EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings on Tuesday announced #PrimetimePurple jerseys that they will wear when they host the Washington Redskins on Thursday Night Football on Oct. 24.
Defensive end Everson Griffen, who has been with Minnesota since 2010, and tight end Kyle Rudolph, a second-round pick in 2011, helped model the jerseys which are part of unique "purple on purple" uniforms.
The Vikings have worn the combination of purple jerseys and pants five times in team history, although the first time — Oct. 11, 1964 — wasn't intentional.
The squad has traditionally featured purple jerseys in home games and worn white jerseys on the road. Occasionally, the Vikings wear purple jerseys in road games, particularly early in the season when the home team opted for a white jersey to counteract high temperatures and most recently in Week 4 when Chicago wore white throwback jerseys in homage to the Bears 1936 season.
In 1964, however, the Vikings elected to wear white jerseys and purple pants for some home games. A miscommunication created a problem when the Lions and Vikings both arrived at Metropolitan Stadium wearing white jerseys.
The Vikings truck driver drove to Midway Stadium in St. Paul, where the Vikings practiced, to fetch their purple jerseys, but he didn't make it back to Bloomington before kickoff. The Vikings changed into purple jerseys during the second quarter right on the sideline.
The Vikings didn't wear purple on purple again until Dec. 17, 2007, when they defeated the Bears 20-13 on Monday Night Football.
Minnesota wore purple on purple against the Cardinals on Nov. 7, 2010, and prevailed 27-24 in overtime thanks to a game-tying, 25-yard touchdown pass from Brett Favre to Visanthe Shiancoe and a 35-yard, game-winning field goal by Ryan Longwell.
The next occasion occurred on Oct. 27, 2013, when Cordarrelle Patterson returned the opening kickoff against the Packers an NFL-record 109 yards for a touchdown.
Three years later, the Vikings wore purple jerseys and pants that used yellow numbers and stripes. The Dallas Cowboys prevailed 17-15 on Dec. 1, 2016, in a game that Head Coach Mike Zimmer had to miss because of emergency eye surgery.
Vikings DE Everson Griffen and TE Kyle Rudolph help show off the team's former Color Rush uniforms, now called Primetime Purple, that the team will wear for the Thursday, Oct. 24 game against the Redskins at U.S. Bank Stadium. Click here to order your Primetime Purple jersey from the Vikings Locker Room store.
Vikings Games with Purple Jerseys and Pants
Oct. 11, 1964 vs. Detroit, L 24-20
Dec. 17, 2007 vs. Chicago, W 20-13 on Monday Night Football
Nov. 7, 2010 vs. Arizona, W 27-24
Oct. 27, 2013 vs. Green Bay, L 44-31 on Sunday Night Football
Dec. 1, 2016 vs. Dallas, L 17-15 on Thursday Night Football
Get Your Primetime Purple Jersey
The Vikings will wear their Primetime Purple jersey, Thursday, Oct. 24 against the Redskins. Visit the Vikings Locker Room Team Store to buy your Primetime Purple jersey today!
