re-design, via the team website.
The anticipated uniform reveal is the latest change in an offseason overflowing with alteration for the franchise.
The team has hired rookie head coach Jonathan Gannon to pair with rookie general manager Monti Ossenfort. Franchise quarterback Kyler Murray is unlikely to be ready to start the 2023 campaign as he rehabs from an ACL tear, though he was centerstage for the unveiling and moved well. All-Pro safety Budda Baker has requested a trade, and star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has been the centerpiece of trade talks for months. The Cards are also dealing with the retirement of J.J. Watt and the free-agency departures of cornerback Byron Murphy and defensive end Zach Allen.
Thus, the roster for Arizona remains in flux, but after much ado, just how the 2023 Cardinals look when they take the field has been revealed.