When the Bucs redesigned their uniform set ahead of the 2020 season, there were a couple of main takeaways. For one, fans were generally thrilled to see a refreshed version of the team’s 1997-2013 uniforms take the place of the “alarm clock numeral jerseys” it wore from 2014-2019.

But the other big takeaway? The Bucs had an all-pewter alternate uniform. How about that? For the first time, Tampa Bay had a look that heavily featured pewter—the unique color that is one of the team’s main colors—from head to toe.

Former Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: USA Today

During the 2020 campaign, the Bucs wore the pewter uniforms three times, first in a win over the Broncos, then in a loss to the Rams and then in the regular season-closing win over the Falcons.

In the three seasons after that, though, Tampa Bay donned the all-pewter look just once per year. In 2021, the Bucs wore them in a road loss to the Rams. They then wore them in a home loss to the Bengals in 2022 before wearing them in another road defeat against the Colts in 2023.

Then came 2024, when the Bucs went the whole season without breaking out the all-pewter look. Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds was asked about that in the Feb. 17 Bucs Mailbag, and he had this to say:

“In 2024, the team did not wear its pewter alternate jersey as the team’s emphasis has been on the orange creamsicle uniforms, which returned in 2023 after a decade-long absence. A quick look in the official Bucs store at the stadium shows lots of red, white and orange jerseys, and it looks like the pewter jerseys have been de-emphasized as the alternate. When it comes to jersey sales, the pewter lags far behind the nostalgic orange creamsicle jerseys and I think the team is capitalizing on the return of Bucco Bruce alternates, which is trendy right now.

“What I’ve been told is that if the Bucs wear the pewter jerseys again, it will most likely be as a road alternate, so the chances we see that jersey again are slim. Most teams wear a team color jersey at home instead of white, but there are a few exceptions. The Cowboys wear white jerseys as much as they can, including every home game. But with the Bucs-Cowboys game last year being in prime time, the organization wanted to wear its original red jerseys before a national audience for branding purposes rather than an alternate jersey. …

Bucs RB Rachaad White and QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

”The Bucs wore white for every away game except for the Cowboys game last year, and I was told that if that game were not in primetime, the team might have worn the pewter jerseys. We’ll see what the schedule holds for the pewter jerseys in 2025. Tampa Bay typically wears their white jerseys in September and October at home due to the heat – with the lone exception of early season home primetime games, in which case the Bucs typically wear red jerseys at night. Then the red jerseys make their home debut either in late November or early December depending on the date and the weather.”

Is it simply a case of the Bucs emphasizing the return of their creamsicle throwbacks over their pewter alternates? Does it have anything to do with the team’s three-game losing streak and 2-4 record in the all-pewters?

It shouldn’t be the latter, as uniforms don’t dictate performance, for one, and if that is the argument against the pewter uniforms, there’s no need to remind anyone of the losing streak in the creamsicle throwbacks.

Whatever the case is, it’s fair to ask the question. What happened to the pewter uniforms that were so heavily promoted during the 2020 redesign?

Bucs Fans Want To See The All-Pewter Uniforms Again

Bucs RT Tristan Wirfs – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Back when the Bucs unveiled their new uniform set in 2020, Buccaneers.com’s Scott Smith wrote the following:

“There will also be a brand new alternate uniform featuring pewter pants and jerseys that the Buccaneers anticipate becoming a fan favorite.” 

The Bucs were right to anticipate the all-pewter uniforms becoming a fan favorite. But why did they get phased out so quickly? Perhaps it was the NFL abolishing the one-helmet rule, which allowed for the return of creamsicle throwbacks.

But there’s nothing stopping the team from mixing it up and wearing their alternates at least once while still holding its now-annual creamsicle game.

The results of our latest Pewter Report poll indicate that Buccaneer fans do still like the all-pewter look.

On Twitter/X, 241 votes left us with around 71% of fans saying “absolutely” to the question of whether they’re still fans of the Bucs’ pewter alternates. Even another 17% answered “somewhat” for a total of around 88% answering favorably to the alternates.

Over on Instagram and Facebook, there were a combined 1,023 votes, and the results were similar. Nearly 79% of fans answered “absolutely” while another 15% answered “somewhat.” That’s a staggering 94% of responses being favorable.

Overall, there were 1,264 voters in our latest poll and 77.1% went with “absolutely” while 15.7% went with “somewhat” for a total of 92.8% answering favorably about the all-pewter look.

So, Bucs, your fans want to see the pewter uniforms make a return in 2025. And with it being the franchise’s 50th season, what better way to honor both the old-school and new-school than having both a creamsicle game and a game where the team wears the all-pewters?