The Chicago Bears lost another franchise legend a little less than two years after the passing of Bears matriarch Virginia McCaskey. On the morning of Friday October 9th, Jarrett Payton, the son of Hall of Fame running back Walter “Sweetness” Payton, shared the news that Mike Ditka passed away at the age of 86, according to the Ditka family.
In a franchise as storied as the Chicago Bears, one with over a century of history and some of the greatest giants of the National Football League, Mike Ditka still stands alone. As head coach of the Bears, it was he who delivered the Bears their first, and so far only, Super Bowl title. The 1985 Chicago Bears team is an indispensable part of the story of the NFL, and Ditka, with his aviator sunglasses and impressive mustache, was the face of it.
Ditka left his mark on the Bears far before that championship season, however. As a rookie in 1961, he set the NFL record for most receiving yards by a rookie tight end with 1,076 yards in 14 games, a record that stood for 63 years before Brock Bowers broke it in 2024. While Ditka never again recorded such a proficient season, it was enough to cement his place in NFL history right from the beginning of his storied career.
The legend of Mike Ditka only grew over the years, even through some very dark times for the Bears as a franchise. To this day, one cannot attend a Bears game at Soldier Field, or any stadium for that matter, without running into several people dressed like him. The sunglasses, the mustache, the sweater vest, and the cigar, these are all indellible images of one of the most famous head coaches in NFL history.
It’s impossible to overstate what a tremendous loss this is. First and foremost, we’re thinking of the Ditka family in this sorrowful time, and their full statement regarding Mike’s passing can be read here. This loss also impacts the Chicago Bears franchise, its fans, and even the NFL at large. A legend may have passed, but his memory will live on for generations, both among his family members and among the millions of football fans who witnessed the greatness of Mike Ditka on the football field, both as a player and a coach.
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