Packers Throwback Uniforms: Every Era, Helmet and Logo

Packers Throwback Uniforms: Every Era, Helmet and Logo

Posted by JerseyZenith on Oct 25th 2026

Green Bay Packers · Uniform history
Key facts
  • Packers throwback uniforms run from plain navy in 1919 to the 1923 Classic worn in December 2026.
  • Green Bay Packers old jerseys start with plain navy shirts in 1919; Nike makes the modern throwbacks.
  • The first Packers jerseys in 1919 were plain navy blue.
  • Green and gold arrived in 1935, and the "G" helmet logo in 1961.
  • The "G" has been the only logo on a Packers helmet, and became an oval in 1970.
  • In 2026 Green Bay wears the 1923 Classic throwback and a new Rivalries uniform.

This guide covers the main looks of the Green Bay Packers from 1919 to 2026. It does not list every pants and sock combination.

Packers uniform timeline

Green Bay Packers uniform changes by year
YearChangeWhy it matters
1919–1920Plain navy jerseysFunded by the Indian Packing Company
1923–1926Dark blue jerseys with gold-striped armsThe look behind today's 1923 Classic
1929–1930Gold jerseys with blue numeralsWorn in both NFL title seasons
1935Green and gold arriveReported as Kelly green with old gold trim
1938White alternate jerseysFirst worn at Cleveland
1961"G" helmet logoThe only logo ever on the helmet
1970Oval "G"Replaced the football-shaped G
2025–2026Leather-style throwback; Rivalries uniformThe newest alternates

The Packers jerseys 2026 guide shows which of these looks the team wears this year.

Navy and gold beginnings (1919–1934)

The Packers began in 1919 when Curly Lambeau got $500 from his employer, the Indian Packing Company, for uniforms on the condition that the team carry the sponsor's name. Packers.com says the first jerseys were plain navy blue with no gold, and that gold did not appear until the 1920s. Sources differ on whether Lambeau copied Notre Dame's navy and gold, so we do not repeat that story as fact.

From 1923 to 1926 the team wore dark blue jerseys with gold-striped arms. In 1929 and 1930, the seasons of the team's first two NFL titles, the jerseys were gold with blue numerals.

Green and gold, and the G (1935 to 1980s)

Green took over in 1935. Packers.com reports Kelly green with old gold trim at first, then a darker myrtle green in 1937 to 1939. White road jerseys appeared in 1938. Navy and gold reappeared in the 1940s, and in 1947 Lambeau bought nylon jerseys with gold as the main color.

The helmet G arrived in 1961, designed in Vince Lombardi's era by equipment manager Gerald "Dad" Braisher and, by some accounts, a St. Norbert College art student. It was first worn in an intra-squad game on August 5, 1961. The football-shaped G became an oval G in 1970. It remains the only logo ever worn on a Packers helmet.

Clay Matthews adjusting a yellow Packers helmet while wearing a green number 52 jersey
Clay Matthews at Packers training camp on August 5, 2011. Photo: Gabriel Cervantes. Source · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized and compressed

Modern look and throwbacks (1990s to today)

The Packers have made fewer changes than most teams. A gold border was reported added to the logo in 1980. In 2025 the team released a throwback with a layered-leather-style helmet, and in 2026 it wears a version of that 1923 Classic look against the Bills in December. It also debuted the Rivalries uniform in a game against the Bears on October 11.

Brett Favre warming up in a green Packers number 4 jersey
Brett Favre warming up for Green Bay on October 7, 2007. Photo: Paul Cutler. Source · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Resized and compressed

The names on the early jerseys

The team's early names tell the same story. Wikipedia lists the Packers as the Indian Packers in 1919 and 1920, the Acme Packers in 1921 and the Blues in 1922, before the Packers name stuck. The Packers.com history says the 1921 jerseys carried white "ACME PACKING" lettering and that the Acme sponsorship ended early that season. Few NFL teams still carry a nickname that began with a meatpacking sponsor.

The 2026 Rivalries design

The Rivalries uniform is the club's most detailed modern design. Its vintage green is desaturated, its stripes are alabaster and gold, and its helmet is matte with a matte green facemask. The back of the helmet reads "Go Pack Go." The chest carries a modernized interlocking GB, which echoes the mark used on sideline and practice gear in the Lombardi era. The team says the alabaster color matches aged stock certificates, which it says are framed in more than 500,000 homes.

Jordan Love number 10 vintage-green Packers Rivalries retail jersey
The modern retail garment shows the GB chest mark, currency-style numerals and contrasting stripes; it is not an original Lombardi-era sideline jersey. Image: JerseyZenith catalog. Source

Throwbacks you can wear today

Shop the Packers throwback jerseys for the older looks and the Packers Rivalries jersey for the 2026 design. The current colors are in the home and away jerseys. Retired numbers and the stars behind them are in the Packers jersey numbers guide. For everything in the shop, start at the Green Bay Packers jerseys page.

Quick answers to common searches

Fans often search for “green bay packers jersey history”, “old green bay packers jersey” and “green bay packers old jerseys”. The green bay packers jersey history runs from navy in 1919 to gold in 1929 and green from 1935. An old Green Bay Packers jersey with the G helmet look dates from 1961, and the 2026 throwback is a Nike version of the early 1920s design.

Packers helmet history

The Packers helmet changed from leather to plastic in 1951, when the team adopted the metallic gold plastic headgear it still uses. The oval "G" was added in 1961 at Vince Lombardi’s request, and the G is the only logo ever on a Packers helmet. A Packers.com history says the 1961 G was football-shaped and became the oval G in 1970, while Wikipedia says the oval G dates from 1961, so sources differ. A Packers throwback helmet is the leather-style painted helmet of the 1923 Classic, which the team released in July 2025 and wears in December 2026. The Rivalries jersey of 2026 pairs with a matte helmet that has green and gold striping, a matte green facemask and "Go Pack Go" on the back. A green bay packers football helmet is gold with the G.

Packers throwback uniforms in the Nike era include the 1923 Classic, and the Packers refused Nike’s Elite 51 changes in 2012. Read the Packers uniforms 2026 guide for the schedule. The full logo story is in the logo history guide. Browse the throwback jerseys and the legends jerseys. For the color codes, see the colors guide.

Fans also search for “green bay packers helmet”, “packers helmet”, “green bay packers throwback uniforms”, “packers throwback helmet”, “football helmet packers”, “green bay packers football helmet”, “green bay packers throwback helmet”, “green bay packers uniform history”, “packers 1923 classic uniforms” and “packers football helmet”. All of them lead to the answers on this page.

Packers uniform history FAQ

What were the first Packers colors?

Navy blue in 1919. Gold was added in the 1920s, and green came in 1935.

When did the Packers add the G to the helmet?

In 1961. It was first worn on August 5 in an intra-squad game. Sources differ on whether the G was oval from the start.

What is the 1923 Classic uniform?

A throwback with dark blue and gold and a leather-style painted helmet, worn in December 2026 against the Bills.

When did the Packers wear gold jerseys?

In 1929 and 1930, with blue numerals, and again as a main color in 1947.

What is the Packers throwback helmet?

A leather-style painted helmet worn with the 1923 Classic uniform.

Sources

  1. Packers.com, Hall of Fame uniform display, by Cliff Christl (May 14, 2026)
  2. Packers.com, The G stands for Green Bay (search summary only)
  3. Sports Illustrated, Packers throwback uniforms with leather-style helmets
  4. WBAY, Packers reveal 2026 Rivalries uniforms
  5. Wikipedia, Green Bay Packers