The Tampa Bay Buccaneers said Tuesday that the NFL ruled that the throwback uniforms and helmets with mascot “Bucco Bruce” on the side cannot be worn, while citing a new league policy.
The Buccaneers were slated to wear the uniforms on Sept. 29 against the Arizona Cardinals.
The NFL said that its new helmet policy urges players to wear the same helmet around the year. Tampa Bay said the team cannot wear the white helmet with its new ones.
“While we regret that our players will not be able to don the ‘Bucco Bruce’ helmet and traditional orange, red and white uniforms, there simply was no acceptable way to meet the requirements of the new policy while staying true to the spirit of our throwback theme. We will continue to explore options with the league office for bringing back this fan favorite in future seasons,” Buccaneers Chief Operating Officer Brian Ford said in a statement.
“The league-wide guideline, which requires players to use the same helmet for all games during the season, was recently implemented based on the strong recommendation by the NFL’s Head, Neck and Spine Committee as well as the Player Safety Advisory Panel,” it added.
Ford said the Buccaneers will look at other ways to use the throwback uniforms.
