The Los Angeles Chargers' already popular uniform closet received major upgrades Tuesday, with the unveiling of two new alternate looks: "Charger Power" and "Super Chargers."
The all-gold Charger Power uniforms will debut in Week 7 (Oct. 19) against the Indianapolis Colts, while the all-navy Super Chargers threads will debut in Week 8 (Oct. 23) against the Minnesota Vikings, then be worn again in Week 13 (Nov. 30) against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Los Angeles also announced that it will add powder blue pants to wear with either the home powder blue uniform or the road white jersey. The Chargers have traditionally worn white, gold or navy pants.
"I feel like the Chargers have the best uniforms," safety Derwin James Jr. said in a news release. "There's just something about the powder blue, the white, the gold. And after these new alternates drop, it won't be close."
This is the first time in team history the Chargers have worn a gold jersey.
"Charger Power" is stitched on the neckline in powder blue, and the white numbers include a similarly colored blue outline. A white helmet features a gold face mask, while a white bolt outlined in powder blue appears on the shoulders.
The all-gold design is meant to channel the energy of Hall of Fame coach Don Coryell's offensive scheme known as "Air Coryell." During Coryell's seven full seasons as Chargers head coach, the franchise ranked among the top five in the league in offensive yards each year and made four consecutive playoff appearances.
"It was a special time, that Hall of Fame trio of [Dan] Fouts, [Charlie] Joiner [and Kellen] Winslow and the Air Coryell Era. And it was also a revolutionary time ... " said A.G. Spanos, the Chargers' president of business operations. "You can see images of fans in the stands all wearing gold and all wearing 'Charger Power' T-shirts. It's a special moment in the franchise's history, for sure.
"We wanted to lean into that, and we think this was a fun way to do so."
Los Angeles' all-navy look is deemed a "true modern throwback."
The franchise last wore this particular look during the 2006 season -- the team went 14-2 in that campaign, and LaDainian Tomlinson ran for a league-high 1,815 yards and 28 touchdowns. They wore navy uniforms in following seasons but with slight tweaks.
"Super Chargers" is stitched in white on the neckline, with modern numbers receiving an old-school outline. The navy helmet is matched with a navy face mask. White numbers are outlined with gold trim, and a bolt filled in with white appears on the navy pants.
Contrary to previous navy designs used since 2006, the look is completed with a navy helmet instead of white. The Chargers say the helmet includes an "identical finish of the previous era." Spanos added that the lightning bolt is "a little bit more streamlined to be more consistent with the current look."
"The uniform is not the exact same uniform. It's been slightly updated and is a little bit more modern," Spanos said.
Former Chargers and Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates said the navy look was his favorite when he played. Three-time Pro Bowl linebacker Shawne Merriman simply added that they were the "hardest jerseys in football."
Tomlinson has fond memories with them.
"If you think about the Chargers and the brand and the colors -- and what that means -- I think most people my age would identify with the navy blue and the lightning bolt," he said. "When you saw that jersey, more than likely you were in Qualcomm Stadium. And, more than likely, if you were on the other team in that era, you were leaving with a loss."
