Mike Ditka, Super Bowl-winning player and coach, dies aged 86

Mike Ditka, the NFL icon who coached the Chicago Bears to the Super Bowl XX title in 1986, died on 9 October 2026 at the age of 86, his family said.

The Ditka family confirmed his death but did not provide a cause. "It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka," said a Ditka family statement. "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."

Ditka was the fifth overall pick in the 1961 draft when he joined the Chicago Bears as a player and spent six years with the franchise before playing for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys.

He helped the Cowboys win their first Super Bowl in 1972, scoring the final touchdown in a 24-3 win against the Miami Dolphins. Ditka completed a 12-year playing career with 427 receptions for 5,812 yards and 43 touchdowns before retiring at the end of the 1972 season.

After his playing days he moved into coaching, serving as an assistant with the Cowboys when they won the 1978 Super Bowl and becoming Chicago's head coach in 1982. He created a dominant side which had a 15-1 record during the 1985-86 regular season before he led them to victory against the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XX.

Hall of Famer Walter Payton played under Ditka, and Payton's son, Jarrett Payton, paid tribute on social media, writing: "Da Coach. Hall of Famer. The heartbeat of the '85 Bears and a Super Bowl champion," and adding, "Chicago won't be the same."

"Mike's impact on the Chicago Bears organisation, over decades as a player, coach, and proud icon and ambassador for our organisation, is immeasurable," said a Bears statement. "His integral role in bringing world championships to our city and our franchise, both as a player and as our coach, established prominence and excellence at a world-class level, but also created a lifetime of cherished memories in the hearts and minds of Bears fans that will last for generations."