Tag: 1985 Bears

’85 Bears react to Steve McMichael being named to Pro Football Hall of Fame

Steve McMichael is the seventh member of the 1985 Bears to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Chicago Bears great Steve McMichael has done his waiting, but he’s finally joining his 1985 Bears teammates in football immortality. McMichael was one of three Bears named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024, along with Devin Hester and Julius Peppers.

McMichael becomes the seventh member of the ’85 Bears to be inducted into the Hall of Fame — joining Walter Payton, Mike Singletary, Dan Hampton, Richard Dent, Jim Covert and Mike Dikta.

McMichael is the fourth player from the legendary ’85 Bears defense, widely considered to be the greatest ever, to be enshrined.

“For Steve to be in the Hall of Fame, it means that we’re together again in a place that no one can take away from him,” Singletary told the Sun-Times. “In the football world, he’s finally home.”

McMichael has been waiting a long time to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and unfortunately time isn’t on his side. McMichael has been battling ALS for the last couple of years. He revealed his diagnosis in April 2021, and he’s now full paralyzed and lost his voice.

“It’s a victory with an asterisk,” former Bears safety Gary Fencik said. “We’re happy and celebrating success, but we’re also looking at Steve’s condition.”

McMichael spent 13 seasons with the Bears, where he was a member of the 1985 Super Bowl team. McMichael was a two-time First Team All-Pro, three-time Second Team All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler. His 92.5 sacks ranks second in franchise history, behind only fellow Hall of Famer Dent (124.5).

“I’m not sure Steve really saw himself as a special player, but the greatest asset that Steve McMichael brought to our team was consistency,” Singletary said. “He was not really concerned about stats. The most important thing was that you always knew, come hell or high water, Steve was gonna do his job.

“For a middle linebacker, I always knew he was gonna be where he was supposed to be, and that takes all the second-guessing out of it. It makes you play that much faster. It makes all the difference in the world.”

McMichael’s wife, Misty, has said the push for the Hall of Fame has been inspiration for him to keep fighting.

“It’s gonna mean the world to them,” said Jim McMahon. “Maybe now he can let go. How he’s survived this long, I don’t know. He’s been through so much, and he’s still here. Hopefully now he hears great news and he can go in peace.”

Bears’ Steve McMichael named finalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Legendary Bears DT Steve McMichael is all but guaranteed enshrinement in Canton.

Legendary Chicago Bears defensive tackle Steve “Mongo” McMichael is on the doorstep of football immortality.

McMichael was officially named one of three senior finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Wednesday. The seniors committee voted a day earlier to determine the finalists, who will almost certainly join the Hall of Fame when the full selection committee votes in February.

McMichael was a member of the Bears for 13 years and was a key component of the 1985 Super Bowl team. Mongo ranks second in team history with 92.5 career sacks, trailing only Hall of Fame defensive end Richard Dent. McMichael is third in tackles with 814. He was named first-team All-Pro twice and second-team All-Pro three times, and made two Pro Bowls.

The news of McMichael’s likely induction is special for multiple reasons. For one, a deserving member of the vaunted Bears defense of the 1980s finally gets the recognition he deserves.

But it’s also a gratifying moment for McMichael and his wife, Misty, with the former NFL star having battled ALS for more than two years. McMichael was diagnosed in the spring of 2021, and he lost his ability to speak, along with the movement of his muscles. Things almost took a turn for the worse recently, too.

A couple of weeks ago, McMichael lost consciousness while suffering from pneumonia and sepsis. He’s now back at home, and Misty credits the push for the Hall as something that extended his life.

“He would have died at home if it wasn’t for the nomination,” she told Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “He was dying in front of us. We ripped up the DNR [do-not-resuscitate order] because of the nomination. He has to live to see this.”

At long last, McMichael was able to see it and the induction to Canton, Ohio is all but final. The other senior finalists are Randy Gradishar and Art Powell.

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Bears go offensive line with top 10 pick for the first time since 1983

The last time the Bears selected an offensive lineman in the top 10 of the NFL Draft, they became a Hall of Famer.

For years, the Chicago Bears have neglected the offensive line early on in the NFL Draft. They took swings at some players in the first round within the last two decades, such as Marc Colombo in 2002, Chris Williams in 2008, Gabe Carimi in 2011, and Kyle Long in 2013. Long was the only player to pan out while the other three were busts in the navy and orange. But they were also players mostly picked later in the first round.

That changed with the selection of Tennessee tackle Darnell Wright with the No. 10 overall pick. The Bears traded down one spot with the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick and still got their guy in Wright, who projects to be the team’s starting right tackle almost immediately.

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You have to go back 40 years to 1983 to find the last time the Bears spent a top 10 pick on an offensive lineman. That was where they selected Hall of Fame tackle Jimbo Covert with the No. 6 overall pick in what turned out to be a loaded draft class.

Covert was a key player during the Bears’ dominant run in the 1980s. He made multiple Pro Bowls and helped pave running lanes for legendary running back Walter Payton while giving Jim McMahon enough time in the pocket to make plays downfield. Covert helped the Bears win Super Bowl XX and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2020.

