NFL legend Mike Ditka, who guided the 1985 Chicago Bears to the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory, has died at the age of 86, according to Jarrett Payton.
Payton — the son of legendary Bears running back Walter Payton — took to social media on Friday morning to announce Ditka’s death on behalf of his family, passing along their statement on the towering memory of the Bears and NFL Hall of Famer.
“It’s with a heavy heart that I’m sharing the Ditka family has announced the passing of Mike Ditka this morning,” Payton wrote on X on Friday, October 9. “Da Coach. Hall of Famer. The heartbeat of the ’85 Bears and a Super Bowl champion. Chicago won’t be the same. Prayer to Diana and the family. RIP, Coach.
“Here’s a statement from the family: It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka. While the world knew Mike as a Hall of Fame football player, legendary coach, and leader of the Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl XX championship team, we knew him as the heart of our family. Mike will be missed beyond measure and remembered forever. With love and gratitude, The Ditka Family.”
Mike Ditka Leaves Behind Iconic Legacy in Chicago
Ditka left behind a championship legacy in Chicago both as a player and a coach.
Ditka’s connection to the Bears began when the team selected him No. 5 overall out of Pittsburgh in the 1961 NFL draft. He starred at tight end for them over the next six seasons, earning five Pro Bowl selections and two first-team All-Pro honors while revolutionizing the position. He also won an NFL championship with the team in 1963.
While Ditka shined as a player, though, he is more fondly remembered for bringing Chicago its first — and still only — Super Bowl title while donning his iconic sweater-vest-and-mustache look that remains a mainstay among Bears fans in 2026.
The Bears won the NFC Central title six times and made seven trips to the playoffs in Ditka’s 11 seasons as head coach. In 1985, “Da Coach” led them to a 15-1 record behind their generationally strong defense and captured the Super Bowl XX title.
Jarrett Payton Pays Tribute to Bears Legend Mike Ditka
The news of Ditka’s death is still hitting the city of Chicago, but tributes have already begun to pour in for the legendary coach — including from those who knew him best.
Payton, who announced the news first on 104.3 The Score after receiving a phone call about Ditka’s death, talked through his emotions on the air on Friday.
“It’s hitting me because I was not expecting this phone call,” Payton said Friday.
“It saddens me to give this information to the city of Chicago. Everybody knows how much Coach means to me and my family and this city and the Chicago Bears. He has been nothing but an amazing person for my entire family, but also somebody that always made sure that I was OK, that our family was OK, always kept up with us. Anytime that I needed him, he was always there.”
The Pro Football Hall of Fame also released a statement on Ditka’s passing.
:Mike brought competitiveness and a hard-nosed play style as he developed into both a fantastic blocker and someone who could punish would-be tacklers on his receptions,” wrote Jim Porter, the Hall of Fame’s president and CEO.
“He brought that same philosophy to his coaching, leading the famous 1985 team that paired with one of the most vaunted and dominant defenses in NFL history with a top-ranked offense. Mike’s captivating personality and leadership qualities will be preserved and celebrated forever in Canton.”
Bears Super Bowl-Winning Coach & NFL Legend Dies at 86