'You have disappointed Alim McNeil'; Lions respond to leak of new uniforms

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Alim McNeil isn't happy.

The Detroit Lions nose tackle said as much in a video posted by the team after an apparent leak of the upcoming uniform reveal.

"Who ever leaked the uniform video, we appreciate it. We appreciate you ruining all the hard work we put in," McNeil said in post on the social media platform X. "Video coming soon."

The draft is in town, the Lions are on a roll, and hype is building for what hopes to be another unforgettable season. To capitalize on that momentum, the Lions had planned on revealing new uniform designs for the 2024 season.

The big reveal was intended for Thursday night. Instead, images of the new jerseys found themselves on the internet several hours too soon.

By sending McNeill's message, the Lions are confirming the new details are real. The new jerseys include a black jersey – a return to the 2014-2017 jerseys – as well as traditional home Honolulu Blue and away white with Honolulu Blue accents.

What's new about the Lions' jersey in 2024?

Ok - beyond the return of the black jersey, there are some major changes to the Lions' jerseys.

For home blues, gone are the slanted silver numbers. Instead, they're now all-white and now longer at an angle. Additionally, the name on the back of the jersey will be bold white too. The stripes on the sleeves are also thinner – with silver stylings still kept in place. The leaked photos show the Lions on the right and the WCF on the left sleeve – are both gone. WCF was added to the jerseys in honor of former owner William Clay Ford and have been on the jerseys since 2014. They were moved to the sleeve in 2017.

On the inside back collar of the white jersey, it features the beloved local area code "313."

The black jerseys feature blue numbers with blue stripes and the Lions name across the front. While the away whites have blue numbers and Detroit across the front. The previous jerseys did not include a city or name on any of the jerseys.

On the inside back collar of the black jersey, in block letters it reads "Motor City." The inside back collar of the blue jersey could not be seen from the leaked photos.

Look for the official jersey reveal at 7 p.m.