Mike Ditka speaks during an event in New York, Jan. 30, 2014. Ditka, a tenacious tight end for the Chicago Bears and a Super Bowl-winning Bears coach who became a symbol of competitive fire, died on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. He was 86. (Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times) By BARRY BEARAK Mike Ditka, a tenacious tight end for the Chicago Bears who relished each collision and fought for every yard, then a Super Bowl-winning Bears coach so well-known for his sideline rants that he became a symbol of…
