The Kansas City Chiefs are doing a number of things to pay tribute to Hall of Fame QB Len Dawson on Thursday night.
Dawson, 87, passed away on Wednesday after he was placed in hospice care earlier in August. Chiefs CEO and Chairman Clark Hunt confirmed on Wednesday that the team planned to honor Dawson during the course of the game. One of those ways has been revealed during pregame warmups.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and other players are wearing Len Dawson pullovers as they get loose ahead of the game. Players are also wearing a No. 16 decal on the back of their helmets.
Check it out:
.@PatrickMahomes honoring Hall-of-Famer and @Chiefs legend Len Dawson ❤️ pic.twitter.com/LF4qaMWPp3
— NFL (@NFL) August 25, 2022
Chiefs out warming up…looks like those with helmets on are sporting the No.16 and all practice pullovers have the No.16 on them as well…the Chiefs continue to honor Len Dawson tonight. #ChiefsKingdom #chiefs41 pic.twitter.com/WuSHkCyOyB
— Hayley Lewis 👑 (@HayleyLewisKSHB) August 25, 2022
A closer look at the Len Dawson hoodie that #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is wearing during warmups. (Cred: Jay Biggerstaff / USA Today) pic.twitter.com/2tlbgLBye1
— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) August 25, 2022
The pullover reads:
“Len Dawson
HOF ’87
MVP SB IV”
It’s a pretty classy move by the organization to do this. It’s an equally class move by Mahomes to sport the pullover during pregame warmups, especially in a game where he’s unlikely to play all that much.
These pullovers aren’t currently available for purchase, but it’s possible the team releases something similar in the future to benefit a charity that Dawson supported. We’ll keep you posted on anything else the Chiefs do to pay tribute to Dawson during the preseason finale.