Broncos

Row 1: 1960-61, 1962
Row 2: 1962-64, 1965 (plain white stripe), 1965 (blue/white stripe)
Row 3: 1968-70,* 1971-73,* 1992-96
Rows 4 & 5: 1997-present
Not displayed: 1966, 1967, and helmets between 1974-1991
*Helmet incorrectly displays logo from 1992-96

Part 1: 1960-67: Pre-“D” Logo

Before the classic blue helmet with the “D” logo, the Broncos wore seven different styles.

1960-61

This helmet is only available in the Throwback AFL 50th Anniversary set.

1962

In 1962, Denver created a new helmet with a blue bucking Bronco. The only problem is that it looked terrible. Some said the bronco looked like an ink blot. So mid-season in 1962, Denver switched to a white bronco to make the logo stand out.

The 1962 factory pocket pro, however, is an error. The factory helmet displays a brown bronco. Further research has revealed the bronco on the helmet was actually blue. Conventional wisdom at the time was the bronco was brown, so one can’t really blame Riddell. Only recently has research revealed this as a blue bronco (see sources at the end of this page).

The 1962 pocket pro helmet with the blue bronco is included in the Throwback Series 1 and Throwback 2-bar sets.

1962-66

The 1962-64 traditional-style helmet with the white bronco is also included in the Throwback Series 1 set. It is the helmet on the left in the photo below.

In 1965, the Broncos retained the same helmet, but added some red to the orange. This helmet is in the 2-bar Throwback set. It is the middle helmet in the photo below.

For one game this year (week 1), this helmet had thin blue lines around the white stripe (see the custom below). It is the helmet on the right in the photo below.

Left to Right: 1962-64, 1965 (plain white stripe), 1965 (blue/white stripe)

The following picture is a close up showing the different shades of orange, with the 1962-64 Throwback Series 1 (traditional style) helmet on the left and 1965 2-bar helmet on the right.

1966

Denver Broncos revised the Bronco helmet for 1966. The helmet retained the reddish-orange color, but the bronco now had a dark blue outline. Riddell did not manufacture a pocket pro for this helmet.


From Gridiron Uniform Database, © 2011 – 2020 Tim Brulia, Bill Schaefer and/or Rob Holecko

1967

The dark blue outline from the 1967 helmet only made it look more messy. I can imagine the Bronocos wanting to get rid of the 1966 and quickly move on.

If that’s the case, the result was a plain dark-blue helmet in 1967. Riddell did not manufacture a pocket pro for this helmet.

Image from Gridiron Uniform Database (see caption for link)
Left photo from Twitter @GamePlanChicago
Photo on right from Gridiron Uniform Database, © 2011 – 2020 Tim Brulia, Bill Schaefer and/or Rob Holecko

Part 2: 1968-96: “D” Logo Era

Things get pretty complicated with Broncos helmets between 1968 and 1996. On its face, it appears the Broncos only wore one helmet during this period: blue helmet, white/orange/white stripes, and the classic “D” logo.

My research presents a more complicated picture. Using two highly-referenced sources, it’s apparent the Broncos wore several different shades of blue between 1968 and 1996. The Broncos also wore two different logos and two different facemask colors (grey and white).

Two Logos

The way to tell the difference between the 1968-92 and 1993-96 logos is to look at the air coming out of the Bronco’s nose. Between 1968-92, the air had lines. Between 1993-96, there were no lines. The Bronco also looks slightly more abstract.

The 1993-96 Bronco appears on all of the factory Riddell pocket pros. To get a pocket helmet with the 1968-92 logo, you’ll have to buy a custom or make your own.

1968-92 logo
1993-96 logo

Helmet Colors

I looked at three different sources for helmet colors: the Gridiron Uniform Database, Bill’s Sports Maps, and actual photos from Getty Sports Images.

The following helmet images are from the Gridiron Uniform Database. I looked at all of the helmets for this era and it appears to me the Broncos wore several different shades of blue. Some shades from different eras may look the same. But when I move the images next to each other, there are differences.

1968-70
1971-75
1976-78
1979-81
1982-91
1992-96
Helmet images from Gridiron Uniform Database, © 2011 – 2020 Tim Brulia, Bill Schaefer and/or Rob Holecko

The next image (below) is from Bill’s Sports Maps. Comparing this to the Gridiron Uniform Database image (above), there are some discrepancies based on the years. But chronologically at least, the helmets appear similar in terms of shading. The only outlier is the 1976-78 Gridiron Uniform Database helmet. In in these years, the Broncos wore two shades of helmets, one lighter and one darker.

