Chicago Bears Legend Dies After ALS Battle

HOMER GLEN, IL — Chicago Bears defensive tackle and Hall of Famer Steve "Mongo" McMichael has died, Jarrett Payton confirmed.

McMichael was moved to hospice care earlier in the day Wednesday. The Chicago Bears legend had battled ALS for several years, after he was diagnosed in 2021.

"With deep sorrow, I share that Steve McMichael passed at 5:28 PM after a brave fight with ALS, surrounded by loved ones. I’m grateful to have been with him in his final moments. Please keep Steve and his family in your prayers," Payton said on X.

Jarrett is the son of McMichael's Chicago Bears teammate Walter Payton. Jarrett was the presenter for McMichael at the enshrinement ceremony for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio last year.

McMichael was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year. His declining health kept him from making the trip to Ohio, but celebrations were brought to his home in Homer Glen. Hall of Fame President Jim Porter, McMichael's family, and several fellow Bears Hall of Famers attended the celebration.

When people hear the name "Steve McMichael," Steve's wife, Misty McMichael, told Patch last year that she wants people to think, "There goes my hero [because], he's everyone's hero."

"He is a gridiron great, one of the greatest of all time," she said. "There will never be another one like him, hasn't been since or in the future."

McMichael was a member of the Chicago Bears' legendary defense that led the team to a 1985 Super Bowl championship that many consider the best of all time.

"In heaven, he'll join our Mom, Dad, & Granny where they'll talk non-stop 4 a month," McMichael's sister tweeted earlier in the day.