The Chicago Bears have one of the most recognizable uniforms in professional sports. That will make it easy for NFL fans to spot a new addition to it for the 2025 NFL season.
The Bears have added a new jersey patch to the upper left side of their uniforms for the upcoming campaign. The adornment features an orange football with a white outline surrounding the navy-colored letters ‘VMH.’
What is the significance of Chicago’s jersey patch? Here’s what to know about the tribute to the team’s late owner.
What does ‘VMH’ stand for on Bears jersey?
The Bears added the ‘VMH’ jersey patch to pay tribute to their former owner Virginia Halas McCaskey, who died in February at the age of 102.
McCaskey inherited ownership of the Bears from her father, George Halas Sr., following his death in 1983. She oversaw the team when it won Super Bowl 20 following the 1985 NFL season and was the longest-tenured owner at the time of her passing.
The Bears emulated the design of the 1983 patch honoring Halas in crafting the tribute to McCaskey for the 2025 NFL season.
‘We thought it would be appropriate if her patch mirrored her dad’s from 1983,’ McCaskey’s son and current Bears owner George McCaskey said, per the Bears’ official website. ‘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.’
Like her father’s patch in 1983, McCaskey’s patch features a permutation of her initials, which were ‘VHM.’ The ‘VMH’ patch places McCaskey’s last name as the centerpiece of the logo, while her maiden name-turned-middle initial is on the right side of it.
What does ‘GSH’ stand for on Bears jersey?
This mirrors the ‘GHS’ patch the Bears wore in 1983. Halas’ full name was George Stanley Halas Sr. – which make his initials ‘GSH’ – but Chicago decided to make his last initial the focus of the patch.
Today, the Bears honor Halas by incorporating his ‘GSH’ initials into the shoulder design of their uniforms.