Chicago Bears
Franchise history
Further information: History of the Chicago Bears and Chicago Bears seasons
19201970
Originally named the Decatur Staleys, the club was established by the A. E. Staley food starch Company of Decatur, Illinois in 1919 as a company team. This was the typical start for several early professional football franchises. The company hired George Halas and Edward “Dutch” Sternaman in 1920 to run the team, and turned over full control of the team to them in 1921. However, official team and league records cite Halas as the founder as he took over the team in 1920 when it became a charter member of the NFL.
The team relocated to Chicago in 1921, where the club was renamed the Chicago Staleys. Under an agreement reached by Halas and Sternaman with Staley, Halas purchased the rights to the club from Staley for US$ 100, whereupon they were renamed the Chicago Bears.
The Bears dominated the league in the early years. Their rivalry with the Chicago Cardinals, the oldest in the NFL (and a crosstown rivalry from 1920 to 1959), was key in four out of the first six league titles. During the league’s first six years, the Bears lost twice to the Canton Bulldogs (who took two league titles over that span), and split with their crosstown rival Cardinals (going 442 against each other over that span), but no other team in the league defeated the Bears more than a single time. During that span, the Bears posted 34 shutouts.
The Bears’ rivalry with the Green Bay Packers is one of the oldest, fiercest and most storied in American professional sports, dating back to 1921. In one infamous incident that year, Halas got the Packers expelled from the league in order to prevent their signing a particular player, and then graciously got them re-admitted after the Bears had closed the deal with that player.
In 1922, Halas changed the team name from the Staleys to the Bears. The team moved into Wrigley Field, which was home to the Chicago Cubs baseball franchise. As with several early NFL franchises, the Bears derived their nickname from their city’s baseball team (some directly, some indirectly like the Bears, whose young are called “cubs”). Halas liked the bright orange-and-blue colors of his alma mater, the University of Illinois, and the Bears adopted those colors as their own, albeit in a darker shade of each (the blue is a Navy Blue, and the orange is Pantone 1665, similar to burnt orange).
The 1924 team photo
The franchise was an early success under Halas, capturing the NFL Championship in 1921 and remaining competitive throughout the decade. In 1924 the Bears claimed the Championship after defeating the Cleveland Bulldogs on December 7, even putting the title “World’s Champions” on their 1924 team photo. But the NFL had ruled that games after November 30 did not count towards league standings, and the Bears had to settle for second place behind Cleveland. Their only losing season came in 1929.
During the 1920s the club was responsible for triggering the NFL’s long-standing rule that a player could not be signed until his college’s senior class had graduated. The NFL took that action as a consequence of the Bears’ aggressive signing of famous University of Illinois player Red Grange within a day of his final game as a collegian.
After the financial losses of the 1932 Championship season, Halas’ partner Dutch Sternaman left the organization. Halas maintained full control of the Bears until his death in 1983. He also coached the team off-and-on for forty seasons, an NFL record. In the 1932 “Unofficial” NFL Championship, the Bears defeated the Portsmouth Spartans in the first indoor American football game at Chicago Stadium.
The success of the playoff game led the NFL to institute a championship game. In the very first NFL Championship, the Bears played against the New York Giants, defeating them 2321. The teams met again in the 1934 NFL Championship where the Giants, wearing sneakers defeated the Bears 3013 on a cold, icy day at the Polo Grounds.
The 1946 NFL Championship team photo
From 19401947, quarterback Sid Luckman led the Bears to victories in four out of the five NFL Championship Games in which they appeared. The team acquired the University of Chicago’s discarded nickname “Monsters of the Midway” and their now-famous helmet “C”, as well as a newly penned theme song that declared them “The Pride and Joy of Illinois”. One famous victory during that period was their 730 victory over the favored Washington Redskins at Griffith Stadium in the 1940 NFL Championship Game; the score is still an NFL record for lopsided results. The secret behind the one-sided outcome was the introduction of a new offensive formation by Halas. The T-formation, as Halas named it, involved two running backs instead of the traditional one in the backfield. Luckman’s success at the quarterback position for the Bears has not been matched, as he still holds club records for passing.
After declining throughout the 1950s, the team rebounded in 1963 to capture their 8th NFL Championship, which would be their last until 1985. The late 1960s and early 1970s produced notable players like Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers, and Brian Piccolo, who died of Embryonal carcinoma in 1970. The American television network ABC aired a movie about Piccolo in 1971 entitled Brian’s Song, starring James Caan and Billy Dee Williams in the roles of Piccolo and Sayers respectively; Jack Warden won an Emmy Award for his performance as Halas. The movie was later released for theater screenings after first being shown on television.
Halas retired as coach in 1967 and spent the rest of his days in the front office. He became the only person to be involved with the NFL throughout the first 60 years of its existence. He was also a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s first induction class in 1963. As the only living founder of the NFL at the February 1970 merger between the NFL and the American Football League, the owners honored Halas by electing him the first President of the National Football Conference, a position that he held until his death in 1983. In his honor, the NFL named the National Football Conference Championship trophy as the George Halas Memorial Trophy.
19702003
After the merger, the Bears finished the 1970 season with a last-place finish in the division, a repeat of their placing in the 1969 season. In 1975, the Bears drafted Walter Payton from Jackson State University with their first pick. He won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award in the 197778 season. Payton would go on to eclipse Jim Brown’s NFL career rushing record in 1984 before retiring in 1987, and would hold the mark until 2002, when Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys surpassed it. Payton’s career and great personality would capture the hearts of Bear fans, who called him “Sweetness”. He died from a rare liver cancer in 1999 at the age of 45.
On November 1, 1983, a day after the death of George Halas, his oldest daughter, Virginia McCaskey, took over as the majority owner of the team. Her husband, Ed McCaskey, succeeded her father as the Chairman of the Board. Their son Michael became the third president in team history. Mrs. McCaskey holds the honorary title of “secretary of the board of directors”, but the 82-yearld matriarch has been called the glue that holds the franchise together. Mrs. McCaskey’s reign as the owner of the Bears was not planned, as her father originally earmarked her brother, George “Mugs” Halas, Jr. as the heir apparent to the franchise. However, he died of a massive heart attack in 1979. Her impact on the team is well-noted as her own family has dubbed her “The First Lady of Sports”, and the Chicago Sun-Times has listed her as one of Chicago’s most powerful women.
Mike Ditka, a tight end for the Bears from 1961 to 1966, was hired to coach the team in 1982. In the 1985 season the fire in the Bearsackers rivalry was relit when Ditka used 350lus pound lineman “Refrigerator” Perry as a truly “wide” receiver in a touchdown play at Lambeau Field, flagrantly taunting the Packers. The Bears won their ninth NFL Championship, first since the AFL-NFL merger, in Super Bowl XX after the 1985 season in which they dominated the NFL with their then-revolutionary 46 defense and a cast of characters that recorded the novelty rap song “The Super Bowl Shuffle”. The season was notable in that the Bears had only one loss, the “unlucky 13th” game of the season, a Monday night affair in which they were defeated by the Miami Dolphins. At the time, much was made of the fact that the 1972 Dolphins were the only franchise in history to have had an undefeated season and post-season. The Dolphins came close to setting up a rematch in the Super Bowl, but lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC title game. “The Super Bowl Shuffle” was videotaped the day after that Monday night loss in Miami.
