The late Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus is being honored by the team for the rest of the season.
The Bears announced in a statement the team will wear patches with Butkus' jersey number of 51 starting in Week 6 moving forward, with the patch being the number 51 inside of a football
“It’s been gratifying to hear so many of our current players say in recent days how much they appreciate the Butkus legacy,” Bears chairman George H. McCaskey said in a statement. “The purpose of the patch is every time they pull on the pads they’ll take a moment to think about Dick and his approach to the game.”
Butkus recently passed away at the age of 80. He was a hometown kid, growing up in Chicago and being drafted by the Bears as the third overall pick in the 1965 NFL Draft.
Butkus was a monster for the Bears during his time with the team. He spent his entire nine-year career with the Bears, earning eight Pro Bowl selections, five first-team All-Pro honors, and two Defensive Player of the Year awards. Butkus also had the honor of being one of the 100 Greatest Bears of All-Time, and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1979.
Butkus was also a star during his time in college at the University of Illinois. Butkus was a Consensus All-American in 1964, and he was named the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player in 1963.
The Bears have gotten off to a 1-4 start in the 2023 season and will host the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6.