Broncos fans in a love/hate relationship with team's new uniform announcements

Last season was a forgettable one for the Denver Broncos. Sean Payton's first year in the Mile High City was marred by public relations gaffes, such as when he broke the unwritten NFL coaches code by calling out his predecessor Nathaniel Hackett for doing a bad job, or when his feud with Russell Wilson reached a boiling point. Payton benched the incumbent starter in favor of Jarrett Stidham with the Broncos still in contention for a playoff spot, reportedly (and illegally) in retribution for Wilson refusing to waive the injury guarantee from his contract.

The Broncos lost four of six to end the season, ultimately missing the playoffs with an 8-9 record, a worst-case scenario that not only kept them out of the postseason, but left them without a top pick to use on a new franchise quarterback, something they desperately need after Wilson was released and later signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Broncos fans are in need of any good news they can get, but even the team's new uniform reveal left them feeling colder than a Rocky Mountain blizzard. Dubbed "The Mile High Collection" and touted by team president Damani Leech as uniforms "that boldly integrate elements of our past, present, and future while paying tribute to Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Region we call home," the uniforms haven't made a strong first impression.

Social media reaction to the new primary Broncos uniforms hasn't been great, to say the least

The Broncos took two years designing their new look and should be commended for using a collaborative process and incorporating many identifying local elements, such as the "5280" on the front of the helmet to recognize how high above sea level the city of Denver is, and the triangles found throughout the design to signify both the thinning air and the summit markers on the Rocky Mountains, but in the end, the look is what matters most, and people have not been impressed.

I'm not sure how to fix a look that Kyle Long compared to the UTSA Roadrunners, but I'm kind of partial to Spencer Hall's suggestion.

Luckily for the Broncos, they redeemed themselves somewhat by announcing the return of the 1977 Orange Crush throwback uniforms as an alternate jersey. Look at these sexy things:

Of course, the excitement at the return of these classic beauties has been tempered by the fact that everyone wishes they were the main uniform instead. The entire comment section on the above post is filled with people begging the Broncos to scrap the new uniforms and go all throwback, all the time.

Current NFL rules permit teams to wear alternate uniforms no more than three times per year, so unless Roger Goodell does something drastic after being booed off the stage at the NFL Draft later this week, or if team management doesn't come to its senses and make these the primaries instead, NFL fans will have to settle for limited sightings of Javonte Williams and Patrick Surtain II in their resplendent orange and blue majesty. There's no such thing as an easy win for the Broncos these days.