NFL teams to commemorate legends, history with patches for 2025 season
NFL
Published on : 9/3/2025
As Week 1 of the NFL season begins, fans will notice commemorative patches on several NFL team uniforms. Two teams will honor legendary owners, while another pair honor anniversaries.
In paying tribu
te to Virginia Halas McCaskey, who passed away Feb. 2, 2025, at the age of 102, the Chicago Bears’ jerseys include a stitched football-shaped patch featuring her initials (VMH). It's a near-identical design to the patch the Bears wore during the 1983 season after founder, owner and Hall of Fame coach GEORGE HALAS passed away.
The patch features an orange football with navy lettering and a white outline around the middle “M” for McCaskey and will be stitched on the upper left side of each jersey.
George H. McCaskey, Chicago Bears chairman and son of Virginia Halas McCaskey, told ChicagoBears.com: “I was down at the equipment department, one of my favorite places in the building, and [director of equipment] Tony [Medlin] called me over. They had just started putting the patches on the jerseys, and they showed me one of them.
“I knew when I saw it, that he had done right by her.”
Additionally, the Bears will honor the late Hall of Fame defensive tackle STEVE McMICHAEL during the 2025 season. A football-shaped decal featuring McMichael’s No. 76 will adorn players’ helmets.
In Indianapolis, Colts players’ jerseys will incorporate a black jersey patch honoring their late owner, Jim Irsay. He died May 21, 2025.
The patch features Irsay’s initials and his signature, which includes his well-known smiley face, within a circle that displays seven grommets, a detail similar to the Colts’ horseshoe logo.
The team will wear the signature patches throughout the 2025 season. The Colts also changed the profile pictures of their social media accounts to feature the patch image.
This season, the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will celebrate their 50th seasons as NFL franchises by wearing commemorative patches on their jerseys.
The Seahawks’ patch features two shades of blue-royal blue, referencing the team’s 1976 logo and the team’s current college navy blue.
“EST 1976” is stitched into the top of the patch, and 12 feathers, in recognition of their fans known as the “12s,” adorn the bottom of the patch.
“Since 1976, the Seahawks organization has made its mark on the Pacific Northwest and become known around the world for its championship mindset and passionate fan base. Together with the 12s, we look forward to celebrating our 50th season throughout the coming year and shining a light on those who helped shape our incredible legacy into what it is today,” Chuck Arnold, president, Seattle Seahawks and First & Goal Inc, said in a news release on Seahawks.com.
In Tampa, the organization created several styles of patches celebrating its 50th NFL season.
In homage to the team’s original orange, red and white color scheme, a Creamsicle 50th anniversary patch includes a pirate, popularly known as “Bucco Bruce”, with a knife in his mouth.
A variation of the patch in red features the current “Jolly Roger” image in lieu of “Bucco Bruce.”
In paying tribu
te to Virginia Halas McCaskey, who passed away Feb. 2, 2025, at the age of 102, the Chicago Bears’ jerseys include a stitched football-shaped patch featuring her initials (VMH). It's a near-identical design to the patch the Bears wore during the 1983 season after founder, owner and Hall of Fame coach GEORGE HALAS passed away.The patch features an orange football with navy lettering and a white outline around the middle “M” for McCaskey and will be stitched on the upper left side of each jersey.
George H. McCaskey, Chicago Bears chairman and son of Virginia Halas McCaskey, told ChicagoBears.com: “I was down at the equipment department, one of my favorite places in the building, and [director of equipment] Tony [Medlin] called me over. They had just started putting the patches on the jerseys, and they showed me one of them.
“I knew when I saw it, that he had done right by her.”
Additionally, the Bears will honor the late Hall of Fame defensive tackle STEVE McMICHAEL during the 2025 season. A football-shaped decal featuring McMichael’s No. 76 will adorn players’ helmets.
In Indianapolis, Colts players’ jerseys will incorporate a black jersey patch honoring their late owner, Jim Irsay. He died May 21, 2025.
The patch features Irsay’s initials and his signature, which includes his well-known smiley face, within a circle that displays seven grommets, a detail similar to the Colts’ horseshoe logo.
The team will wear the signature patches throughout the 2025 season. The Colts also changed the profile pictures of their social media accounts to feature the patch image.
Seahawks, Buccaneers celebrating 50 NFL seasons
This season, the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will celebrate their 50th seasons as NFL franchises by wearing commemorative patches on their jerseys.The Seahawks’ patch features two shades of blue-royal blue, referencing the team’s 1976 logo and the team’s current college navy blue.
“EST 1976” is stitched into the top of the patch, and 12 feathers, in recognition of their fans known as the “12s,” adorn the bottom of the patch.
“Since 1976, the Seahawks organization has made its mark on the Pacific Northwest and become known around the world for its championship mindset and passionate fan base. Together with the 12s, we look forward to celebrating our 50th season throughout the coming year and shining a light on those who helped shape our incredible legacy into what it is today,” Chuck Arnold, president, Seattle Seahawks and First & Goal Inc, said in a news release on Seahawks.com.
In Tampa, the organization created several styles of patches celebrating its 50th NFL season.
In homage to the team’s original orange, red and white color scheme, a Creamsicle 50th anniversary patch includes a pirate, popularly known as “Bucco Bruce”, with a knife in his mouth.
A variation of the patch in red features the current “Jolly Roger” image in lieu of “Bucco Bruce.”
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