Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams gifted a personalized jersey to the Chicago-born Pontiff, potentially offering a first look at the team’s "Rivalries" uniform debuting on Christmas Day.
If you have seen a recent picture of the Pope, he was almost certainly wearing white from head to toe.
Caleb Williams added another piece of white clothing to Pope Leo XIV's wardrobe on Saturday after the Bears' quarterback sent Leo, a Chicago native, a signed Bears road jersey.
Inside the No. 18, Williams signed his name and wrote "Much Love!," "Men for Others," "AMDG," which stands for Ad majorem Dei gloriam (a Latin phrase that translates to "For the greater glory of God"), along with some hashtags: #HE13MAN'22, #DA Bears, #Bears #DA Pope.
Williams' foundation posted on X, stating that "The US Ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Burch, gave Pope Leo an autographed #18 jersey for the 4th of July!"
It's not every day that you see the Pope posing with a jersey of the starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears, which is unique in itself. However, take another look at the Bears' jersey.
Typically, a Bears road white jersey will feature an orange outline and navy numbers. Below is a picture of Williams from the Bears' first road matchup of the season against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.
Photo Credit: © Lon Horwedel-Imagn ImagesWhy does this matter? Well, the Bears will wear a rivalry jersey for the team's Week 16 matchup this season against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on Christmas Day.
This alternate white road jersey could be what the Bears wear against their NFC North rival for the team's second matchup against the Packers. The Bears defeated the Packers in both games they played at Soldier Field. Chicago overcame deficits entering the fourth quarter but secured victories.
According to NFL.com, Nike and the National Football League are “announcing Rivalries, a new and exciting uniform and fan gear program that will give athletes and fans an opportunity to connect like never before. The program will elevate NFL rivalry games over the next four seasons, with specially designed Nike uniforms and fan gear. Rivalries will drive fan engagement by celebrating storied traditions and uniting communities with unique and elevated product designs.”
The Rivalries designs were unveiled for the first time during the 2025 season for the AFC East (Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, and New York Jets) and NFC West (Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Seattle Seahawks).
The Bears' Christmas matchup against the Packers won't be the only time Chicago uses its Rivalries uniform. The Rivalries design will be featured for the next three seasons, along with alternate uniforms.
