NFL award winners to wear gold shield patches

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The status of Bills quarterback Josh Allen as the current Most Valuable Player in the league will be showcased in every game he participates in during the 2025 season through a gold patch on his uniform.

In a first for the NFL, the league will acknowledge the accomplishments of some of the standout players from the past season. Recipients of five Associated Press accolades from 2024 will don a gold shield patch reminiscent of the NFL Honors insignia, replacing the usual NFL shield patch on the neckline of the players’ game uniforms.

The athletes sporting the patch include Allen (MVP), Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles (Offensive Player of the Year), Pat Surtain II of the Denver Broncos (Defensive Player of the Year), Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders (Offensive Rookie of the Year), and Jared Verse of the Los Angeles Rams (Defensive Rookie of the Year).

Allen will showcase his patch on Sunday evening against the Baltimore Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson, who ranked second in MVP voting while being selected as an AP First Team All-Pro. This matchup will mark the initial occasion since at least 1970, as noted by Elias Sports Bureau, that the top two MVP vote recipients from the prior season face off in a season opener.

This initiative is expected to be sustained for these awards in the upcoming NFL seasons.

The introduction of a gold emblem to honor player accomplishments was also implemented by MLB earlier this year. Six MLB athletes feature gold-enhanced MLB logos on the backs of their game-issued uniforms. Some of these logos are utilized for creating Topps trading cards.

The NFL addition complements the league’s patches awarded to the winners of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, with those recipients wearing a distinctive patch on their jerseys throughout their careers.