After the 1985 Championship season, the Bears remained competitive throughout the 1980s but failed to return to the Super Bowl under Mike Ditka. Since the firing of Ditka at the end of the 1992 season, the Bears have made the playoffs five times under three different head coaches: Dave Wannstedt from 1993 through 1998, Dick Jauron from 1999 through 2003, and current head coach, Lovie Smith. Before the Bears hired Jauron in January 1999, Dave McGinnis (Arizona’s defensive coordinator, and a former Bears assistant under Ditka and Wannstedt) backed out of taking the head coaching position. The Bears scheduled a press conference to announce the hiring before McGinnis agreed to contract terms. Soon after Jauron’s hiring, Mrs. McCaskey fired her son Michael as president, replacing him with Ted Phillips and promoting Michael to chairman of the board. McCaskey’s reign as president has been viewed as a “disaster”. Phillips, the current Bears president, became the first man outside of the Halas-McCaskey family to run the team.
2004resent: Lovie Smith era
Lovie Smith accomplished his first objective as the team’s head coach by sweeping the Green Bay Packers during the 2005 season.
Lovie Smith, hired on January 15, 2004, is the third and current (as of 2009) post-Ditka head coach. Joining the Bears as a rookie head coach, Smith brought the highly successful Tampa 2 defensive scheme with him to Chicago. Before his second season with the Bears, the team rehired their former offensive coordinator and then Illinois head coach Ron Turner to improve the Bears’ struggling offense. In 2005, the Bears won their division and reached the playoffs for the first time in four years. Their previous playoff berth was earned by winning the NFC Central in 2001. The Bears improved upon their success the following season, by clinching their second consecutive NFC North title during week thirteen of the 2006 season, winning their first playoff game since 1995, and earning a trip to Super Bowl XLI. However, they fell short of the championship, losing 2917 to the Indianapolis Colts. Following the 2006 season, the club decided to give Lovie Smith a contract extension through 2011, at roughly $5 million per year. This comes a season after being the lowest paid head coach in the National Football League.
The club has played in over a thousand games since becoming a charter member of the NFL in 1920. Through the 2008 season, they lead the NFL in overall franchise wins with 702 and have an overall record of 70251542 (going 68649842 during the regular season and 1617 in the playoffs).. On December 7, 2008 the Bears recorded franchise win number 700 in a win against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
On April 2, 2009, the Bears made one of the biggest trades in franchise history, acquiring Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler and a 5th round selection in the 2009 NFL Draft from the Denver Broncos in exchange for quarterback Kyle Orton, the Bears’ 1st and 3rd round selections in the 2009 NFL Draft and the Bears’ 1st round selection in the 2010 NFL Draft. On February 1, 2010, offensive guru Mike Martz was hired by the Chicago Bears as their offensive coordinator.
Ownership
Virginia McCaskey, her children, and grandchildren control 80% of the team, and Mrs. McCaskey votes her children’s stock as well as her own. Patrick Ryan, executive chairman of Aon Corp., and Aon director Andrew McKenna own 19.7% of the club. In a Crain’s Chicago Business article, one businessman described his wishes for the team to maximize its potential. In 2009 Yahoo! Sports listed the McCaskey as the third worst owner in the NFL, stating “[T]hey get less for what theye got than any team in our league.” There have been rumors that the McCaskey family might split up over the team.
In 2008, Forbes magazine reported that the Chicago Bears franchise is worth $1.1 billion, making it the ninth richest franchise in the NFL. Chicago is the National Football League’s second largest market. The team has major sponsorship deals with Chase, Miller Brewing Company, Cadillac, United Airlines, Motorola, U.S. Cellular and Coca-Cola. The team was the first in the NFL to have a presenting sponsor, with the 2004 season advertised as “Bears Football presented by BankOne (now Chase)”. Additionally, the Bears have an agreement with WFLD-TV (the Fox affiliate in Chicago) to broadcast pre-season football games.
Logos, uniforms, and mascots
Main article: Chicago Bears logos, uniforms, and mascots
Logo
One of the original logos (19621973)
The club’s first logo was introduced in the early 1950s as a black bear on top of a football. They kept this until 1962, when the Bears trademark ‘C’ logo was first introduced.
The change in their logo from the black bear was due to the addition of logos on helmets, which pro football teams started adding in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Unlike some NFL franchises that have had many different looks over time, the Bears have kept the wishbone ‘C’ for over 40 years.
In 1974, the team decided to keep the same white ‘C’ logo but to change the color of it from white to orange with a white trim. This is the current logo; however, the club has since introduced alternative logos, including a black bear inside of the orange wishbone ‘C’, introduced in 1995, and an orange bear head, introduced in 1999.
Uniforms
Chicago Bears uniform combinations
In 1920 the team introduced uniforms containing brown and blue stripes. In the 1930s, the franchise’s uniform underwent substantial alterations. By 1933 the Bears donned all-orange jerseys with navy numbers and matching black helmets. In 1936, they modified this design into “an early version of psychedelia” by adding three orange stripes to their helmets, changing the color of the jerseys from orange to white, complementing the new white jerseys with fourteen navy and orange alternating stripes on the sleeves, and introducing socks with a similar striped pattern extending from ankle to knee. Because of poor response from the fans and the media, this design lasted only one season.
By 1949, the team was wearing the familiar navy blue shirts with white, rounded numbers. In 1956, the team added “TV numbers” to the sleeves. The Bears ‘C’ logo first appeared on the helmets in 1962. The logo changed from white to a white-bordered orange logo 11 years later, and has remained unchanged ever since. The Bears added the initials GSH to the left sleeve of their jerseys in 1984 in memory of George Halas.
Chicago Bears uniform: 19621972
For decades, the team was known as the only NFL team to wear jersey numbers that were not the traditional block-style numbers (though during the 1971 season, the Bears road jerseys used the block-style numbers). Although a handful of other NFL teams and the Houston Oilers during their early AFL days experimented with rounder jersey numbers, by the mid-1960s the Bears were the only team left to continue wearing rounded jersey numbers. Since the mid-1990s, however, several teams have shifted away from the block numbers in favor of numbers that match a specific team font (e.g. Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, etc…) or in the case of the Pittsburgh Steelers, match the jersey number font with the helmet numbers while otherwise leaving the jersey design alone.
Other variations to the Bears uniforms over the years include the addition of navy blue pants as a part of the road kit in 1984. During the 1994 season, the Bears with most of the other NFL franchises introduced throwback uniforms to be worn in the honor of the NFL’s 75th anniversary. These uniforms with brown and blue stripes resemble the original Bears uniforms worn in the 1920s. On October 7, 2002 the Bears wore navy blue pants with their navy blue home jerseys for the first time, and lost at home to Green Bay before a national Monday Night Football audience. The Bears did not wear the all-blue combination again until the 2006 regular season finale against the Packers, also a loss, on December 31.
On November 13, 2005 and October 29, 2006 (both times in games against the San Francisco 49ers), the Bears introduced an orange alternate home jersey. The orange swaps roles with the navy blue on this alternate jersey, as it becomes the dominant color while the navy complements. The orange jerseys were worn again on October 19, 2008 at home against the Minnesota Vikings in a 4841 victory.
