Buccaneers will celebrate their 50th season with original 1976 uniforms in home opener

The Buccaneers had a season to forget as an expansion franchise in 1976, becoming the first 0-14 team in NFL history. But the Bucs’ original uniforms are worth celebrating, and those uniforms will be featured as part of the team’s 50th season this year.

The Bucs will wear their original 1976 uniforms in their home opener on September 21 against the Jets, marking the first time since that inaugural season that the Buccaneers have worn their complete original uniforms. The Bucs have worn the famous Creamsicle look in other throwback games, but this year will be the first time that the players will wear a uniform identical to the one the team wore in 1976 — with one exception, a Creamsicle 50th season patch on the jerseys.

“The ’76 Jersey represents a piece of Buccaneers history and serves as a tribute to the generations of fans and players who shaped this franchise,” Buccaneers Chief Operating Officer Brian Ford said in a statement. “As we launch into our 50th season, we’re proud to reintroduce The ’76 Jersey and the tradition it embodies. It is a reminder that every Buccaneers fan, from the originals to the newest generation, is part of an evolving story that started in 1976 and continues being written today.”

The Buccaneers’ original white jerseys with orange numbers outlined in red and sleeves featuring one orange stripe between two red stripes were worn only in 1976, and the home opener will mark the jerseys’ triumphant return. The Bucs will also wear their original white helmets, white pants and striped socks.

Throwback uniforms have become popular with fans and lucrative for the NFL’s merchandising, and the Bucs’ original uniforms are among the NFL’s most distinctive throwbacks. Bucs fans hope the team never throws it back to the quality of play they put on the field at the outset of the franchise, as they lost their first 26 games. But fans will gladly celebrate the team’s original look.