Bears to honor Mike Ditka by wearing special helmet decal in Week 5 against Packers

Ditka, who played six years in Chicago before leading the Bears to a Super Bowl as a coach, passed away last week.

Oct 11, 2026 at 12:17 pm ET • 1 min read

Mike Ditka is one of the most legendary figures in Chicago Bears history, and the team is planning to honor him on Sunday. 

For their Week 5 game in Green Bay, the Bears will be wearing a special helmet decal that will feature Ditka's 89, which was the number he wore during his six-year career as a player in Chicago. 

The Bears unveiled the decal on Sunday morning. 

Ditka died Friday at the age of 86. 

Ditka is an icon in Chicago, and his ties with the franchise go back 65 years. In 1961, the Bears made him the fifth overall pick in the NFL Draft. During his rookie season, he became the first tight end in NFL history to go over 1,000 yards receiving. He ended up spending a total of 12 seasons in the NFL, with six of those coming in Chicago. He also played for the Eagles (1967-68) and Cowboys (1969-72). 

After his playing career ended, Ditka returned to Chicago when the Bears hired him as head coach in 1982. Three years later, he led the Bears to their first, and currently only, Super Bowl win in franchise history. Ditka ended up coaching the Bears for 11 seasons (1982-1992), and he was voted the NFL's coach of the year twice (1985, 1988) during that span. 

Ditka is such an NFL legend that the Packers will also be honoring the Pro Football Hall of Famer on Sunday. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the team is planning a moment of silence before the game. 

"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," the Packers said in a statement. "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."

The Bears and Packers will be kicking off at 1 p.m. ET from Lambeau Field.