Chicago Bears Uniform History (19202005)
The Bears also wore the orange jerseys against the Detroit Lions on October 28, 2007 and most recently in a November 1, 2009 game vs. the Cleveland Browns (Bears won 306). The Bears previously wore orange jerseys as part of a throwback uniform in a Thanksgiving Day game at the Dallas Cowboys in 2004. Their uniforms, especially for their classic look, have been cited as one of the best in the league.
Since 2005, the Bears have worn their alternate orange jerseys for one home game a season that is near Halloween. For the 200507 home openers, the team wore the white jerseys with the navy blue pants. The team is 30 in these games, beating the Lions in both 2005 and ’06, and beating the Chiefs in 2007.
Mascots
Before the introduction of Staley Da Bear, the club had two unofficial mascots named “Rocky” and “Bearman”. “Rocky” was a man who donned a “1” Bears jersey, carried a megaphone, and started chants all over Soldier Field during the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. There is no known source of who “Rocky” was, except that he disappeared from Soldier Field in the early 1990s and presumably lived in Northwest Indiana. Don Wachter, also known as “Bearman”, is a season ticket holder who decided in 1995 that he could also assist the team by cheerleading. The club allowed him to run across the field with a large Bears flag during player introductions and each team score. In 1996, he donned his “costume” of face paint, bear head and arms, and a number 46 jersey. “Bearman” was forced to stop wearing his costume with the introduction of Staley Da Bear in 2003; however, in 2005 Wachter was allowed in costume again.
Stadium
Main article: Soldier Field
Soldier Field II
Soldier Field, located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, is the current home to the Bears. The Bears moved into Soldier Field in 1971 after outgrowing Wrigley Field, the team’s home for 50 years, and Northwestern University’s residential neighbors objected to their playing at Dyche Stadium, now called Ryan Field. After the AFL-NFL Merger, the newly merged league wanted their teams to play in stadiums that could hold at least 50,000 fans. Even with the portable bleachers that the team brought into Wrigley, the stadium could still only hold 46,000. Soldier Field’s playing turf was changed from astroturf to natural grass in time for the start of the 1988 season. The stadium was the site of the infamous Fog Bowl playoff game between the Bears and Philadelphia Eagles.
In 2002, the stadium was closed and rebuilt with only the exterior wall of the stadium being preserved. It was closed on Sunday, January 20, 2002, a day after the Bears lost in the playoffs. It reopened on September 27, 2003 after a complete rebuild (the second in the stadium’s history). Many fans refer to the rebuilt stadium as “New Soldier Field”. During the 2002 season, the Bears played their home games at the University of Illinois’ Memorial Stadium in Champaign, where they went 35.
Many critics have negative views of the new stadium. They believe that its current structure has made it more of an eyesore than a landmark; some have dubbed it the “Mistake on the Lake”. Soldier Field was stripped of its National Historic Landmark designation on February 17, 2006.
In the 2005 season, the Bears won the NFC North Division and the No. 2 Seed in the NFC Playoffs, entitling them to play at least one home game in the postseason. The team hosted (and lost) their divisional round match on January 15, 2006 against the Carolina Panthers. This was the first playoff game at Soldier Field since the stadium reopened.
The stadium’s end zones and midfield were not painted until the 1982 season. The design sported on the field included the bolded word “Chicago” in both end zones. In 1983, the end zone design returned, with the addition of a large wishbone “C” Bears logo painted at midfield. These field markings remained unchanged until the 1996 season. In 1996 the midfield wishbone “C” was changed to a large blue Bears head, and the end zone design were painted with “Bears” in cursive. This new design remained until the 1999 season, at which point the artwork was returned to the classic “Chicago” and the “C”. In the new Soldier Field, the artwork was tweaked to where one end zone had the word “Chicago” bolded and the other had “Bears”.
The Bears in popular culture
While the Super Bowl XX Champion Bears were a fixture of mainstream American pop culture in the 1980s, the Bears made a prior mark with the 1971 American TV movie Brian’s Song starring Billy Dee Williams as Gale Sayers and James Caan as Brian Piccolo. The film told of how Piccolo helped Sayers recover from a devastating knee injury to return to his status as one of the league’s best players, and how Sayers in turn helped the Piccolo family through Brian’s fatal illness. A 2001 remake of the movie for ABC starred Sean Maher as Piccolo and Mekhi Phifer as Sayers.
The 1985 team is also remembered for recording the song “The Super Bowl Shuffle”, which reached number forty-one on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for a Grammy Award. The music video for the song depicts the team rapping that they are “not here to start no trouble” but instead “just here to do the Super Bowl Shuffle”. The team took a risk by recording and releasing the song before the playoffs had even begun, but were able to avoid embarrassment by going on to win Super Bowl XX by a then-record margin of 4610. That game was one of the most watched television events in history according to the Nielsen ratings system; the game had a rating of 48.3, ranking it seventh in all-time television history.
In addition to the “Super Bowl Shuffle” rap song, the Bears’ success in the 1980s and especially the personality of head coach Mike Ditka inspired a recurring sketch on the American sketch comedy program Saturday Night Live, called “Bill Swerski’s Superfans”. The sketch featured Cheers co-star George Wendt, a Chicago native, as host of a radio talk-show (similar in tone to WGN radio’s “The Sportswriters”), with co-panelists Carl Wollarski (Robert Smigel), Pat Arnold (Mike Myers) and Todd O’Connor (Chris Farley). To hear them tell it, “Da Bears” and Coach Ditka could do no wrong. The sketch stopped after Ditka was fired in 1993. The sketch usually showed the panelists drinking lots of beer and eating lots of Polish sausage, and often featured Todd getting so agitated about what was happening with the Bears that he suffered a heart attack, but quickly recovered (through self-administered CPR). The sketch also features the cast predicting unrealistic blowout victories for Bears games. A significantly overweight Farley died in 1997 from a drug overdose exacerbated by arteriosclerosis, and Da Super Fan sketch has not been brought back by SNL, with the exception of a single appearance by Horatio Sanz as a Super Fan for the Cubs on Weekend Update in 2003. Outside of SNL, George Wendt reprised his role of Swerski in the opening promo of Super Bowl XL on ABC.
On TV shows based in Chicago such as Still Standing, According to Jim, Early Edition and The Bernie Mac Show, the main characters are all Bears fans, and have worn Bears’ jerseys and t-shirts on some occasions. Some episodes even show them watching Bears games. Rosanne is another TV show based outside of Chicago to feature the Bears as the consensus household favorite. That 70s Show featured several Bears references, as it was based in Wisconsin, home of the Packers. On one episode while the gang is at a Bears vs. Packers game, Eric comes to the seat in a Walter Payton jersey and is booed by the surrounding Packers fans.
Ditka’s success and popularity in Chicago has led him to land analyst roles on various American football pregame shows. Ditka worked for both the NFL on NBC and CBS’s The NFL Today, and he currently works on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown and provided Friday night analysis on the Bears on CBS 2 Chicago, the CBS Chicago affiliate, called “2 on Football” with former CBS 2 Sports Director Mark Malone. He is also the color analyst for all local broadcasts of Bears preseason games. Ditka also co-starred himself alongside actor Will Ferrell in the 2005 comedy film Kicking & Screaming.
Also, Ditka, Dick Butkus, Walter Payton, Jim McMahon, William “Refrigerator” Perry and Brian Urlacher are among Bears figures known for their appearances in TV commercials. Urlacher, whose jersey was among the league’s best-selling in 2002, was featured on Nike commercials with former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.
