GREEN BAY, Wis. — Forget about the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears.
It’s impossible to tell the story of the NFL without Mike Ditka.
Ditka, one of the most distinguishable icons in league history, passed away Friday at the age of 86. He was just nine days away from celebrating what would’ve been his 87th birthday.
Ditka's passing comes just two days before the Bears are scheduled to clash with the Packers at Lambeau Field, and at a time when the heated NFC North rivalry has never been more turbulent than it is now. The Bears have won three of their last four against the Packers, including their historic comeback in January’s Wild Card game when they rallied despite a 21-3 halftime deficit. They’re a Karl Brooks fingertip away—the defensive tackle blocked what would’ve been a game-winning field goal from Cairo Santos in 2024—from having won four of their last five against the Packers.
The Bears will travel to Green Bay with heavy hearts, but Ditka was such a trailblazer that both sides of the NFL’s most historic rivalry will be feeling the weight of tremendous loss.
The Packers issued a statement on Ditka’s passing.
“The Green Bay Packers are saddened to learn of the passing of Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka. We extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends and the entire Chicago Bears organization.
One of the fiercest competitors in NFL history, Mike helped define the intensity and tradition of the Packers-Bears rivalry, the oldest in professional football. He embodied the toughness and passion that have made the rivalry one of the most storied in all of sports.
While he was a formidable opponent, his contributions to the game and to a rivalry that has meant so much to both franchises will always be respected and remembered by the Green Bay Packers.”
A Bear through and through, Ditka had two separate Hall of Fame careers, both as a player and as a coach. He was a No. 5 overall pick of the Bears in 1961, where he’d spend the first six years of his playing career. He revolutionized the tight end position, tallying 316 receptions for 4,503 yards and 34 touchdowns in an era where players weren’t typically accumulating gaudy numbers in the passing game.
Ditka was traded twice—first, to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he’d spend two seasons, then again to the Dallas Cowboys, where he’d play out the final four years of his career. He finished his career with 427 receptions across 158 games for 5,812 yards and 43 touchdowns, earning five-time All-Pro honors and five Pro Bowl selections. Ditka No. 89 jersey was retired by the Bears, and he’s widely regarded as one of the greatest players at his position.
“Sometimes in life, there are things that happen that are more important than football,” said Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. “I just wanted to offer my condolences to the Bears, and to the Ditka family, in memory of Mike Ditka.
“Obviously, a true legend of the game, as a player and as a coach.”
Ditka later returned to the city of Chicago, where he would coach the Bears for 11 seasons. During that span, he was a two-time Coach of the Year winner, most notably in 1985 when Ditka was at the helm of one of the greatest NFL teams ever assembled. Headlined by the contributions of Jim McMahon, Walter Payton, Richard Dent, and William Perry, the Bears went 15-1—including a perfect 12-0 start to the season—en route to the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory.
The Bears didn’t surrender a single point in either of their two playoff games, beating the New York Giants 21-0 in the Divisional Round and the Los Angeles Rams 24-0 in the NFC Championship Game. The Bears clobbered the New England Patriots in a lopsided Super Bowl that featured a final score of 46-10. During Ditka’s tenure as head coach, the Packers were 5-15 against him, including eight consecutive losses to the Bears from 1985 through the 1988 season.
“As far as I’m concerned, coach Ditka is the gold standard in terms of this place,” said Bears head coach Ben Johnson. “He’s a legend around here—as a player, as a coach. His impact is still being felt to this day, and as the head coach of the Bears, I feel humbled to be in that same chair that he was once in.
“It’s a sad day, just hearing he’s passing on. He’s in our thoughts and prayers, and we’re moving on from there.”
Ditka has a long and often tumultuous history with Forrest Gregg, a Hall of Fame offensive lineman who played 14 seasons for the Packers. Gregg, who passed away in 2019, was briefly teammates with Ditka during their lone season with the Dallas Cowboys in 1971. Gregg won three Super Bowls—two with the Packers, one with the Cowboys—as well as a pair of NFL championships in 1961 and 1962.
Like Ditka, Gregg later returned to the city that drafted him to take the reins as head coach. The rivalry between the Packers and Bears has predated both Ditka and Gregg, but it was never at its fiercest than when both coaches were on opposite sidelines trying to outsmart one another in the 1980s. So much so that the annual exhibition game between the two teams had to be canceled in 1984 when Ditka and Gregg engaged in a screaming match at halftime. Ditka’s Bears were 7-1 versus Gregg’s Packers during that time.
Zachary Jacobson is the author of The Packer Dispatch. He is entering his 12th season covering the Green Bay Packers after spending seven as the Editor-in-Chief of Packer Report. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Follow him on Twitter @zachjacobson or contact him via email at itszachariahj@gmail.com.