Bengals, Jets reveal alternate helmets for 2022-23 NFL season

The Cincinnati Bengals and the New York Jets are the latest NFL teams to reveal their new, alternate helmets for the approaching season — and they’re just as good as you’d expect.

The league revised its one-helmet policy last summer, allowing teams to wear a second, alternate helmet to pair with alternate or color rush uniforms beginning this upcoming season — three years after options for alternate jerseys were expanded in 2018.

The Bengals unveiled their “White Bengal” alternate helmets after teasing the release last week.

The Jets revealed their “Stealth Black” alternate helmet, which will be worn along with their black jerseys three times this season — Weeks 8, 12 and 16.

“Inspired by a Stealth Fighter Jet, the new helmet shell features a matte black finish,” the team said in a statement. “The Stealth Black helmet also includes a chrome green face mask, which is an extension of the team’s current green helmet shell. The helmet decal has also been updated with a white keyline — pulling together all three team colors on the helmet — green, white and black.”

Jets players are happy with what they see.

“Our alternate helmets are the definition of ‘swaggy.’ Definitely honored to rock out in those,” Elijah Moore said, per the Jets. 

Meanwhile, Michael Carter declared it “the best alternate helmet in the league,” per CBS.

These helmet reveals come on the heels of the Dallas Cowboys recently confirming that they’ll wear their throwback uniforms and helmets this season on Thanksgiving Day against the New York Giants (4:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).

The NFL began allowing throwback uniforms in an effort to commemorate its 75th season back in 1994, but in 2013, the use of a second helmet was halted over concerns that alternating between different helmets in the same season put players’ safety at risk.

The one-helmet rule made matching both classic and alternate uniforms more difficult, and thus, many teams did away with throwback uniforms altogether.

However, the NFL’s new plan loosens prior restrictions and provides teams with the freedom to wear the alternate helmet alongside classic, throwback or color rush uniforms, so long as all alternate helmets are properly fitted (both primary and alternate helmets must be the same make, model and size) and all players have ample opportunity to practice in the second helmets prior to wearing them in a game.

Any team that still wants to add a second helmet will have to make that decision by July 31.