Chargers switching to powder blues as their primary uniform

In a decision that sent social media abuzz, the Chargers on Tuesday announced that their primary home uniforms this season will incorporate their powder-blue jerseys.

The old-school, iconic color has been a fan and television favorite for years. Variations of the powder blues date to the Chargers’ inaugural 1960 season in Los Angeles.

Several players, including safety Derwin James and wide receiver Keenan Allen, took to Twitter to praise the team’s announcement.

“Those powder blues, they’re special,” Allen said in a story on the Chargers’ website. “That [No.] ‘13’ — [with] ‘Allen’ on the back — looks sweet.”

The franchise abandoned the color for roughly two decades before bringing it back in an alternate jersey in 1994 during the NFL’s 75th anniversary season.

Since then, the Chargers are 20-16 when wearing their powder blues. They are 4-0 in the color for current coach Anthony Lynn.

“The powders are nice,” safety Adrian Phillips said. “There’s just something special when you put them on. You get a whole different feeling, a whole different vibe. Seeing that powder blue in the stadium and all your brothers wearing it, it’s a great feeling.”

The Chargers also will wear gold facemasks in 2019. They were believed to be the first NFL franchise to wear colored facemasks when they debuted them in 1974.

The team most recently brought the gold facemasks back in 2016 for special games.

Etc.

Cornerback Trevor Williams signed his restricted free-agent tender with the Chargers and wide receiver Travis Benjamin agreed to a one-year extension that frees up cap space for the team.

Williams, 25, will have a base salary of $2.025 million in his fourth NFL season. Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2016, he emerged as a starter in 2017 and remained there before being hurt midway through 2018.

Benjamin, 29, also is coming off a year disrupted by injury. His restructured deal includes an increased signing bonus and decreased 2019 salary, giving the Chargers slightly less than $3 million in additional cap room.

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