NFL Plans Gold Shield Patches for 2025 Award Winners

Starting in the 2025 NFL season, winners of the Associated Press awards from 2024 will wear a distinctive gold shield patch on their jerseys, replacing the traditional NFL shield on the collar. This new gold patch, inspired by the NFL Honors logo, will signify the league MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Defensive Rookie of the Year, including notable players such as Josh Allen, Saquon Barkley, and Pat Surtain II. The patches will be worn for the entire regular season and playoffs, beginning with the season opener between the Eagles and Cowboys. Josh Allen will debut his patch in a Sunday night game against the Baltimore Ravens, marking a rare matchup of the top two MVP vote-getters from the previous season at the season opener. This initiative is the NFL's first change to the shield's color for award winners and is expected to continue annually. The gold shield patch program complements other NFL jersey patches, such as those for team captains and Walter Payton Man of the Year award winners, and follows a similar trend introduced by MLB earlier this year.