Matt Suhey, Lead Blocker for the 1985 Bears, Dies at 68

Matt Suhey, the former Chicago Bears fullback who spent a decade paving the way for Walter Payton and helped the franchise win its only Super Bowl, has died at age 68, according to reporting from NBC Chicago, a station owned by Comcast’s Comcast NBCUniversal division.

Suhey arrived in Chicago as a second-round selection in the 1980 draft and remained with the team for his entire career, retiring after the 1989 season. While his primary role was clearing paths for Payton — a friendship that extended well beyond the field — Suhey put together a productive stat line of his own, finishing with 2,946 rushing yards and 20 scores on the ground, plus 2,113 receiving yards and five touchdowns through the air.

His place in franchise lore was sealed during the 1985 season, when the Bears rolled to a 46-10 triumph over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. Suhey scored the game’s opening touchdown, a fitting contribution for a player who spent so much of his career enabling others’ success.

Teammates consistently described him as a locker-room leader. Jimbo Covert, the Bears offensive lineman inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021, asked Suhey to serve as his presenter at the enshrinement. Speaking to Bears senior writer Larry Mayer in 2020, Covert called Suhey a mentor who taught him “what it meant to be a pro,” and noted that choosing Suhey was also a way to honor Payton, given how close the two backs had been.

Suhey’s death comes as the sports world continues to reflect on the legacy of the 1985 Bears, one of the most celebrated single-season teams in NFL history. The franchise’s championship era of the 1980s remains a cornerstone of the team’s identity and a lasting draw for fans in one of the league’s largest media markets, where coverage of the team spans broadcast, streaming, and digital platforms.

Suhey is remembered by fans not only for the touchdowns he scored but for the countless yards he cleared the way for — most of them belonging to Payton, whose record-setting career was built in part on Suhey’s blocking.

What to watch

• Any public tributes or statements from the Chicago Bears organization or former teammates in the coming days.
• Possible recognition of Suhey at an upcoming Bears home game.
• Continued NFL coverage from Comcast-owned outlets, including NBC Sports platforms, ahead of the network’s upcoming broadcast schedule.

Source: original release