Bears legend Steve McMichael’s condition continues to improve and his family is hopeful he’ll leave the hospital and return home as early as Tuesday.
The 66-year-old McMichael, who suffers from ALS, has been in a Chicago area hospital since Thursday battling a urinary tract infection.
He contracted MRSA while at Silver Cross Hospital, a staph infection that can be difficult to treat because it is resistant to certain antibiotics.
He had been receiving blood transfusions and a procedure to have fluid drained from his lungs, but things appeared to be looking up.
His wife Misty told the AP that the newly voted-in member for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for 2024 is doing better and she and his family are hopeful he can return home.
“He’s one tough guy,” Misty McMichael told the AP. “He’s Mongo and his DNA is different! Keep those prayers coming! Thank you!”
He was initially admitted with a fever and suspected of pneumonia, according to ABC7 Chicago, but the family later clarified it was a UTI.
McMichael, who made his ALS battle public three years ago, was a menacing defensive lineman for the Bears for 13 seasons of his 15 year NFL career – recording 92.5 sacks between 1981-93 for Chicago.
He won a Super Bowl with the famed 1985 Bears in Buddy Ryan’s legendary ‘46 defense.
McMichael, who also played for the Patriots and Packers before retiring in 1994, appeared in a Bears-record 191 consecutive games.
He ranks second on the Bears’ all-time sacks list with 92 ½ behind Hall of Famer Richard Dent.
McMichael also spent five years in pro wrestling with World Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s as a member of the legendary Four Horsemen faction.