In the 1985 cartoon Punky Brewster, the Bears are playing the Green Bay Packers in the episode “The Quartersize Quarterback”. In the 1961 cartoon Yogi Bear, Yogi helps the Bears beat the New York Giants.
Local radio and television
Currently, WBBM NewsRadio 780 airs the Bears games with Jeff Joniak doing the play-by-play, along with color commentator Tom Thayer and sideline reporter Zach Zaidman. Over the years, many Bears play-by-play broadcasters have included Jack Brickhouse and Wayne Larrivee. Their current preseason TV announcers on Fox Chicago are Sam Rosen (play-by-play), Erik Kramer (color commentary) and Lou Canellis (sideline reporter).
Statistics and records
For more details on this topic, see Chicago Bears statistics.
Bill George and Doug Buffone hold the record for the most seasons in a Bears uniform with 14. George did it between the 1952 and 1965 seasons and Buffone during the 1966 through 1979 seasons. On the other hand, Steve McMichael holds the record for most consecutive games played by a Bear with 191; he accomplished the feat from 1981 to 1993. In second place is Payton, who played 186 games from 1975 to 1987 at running back, a position considered to be conducive to injury, only missing one game in a span of 13 seasons.
Placekicker Kevin Butler holds the club record for scoring the most points in his ten-year Bear career. He scored 1,116 points as the Bears kicker from 1985 to 1995. He is followed in distant second place by Payton, with 750 points. Payton holds the team record for career rushing yards with 16,726. That was an NFL record until Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys broke it in 2002. Neal Anderson, who played from 1986 to 1993, is the closest to Payton’s record with 6,166 yards. Mark Bortz holds the record for most Bear playoff appearances, with 13 between 1983 and 1994, and is followed by Kevin Butler, Dennis Gentry, Dan Hampton, Jay Hilgenberg, Steve McMichael, Ron Rivera, Mike Singletary, and Keith Van Horne, who have each played in 12 playoff games.
The 1940 Chicago Bears team holds the record for the biggest margin of victory in an NFL game (playoff or regular season) with a 730 victory over the Washington Redskins in the 1940 NFL Championship Game. The largest home victory for the Bears came in a 617 result against the Green Bay Packers in 1980. The largest defeat in club history was a 520 loss against the Baltimore Colts in 1964. The club recorded undefeated regular seasons in 1934 and 1942, but (unlike the 1972 Dolphins) did not win the championship game in either season. In 1934, the club completed a 130 record but were defeated by the New York Giants, and in 1942 the club completed an 110 record but were defeated by the Redskins. Had the Bears won either championship, the club would have completed a championship three-peat a feat completed only by the Packers (twice), although no team has done it since the AFL-NFL merger. Halas holds the team record for coaching the most seasons with 40 and for having the most career victories of 324. Halas’ victories record stood until Don Shula surpassed Halas in 1993. Ditka is the closest Bears coach to Halas, with 112 career victories. No other Bears coach has recorded over 100 victories with the team.
During the 2006 season, return specialist Devin Hester set several kick return records. He currently holds the franchise record for most return yards with 1,449. He had six touchdown returns, setting a record for most returns in a single season. In 2007, he recorded another six touchdown season from returns. One of the most notable of these returns came on November 12, 2006, when he returned a missed field goal for a 108-yard touchdown. The record tied teammate Nathan Vasher’s previous record, which was set almost a year earlier. Additionally, Hester set a Super Bowl record by becoming the first person to return an opening kick of a Super Bowl for a touchdown.
Season-by-season results
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed or in progress by the Bears. For the full season-by-season franchise results, see Chicago Bears seasons.
Note: The Finish, Wins, Losses, and Ties columns list regular season results and exclude any postseason play.
Record as of December 28, 2008
Super Bowl Champions
Conference Champions
Division Champions
Wild Card Berth
Season
Team
League
Conference
Division
Regular season
Post Season Results
Awards
Finish
Wins
Losses
Ties
2005
2005
NFL
NFC
North
1st
11
5
0
Lost Divisional Playoffs (Panthers) (2921)
Brian Urlacher (NFL DPOY)
Lovie Smith (NFL COY)
2006
2006
NFL
NFC
North
1st
13
3
0
Won Divisional Playoffs (Seahawks) (2724 OT)
Won Conference Championship (Saints) (3914)
Lost Super Bowl XLI (Colts) (2917)
2007
2007
NFL
NFC
North
4th
7
9
0
2008
2008
NFL
NFC
North
2nd
9
7
0
2009
2009
NFL
NFC
North
3rd
7
9
0
Players of note
For more details on this topic, see List of Chicago Bears players.
Current roster
Chicago Bears roster
view talk edit
Quarterbacks
14 Brett Basanez
6 Jay Cutler
12 Caleb Hanie
Running Backs
22 Matt Fort
27 Kevin Jones
37 Jason McKie FB
45 Will Ta’ufo’ou FB
25 Garrett Wolfe
Wide Receivers
19 Devin Aromashodu
80 Earl Bennett
81 Rashied Davis
23 Devin Hester
17 Juaquin Iglesias
13 Johnny Knox
86 Eric Peterman
Tight Ends
— Richard Angulo
85 Kevin Brock
88 Desmond Clark
87 Kellen Davis
82 Greg Olsen
Offensive Linemen
62 Johan Asiata G
67 Josh Beekman G/C
63 Roberto Garza G/C
57 Olin Kreutz C
60 Lance Louis T/G
72 James Marten T
68 Frank Omiyale G/T
78 Kevin Shaffer T
74 Chris Williams T
Defensive Linemen
95 Anthony Adams DT
96 Alex Brown DE
90 Jarron Gilbert DT
91 Tommie Harris DT
94 Marcus Harrison DT
71 Israel Idonije DT
69 Henry Melton DT/DE
Linebackers
55 Lance Briggs OLB
92 Hunter Hillenmeyer ILB
64 Kevin Malast OLB
54 Brian Urlacher ILB
Defensive Backs
24 Al Afalava FS
35 Zackary Bowman CB
21 Corey Graham CB
30 D. J. Moore CB
44 Kevin Payne SS
20 Craig Steltz FS
33 Charles Tillman CB
47 Woodny Turenne CB
31 Nathan Vasher CB
Special Teams
9 Robbie Gould K
10 Richmond McGee P
65 Patrick Mannelly LS
4 Brad Maynard P
Reserve Lists
Currently vacant
Unrestricted FAs
98 Darrell McClover OLB
93 Adewale Ogunleye DE
29 Adrian Peterson RB
59 Pisa Tinoisamoa OLB
Restricted FAs
97 Mark Anderson DE
36 Josh Bullocks SS
— Dusty Dvoracek DT
38 Danieal Manning FS
53 Nick Roach OLB
52 Jamar Williams OLB
Exclusive-Rights FAs
32 Kahlil Bell RB
58 Tim Shaw ILB
75 Matt Toeaina DT
Rookies in italics
Roster updated March 1, 2010
Depth Chart Transactions
53 Active, 0 Inactive, 13 FAs
More rosters
Pro Football Hall of Famers
In the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Bears have the most enshrined primary members with twenty-six, however the club also have had five Hall of Famers spend a minor portion of their career with the franchise. George Halas, Bronko Nagurski, and Red Grange were a part of the original class of inductees in 1963, while defensive end Dan Hampton, the most recent Bear inducted, was a part of the Class of 2002.
