The Chicago Bears are honoring the late defensive end Gaines Adams with a decal displaying his No. 99 on the back of their helmets.
“We’ll always remember Gaines around here,” coach Lovie Smith said, per the Chicago Tribune. “Sometimes a little bit out of sight, out of mind. We want a reminder. What better way to honor someone than to have that emblem there where you see it every time you come on the practice field, every time we go out to play a game? Gaines will always be a part of us.”
Adams, who was traded to the Bears from Tampa Bay during the 2009 season, died on January 17 at the age of 26. The cause was cardiac arrest, and an autopsy revealed he had an enlarged heart.
Defensive tackle Marcus Harrison, a close friend who was one of Adams’ pallbearers, has switched from No. 94 to No. 99.