LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) Michael McCaskey, who led the Chicago Bears for nearly three decades following the death of his grandfather George Halas, died Saturday after a lengthy battle with cancer, the team said. He was 76.

A Yale graduate and the oldest of Ed and team matriarch Virginia McCaskey's 11 children, Michael joined the family business in 1983 as president and CEO following the death of Halas, a founding father of the NFL and the franchise. He succeeded Ed McCaskey as chairman in 1999 and remained in that role until brother George McCaskey took over in 2011.

The Bears made 12 playoff appearances and captured their lone Super Bowl title during Michael McCaskey's tenure leading the franchise. He was chosen NFL Executive of the Year by his peers following the 1985 championship season.