If the Bears are still looking for a spot to build their new stadium, they might want to consider Vatican City. For the first time in history, the Vatican is being led by an American-born pope, and he just happens to be from Chicago.
Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, is a Bears fan, and he got a Bears-related gift over the weekend from Caleb Williams, who sent him an autographed jersey. When you send a gift to the pope, there’s no way to know if he’ll actually receive it, but in this case, we do, because he posed for a photo with the jersey. U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch presented Leo with the gift on July 4.
We are celebrating the 4th of July in a big way! The US Ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Burch, gave Pope Leo an autographed #18 jersey for the 4th of July! pic.twitter.com/cDN9Cybmd4
— Caleb Cares Foundation (@calebcaresfdn) July 4, 2026
Williams not only autographed the jersey but also personalized it with a “To: Pope Leo” greeting. He included three hashtags: #DaPope, #DaBears and #Heisman22. There was also a four-letter acronym, AMDG, which stands for “Ad majorem Dei gloriam,” a Latin phrase that translates to “For the greater glory of God.”
When Williams sent the jersey to the pope, he probably didn’t expect it to become an international mystery, but that’s exactly what happened. Some have speculated that the quarterback sent the pope a new alternate jersey the Bears will unveil later this year.
Did Williams leak a new alternate jersey?
If you look at the jersey Williams sent, it’s not one the Bears have ever worn in a game, leading some to speculate that he leaked Chicago’s new “Rivalries” jersey.
Bears QB Caleb Williams gifted Pope Leo an autographed 18 jersey for the 4th of July. 🇺🇸
Check out the white jersey. Nike rivalries leak? 👀
via @calebcaresfdn pic.twitter.com/h2QXfuFHaR
— Bearsszn (@bearszn) July 5, 2026
Bears QB Caleb Williams has sent a signed jersey to Chicago native Pope Leo XIV. (As noted by @bearszn, it looks to be a leak of the upcoming Rivalries uniform.) https://t.co/tq3J8VdZlZ
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) July 5, 2026
In honor of July 4, Caleb Williams sent an autographed jersey to Chicago native Pope Leo XIV.
The #Bears’ uniform he signed on may also be a leak of the special Rivalries jerseys for this season. 👀❄️
(📸 @CALEBcsw, @calebcaresfdn) pic.twitter.com/a4CphLKz1e
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) July 5, 2026
The Rivalries program debuted last season, with the AFC East and NFC West each getting new Rivalries jerseys (you can see all eight Rivalries uniforms here).
Every team will eventually get a Rivalries uniform, and the Bears are up next this season. Here’s when each division will receive its new Rivalries jerseys:
- 2026: AFC South and NFC North
- 2027: AFC West and NFC East
- 2028: AFC North and NFC South
So yes, the Bears will definitely be getting a Rivalries uniform this year, but after some poking around, it doesn’t appear Williams sent the pope a sneak peek. Instead, it appears he sent Leo a “Tundra White” alternate jersey that the Bears sell on their website.
Bears’ Pro Shop
The jersey is sold out online at the Bears’ official Pro Shop, so the pope received a gift that’s not easy for the average fan to get.
It might seem odd to give the pope a jersey the team doesn’t wear, but it makes some sense. The pope generally wears only white, so sending him something that matched that aesthetic was a fitting choice.
There’s still a small chance this is the Rivalries jersey, but at this point, that seems unlikely. That reported, we’ll have the answer soon enough.
Last year, the NFL unveiled all eight Rivalries uniforms on the same day — the first Thursday after the final week of the preseason. If the league follows a similar schedule this year, the Rivalries uniforms should be released around Sept. 3.
