The Bears will honor the late, great Dick Butkus for the remainder of the 2023 season with a jersey patch commemorating the legendary linebacker’s No. 51, the team announced Friday.
Chicago will debut the homage in Week 6 for the team’s home game against the Vikings as part of a host of tributes in honor of Butkus, who died at the age of 80 on Oct. 5. The navy, football-shaped patch, positioned on the upper left chest, will be outlined in orange with white lacing and Butkus’s iconic jersey number on the inside.
“It’s been gratifying to hear so many of our current players say in recent days how much they appreciate the Butkus legacy,” said Bears Chairman George H. McCaskey in a statement on Friday. “The purpose of the patch is, every time they pull on the pads they’ll take a moment to think about Dick and his approach to the game.”
In addition to the patch, the Bears are also planning to pay respects to Butkus with a display of his Hall of Fame bust and a replica of his locker near Gate 1 of Soldier Field, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Videos memorializing the Pro Football Hall of Famer are expected to be shown on the Soldier Field scoreboard while the team will also reportedly hand out Butkus-themed buttons to fans.
The special day at Soldier Field will also reportedly carry added significance as Butkus’s No. 51 is slated to be painted at the 10-yard line on the north end of the field, per the Sun Times.
For 51 💙 pic.twitter.com/6uTlcLi1gf
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 13, 2023
A member of the Bears for his entire career, Butkus retired in 1973 with two Defensive Player of the Year awards, eight Pro Bowl selections, five-time first-team All-Pro nods. Additionally, the 1965 first-round pick is one of just 14 players with a jersey retired by the Bears.
