The Hall of Famer died at 86, leaving behind a football identity that feels increasingly distant.
Mike Ditka died Friday at 86, according to his family and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He helped change the tight end position as a player and later coached Chicago's famous 1985 championship team.
There's no reason to downplay what he meant to the sport. The Bears of that era weren't just a team that won. They had personalities, an identity, and a coach who became recognizable far beyond football fans.
But I think the more interesting way to remember a figure like Ditka is to separate toughness from the idea that every old-school habit was better. Modern players have different expectations about health, leadership and how they're treated. That's not automatically softness.
The question isn't whether football needs another Ditka. It's which parts of his leadership deserve to survive and which belong to a different era. Respecting a legend shouldn't mean turning the past into something beyond criticism.
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