Why are the Kansas City Chiefs wearing NKH patches in their season opener against the Detroit Lions?

The Kansas City Chiefs opened their 2023 NFL regular season against the Detroit Lions on Thursday night. Some hawk-eyed football fans noticed that the Chiefs jerseys this game featured a new patch on the right shoulder, a football with the gold-lettered initials NKH.

What is the meaning and significant of the NKH patch?

According to the Chiefs' social media account, Kansas City will wear the NKH patch all season long in honor of Norma Knobel Hunt, Lamar Hunt's wife, who passed away in June. She was 85 years old.

Lamar Hunt, as many Chiefs fans know, is the team's original founder who passed away in 2006. Since then, the team has sported a LH patch on the left shoulder of their jerseys in his memory.

In 2023, two Hunt family members will now be featured on the Chiefs jerseys, Lamar Hunt (LH) and Norma Knobel Hunt (NKH).

Chiefs wear NKH patch to honor the late Norma Knobel Hunt

Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in a statement, "My family and I are so proud to honor our mother's life and legacy this season. My mom loved football, and she loved the Chiefs."

Norma Hunt served as a teacher for most of her life. She graduated with a degree in secondary education from North Texas State University and taught American history at her alma mater, Richardson High School in Texas.

Norma met Lamar in 1963 and the two of them enjoyed an over 40-year-long marriage together.

The Chiefs plan to commemorate Norma Hunt during a special halftime ceremony on Thursday night at Arrowhead.