SURPRISING NEWS: Steelers Reveal Surprise Uniform Combination for Week 7 Paris Game vs. Saints
PARIS — The Pittsburgh Steelers are making history on Sunday as the first NFL team to play a regular-season game in France, but they will not be doing it in their traditional road attire.
The team announced Saturday that it will wear a never-before-seen uniform combination for its Week 7 matchup against the New Orleans Saints at Stade de France: white road jerseys paired with black Color Rush pants and the standard black helmets . It marks the first time in franchise history that the Steelers will wear black pants with their white jerseys, a departure from the gold pants that have been a staple of their road look for decades .
A Break From Tradition
The Steelers have long been one of the NFL’s most conservative teams when it comes to uniform variations. Their traditional road uniform consists of a white jersey, gold pants, and a black helmet. The black pants, introduced in 2016 as part of the team’s Color Rush set, have only ever been worn with the matching black jerseys . Until Sunday, that is.
The decision to mix and match for the Paris game was framed by the team as a nod to the occasion. “We are playing in a different environment, so it’s cool to mix and match,” tight end Darnell Washington told the team’s website. “It’s a look good, feel good, play good feeling” .
Linebacker Nick Herbig, who modeled the combination alongside Washington in the team’s announcement, echoed that sentiment. “It’s cool, and we’re going to have to see it on game day,” Herbig said. “But I’m a fan. I think it looks good. It’s a little change-up, something different. Like they say, when in Rome, but we’re going to be in Paris, so let’s do it” .
Why It Matters
While the change is cosmetic, it carries symbolic weight. The Steelers are a franchise defined by consistency—same helmet since 1963, same gold pants for most of their history, same identity across generations. Altering that formula, even temporarily, signals a willingness to embrace the unusual circumstances of an international game under first-year head coach Mike McCarthy.
The combination also creates a striking visual contrast against the Saints, who will wear gold helmets, black jerseys, and gold pants . The Steelers’ black-on-white-on-black look will stand out under the lights of France’s national stadium, a fitting aesthetic for a historic broadcast.
A New Look for a New Era
This is not the first time the Steelers have tinkered with their uniforms in recent years. The team debuted a 1933 throwback uniform last season, featuring a gold jersey with black stripes and khaki pants . But those were deliberate throwbacks. Sunday’s combination is something different: a modern remix of existing elements, assembled specifically for a one-off occasion.
The Steelers will still wear their full Color Rush uniforms and throwbacks later in the season, meaning the black pants will appear again—but only with their intended black jerseys . The white-jersey-and-black-pants look will remain unique to Paris.
The Bigger Picture
Pittsburgh enters Sunday’s game riding a two-game winning streak and looking to return to the United States with momentum. The uniform surprise is a small subplot, but it reflects a team embracing the moment. The first NFL game in France is a milestone for the league’s international expansion, and the Steelers—one of the league’s most storied franchises—are treating it as such.
Whether the new look brings new luck remains to be seen. But for one Sunday morning in Paris, the Steelers will look different. And that, in itself, is the point.
The Steelers and Saints kick off at 9:30 a.m. ET on NFL Network.
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