In the offseason following the 1966 NFL season, the
Philadelphia Eagles lost star TE Pete Retzlaff to retirement while the Chicago
Bears were seeking a quarterback due to the retirement talk surrounding
35-year-old QB Rudy Bukich (he stayed on for one more season as a backup). On April
26, 1967 the Eagles traded QB Jack Concannon and an unspecified 1968 draft pick
to the Bears for TE Mike Ditka.
Ditka (pictured above) had quickly established himself as one of the premier
tight ends in pro football after coming to the Bears as a first draft choice in
1961. He received Rookie of the Year recognition as he caught 56 passes for
1076 yards and 12 touchdowns in his first year and was selected to the Pro Bowl
following each of the first five. A hard-nosed player who combined the strong
blocking skills expected in the position with excellent pass receiving ability,
he was one of the stars of the 1963 NFL Championship-winning team and topped
out statistically with 75 catches for 897 yards in ‘64.
However, the 27-year-old Ditka was on the verge of becoming
a free agent. He had refused to sign a contract for 1966 and played out his
option. He also infuriated owner/Head Coach George Halas by accepting a $50,000
bonus to sign a three-year contract and jump leagues to play for the AFL’s
Houston Oilers – a deal that was tossed out once the AFL/NFL merger was agreed
to (although he got to keep the bonus).
Having obtained his rights, the Eagles were successful in
signing Ditka to a contract. Ditka had often been a critic of the front office
while with the Bears, but was diplomatic upon leaving. “I bear no animosity to
the Bear team,” he stated. “It’s been a great six years in Chicago and I hope the next six years will be
as great.”
The 24-year-old Concannon was Philadelphia ’s
second-round draft choice out of Boston
College in 1964. At 6’3”
and 205 pounds, he was known for his flashy running ability as a quarterback in
college and showed off the same form in the NFL – at least, on the rare
occasions when he played. Backing up veteran QB Norm Snead (along with King
Hill) as a rookie, he was given a late-season start against Dallas and passed
for two touchdowns while also rushing for 99 yards in just 8 carries. It was
enough to make him a fan favorite, but did not guarantee him more playing time.
After mostly sitting on the bench for the next two years,
sometimes relieving at quarterback and occasionally returning punts, Concannon
got two late-season starts in 1966 (as part of Head Coach Joe Kuharich’s odd
three-man starting quarterback rotation), and they were wins. Against the
Steelers, he set a club single-game rushing record for a quarterback with 129 yards
that lasted until 2010. However, he showed his erratic tendencies in the Playoff
Bowl, tossing a costly interception in defeat. For all the excitement he
generated, he appeared in just 18 games, completed only 43.7 % of his passes
with four touchdowns and eight interceptions, but also rushed for 433 yards on
50 carries for an 8.7-yard average gain. He had a knack for making big plays,
but was very much a work in progress.
Ditka played for two seasons in Philadelphia , but they were not the best of
his Hall of Fame career. In 1967, foot and hamstring injuries limited him to
nine games, and he caught 26 passes for 274 yards and two TDs. The output was
even less in ’68 (13 receptions for 111 yards and two scores) due not only to a
knee injury but his being suspended by Kuharich for making critical comments
regarding his management of the team. In a dreadful 2-12 season in which there
was much dissension, Ditka’s voice was just one of those expressing
dissatisfaction. Kuharich was relieved as GM and head coach following the year,
and Ditka was traded to the Cowboys. He played effectively for four seasons and
was part of another championship team in 1971. Ultimately, he reconciled with
Halas and the Bears and became a successful head coach of the team, leading it
to a Super Bowl victory following the 1985 season.
Jack Concannon (pictured above) ran into injury problems in Chicago , although the club went 5-1-1 in the
second half of 1967 with him behind center to finish at 7-6-1. However, it was
the same story as in Philadelphia
– while he could make big plays and ran for 279 yards, he was still erratic
throwing the ball, completing 49.5 % of his passes for 1260 yards and tossing
far more interceptions (14) than touchdowns (6). The presence of star HB Gale
Sayers made the greater impact on the offense’s output.
A fractured shoulder limited Concannon to seven games in
1968 and backup QB Virgil Carter yielded better results in relief. But from a
7-7 record, the Bears collapsed to 1-13 in ’69 and Concannon found himself
competing with rookie Bobby Douglass as well as Carter. It seemed as though
Douglass – another quarterback who was better at running than passing – would
supplant the veteran, but when the young lefthander went down early in the 1970
season with a broken wrist, Concannon put together his best pro season,
throwing for 2130 yards with 16 TDs against 18 interceptions. Chicago bounced back to 6-8. But he was lost
to injury in ’71, the team committed to Douglass, and Concannon exited for Dallas , where he was never activated over the course of
two years, finishing up with brief appearances with Green
Bay and Detroit
before retiring.
In all with the Bears, Concannon completed 51.1 % of his
passes for 5222 yards with 31 TDs and 52 interceptions, rushed for 586 yards,
and provided his share of excitement. However, he lacked the passing ability
and consistency to be truly successful as a quarterback in the NFL.
Thanks for the info about Ditka. As an Eagles fan since 1970, I didn't realize Ditka's lack of playing time in 1969 was due to a suspension.
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