The biggest part of the Detroit Lions’ reveal of their new uniforms on Thursday night was the return of the black alternate jersey. The revived alternate uniforms are paired with a blue helmet with a black Lions’ logo, for a look a lot of people like but of course there are some who don’t like it. At least the all-gray alternate uniforms are gone, so that’s a big win.

Dan Campbell wanted to bring back the black alternates, which he wore as a player for the Lions (see the picture at the top of this article), when he became the Lions’ head coach in 2021. Team president Rod Wood said winning a division title might bring them back, and Campbell delivered on his end of the deal.

Checked that box pic.twitter.com/W4DRvZnnNe

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) April 19, 2024

At the uniform reveal event, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Wood suggested the Lions could have more prime time games next season. They had four prime time games on the original schedule for the 2023 season, and they were flexed into a fifth late in the season against the Denver Broncos. They can be scheduled for maximum of six prime time games, in addition to Thanksgiving.

“I don’t know if we’ll max out,” Wood said. “I mean, you get six scheduled plus Thanksgiving, technically, and then you can actually be flexed into a seventh. I think we’ll be towards six. Whether we get six or not, I don’t know.”We’ve got a lot of good opponents that would make a lot of good prime time games, both home and away,”

A reference point for when the Lions may wear their new black jerseys next season lies in what happened last season. The new, and now apparently gone, blue alternate helmet was worn in a Week 8 Monday night game against the Las Vegas Raiders for the first time. They also wore them in the regular season finale against the Minnesota Vikings.

Whenever the first prime time home game is for the Lions next season is a good bet for them to wear their new black alternate uniforms for the first time. The 2024 schedule comes out in May, which will allow for a precise guess and the team will eventually make a formal announcement.