The first time Bears chairman George H. McCaskey saw the initials of his mother, Virginia Halas McCaskey, stitched on the Bears' iconic navy jersey is a moment that still evokes emotion.
"I was down at the equipment department, one of my favorite places in the building, and [director of equipment] Tony [Medlin] called me over," McCaskey said. "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."
To pay tribute to the beloved matriarch, who passed away Feb. 2 at the age of 102, the Bears – starting with next Sunday's preseason opener against the Dolphins at Soldier Field – will sport a stitched football-shaped patch featuring Mrs. McCaskey's initials on their jerseys. It's a near-identical design to the patch the Bears wore during the 1983 season after founder, owner and Hall of Fame coach and player George Halas passed away Oct. 31 of that year.
"We thought it would be appropriate if her patch mirrored her dad's from 1983," McCaskey said. "So it's the same size, the same color combination. The only thing that's different, of course, is the initials. We thought that was the right thing to do."
The patch — an orange football with navy lettering and a white outline around the middle "M" for McCaskey — will be stitched on the upper left side of each jersey, just above the players' hearts.
While the design of the patch had been in the works for months, the Bears equipment team, led by Medlin, didn't begin the stitching process until recently.
Medlin, who George described as a "ninth son" to Mrs. McCaskey, has been with the Bears since 1987 and has developed close relationships with the entire McCaskey family. Having a hand in honoring Mrs. McCaskey throughout the 2025 season is something the longtime director of equipment is extremely grateful to take part in.
"Any person associated with football should appreciate what Mrs. McCaskey and her family have meant to the game for over 100 years," Medlin said. "To see how far the NFL has come throughout her lifetime is remarkable, and we are honored to be able to recognize her on our uniforms.
"Every stitch in this patch threads together this historic franchise, from George Halas to Virginia Halas McCaskey, and we are humbled to honor her this season."
Mrs. McCaskey was publicly known as the Bears' principal owner, the only daughter of George Halas and an NFL trailblazer, who witnessed more pro football history than any individual in the world. Behind the scenes, Mrs. McCaskey also flourished in her role as a mother of 11 as well as grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother of 65.
For Mrs. McCaskey's family, who saw her in those matriarchal roles behind the scenes, seeing her initials stitched onto the iconic Bears jersey is a feeling like no other.
"I think she would want to be quietly grateful," Patrick McCaskey, her fourth-born child, said. "That was her way. So that's how I am about it — I'm quietly grateful."
Patrick also recognized the "wonderful" work conducted by the Bears' brand creative team, led by vice president John Conroy, in creating and perfecting the design.
"Thank you very much to the creative team that put it together," he said. "They did very well. They're Hall of Famers."
Patrick and his younger brother, Brian, both joked that their mother likely wouldn't love the idea of her initials being front and center, due to her preference to stay out of the spotlight. However, the McCaskey brothers are joyed to see their mother honored in such a powerful way.
"George showed me what he wanted to do back in the spring," Brian said. "Obviously the patch is very similar to the one we used in 1983 to honor my grandfather, George Halas. So it's a little sobering to see yet another reminder we lost my mom this past year, but it's great to see her memory kept alive. I think it's a fitting way to honor her."
While the Bears will don the patches all season long, Brian believes seeing them during the the season opener Sept. 8 against the Vikings will feel a little different. With that weekend also being the Bears' annual alumni homecoming, Brian expects the entire weekend to feel "bittersweet."
"When we gather for the alumni weekend, that event with the dinner the night before the game will be a little tough because we always acknowledge those who have passed away," Brian said. "It'll be a bittersweet evening as we gather with former players and their families. That was the one party my mom really looked forward to every year. She always remembered everyone's names and people would line up to talk to her or take a picture with her. That was when I saw my mom in the spotlight at her very best. That's when she shined the brightest."
The Bears will also honor Mrs. McCaskey by only wearing their navy jerseys, white pants and navy helmet for home games and white jerseys, navy pants and navy helmets for road games. The Bears will not wear alternate or throwback jerseys during the 2025 season.
Pro Football Hall of Famer and legendary defensive tackle Steve McMichael, who passed away April 23 after a long battle with ALS, will also be recognized by the team during the 2025 season.
The Bears will pay tribute to the Super Bowl XX champion by wearing a football-shaped decal featuring McMichael's No. 76 on the back of their helmets. The logo will also be painted on the grass at Soldier Field for every home game.
"We wanted to have the decal, and we'll also have a field stencil at every home game this season," George H. McCaskey said. "This is the 40th anniversary of our Super Bowl team, so we want to properly acknowledge and honor Steve at that celebration."