Chicago Bears Hall of Famers (26/5)
Primary Hall of Famers (26)
No.
Player
Positions
No.
Player
Positions
1
Paddy Driscoll
QB-S-K, Head Coach
42
Sid Luckman
QB-CB
3
Bronko Nagurski
RB-OT-LB
50
Mike Singletary
LB
5
George McAfee
RB-S
51
Dick Butkus
LB
7
George Halas
founder, owner
Head Coach, TE-DE
56
Bill Hewitt
TE-DE
11
Link Lyman
OT-DT
61
Bill George
LB
13
George Trafton
C-DT
66
Clyde (Bulldog) Turner
C-DT
13
Joe Stydahar
OT-DT
71
George Connor
OT-LB
16
Ed Healey
OT-DT
77
Harold (Red) Grange
RB-CB
16
George Musso
C-DT
78
Stan Jones
OT
16
George Blanda
QB
81
Doug Atkins
DE
21
Danny Fortmann
OG-DT
89
Mike Ditka
TE, Head Coach
34
Walter Payton
RB
99
Dan Hampton
DE
40
Gale Sayers
RB
—
Jim Finks
General Manager
Hall of Famers with minor portion of career with Bears (5)
N/A
Guy Chamberlin
TE-DE
1
Jimmy Conzelman
QB
N/A
Walt Kiesling
OL-DL
22
Bobby Layne
QB
82
Alan Page
OL-DL
Retired numbers
The Bears have retired thirteen uniform numbers, which is the most in the NFL, and ranks fourth behind the basketball Boston Celtics (21), baseball New York Yankees (16), and hockey Montreal Canadiens (15) for the most in North American professional sports.
Chicago Bears Retired Numbers
view talk edit
Bronko Nagurski
FB
1930-37, 1943
Minnesota
George McAfee
RB
1940-41, ’45-50
Duke
George Halas
DE/WR/HC
Owner/Founder
1920-83
Illinois
Willie Galimore
RB
1957-63
Florida A&M
Walter
(Sweetness)
Payton
RB
1975-87
Jackson State
Gale Sayers
RB
1965-71
Kansas
Brian Piccolo
RB
1966-69
Wake Forest
Sid Luckman
QB
1939-50
Columbia
Dick Butkus
LB
1965-73
Illinois
Bill Hewitt
DE
1932-36
Michigan
Bill George
LB
1952-65
Wake Forest
Clyde
(Bulldog)
Turner
C/LB
1940-52
Hardin-Simmons
Harold
(Red)
Grange
RB
1925, 1929-34
Illinois
Coaches of note
Head coaches
For a more in-depth look into the history of the head coaches of the Bears, see List of Chicago Bears head coaches
As of January 4, 2010. Only regular season and postseason games are counted.
Name
From
To
Record
Titles
W
L
T
Fritz Wasem
1919
1919
Not Available
Red Brannon
James Cook
George Halas
January 1920
December 1929
84
31
17
1
Ralph Jones
January 1930
December 1932
24
10
7
1
George Halas
December 1932
November 1942
88
24
4
3
Hunk Anderson
November 1942
December 1945
24
12
2
1
Luke Johnsos
George Halas
January 1946
December 1955
76
43
2
1
John Paddy Driscoll
December 1955
December 1957
14
10
1
George Halas
December 1957
May 27, 1968
76
53
6
1
Jim Dooley
May 27, 1968
December 29, 1971
20
36
0
Abe Gibron
January 27, 1972
December 17, 1974
11
30
1
Jack Pardee
December 31, 1974
January 19, 1978
20
23
0
Neill Armstrong
February 16, 1978
January 4, 1982
30
35
0
Mike Ditka
January 20, 1982
January 5, 1993
112
68
0
1
Dave Wannstedt
January 19, 1993
December 28, 1998
41
57
0
Dick Jauron
January 24, 1999
December 29, 2003
35
46
0
Lovie Smith
January 15, 2004
Present
54
46
0
Current staff
Chicago Bears staff
v d e
Front Office
Secretary of the Board of Directors Virginia Halas McCaskey
Chairman Michael McCaskey
President/CEO Ted Phillips
Vice President Tim McCaskey
General Manager Jerry Angelo
Senior Director of Football Administration/General Counsel Cliff Stein
Director of College Scouting Greg Gabriel
Assistant Director of Pro Personnel Kevin Turks
Head Coaches
Head Coach Lovie Smith
Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator Rod Marinelli
Offensive Coaches
Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz
Quarterbacks Shane Day
Running Backs Tim Spencer
Wide Receivers Darryl Drake
Tight Ends Mike DeBord
Offensive Line Mike Tice
Offensive Quality Control Andrew Hayes-Stoker
Defensive Coaches
Defensive Line Eric Washington
Linebackers Bob Babich
Defensive Backs Jon Hoke
Assistant Defensive Backs/Safeties Gill Byrd
Defensive Quality Control Mikal Smith
Special Teams Coaches
Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub
Assistant Special Teams Chris Tabor
Strength and Conditioning
Director of Physical Development Rusty Jones
Strength and Conditioning Jim Arthur
Coaching Staff
Management
More NFL staffs
Notes and references
^ “George Halas, Jr.”. Chicago Bears Official Website. http://www.chicagobears.com/tradition/history_70s.asp. Retrieved December 13, 2006.
^ “Chicago Bears Franchise Encyclopedia”. Sports Reference LLC. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi/. Retrieved August 15, 2008.
^ “Green Bay Packers Franchise Encyclopedia”. Sports Reference LLC. http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/gnb/. Retrieved August 15, 2008.
^ “All-Time Win-Loss Records By Team”. Pro Football Hall of Fame. 2008. http://www.profootballhof.com/history/stats/win-loss_records.jsp. Retrieved August 15, 2008.
^ Halas By Halas, by George Halas, Gwen Morgan & Arthur Veysey, McGraw Hill, 1979, p.53-54
^ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi/#headtohead
^ “The Decatur Staleys”. Local Website. http://home.comcast.net/~esterneman/sternaman/football.htm. Retrieved June 15, 2006. Information on Dutch Sternaman
^ “George Halas: Hall of Fame Member”. Pro Football Hall of Fame. http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=85. Retrieved May 14, 2006.
^ “Bears-Packers: Love-Hate Relationship”. Packers.com. http://www.packers.com/news/stories/2000/09/28/1/. Retrieved September 28, 2000.
^ “1924: THE THIRD TIME IS CHARMED”. PFRA. http://www.footballresearch.com/articles/frpage.cfm?topic=1924b. Retrieved February 7, 2007.
^ “Galloping Ghost scared opponents”. ESPN.com. http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00014213.html. Retrieved December 1, 2005.
^ See NFL Championship Game, 1934 for more information on how the Giants wore sneakers and defeated the Bears
^ “General History Chronology (1940 to 1959)”. Pro Football Hall of Fame. http://www.profootballhof.com/history/general/chronology/1940-1959.jsp. Retrieved January 1, 2006.
^ “Sid Luckman”. Pro Football Hall of Fame. http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=135. Retrieved July 12, 2006.
^ the subject of the film Brian’s Song
^ “Walter Payton’s Statistics”. Pro Football Hall of Fame. http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=174. Retrieved June 3, 2006.
