A new series of uniforms is coming to the NFL this season, and it could mean some changes are coming for the Chicago Bears next year. The NFL and Nike unveiled new uniforms this week as part of a new NFL Rivalries series that debuts in 2025.
The AFC East and NFC West divisions will don a special uniform for one week when playing against one of their division rivals. The uniforms are completely new alternatives and not throwbacks that have been previously worn. It’s a new concept that the NFL is debuting this season, and there are plans to continue it in 2026 that should involve the Bears.
Will the Bears have a new jersey in 2026?
The NFL and Nike plan to rotate this series over the next few years with different divisions, and the NFC North is up next in 2026. That means the Bears, along with the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Detroit Lions, will have a new alternative uniform next season during a division game. The AFC South will also participate.
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This could mean fans finally get to see a “polar bear” concept that has been talked about for quite some time. Or perhaps something navy, or a nod to the Chicago flag. There are tons of possibilities, but fans can look forward to seeing something different for a week next season.
Will the Bears wear any throwbacks in 2025?
While Bears fans will need to wait another year to see a new alternate jersey, will they still get to see the usual throwback or alternate uniforms? Not this year. The Bears made the decision to stick with their traditional navy and white uniforms out of respect for the late matriarch Virginia Halas McCaskey, who passed away in February. Instead, the team will wear a patch to commemorate McCaskey, which was debuted during the preseason. The patch is similar to the one the team wore in the 1980s following the passing of George Halas, Virginia’s father.
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“She said to me many times, ‘If it were up to me, we’d have the same uniform at home and the same uniform away,’” George McCaskey said to the Chicago Sun-Times in July. “I’m thinking, ‘Well, it is up to you, Mom.’ It’s a tribute to her that she understood and deferred to us in those choices. So we thought this would be a nice way to pay tribute to her.”
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Will the Bears have a new jersey design for 2026?