What Is The “A” Patch On The Kansas City Chiefs’ Uniform?

*Photos courtesy of @Chiefs on X/Twitter.*

Fans watching Super Bowl LVIII may be wondering what the “A” patch with the eagle is on the Kansas City Chiefs jerseys.

The Kansas City Chiefs have worn the A-Eagle patch on the left shoulder of their jerseys since the 2007 season. It’s worn in honor of the late Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt, who also founded the American Football League in 1960; the AFL merged with the NFL in 1970 and lives on today as the AFC.

Commissioned shortly after his death by his son and the team’s current co-owner, Clark Hunt, the circular patch was inspired by the 10-Year AFL Patch the Chiefs wore on their left shoulder in their Super Bowl IV victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

“For all of his countless accomplishments in the world of sports, my father’s legacy will always be most closely linked to the founding of the American Football League and its subsequent merger with the NFL,” Clark Hunt said in 2008 when the patch became a permanent fixture on Kansas City’s uniforms .

“The patch is a fitting tribute for his contributions to the league and a permanent reminder of the indelible mark he left on the game.”

It prominently displays a blue and white “A” that sits in front of a red eagle holding a football in its talons and is surrounded by six blue stars, just like the original AFL logo. Whereas the 10-year patch had “AFL” in the football, the current patch has the elder Hunt’s initials.

This design also served as the inspiration for the Chiefs’ 60th season logo, which appeared in the end zones at Arrowhead Stadium during the 2019 campaign, opposite of the Lamar Hunt tribute logo. It was not worn as a patch, however.

60th Season Logo (2019)

The patch has since been joined by another that honors Hunt’s late wife, Norma Knobel Hunt, which sits on the right shoulder of the Chiefs’ jerseys, as well as a Super Bowl LVIII patch for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. Team captains also wear a “C” above the Lamar Hunt patch.