^ “Remembering Walter Payton”. Daily Herald. http://www.dailyherald.com/special/payton/timeline.htm. Retrieved June 11, 2006.
^ “Smith passes Payton as NFL’s career rushing leader”. Sports Illustrated. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/news/2002/10/27/smith_record_ap/. Retrieved June 16, 2006.
^ “Ed McCaskey”. Cook County Clerk. http://www.cookctyclerk.com/html/041503resdoc.htm. Retrieved December 13, 2006.
^ “Mike McCaskey”. ChicagoBears Official Website. http://www.chicagobears.com/tradition/history_80s.asp. Retrieved December 13, 2006.
^ a b “McCaskey”. Cranes Chicago Business. http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/mag/article.pl?article_id=24665. Retrieved July 12, 2006.
^ “Chicago’s Most Powerful Women”. Chicago Sun-Times. http://www.suntimes.com/special_sections/powerful_women/sports_mccaskey.html. Retrieved April 16, 2004.
^ “Dave McGinnis”. Bears History. http://www.bearshistory.com/seasons/1999chicagobears.aspx. Retrieved December 13, 2006.
^ “Michael McCaskey”. Cranes Chicago Business. http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/mag/article.pl?article_id=24665. Retrieved July 12, 2006.
^ “Ted Phillips”. Chicago Bears.com. http://www.chicagobears.com/team/frontofficeBio.jsp?id=29. Retrieved July 12, 2006.
^ “About the Chicago Bears”. Vividseats.com. http://www.vividseats.com/nfl/chicago-bears-tickets.html. Retrieved October 16, 2006.
^ “GameCenter: Recap Superbowl.com”. Superbowl.com. http://www.superbowl.com/gamecenter/recap/NFL_20070121_NO@CHI. Retrieved January 21, 2007.
^ ESPN Bears coach Smith, GM Angelo ink contract extensions NFL
^ “All-Time Chicago Bears Record”. Pro Football Hall of Fame. http://www.profootballhof.com/history/team.jsp?franchise_id=6. Retrieved June 15, 2006.
^ Mulligan, Mike (April 3, 2009). “Bears get Cutler for two first-round picks, Orton”. Chicago Sun-Times. http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/1508720,bears-cutler-040209.article. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
^ url = http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/02/mike-martz-hired-as-bears-offensive-coordinator.html
^ “Bears Minority Owners”. Cranes Chicago Business. http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/mag/article.pl?article_id=24665. Retrieved July 12, 2006.
^ Silver, Michael (2009-09-02). “09 owner rankings, 1732: Dysfunctional Davis”. Yahoo! Sports. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Aq05aENajGTN9.DNk28SsIdDubYF?slug=ms-ownerrankingspartone09020&prov=yhoo&type=lgns. Retrieved 2009-09-04.
^ “NFL Team Valuations”. Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/30/sportsmoney_nfl08_Chicago-Bears_301335.html. Retrieved September 11, 2008.
^ Silver, Michael (July 22, 2008). “Owner rankings, 1732: Wayne wretched world”. Yahoo! Sports. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AvsoBWAn5z0hKBA7xJrctGlDubYF?slug=ms-ownersrankingspartone072208&prov=yhoo&type=lgns. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
^ “NFL Franchise Sponsors: Chicago Bears”. Forbes Magazine. http://www.forbes.com/lists/2005/30/301335.html. Retrieved December 1, 2005.
^ “Chicago Bears Feel at Home on WFLD-TV”. TVweek.com. http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/04/chicago_bears_feel_at_home_on.php. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
^ “History of the Chicago Bears Logo”. Chicago Bears. http://www.chicagobears.com/history/uniform.jsp. Retrieved August 1, 2005.
^ “History of the Chicago Bears Uniform”. Chicago Bears. http://org-www.chicagobears.com/history/uniform.jsp. Retrieved August 1, 2005.
^ Yahoo! Sports Bears hang on against Minnesota
^ “Jay Mohr: Breaking down the best and worst NFL uniforms”. Sports Illustrated. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/jay_mohr/11/09/mohr.sports/. Retrieved November 9, 2005.
^ “Rocky”. Bearshistory.com. http://www.bearshistory.com/sidelines/chicagohoneybears.aspx. Retrieved May 3, 2006.
^ “”Bearman””. Bearshistory.com. http://www.bearshistory.com/sidelines/chicagohoneybears.aspx. Retrieved May 1, 2006.
^ “Soldier Field History”. BearsHistory.com. http://www.bearshistory.com/lore/soldierfieldhistory.aspx. Retrieved July 16, 2006.
^ “Flashback: Eagles fly into fog”. NFL.com. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/7730971. Retrieved September 28, 2004.
^ “Soldier Field History”. Bears History.com. http://www.bearshistory.com/lore/soldierfieldhistory.aspx. Retrieved July 16, 2006.
^ “Soldier Field History”. ChicagoBears.com. http://www.chicagobears.com/history/sf_facts.jsp. Retrieved July 16, 2006.
^ “Mistake on the Lake”. The Times of Northwest Indiana. http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2003/09/30/news/top_news/965adf222a1ac3af86256db100030920.prt. Retrieved September 1, 2003.
^ “Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties, 4/17/06 through 4/21/06”. National Register of Historic Places Listings. http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/listings/20060428.HTM.
^ “Bears History “Bits””. Bears History.com. http://www.bearshistory.com/sidelines/chicagobearshistorybits.aspx. Retrieved July 16, 2006.
^ “Bears Midfield Logo”. Bears History.com. http://www.bearshistory.com/sidelines/chicagobearshistorybits.aspx. Retrieved July 16, 2006.
^ “New Soldier Field Art”. Bears History.com. http://www.bearshistory.com/sidelines/chicagobearshistorybits.aspx. Retrieved July 16, 2006.
^ “Brian’s Song (1971)”. IMDb. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068315/. Retrieved July 14, 2006.
^ “Reel Life: Brian’s Song”. ESPN. http://espn.go.com/page2/s/closer/021004.html. Retrieved July 14, 2006.
^ “Brian’s Song (2001)”. IMDb. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289873/. Retrieved July 14, 2006.
^ “Top 10 Greatest NFL Team’s of All-Time”. WatchMojo.com. http://www.watchmojo.com/sports/football/010.php. Retrieved July 16, 2006.
^ “These records were meant to be broken”. Floridan. http://www.sptimes.com/News/012801/news_pf/Floridian/These_records_were_ma.shtml. Retrieved January 28, 2001.
^ “Nielsen’s Top 10”. Nielsen Ratings. http://www.nielsenmedia.com/ratings/topnetworktelecasts.htm. Retrieved July 16, 2006.
^ “Remembering the Super Bowl Shuffle”. ESPN. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page3/story?page=katcher/040825. Retrieved August 1, 2004.
^ “Bill Swerski’s Super Fans”. SNL Transcripts. http://snltranscripts.jt.org/90/90jsuperfans.phtml. Retrieved July 14, 2006.
^ “SNL Super Fans Transcripts”. SNL Transcripts. http://snltranscripts.jt.org/90/90jsuperfans.phtml. Retrieved July 14, 2006.
^ “Chris Farley”. Find a Death. http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/F/Chris%20Farley/chris_farley.htm. Retrieved July 14, 2006.
