The Chicago Bears are paying their respects to former coach and player Mike Ditka, who passed away on Friday at the age of 86.
One of the most iconic figures in the history of the franchise, Ditka transcended the tight end position not just in Chicago but across the NFL, and then took himself to another level for his passion, intensity, and unfiltered approach as a head coach with both the Bears and New Orleans Saints.
One of the most important things to Ditka was the Bears' rivalry against the Green Bay Packers, where the former coach went 15-5 against them in his coaching tenure, making Sunday's Week 5 matchup at Lambeau Field all that more meaningful.
Ahead of Sunday's game, NFL insider Ian Rapoport revealed that the Bears will wear a decal honoring Ditka and his No. 89 that he donned in a Bears uniform.
Here are the #Bears helmets they’ll wear today honoring the late, great Mike Ditka. pic.twitter.com/jvgBoe98Xv
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 11, 2026
It'll be interesting to see if the team keeps this decal for the rest of the season, but it definitely highlights even more emotional importance in one of the NFL's greatest rivalries in league history.
Ben Johnson mentioned on Friday that he wanted the team to pay their respects to Ditka by how they played in Green Bay, and now the helmet decal is just another memorial for one of the most polarizing figures in the history of the Bears, and Chicago sports.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: LOOK: Bears to honor Mike Ditka with helmet decal vs. Packers