Why the Cowboys have a red stripe on their helmets on Monday Night Football

The Dallas Cowboys are on in primetime. Nothing unusual about that.

But there's one thing different on this Monday night: The Cowboys have a red stripe on their helmets.

It's noticeable almost immediately. The Cowboys always have blue, silver and white. There's no red in their color scheme.

But there it is in Week 9 as they take on the Arizona Cardinals.

And it's there for good reason.

MORE: Bills make AFC playoff statement over Chiefs

Why do the Cowboys have a red stripe on their helmets?

The red stripe for the Cowboys is part of "Salute to Service."

The Cowboys are specifically hosting a "Salute to Service" game for the Week 9 contest at AT&T Stadium.

It pays tribute to military service members.

It's the fifth consecutive year the Cowboys have worn this red, white and blue striped helmet at some point during the regular season.

The Cowboys wore red stripes a long time ago, too. In 1976, they honored the bicentennial of the United States by wearing a red stripe on their helmet for the entire season.

They brought the helmet back for the first time in 2021.

And now it's out in 2025 against the Cardinals.

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