^ “Ditka joins CBS2”. CBS 2 Chicago (WBBM-TV). http://cbs2chicago.com/pressreleases/local_story_197002133.html. Retrieved July 14, 2004.
^ “Kicking and Screaming (2005)”. IMDb. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0384642/. Retrieved April 12, 2008.
^ “Urlacher’s not going anywhere”. USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/bears/2003-06-04-urlacher_x.htm. Retrieved June 3, 2003.
^ “A Different Campaign for Nike”. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/24/business/media/24adco.html?ex=1392958800&en=7886de57c2852995&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND. Retrieved February 24, 2004.
^ “It’s Punky Brewster”. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1244308/. Retrieved September 2009.
^ “Youtube Video”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNZEMeOcP1o. Retrieved October 20, 2008.
^ a b c d e “Chicago Bears Team Records”. Chicago Bears. http://org-www.chicagobears.com/history/records.jsp. Retrieved August 1, 2005.
^ “NFL History”. NFL.com. http://www.nfl.com/history/standings. Retrieved August 1, 2006.
^ Chicagobears.com Devin Hester’s NFL Career Received on September 15, 2009
^ Super Bowl.com, Hester is Chicago’s not-so-secret weapon Retrieved on February 28, 2007
^ ESPN.com, Hester’s record return pushes Bears past sleeping Giants Retrieved on March 11, 2007
^ ESPN.com Page 2, The Damn! Moment of Week 10 Retrieved on March 11, 2007
^ Yahoo! Sports, Indianapolis 29, Chicago 17 Retrieved on February 5, 2007
^ This was the first playoff game played at the newly renovated Soldier Field.
^ “Hall of Famers by Team”. Pro Football Hall of Fame. http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/teams.jsp. Retrieved February 1, 2006.
^ NFL Championships (19201969) and Super Bowl Championships (1970resent) collected during a coaching tenure
^ No official records have been found for the 1919 season
^ George Halas coached the Bears four different times, his overall record in those four stints come out to 32415131
^ a b Anderson and Johnsos were co-Head Coaches appointed by Halas went he left for the US Navy
Sources
American football portal
Taylor, Roy (2004). Chicago Bears History. Arcadia Publishing (SC). ISBN 0-7385-3319-X.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chicago Bears
Wikinews has news related to:
Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears Official Club Homepage
Chicago Bears at the National Football League Official Homepage
Chicago Bears at the Chicago Sun-Times Online Website
Chicago Bears at the Chicago Tribune Online Website
Chicago Bears History at BearsHistory.com
Chicago Bears Information at Sports E-Cyclopedia.com
v d e
Chicago Bears
Formerly the Decatur Staleys and the Chicago Staleys Founded in 1919 Based in Chicago, Illinois
The Franchise
History Seasons Records Players Head Coaches First-round Draft Picks List of Chicago Bears starting Quarterbacks
Stadiums
Staley Field Wrigley Field Soldier Field Memorial Stadium Soldier Field II
Lore
Fog Bowl 1932 Playoff Game First NFL Championship Game “The Sneakers Game” Monsters of the Midway 46 Defense ’85 Bears Super Bowl XX Thanksgiving Classic Bears 73, Redskins 0 Instant Replay Game Staley Swindle Cardiac Kids George S. Halas Trophy Christmas games American Bowl 75th Anniversary (League Team NFL All-Time Team)
Culture
Brian’s Song “Bear Down, Chicago Bears” “The Super Bowl Shuffle” Da Super Fans Chuck Swirsky Staley Da Bear Logos and Uniforms Halas Hall A.E. Staley Jack Brickhouse Papa Bear Roosevelt/Wabash
Rivalries
Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings
Retired Numbers
3 5 7 28 34 40 41 42 51 56 61 66 77
Key Personnel
Owner: Virginia Halas McCaskey Chairman: Michael McCaskey President/CEO: Ted Phillips General Manager: Jerry Angelo Head Coach: Lovie Smith
NFL Championships (9)
1921 1932 1933 1940 1941 1943 1946 1963 1985
Super Bowl Appearances (2)
1985 (XX) 2006 (XLI)
Other honors
NFL Championship Appearances (10) 1933 1934 1937 1940 1941 1942 1943 1946 1956 1963
NFC Championship Game Appearances (4) 1984 1985 1988 2006
Division Titles | NFL Western (8) 1933 1934 1937 1940 1941 1942 1943 1946 NFC Central (7) 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1990 2001 NFC North (2) 2005 2006
Current League Affiliations
League: National Football League Conference: National Football Conference Division: North Division
Former League Affiliations
League: Independent (1919) Conference: National Conference (19501952); Western Conference (19531969) Division: NFL Western Division (19331949); Central Division (19671969); NFC Central Division (19702001)
Local Broadcast Affiliates
Fox Chicago WBBM Newsradio 780
Seasons (90)
1920s
1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
1930s
1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
1940s
1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
1950s
1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
1960s
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970s
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980s
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990s
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000s
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
v d e
Chicago Bears NFL Championship Navigation Boxes
Achievements
Preceded by
Akron Pros
1920
APFA Champions
Chicago Staleys
1921
Succeeded by
Canton Bulldogs
1922 & 1923
Preceded by
Green Bay Packers
19291931
NFL Champions
Chicago Bears
1932 & 1933
Succeeded by
New York Giants
1934
Preceded by
Green Bay Packers
1939
NFL Champions
Chicago Bears
1940 & 1941
Succeeded by
Washington Redskins
1942
Preceded by
Washington Redskins
1942
NFL Champions
Chicago Bears
1943
Succeeded by
Green Bay Packers
1944
Preceded by
Cleveland Rams
1945
NFL Champions
Chicago Bears
1946
Succeeded by
Chicago Cardinals
1947
Preceded by
Green Bay Packers
1961 & 1962
NFL Champions
Chicago Bears
1963
Succeeded by
Cleveland Browns
1964
Preceded by
San Francisco 49ers
1984
Super Bowl Champions
Chicago Bears
1985
Succeeded by
New York Giants
1986
v d e
Chicago Staleys 1921 NFL Champions
Dick Barker | Hugh Blacklock | George Bolan | Guy Chamberlin | Harry Englund | George Halas | Chic Harley | Ken Huffine | Jake Lanum | Jake Mintun | Pard Pearce | Ralph Scott | Russ Smith | Dutch Sternaman | Pete Stinchcomb | Tarzan Taylor | George Trafton | Lou Usher
