POLL: Which retro Giants’ helmet would you like to see?

The New York Giants have always been traditional - and the uniforms worn by players have reflected that value. But in the wake of the news that the NFL announced Thursday approving alternate helmets beginning in 2022, the ever-conventional Giants might be tempted to embrace change.

In the past, the NFL only allowed teams to wear one set of helmets for safety reasons. The reasoning behind that rule was that it would be safer for a player to be fitted for one helmet properly as opposed to shifting in and out of different helmets.

Fans have probably already noticed that teams wear more than one type of jersey now and that is because the NFL expanded the uniform policy in 2018. But the helmet rule had remained unchanged - until now.

The revised policy will allow teams to use a second color on their helmets to pair with their Alternate, Classic and/or Color Rush uniforms.

As far as what this change could mean for the Giants moving forward, well, let’s first consider the past. According to the Gridiron Uniform Database, the Giants have worn blue helmets since at least 1949, but could the new rule allow them to bring back an old style?

The Giants organization has been around since 1925. For about the first 30 years, New York did not have any logo on its helmet, which is to be expected considering these were the days of leather helmets and few teams had logos affixed to them. During that time period, the logo below is the one that was most associated with the Giants. It was created by artist Marie Barclay Steinmuller.

About 36 years later, the Giants finally added a logo to their helmets. This one will look more familiar.

The Giants used the above design until 1975. That year, they switched to a slightly more stylized version of the “NY” logo with red and white stripes. New York began using a darker blue for the shell and a white face mask.

If you don’t remember the above logo, that is to be expected because the Giants only used it for one year. In 1976, they shifted to a helmet that featured the “Giants” wordmark with a stripe beneath it in addition to the same white and red stripes that were used the previous year.

In 1980, the white stripe was changed to a solid red stripe.

The Giants would use the above logo on their helmets until 2000 when they tried out a helmet look that was more similar to their 1960s uniforms. In this design, the Giants used a lighter blue, added a grey face mask and reinstated the “NY” logo. This one should look very familiar.

This is the helmet that the Giants still use today.

The Giants clearly have not made any major helmet changes in their history but perhaps 2022 will be the year.

Do you have a favorite?