The Minnesota Vikings announced today they will be honoring their long-time coach, Bud Grant, with a uniform patch in Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season.
The legendary coach, who took the Vikings to four Super Bowls, passed away on March 11th of this year, at the ripe old age of 95.
According to the team,
Players will wear a special jersey patch in Minnesota’s home opener against the Buccaneers. The added insignia is iconic but not ostentatious, just like the beloved figure. Rectangular with rounded corners, it is embroidered in purple with Bud’s signature.
It’s probably no coincidence that this is also the game in which the Vikings will be wearing their throwback uniforms.
You can see additional photos of the patch on the jersey here.
The team also produced a video about the honor.
For the remainder of the season the team will wear a helmet decal with the same signature.
Nice patch; However, If it’s only one week, put it on the horn, he earned that. IMHO. Unleash? Prolly, nice comeback. I’m just saying, he feels more important then a patch.
I didn’t have it in the article (which I recently updated) when you posted, but the team will have a helmet decal for him all season long.
I don’t think it’s big enough, maybe make it bigger?
I agree. Maybe is due to the very simple design, but it looks HUGE.
Nice patch, nice gesture for a legendary coach. And a nice try-out for possible future ads, I think the brass of the entire league will be watching this game for the visibility of the patch. Pardon my bleak view of this very nice patch but I do not believe a word of No Ads On NFL Uniforms During My Watch.
Agreed. I saw the photo before reading and my first thought was “And the last domino falls.”
I’m sure that uniform ads will arrive eventually, but I fail to see how this specific memorial patch is some sort of harbinger of future ads?
Last season the Bills worn a patch after Hamlin was injured, and I recall the Seahawks wore a prominent Paul Allen patch for much of the season just a few years ago. Those are just some recent examples that come to mind (plus many anniversary patches and such, too).
I’m as pessimistic as the next guy that “ads are coming,” but I’m just not sure what specifically league brass will glean from this patch that gives them some sort of go-ahead on ads?
A proper patch and proper tribute.
Agreed. I think Bud would have approved of the simplicity and there’s no higher praise I can offer.
I almost would have liked to see the Vikes give Adams something similar to how the Cowboys honored Landry – a baseball cap-shaped patch with the Norseman logo.
This is fitting but not strong or restrained like Bud was.
I’m glad we could get this purpleness out of the way while Paul’s on hiatus!