J.J. Watt Unveils Burnley’s New Away Kit for 2026–27 Season

The cream always rises. J.J. Watt is determined Burnley should, too.

The former Houston Texans defensive force has thrown himself into an unlikely second act in Lancashire, stepping out not as an NFL icon but as a local “Milk Man” and kit designer for Burnley’s new away strip for the 2026–27 season. The result: a cream-colored jersey that leans heavily into heritage and identity, unveiled on Friday in a playful short film titled “The Cream Rises.”

Watt, the Milk Man, and a very Burnley delivery route

In the video, Watt trades shoulder pads for a milk float. The scene opens in the countryside, among cows and sheep, before he sets off on a delivery run that feels more like a love letter to the town than a commercial.

He trundles through Burnley’s backroads, stopping at doorsteps belonging to local figures, including cricket great Sir Jimmy Anderson and entrepreneur Dave Fishwick. The twist: there’s no milk on board. Each “delivery” is one of the new away shirts.

The journey ends at Turf Moor, where Watt steps out in the full kit: a cream base, cut by horizontal red and green stripes, produced by Castore. It’s a clean, retro-leaning look, but it’s the detail and the intent behind it that Watt is most keen to talk about.

“From day one, I didn't want this to be just another football shirt. I wanted to create something quintessentially Burnley,” he said in a statement on the club’s website. “Every decision we made started with one question: are we doing the supporters of this club proud? As I’ve said many times before, this club existed long before I arrived and it will exist long after I’m gone. But during this time, my goal is to help honor its great past while also shepherding it to a brighter future.”

Two years of homework on a badge and a town

Watt is no token investor parachuting in for photo opportunities. Over two years, the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year has immersed himself in Burnley’s visual history, poring over old shirts and crests to find something that felt both authentic and fresh.

The centerpiece of the new design is a return of one of the club’s most beloved crests: an ornate shield featuring symmetrical lions, roses, a bee, and a knight’s helmet. Supporters of a certain age will recognise it immediately. It adorned Burnley shirts from 1979 to 1983 and again from 1987 to 2009, a period that spans struggle, revival, and a deep emotional connection for many fans.

Watt pushed to bring it back.

“I am merely a steward for this club,” he said in a behind-the-scenes video documenting the making of the kit. “But the opportunity to create a kit with this badge and this crest and hopefully with the proper respect for what it means is an incredible honor for me and I hope everybody likes it.”

Look closer and more nods to Burnley’s roots emerge. Woven into the fabric is a subtle geometric pattern, inspired by the stonework at Gawthorpe Hall, the club’s historic training base. It’s not loud, not flashy, but it anchors the shirt in place and history — a visual reminder that this is a club built on old stone and hard graft.

‘Future-retro’ and a fan-first rollout

Inside the club, Watt’s enthusiasm has clearly landed. Burnley’s Chief Marketing Officer, Ed Stewart-Lockhart, has been alongside him on the project and believes the end product captures that blend of past and future.

“It's been great fun working with JJ on this project,” he said, describing the jersey as “future-retro.” “He's brought incredible energy all the way through. You can see how much he's enjoyed it, but also how much it matters to him that we've got it right.”

The launch isn’t just about aesthetics. Burnley have wrapped the shirt in a collector’s feel for early buyers. The first 100 fans to purchase the jersey in the club’s official store will receive a special box containing an exclusive cap and a signed photo of Watt. The first 100 online customers will also receive an autographed photo.

It’s a smart way to tap into Watt’s star power while reinforcing his message: this is a Burnley shirt, not a vanity project.

A new look for a different kind of fight

On the pitch, the context is stark. Burnley are preparing for life back in the EFL Championship after a single season in the Premier League ended in relegation. The club’s narrative shifts now from survival in the top flight to the grind of trying to climb back.

The cream away kit will get its first outing on Sunday, August 2, in a home friendly against Torino at Turf Moor. It’s only a pre-season game, only a new shirt, but symbols matter in football towns like this.

Watt has talked about stewardship, about honoring the past while pushing towards something brighter. The Championship is unforgiving, the route back to the Premier League even more so.

But as Burnley step out in cream, with an old crest back on their chest and a new campaign looming, the question hangs in the air: can the club rise as surely as the kit promises the cream will?