Did a Union rookie leak the new home jersey?

It has to be exciting getting your first professional jersey. Your name and number on the back of the kit of your team is enough to give you chills I'm assuming - the closest I ever came was getting a name badge at the grocery store I worked at when I was seventeen. It was a huge moment for Fabian Herbers, and one where he can hardly be blamed for wanting to share it on social media.

Except this looks like a Philadelphia Union home jersey - the ones that haven't been released to the public yet.

It's a bit difficult to tell exactly what's going on, but it looks like the shoulder stripes - a longtime hallmark of an Adidas jersey - are gone (the alternating white and navy above the shoulder look to be other jerseys in alternating colors), replaced with a plain navy shoulder and sleeve. Also gone is the gold piping on the back of the jersey in favor of a solid navy back. A new feature looks to be the row of ClimaCool fabric (the breathable, vented fabric that helps keep the wearer cool) down the center of the back.

Also interesting is that the rookie chose the number 11 shirt - a number usually reserved for a starter or veteran. While it is possible that Herbers will become a starter, it's more likely he'll be a depth option this year, so the 11 might be a bit of a stretch. Either way, Andrew Wenger wasn't using it anymore, so good on Herbers for snatching it up.

A source with the Union told me the new kits wouldn't be drastically different than the last iteration, and we overheard at yesterday's Media Day that they would be released in February.