Have you ever studied an NFL jersey? There aren’t any sponsors like those found in most other professional leagues. Pro soccer teams seem to be nothing but a NASCAR jersey that isn’t run on 510 horsepower.
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The NFL has no plans to include advertisements on its uniforms or helmets. Not that they haven’t thought about it. They have. After all, there is the Oakley logo on some helmets that contain their patented face shield. This is a league that has billionaire owners, and they are constantly looking for the next big idea to garner more profits. If it means a vinyl decal or a custom patch sewn on, they have tested the waters and discussed it fully.
But the NFL has always considered its uniforms to be its holy grail. Every game, there are two uniform cops on each sideline to remind players to pull up their socks, tuck in their jersey, and a long list of uniform-related items. Being non-compliant means players getting fined with a stern letter. Non-compliance usually means another fine, this one much stiffer, with a warning that the player could be suspended, which would mean the loss of a game check.
Each NFL uniform has attached player numbers on the front, back, and somewhere on the sleeves. All stitched, of course. No thrift store screen-printed anything. The smaller sleeve digits are called “TV numbers” and were first included to help television broadcasters identify who a player was in a pile of bodies.
On the jersey back is the player’s name on a stitched-on nameplate, plus the NFL shield is located at the bottom of the front of the “V” neck, encircled in white so that it will be seen on every dark jersey. Most teams have a team logo somewhere on the jersey. At times, a club will put its city name or team name across the upper portion of the chest above the numerals.
Then, there are the add-ons.
The Nike swoosh is added, usually on the left side of each jersey. This is included with Nike’s deal with the NFL as their official uniform provider.
Starting in 2007, up to six Captain patches are allowed per team. This patch with the letter “C” is usually stitched onto the upper rightside of the jersey and designed in team colors, except the “C” is in white. Gold and white stars rest underneath the “C.” These represent how many years the player has been named Captain.
One gold star with three white stars means his first year as Captain. Two gold stars with two white stars represent two years as Captain, and so on. After four years, the “C” on the patch is then colored gold. Sometimes the “C” has a representation color, such as pink for breast cancer awareness month or camo with U.S. military recognition.
Captains are voted on internally by the players of each club.
There are other patches. Commemorative patches are sewn on for special occasions, such as a franchise milestone like 75 years in the league. These types of patches can also honor an individual the team wishes to honor for a single game or an entire season. This year, the league has introduced “The Rivalries Series,” which includes patches aimed at longtime NFL rival games.
Then there are the Walter Payton Award patches. One NFL player per season is voted the “Walter Payton Man of the Year” award. It is considered a prestigious endowment for players who reach out to their community and give of their time and efforts. The winner from the previous season gets to wear the Walter Payton patch. This began in 2017, and the winners now wear the patch for the duration of their career.
The only Browns player to win the Walter Payton award was QB Len Dawson in 1973 as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. Dawson played for Cleveland from 1960-1961.
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And now, for 2025, the NFL is adding a new patch: The Gold Shield.
On the surface, this would conjure up thoughts of players who have won a Super Bowl ring. Or who were named NFL All-Pro the season before. Or maybe those who own a Bentley or a unicorn.
All good guesses, but no.
In its maiden year, the NFL is honoring the achievements of the players who have been named Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Defensive Rookie of the Year with a visual reminder.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 04: A detail shot of a gold NFL Shield patch on the jersey of Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles prior to an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on September 4, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 04: A detail shot of a gold NFL Shield patch on the jersey of Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles prior to an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on September 4, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
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How the league is presenting its players is by each player wearing a gold shield. This is the same NFL shield that is worn by every player on every team on the front at the bottom of the “V” neck of the jersey.
The regular shield is just like the league logo: three points at the top that graduate to a single point at the bottom, a white middle area with “NFL” in red, a top portion blue background with eight white stars, and a single white football with blue laces. The top blue section then glides down both sides and becomes the bottom tip.
With the jersey shields, all of this is outlined in white. This covers both white, light, and dark colored jerseys. If the team is wearing white, the blue becomes the outline of the logo. If the player’s jersey is any other color, the white outline highlights the logo.
This new version of the NFL jersey shield has similar features. The red “NFL” remains, while the upper section will stay blue, as well as the lines that jut down to the tip. But all of the white areas have been replaced with gold - including the outline.
The gold shield patches will be on the five jerseys for the entirety of the 2025 regular season and playoffs to honor these men.
What is strange, though, is that the gold shield logo will only be for one season, so it is not a permanent part of any winner’s jersey for the remainder of his career. Also, past winners will not be wearing the gold shield, unlike what occurred with the Walter Payton patch, where past winners were retrofitted. So, Browns DE Myles Garrett missed this by one year.
The players wearing the patch are QB Josh Allen (MVP), Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley (Offensive Player of the Year), Denver Broncos CB Pat Surtain II (Defensive Player of the Year), Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels (Offensive Rookie of the Year), and Los Angeles Rams LB Jared Verse (Defensive Rookie of the Year).
The NFL copied Major League Baseball with the look. This year, that league has six players who have gold-embellished MLB logos on the backs of their game-issued jerseys.