Image from Bill’s Sports Maps

My third source of information was Getty Sports Images.

1968-70
1971
1973
1975
1976-78
1979
1980 (1)
1980 (2)
1981
1982
1986
1987
1991
1992
1993
Images from Getty Images/Focus on Sports, except 1971 (Photo fr. eBay Dr. Tjeeee). See references at end of webpage for specific helmet credits.

To me, it appears the Broncos wore three different colors, two facemask colors, and two logos between 1968 and 1996:

  1. 1968-70: Dark blue helmet, 1968-92 “D” logo, white/orange/white stripes, grey facemask
  2. 1971-75: Medium blue helmet, 1968-92 “D” logo, white/orange/white stripes, grey facemask
  3. 1976-78: Dark blue helmet, 1968-92 “D” logo, white/orange/white stripes, grey facemask
  4. 1979-91: Medium blue helmet, 1968-92 “D” logo, white/orange/white stripes, grey facemask
  5. 1993-96: Royal blue helmet, 1993-96 “D” logo, white/orange/white stripes, white facemask

The factory pocket pros from this era are photographed below. They include the 1976-78, 1971-75, and 1993-96 helmets (although the first two are errors; they display the 93-96 logo).

Left to Right: 1968-70, 1971-74, 1992-96

The following picture is a close up showing the different shades of blue, from dark (1968-70), to light (1993-96), to medium (1971-75) blue.

1968-70 (left), 1992-96 (middle), 1971-74 (right)

1997-present

The current Broncos helmet is in the traditional (97, 99, 03), revolution, and speed sets.

2016-21 Alternate

Starting in 2016, the Broncos have worn a color rush helmet each season. The 2020 helmet logo is unique in that it has a white background to the lower left corner on the inside of the “D.” The photos below denote the differences.

I purchased the custom helmet below on eBay from travistomark, who does really nice work.

2016-19 on the left, 2020 on the right

Broncos Super Bowl Pocket Pro Helmets

Broncos 4-piece Team Set

The Broncos 4-piece team set includes the two Throwback Series 1 helmets and the 1997-present helmet. The fourth helmet appears to me to be the 1992-96 Throwback helmet. So, there are no helmets unique to this set.

Photo from gpmcpo

Broncos Pocket Helmet Checklist

Last update: 12/18/2021

References

Helmet Photo Credits

  • Denver 1969 – Denver Broncos v Cincinnati Bengals 10/16/1969 – Getty Images/Focus on Sports
  • Denver 1971 – Denver Broncos v Detroit Lions – Photo fr. eBay Dr. Tjeeee
  • Denver 1973 – Denver Broncos v Pittsburgh Steelers 11/18/1973 – Getty Images/Focus on Sports
  • Denver 1978 – Denver Broncos v Kansas City Chiefs 12/10/1978 – Getty Images/Focus on Sports
  • Denver 1979 – Denver Broncos v San Francisco 49ers 11/18/1979 – Getty Images/Focus on Sports
  • Denver 1980 (1) – Denver Broncos v NY Giants 10/26/1980 – Getty Images/Focus on Sports
  • Denver 1980 (2) – Denver Broncos v Dallas Cowboys 9/14/1980 – Getty Images/Focus on Sports
  • Denver 1982 – Denver Broncos v L.A. Raiders 12/26/1982 – Getty Images/Focus on Sports
  • Denver 1986 – Denver Broncos v Cleveland Browns 1/11/1987 – Getty Images/Focus on Sports
  • Denver 1987 – Denver Broncos v Houston Oilers 1/10/1988 – Getty Images/Focus on Sports
  • Denver 1991 – Denver Broncos v Kansas City Chiefs 10/21/91 – Getty Images/Focus on Sports
  • Denver 1992 – Denver Broncos v Philadelphia Eagles 9/20/1992 – Getty Images/Focus on Sports
  • Denver 1993 – Denver Broncos v Indianapolis Colts 10/3/1993 – Getty Images/Focus on Sports
  • Denver 1996 – Denver Broncos v Seattle Seahawks 12/1/1996 – Getty Images/Focus on Sports

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