Eagles to wear black jerseys this season because green ones won't be ready in time

The Philadelphia Eagles wore their black alternate uniforms for their preseason game Friday and will reportedly wear them for at least the early portion of the regular season because their usual midnight green jerseys won't be ready in time.

You read that right. Nike, the multi-billion dollar company in charge of manufacturing the NFL's uniforms, is running late. It's almost unfathomable.

Only the Eagles are affected by Nike's tardiness because they're the only NFL team getting "upgraded" from their traditional uniform cut to Nike's Elite 51 template, which features a number of "innovations" such as moisture-wicking fabric. Most NFL teams switched to the Elite 51 template when Nike took over the NFL contract in 2011, but the Eagles held out along with four other teams.

The Eagles' black and white jerseys on the Elite 51 template are ready before the midnight green ones because the shade is a custom color and takes longer for Nike to manufacture. 

Most fans won't notice a difference between the Eagles' old green jerseys and the new Elite 51 green jerseys (the striping pattern will remain the same), but the black jerseys will stand out. The team has worn them only sparingly in the last few seasons. 

Most teams try to avoid wearing black in the September heat, but the Eagles apparently won't have that option this season - and they have Nike to thank for it.

[H/T Crossing Broad]