At face value, it's no surprise that tickets for the Chicago Bears' matchup with the New England Patriots at Soldier Field are going for such absurd prices. After all, the game pits Caleb Williams against Drake Maye, two of the NFL's best young signal-callers who have perhaps already established themselves as the clear front-running gems of the 2024 quarterback class. However, that quarterback duel is not the only point of intrigue for Thursday night's proceedings.
This Bears-Patriots tilt is Chicago's first home game since franchise legend Mike Ditka's death. (Note: The Bears have been wearing No. 89 Ditka decals on their helmets ever since.) Ditka was a Hall of Fame tight end for the Bears who helped them win the 1963 NFL championship and later became a character and icon when he coached them to their only Super Bowl victory so far in 1985. You could understand why Ditka has a special place in Bears history and why the organization would want to pull out all the stops to pay tribute to him.
Here's what the Bears have planned exactly on Thursday night to honor Ditka:
- All fans attending the game will receive fake Ditka-style mustaches.
- The first 10,000 fans will receive a knit Bears headband inspired by Ditka's signature sweater vest as a coach.
- The Pro Football Hall of Fame will have a Ditka display in Soldier Field's south courtyard.
- The Bears will have a Ditka No. 89 stencil in the Soldier Field grass.
- The Bears' spirit squad will hold Ditka-themed flags
- There will be a special video tribute to Ditka.
- Finally, there will be a moment of silence right before the national anthem that the Amazon broadcast will show.
Even without the potentially exciting game between talented quarterbacks, you could see why Thursday night will be a memorable one to Bears fans and the city of Chicago as they honor a late legend.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: How are the Bears honoring Mike Ditka on Thursday night?