Steelers To Say 'So Long' To Bumblebee Jerseys For Good, Players Weigh In
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- This Sunday will be the last time fans see the Pittsburgh Steelers in their 1934 throwback jerseys.
The matchup against the New York Jets at Heinz Field will be the final viewing for the bumblebee stripes.
"This will be the last time we wear them," said Steelers President Art Rooney II. "Next year, we will not have a throwback jersey to wear. We are evaluating what we will do in the future. We have some ideas and plans, but we're really not ready to reveal those yet in terms of what the next throwback will look like. This throwback has been a success from a lot of different standpoints. Even though some people didn't like it, the majority of our fans did like it and a lot of them bought the jersey. It's been a fun uniform to have."
Many of the players agree, despite the jerseys being insulted by USA Today, NBC Sports and many others.
"It grew on me. When I first put it one I looked like a bumblebee, but I thought we played pretty good on them. They were a different look for us. We don't get that often, so we enjoyed it," said defensive end Cam Heyward.
"I love playing in the bumblebees. I know a lot of people don't like them at all. I know a lot of fans don't like them but I love them," said wide receiver Markus Wheaton.
Antonio Brown said he is excited to don the controversial jerseys one more time.
"Gotta make it a special one man. Got to put an exclamation mark on the bumblebees and go out and get another win," he said.
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According to Steelers.com, the team wore them twice in 2012, once against Washington and again against Baltimore. They also donned them once each in 2013 (vs. Detroit), 2014 (Indianapolis), 2015 (Cincinnati), and 2016 (Jets).
The Steelers will wear their "color rush" uniforms for the Christmas Day game against the Ravens. The Steelers won't have a throwback for 2017, but Rooney imagines the team will wear its 'color rush' uniform next year, which would fill the void until a new throwback is selected.