When fans attend Denver Broncos training camp practices this summer, they will quickly notice that helmets will not feature the team’s logo.
The team’s logo was absent during rookie minicamp and the decal will remain off the helmet this summer, according to coach Sean Payton.
Payton was an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003-2005 and Bill Parcells didn’t put stars on rookie helmets until they “earned them.” Parcells was one of Payton’s mentors early in his career, but Denver’s new coach said not wearing the bronco decal during the offseason isn’t necessarily about earning it.
“There’s nothing significant about that other than — it’s really just simply a functional decision of, ‘Let’s make sure we got the tape on the front with their last name,’” Payton said last week. “Then training camp will start the same way. At some point, we’ll put the logos on the helmets. It’s probably just because that’s what [I’ve] always done and it’s easier for the equipment room.
“It’s not like, ‘Hey, you haven’t earned it,’ because these logos aren’t going to be on any of them this whole offseason. There’s just no reason. I think everyone knows they’re all Denver Bronco players. There’s no confusion. I think more just practical.”
This marks another change under Payton, who has already put his stamp on the team with various scheduling and administrative changes this offseason. Payton’s the boss, and he doesn’t want logos on the helmets during the summer. So that’s that.
