With the NFL regular season slated to kick off shortly between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles, one new thing will catch many fans’ attention. For the first time in the league’s history, select players will have a gold NFL patch stitched onto their jerseys.
The NFL started this program to recognize individual achievement by highlighting the league’s most notable award winners from the previous season. The patch, which is positioned immediately above the jersey collar, is a gold version of the NFL shield logo inspired by a similar initiative in Major League Baseball.
According to ESPN, the patch will be worn throughout the regular season and into the playoffs, offering fans and players a visible reminder of last year’s standout performers.
Who Gets the Gold Patch?
The patch is reserved for five specific Associated Press award winners:
- NFL MVP
- Offensive Player of the Year
- Defensive Player of the Year
- Offensive Rookie of the Year
- Defensive Rookie of the Year
This year’s inaugural class of honorees includes some of the league’s brightest stars. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, the reigning MVP, will sport the patch, as will Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, who earned Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Saquon Barkley will wear a gold NFL patch this season in honor of his offensive player of the year award. 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/5bxs8xok1F
— The Eagle Times (@TheEagleTimes_) September 3, 2025
On the defensive side, Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II will wear it as the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year. Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and Los Angeles Rams edge rusher Jared Verse round out the group as the Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year, respectively.
Building on a Tradition of Recognition for the NFL
While this is the first season the NFL has honored award winners in this way, patches aren’t new to football.
The league already gives Walter Payton Man of the Year recipients a special logo to wear for the rest of their careers. Similarly, team captains have long worn a “C” patch, with the color turning gold once a player has served as captain for five or more years.
Still, the gold shield patch represents a different kind of recognition rooted entirely in on-field performance. It connects directly to the NFL Honors ceremony and continuously celebrates individual excellence.
For fans, it’s a fun new way to identify the game’s elite players on sight. For the athletes, it’s a visible badge of distinction that sets them apart, even in a league filled with talent. And for the NFL, it’s another way to merge tradition with marketing, giving the league yet another conversation piece to start the season.
As Barkley will take the field against the Cowboys in the season opener on Thursday night, he will become the first player to debut the gold shield patch in live action. As the season unfolds, more players will follow, and so will the questions from fans. When you see that gold patch gleaming on a jersey, you’ll know it’s there to honor greatness.
