Titans unveil special Houston Oilers throwback uniforms to be worn for two games in 2023

For the first time in 25 years, one of the most iconic uniforms in NFL history will be making a return. The Tennessee Titans announced Sunday night that they’ll be bringing their old Oilers uniforms out of the closet for two games this season. You can buy it here.

Now, before we move on, if you’re wondering why the TENNESSEE Titans will be wearing a throwback uniform to celebrate the HOUSTON Oilers, there’s an explanation for that. The Oilers were an original AFL franchise that started play in 1960. The team spent 36 years in Houston before Bud Adams decided to move the franchise to Tennessee. During the team’s first two seasons in the Volunteer State, the franchise was known as the Tennessee Oilers, but that was changed to the Titans prior to the 1999 season. The simpler version of that explanation is that the Oilers and Titans are the same franchise. 

Anyway, the throwback uniform the Titans will be wearing this year will be celebrating the uniforms that the Oilers wore from 1981 to 1998. Not very many uniforms are universally beloved in the NFL, but most fans seem to approve of the Columbia Blue uniforms that the Oilers wore. 

OK, that’s enough talk. Let’s find out what the uniforms actually look like. 

That’s Ryan Tannehill. Now, let’s take a look at Derrick Henry modeling the Oilers throwback. 

Photos of the uniforms leaked out a few days ago, but these the pictures above provided the first full look. Buy them here.

The Titans will be wearing these throwbacks for two different homes games this season. The first one will come on Oct. 29, a Week 8 home game against the Falcons. The second game will be coming against the Houston Texans, because apparently, the Titans just want to rub salt in the wound that they get to wear the Oilers throwbacks and Houston’s other team doesn’t. The game against the Texans will take place in Week 15 (Dec. 17). 

The Titans like the throwbacks so much that they actually wanted to wear them for THREE different games in 2023, but the NFL shot down Tennessee’s request to wear them in a Monday night road game against the Dolphins in Week 14, according to the Titans’ official website. The game against Miami was the Titans’ only chance of getting the Oilers jerseys in a primetime game since Tennessee doesn’t have any home primetime games this year. 

The last time the Titans wore an Oilers throwback uniform came in 2009, but that was a different version than what they’ll be wearing this year. Back in 2009, the Titans wore a throwback that had a blue helmet as a way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the AFL. 

One unique twist to all of this is that when the Titans eventually wear their Oilers throwback, it will mark the first time they’ve worn a blue Oilers jersey at home. During their two seasons as the Tennessee Oilers, the team wore white jerseys at home, according to NFL.com, which means the new throwbacks will bring a franchise first when the Titans wear them for the first time this year.