Head Coach George Halas
v d e
Chicago Bears 1932 NFL Champions
Gil Bergerson | Carl Brumbaugh | Bill Buckler | Lloyd Burdick | Zuck Carlson | George Corbett | Al Culver | John Doehring | Harold Ely | Tiny Engebretsen | Paul Franklin | Red Grange | Bill Hewitt | Herb Joesting | Luke Johnsos | Joe Kopcha | Bernie Leahy | Ookie Miller | Keith Molesworth | Al Moore | Don Murry | Bronko Nagurski | Dick Nesbitt | Bert Pearson | Jim Pederson | Paul Schuette | Johnny Sisk | Cookie Tackwell | George Trafton
Head Coach Ralph Jones
v d e
Chicago Bears 1933 NFL Champions
Gil Bergerson | Carl Brumbaugh | Bill Buckler | Zuck Carlson | George Corbett | John Doehring | Paul Franklin | Red Grange | Bill Hewitt | Luke Johnsos | Bill Karr | Joe Kopcha | Link Lyman | Jack Manders | Ookie Miller | Keith Molesworth | George Musso | Bronko Nagurski | Dick Nesbitt | Bert Pearson | Ray Richards | Gene Ronzani | Johnny Sisk | Dick Smith | Dick Stahlman | Cookie Tackwell | Joe Zeller
Head Coach George Halas
v d e
Chicago Bears 1940 NFL Champions
Lee Artoe | Al Baisi | Frank Bausch | Ray Bray | Chet Chesney | Harry Clarke | Gary Famiglietti | Aldo Forte | Danny Fortmann | Ken Kavanaugh | Ed Kolman | Sid Luckman | Jack Manders | Joe Maniaci | Eggs Manske | Phil Martinovich | Bernie Masterson | George McAfee | Ray McLean | Joe Mihal | George Musso | Ray Nolting | Bob Nowaskey | Bill Osmanski | Dick Plasman | Hamp Pool | Solly Sherman | John Siegal | Bob Snyder | Joe Stydahar | Bob Swisher | Jack Torrance | Bulldog Turner | George Wilson
Head Coach George Halas
v d e
Chicago Bears 1941 NFL Champions
Lee Artoe | Al Baisi | Ray Bray | Young Bussey | Harry Clarke | Gary Famiglietti | John Federovitch | Aldo Forte | Danny Fortmann | Hugh Gallarneau | Bill Hughes | Ken Kavanaugh | Ed Kolman | Hal Lahar | Sid Luckman | Joe Maniaci | Al Matuza | George McAfee | Ray McLean | Joe Mihal | George Musso | Ray Nolting | Bob Nowaskey | Bill Osmanski | Dick Plasman | Hamp Pool | John Siegal | Bob Snyder | Norm Standlee | Joe Stydahar | Bob Swisher | Bulldog Turner | George Wilson
Head Coach George Halas
v d e
Chicago Bears 1943 NFL Champions
Al Babartsky | Jim Benton | Connie Mack Berry | Harry Clarke | Bernie Digris | Gary Famiglietti | Danny Fortmann | Bill Geyer | Pete Gudauskas | Al Hoptowit | Tony Ippolito | Jim Logan | Sid Luckman | Dante Magnani | Bob Masters | Al Matuza | Doug McEnulty | Ray McLean | Monte Merkel | Fred Mundee | George Musso | Bronko Nagurski | Ray Nolting | Bill Osmanski | Hamp Pool | John Siegal | Dom Sigillo | Bob Snyder | Bill Steinkemper | Bob Steuber | Bulldog Turner | Joe Vodicka | George Wilson
Head Coach Luke Johnsos
v d e
Chicago Bears 1946 NFL Champions
Al Baisi | Connie Mack Berry | Ray Bray | Stu Clarkson | Fred Davis | Chuck Drulis | Tom Farris | John Federovitch | Aldo Forte | Hugh Gallarneau | Bill Geyer | Mike Jarmoluk | Ken Kavanaugh | Jim Keane | Ed Kolman | Walt Lamb | Sid Luckman | Dante Magnani | Bob Margarita | Frank Maznicki | George McAfee | Ray McLean | Rudy Mucha | Noah Mullins | Bill Osmanski | Joe Osmanski | Don Perkins | Pat Preston | Lloyd Reese | John Schiechl | Dick Schweidler | Ed Sprinkle | Walt Stickel | Joe Stydahar | Bulldog Turner | George Wilson
Head Coach George Halas
v d e
Chicago Bears 1963 NFL Champions
Doug Atkins | Steve Barnett | Tom Bettis | Charlie Bivins | Rudy Bukich | Ronnie Bull | Jim Cadile | J. C. Caroline | Rick Casares | Angelo Coia | Roger Davis | Mike Ditka | Bo Farrington | Joe Fortunato | Willie Galimore | Bill George | Larry Glueck | Bobby Joe Green | Bob Jencks | John Johnson | Stan Jones | Ted Karras | Bob Kilcullen | Roger LeClerc | Herman Lee | Earl Leggett | Joe Marconi | Billy Martin | Bennie McRae | Johnny Morris | Larry Morris | Ed O’Bradovich | Richie Petitbon | Mike Pyle | Rosey Taylor | Bill Wade | Bob Wetoska | Dave Whitsell | Fred Williams
Head Coach George Halas
Coaches George Allen | Jim Dooley | Phil Handler
v d e
Chicago Bears Super Bowl XX Champions
4 Steve Fuller | 6 Kevin Butler | 8 Maury Buford | 9 Jim McMahon | 18 Mike Tomczak | 20 Thomas Sanders | 21 Leslie Frazier | 22 Dave Duerson | 23 Shaun Gayle | 26 Matt Suhey | 27 Mike Richardson | 29 Dennis Gentry | 31 Ken Taylor | 33 Calvin Thomas | 34 Walter Payton | 45 Gary Fencik | 48 Reggie Phillips | 50 Mike Singletary | 51 Jim Morrissey | 52 Cliff Thrift | 53 Dan Rains | 54 Brian Cabral | 55 Otis Wilson | 57 Tom Thayer | 58 Wilber Marshall | 59 Ron Rivera | 60 Tom Andrews | 62 Mark Bortz | 63 Jay Hilgenberg | 70 Henry Waechter | 71 Andy Frederick | 72 William Perry | 73 Mike Hartenstine | 74 Jim Covert | 75 Stefan Humphries | 76 Steve McMichael | 78 Keith Van Horne | 80 Tim Wrightman | 82 Ken Margerum | 83 Willie Gault | 85 Dennis McKinnon | 87 Emery Moorehead | 89 Keith Ortego | 95 Richard Dent (MVP) | 98 Tyrone Keys | 99 Dan Hampton
Head Coach: Mike Ditka
Coaches: Dale Haupt | Ed Hughes | Steve Kazor | Jim LaRue | Ted Plumb | Johnny Roland | Buddy Ryan | Dick Stanfel
v d e
National Football League (2010)
AFC
West
North
South
East
Denver Broncos
Baltimore Ravens
Houston Texans
Buffalo Bills
Kansas City Chiefs
Cincinnati Bengals
Indianapolis Colts
Miami Dolphins
Oakland Raiders
Cleveland Browns
Jacksonville Jaguars
New England Patriots
San Diego Chargers
Pittsburgh Steelers
Tennessee Titans
New York Jets
NFC
West
North
South
East
Arizona Cardinals
Chicago Bears
Atlanta Falcons
Dallas Cowboys
St. Louis Rams
Detroit Lions
Carolina Panthers
New York Giants
San Francisco 49ers
Green Bay Packers
New Orleans Saints
Philadelphia Eagles
Seattle Seahawks
Minnesota Vikings
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Washington Redskins
Seasons (by team) Playoffs AFC Championship NFC Championship Super Bowl (Champions) All-Pro Pro Bowl
League Championship History: AFL Championship (19601969) NFL Championship (19201969) One-game playoff Playoff Bowl
Defunct franchises Owners Officials Stadiums (chronology) Records (individual, team, Super Bowl) Hall of Fame Lore Nicknames AFL Merger Histo…
I am an expert from Chinese Manufacturers, usually analyzes all kind of industries situation, such as tag shoulder pads , bike shoulder pads.
Processing your request, Please wait....
