Chicago Bears’ unique way of honoring the late Mike Ditka adds a new element to Week 7’s game against New England Patriots
The Chicago Bears return to Soldier Field for their first home game since legendary coach Mike Ditka passed away, and fans in attendance against the New England Patriots are in for something special.
The Chicago Bears host the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football in one of the most anticipated games of the 2026 NFL season, and it doubles as the team’s first home game since the passing of legendary former Bears coach Mike Ditka. Ditka led Chicago to a Super Bowl title over the Patriots following the 1985 season, which makes this matchup a fitting stage to honor him.
The Hall of Fame tight end and former head coach died on Oct. 9 at the age of 86. Ditka remains one of the most important figures in Bears history and in NFL history, and the organization is going all out to celebrate him in front of a primetime audience at Soldier Field.
Chicago Bears plan a stadium-wide tribute to honor Mike Ditka
The Bears already honored Ditka with No. 89 jersey patches last week on the road against the Atlanta Falcons. Chicago will continue wearing the for the rest of the season in his honor.
Now that the team is back home, fans get a chance to be a part of the tribute. The Bears will hold a stadium-wide mustache giveaway on Thursday night, a nod to the iconic mustache Ditka always wore. On top of that, the first 10,000 fans getting into Soldier Field will receive a Bears knit headband inspired by Ditka’s trademark sweater vest.
The tribute extends to the field itself. Fans will see a commemorative Ditka stencil on the Soldier Field grass, and there will be a moment of silence held before the national anthem. The Bears also have an on-field recognition planned, along with other moments honoring the legendary coach, including a special tribute, throughout the game.
It’s a great way to honor Ditka while getting the fans involved in what’s already shaping up to be a special night.
Patriots-Bears has become the hottest ticket in the NFL
The storylines on the field alone would make this a must-watch game. Bears head coach Ben Johnson and his Patriots counterpart were both in the running for Coach of the Year last season. Meanwhile, two of the most dynamic young quarterbacks in the league go head-to-head when Caleb Williams and Drake Maye take the field.
Fans clearly noticed. ESPN’s Field Yates noted earlier in the day that the Patriots-Bears game has become the most expensive ticket for any NFL game so far this year, with a get-in price of $702 on TickPick.
So, needless to say, the atmosphere at Soldier Field is set to be packed and electric. For the fans paying that kind of price to get in the building, the Ditka tribute adds even more meaning to the night.
Home crowd will be a major factor for Chicago
The timing of this home game couldn’t be much better for Chicago. The Bears are coming off back-to-back weeks on the road, and getting back in front of the home crowd should provide a noticeable boost.
Chicago is 2-1 at home, and the only loss came against the Minnesota Vikings in a game played in bad weather. That home-field advantage has been notable throughout the early part of the season.
Bears fans have even made their presence felt away from Chicago. Last week at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the crowd support for the Bears was loud enough to force the Atlanta Falcons into a silent count in their own building. That’s a strong sign of what this fan base can do, and it should be even louder at home.
“We love that,” Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon said of the fan support. “You can tell. You can just tell the Bears fans, they love that. The fire for this team is just burning. We’re going to do a lot of special things for them this year.”
With a sea of mustaches in the stands and a fitting opponent on the other sideline in a primetime setting, Soldier Field should deliver one of its best atmospheres of the year later tonight. The Bears will need every bit of that energy against a talented Patriots team.