Nov 20, 1988; Tampa, FL, USA; Chicago Bears tackle Jimbo Covert (74) in action against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Tampa Stadium. FILE PHOTO; Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports

The Bears sought a solution to help their new franchise quarterback in McMahon (selected one year earlier) stay upright. Covert played left tackle and the offense improved each season he was on the team. They invested in their valuable offensive players and it led to success the Bears haven’t come close to seeing since. Now the 2023 Bears are doing the same thing, drafting one of the top offensive tackles in the draft to help protect Justin Fields.

This certainly isn’t to say Chicago just drafted a future Hall of Fame tackle or that they’ll go on to win the Super Bowl in a couple of years. But the offense improved considerably when top resources went to the offensive line back in the 1980s. For one reason or another, the Bears neglected to spend a top-10 pick on that position over the years, despite having ample opportunities while passing up elite talent that was still on the board. They took a swing this time and the hope is Wright pays dividends for not only Fields, but the rest of the offense as whole.

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Former Bears great Steve ‘Mongo’ McMichael diagnosed with ALS

Former ‘85 Bears great Steve McMichael is in a fight for his life as he battles ALS.

One of the most outgoing, gregarious, and larger-than-life personalities who has ever strapped on a Chicago Bears helmet is now in a fight for his life.

Steve “Mongo” McMichael, one of the key members of the 1985 Chicago Bears Super Bowl defense, has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that impacts the nervous system. There is no cure for ALS.

The somber news was first reported in detail by Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune.

McMichael was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, about three months ago. The disease effectively shuts down the brain’s ability to communicate with muscles over time. McMichael told Wiederer he’s already lost the ability to move both of his arms, while his legs are getting weaker and weaker by the day. The 63-year old former defensive tackle has lost nearly 60 pounds and the disease isn’t slowing down.

His condition has worsened considerably since he was initially diagnosed in January and needs help from his wife, Misty, to bathe, eat, and everything between.

“This is a humbling thing, brother,” McMichael told Wiederer.

He has one message for those thinking of him and his family: “Say a prayer.”

McMichael played 15 years in the NFL, 13 of which came with the Bears from 1981-1993. He was named First-team All-Pro two times and Second-team All-Pro three times during his career and is listed as one of the 100 Greatest Bears of all time.

After his playing career, McMichael didn’t slow down. He became a professional wrestler in the late ’90s, coached the Chicago Slaughter, an indoor semi-pro football team from 2007 to 2013 and also ran for mayor of Romeoville, IL in 2012.

McMichael was also a regular contributor to ESPN 1000’s Bears coverage, hosting pregame shows from remote locations over the last few years.

A GoFundMe page has been created “by friends to help defray the mounting cost of Steve’s daily care and medical needs.”

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Jim McMahon dubbed middle-of-the-pack Super Bowl QB

When ranking every quarterback to play in the Super Bowl, where do former Bears QBs Jim McMahon and Rex Grossman rank?

It’s been 34 years since the Bears last won the Super Bowl. And it’s been 13 years since the Bears last played in a Super Bowl. A gruesome reminder that this team has underachieved over the last three decades.

The Bears have had just two quarterbacks that have played in the Super Bowl over the last 54 years, including the Punky QB himself, Jim McMahon.

NFL.com recently ranked all of the quarterbacks to ever play in a Super Bowl, and McMahon landed in the middle of the pack at No. 54.

While the 1985 Bears were known for their ferocious defense, McMahon commanded an offense that could hold its own. The Bears offense averaged 28.5 points per game, which was second in the NFL. McMahon remains the only Super Bowl-winning quarterback in Bears history.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, Rex Grossman was ranked the worst quarterback to ever play in a Super Bowl at No. 63.

Grossman only had three seasons where he started more than three games (2006, ’07, 2011), but at least Sexy Rexy has a nickname that will live forever.

As if the Bears needed a reminder of their poor quarterback history.

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Where do 1985 Bears rank among NFL’s greatest teams?

NFL Network continued its countdown of the greatest teams in league history, and the 1985 Bears landed just outside the top spot.

NFL Network continued its countdown of the 100 greatest teams in NFL history. The Chicago Bears had nine teams that made the list from Nos. 31-100.

When discussing the greatest teams of all time, you can’t leave out the 1985 Bears, who 34 years later are still revered for their sheer dominance.

The ’85 Bears were a team of destiny. They had the most dominant defense in NFL history, as well as arguably the best running back of all time, Walter Payton.

The Bears were near perfect (minus a loss to the Miami Dolphins) and continued that show of dominance in the postseason with back-to-back shutouts of the New York Giants (21-0) and Los Angeles Rams (24-0) before destroying the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX.

Many consider them to be the greatest NFL team of all time. But not NFL Network, which ranked the ’85 Bears as the second-greatest team in league history.

The only team that ranked ahead of them on the list? The 1972 Miami Dolphins, who remain the only undefeated team in NFL history.

But when discussing the greatest teams in history, it’s not just about the stats. It’s about the impact.

And you can’t deny the impact of the ’85 Bears.

Who knows what could’ve been if Buddy Ryan had stayed as defensive coordinator in Chicago? Or if Jim McMahon had stayed healthy? Who knows what this group of guys could have accomplished in another one, two, three seasons? What if?

But that’s what made this team so special. For one moment, they shone brighter than any star in the galaxy. And then that light was gone. But that team’s impact has never faded.

For the ’85 Bears, it’s not about what could’ve been, it’s about what was accomplished. And boy, did they leave their mark.

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