Caleb Williams Sends Pope Leo XIV Signed No. 18 Bears Jersey on July 4

Q: Is the mysterious jersey Caleb Williams gifted the Pope a secret preview of the Bears' new 'Rivalry' uniform?

No. There is no evidence yet that the jersey Caleb Williams sent to Pope Leo XIV was a secret preview of the Bears’ new “Rivalry” uniform. The speculation started because the gifted jersey was white with orange numbers, a look that does not match Chicago’s standard on-field uniforms. That immediately caught fans’ attention, especially because the NFL’s “Rivalries” program is bringing a special Bears uniform for the team’s Christmas Day home game against the Packers in 2026. But the key fact is that the Bears have not officially unveiled that uniform. League and team timelines point to an August reveal, not early July. Without a team confirmation, the Vatican jersey cannot be treated as an authenticated preview. There is also a more ordinary explanation. Some fans identified the jersey as the “Tundra” fashion version already sold by Nike, which would make it a retail or commemorative item rather than a new game uniform. That theory fits the available evidence at least as well as the “Rivalry” idea. So, at this point, the jersey is best understood as a mystery that sparked fan interest, not proof of a leak. Until the Bears formally reveal their “Rivalry” design, the safer reading is that Williams’ gift was most likely a special fashion jersey or custom presentation piece rather than a confirmed look at Chicago’s new alternate uniform.

3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jul 5

Brian Burch, the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, presented Pope Leo XIV with Caleb Williams' autographed No. 18 Bears jersey at the Vatican on July 4.
Williams sent the gift through his Caleb Cares foundation and inscribed the jersey with “AMDG,” a Jesuit Latin phrase meaning “For the greater glory of God.”
The white jersey with orange numbers also drew attention because the Bears do not typically wear that look, fueling speculation it previews Chicago's 2026 Nike “Rivalries” alternate uniform.
Leo, born in Chicago as Robert Francis Prevost, has built a notable collection of hometown sports memorabilia, including White Sox items, a custom Bears jersey from JD Vance and a Bulls jersey.