The football world lost a legend on Friday with the news that Hall of Famer Mike Ditka has passed away at the age of 86.

Ditka won the Super Bowl in 1985 as the head coach of the Chicago Bears. He also won a Super Bowl as a player with the Dallas Cowboys.

Mike Ditka was truly a one-of-a-kind coach, player and personality. An all-time NFL legend who led the Bears to their famous Super Bowl XX victory. He was also a tremendous TE and 5x All-Pro selection:

RIP Coach Ditka, who was 86. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/fki53uXVxC https://t.co/dVdiqIW96w

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) October 9, 2026

Peyton Manning issues statement on Mike Ditka’s death

Fellow Hall of Famer Peyton Manning issued a statement on Ditka’s passing via an Instagram post on Friday.

“From his Hall of Fame playing career to his success as a coach, Mike Ditka was a true legend of the game,” wrote Manning. “His passion for football was unmatched and his impact will be felt for generations. Rest in peace, Coach.”

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As a rookie in 1998, Manning actually crossed paths with Ditka in just his fourth career NFL game.

Ditka was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 1997 to 1999.

In 1998, Manning and the Indianapolis Colts played Ditka and the Saints in in Week 4.

The Saints won the game 19-13 in overtime.

Oddly enough, former Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel was the quarterback for the Saints that day. Wuerffel was 2-0 against Manning in college.

The game between the Saints and the Colts in 1998 was the only time that Ditka and Manning crossed paths in a regular season NFL game.

(Ditka, according to ESPN, offered to trade the Saints’ entire draft in 1998 for Peyton Manning, but the Colts didn’t budge. A year later, Ditka traded the Saints’ entire draft for running back Ricky Williams.)