The Pittsburgh Steelers have been known to have some pretty unique uniforms. Black and gold is a color scheme that very few teams at any level outside of Western Pennsylvania use, and it leads to some eye-popping uniforms. They have color rush uniforms, which are all black on everything except the numbers, which are either white or yellow. They also have their 1970s throwbacks with block numbers to go with the black jerseys. Out of every jersey that the Steelers have had, there is one that has always been criticized, and will always be criticized until the end of time.
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Steelers legend Troy Polamalu wearing the iconic "Bumble Bee" uniform for home game for the Steelers.
The "bumblebee" uniforms, which have black and yellow stripes for the top and khaki-colored pants, have been known as one of the ugliest jerseys in sports, and many people cheered when it was officially retired before the 2018 season. The Steelers have kept to their retirement plans, but there still may be a fear around the locker room that they could come back.
Christian Kuntz made an appearance on Not Just Football with Cameron Heyward, and the topic of those uniforms came up. Kuntz had no problem shutting down the idea of ever bringing them back.
"I don't know about those bumblebees. I hope we don't bring those back; I'm not going to lie. I wasn't a big fan."
Lately, the Steelers have opted to use their color rush jerseys, as well as their Steel Curtain throwbacks, as their alternative home jerseys. There have not been any rumors of the team looking to bring back the bumblebees, and it seems like the team will continue to use the same alternate uniforms that they have used for the last six seasons.
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Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett (#8) rolls out of the pocket against the Las Vegas Raiders in Pittsburgh, PA
Steelers Other Options For Alternative Jerseys
Early on during the Ben Roethlisberger era, the Steelers used to wear gold helmets, with the numbers being gold as well. That combination was forced out when the NFL and Roger Goodell banned teams from having alternate helmets back in 2013. In 2021, that rule was rescinded, so teams are free to use multiple helmets again, and some already have.
Jersey ideas come and go, and there are still plenty of creative ways to make a jersey that fits the Steelers' unique color scheme. Who knows if and when the team will ever switch to a new alternate uniform, but if they ever do want to change something, there are plenty of opportunities to make an eye-popping jersey. Hopefully, they make an eye-popping jersey that fans love, unlike the bumblebee uniforms.
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Steelers QB, Ben Roethlisberger, in an alternate jersey during a home game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Why Would Steelers Go Back To Bumblebees?
If Kuntz is talking about the hope that he never has to wear a bumblebee, there could be some internal discussions in the Steelers' front office about potentially un-retiring those uniforms and bringing them back. While many fans would not be excited about those jerseys making a comeback, there is one way to bring them back. It would make a lot of sense, and it could also be pretty funny.
The Steelers will host the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day. On major primetime games like that, the home team will usually wear some form of alternative uniform anyways. The Steelers could embrace the Christmas spirit and break out the bumblebees and turn the game into their own Ugly Christmas Sweater Party.
Luckily, Kuntz has never had to wear the bumblebee jersey in his short career, and he most likely will never have to wear it, as the jersey remains retired. He can sleep in peace knowing that he won't have to ever be seen in that kind of jersey, even though it would be very amusing to have an ugly sweater-themed Christmas Day game.
What do you think about Christian Kuntz rejecting the bumblebee uniforms? What do you think about the jerseys themselves? Let us know in the comments.
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