The Lead
The Broncos' new "Snowcapped" alternate helmet pays homage to the Colorado Mountain Ranges' snowcapped tops, but the helmet set social media ablaze in the hours after its release.
According to Broncos President Damani Leech, the videos and other content featuring the helmet exceeded 12 million impressions in its first 24 hours and garnered an overwhelmingly positive reception.
"I was pleased yesterday's rollout," Leech said. "You saw a lot of people excited, excited about the 'D' [logo], excited about just something new. There's a lot of interest in the energy around something new and we'll continue to work on it."
The design process started last fall, soon after the NFL amended its policy to allow teams the chance to use alternate helmets. Leech said the Broncos explored "four to five" distinct options and consulted with their captains in finding an option that embraced both tradition and innovation.
Leech emphasized the importance of including the captains and other players in the decision-making process.
"I think it's important to have them involved," Leech said. "They have to wear it. We talked about [how] the uniform is almost like a super suit. When they come out onto the field, what they're wearing should be motivating and inspiring them."
The process included several meetings, from developing color palates to testing prototypes to safety Justin Simmons' selection as the player model for unveiling the helmet to ownership.
Simmons said it was difficult to hold in his excitement after seeing the "Snowcapped" helmets for the first time.
"I think the helmets are really neat," Simmons said. "I think any time you can have something new, just kind of spice it up a little bit, I think that brings a whole new level of excitement. I know the guys are excited, I was super excited when I had the chance to see them."
Simmons also appreciated the opportunity to model the uniforms and be a part of the design process.
"It's always an honor to be able to do things like that. I never want to take those things for granted, so I think it's a really cool honor to be asked to be in the unveiling for that."
Fans have been clamoring for updates on potential uniform evolutions over the past year, and Leech provided a look at how that process has progressed. The process of developing new uniforms is lengthy, but Leech said that he and other members of team leadership spent a day at Nike headquarters in Oregon this spring talking about the Broncos' uniforms and identity.
"We went to Beaverton this past spring and spent the day with the Nike folks, talking about concepts, helping them understand what it means to be a Bronco, what we think about our community," Leech said. "[We're] still working on it and when we are ready to share something, we certainly will share."
