The
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
American football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
franchise is a charter member of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL), and has played in all of the league's 100 seasons. The team has captured nine
NFL championships
Throughout its history, the National Football league (NFL) and other rival American football leagues have used several different formats to determine their league champions, including a period of inter-league matchups to determine a true national ...
– eight
NFL championships
Throughout its history, the National Football league (NFL) and other rival American football leagues have used several different formats to determine their league champions, including a period of inter-league matchups to determine a true national ...
and one
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
– second most all time behind the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
. The franchise has also recorded more victories than any other franchise (739), retired the most uniform numbers (14), and have the most members in the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
(29). The Bears have played in over a thousand games since becoming a charter member of the NFL in
1920
Events January
* January 1
** Polish–Soviet War: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20.
** Kauniainen in Finland, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its ow ...
.
Early years: Formation of the league and Bear domination (1919–1946)
The Decatur Staleys, the organization that eventually became the Chicago Bears, were originally founded as a
works team
A works team, sometimes also referred to as factory team and company team, is a sports team that is financed and run by a manufacturer or other business, institution, or organization in a broad sense. Works teams have very close ties with thei ...
of the
A. E. Staley food starch company of
Decatur, Illinois
Decatur ( ) is the largest city in Macon County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The city was founded in 1829 and is situated along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...
, in 1919;
[Halas By Halas, by George Halas, Gwen Morgan & Arthur Veysey, McGraw Hill, 1979, p.53-54] this was the typical start for several early professional football franchises. The team played independently in
1919
Events
January
* January 1
** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (later Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia.
** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off th ...
, winning the Central Illinois Championship. In 1920, the company hired former
University of Illinois
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...
teammates
George Halas
George Stanley Halas Sr. (February 2, 1895 – October 31, 1983), nicknamed "Papa Bear", was an American professional football end, coach, and executive. He was the founder and owner of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), ...
and
Edward "Dutch" Sternaman to run the team.
[ Information on Dutch Sternaman]
On September 17, 1920, 13 team representatives, including those representing Halas' team, met in
Canton, Ohio
Canton () is a city in Stark County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, eighth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 70,872 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Canton–Massillo ...
, to create a new football league. In the interest of ticket sales and crowning a yearly champion, they decided to form the American Professional Football Association, which changed its name to
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) in 1922. On October 3, 1920, the Staleys played their first NFL game. Official team and league records cite Halas as the team's founder as he took over the team in 1920, when it became a charter member of the NFL.
1920–1921: The Decatur Staleys

Halas was among the driving forces of this meeting, which gave birth to what is now the NFL. In their
first season as part of the APFA, the Staleys won 10 games, all by shutouts, but lost the first league championship to the
Akron Pros
The Akron Pros were a professional American football, football team that played in Akron, Ohio, Akron, Ohio from 1908 to 1926. The team originated in 1908 as a semi-professional, semi-pro team named the Akron Indians, but later became Akron Pros ...
, who finished the season unbeaten at 8–0–3. There was no official scheduling in the
1920 season, which accounted for the difference in the number of games played that season.
The Staleys and the
Racine Cardinals
The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons.
Roots ca ...
split the 1920 series with the home team winning in each. In the Cardinals' 7–6 victory over the Staleys in their first meeting of the season, each team scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery, but the Staleys missed their extra point. The Staleys went on to a 10–1–2 record overall, 5–1–2 in league play. The 1920 Akron Pros were the first-ever league champions, finishing with an 8–0–3 record, 6–0–3 in league play, and ending their season in a scoreless tie against the Staleys. Because the Staleys had lost to the Cardinals earlier that year, the Pros could simply play the final game not to lose; they wisely did and became champions. The Staleys' loss to the Cardinals began a long-standing rivalry between the franchises. Had the Staleys won, there would have been a three-way tie among the Staleys, the Buffalo All-Americans (9–1–1 in 1920, 4–1–1 in league play) and the Pros, each team having one loss. Each team likely would have played more games (as it was allowed under the rules in those days) to allow teams to settle parity at the top of the standings.
1921–1929: First years in Chicago and the rise of the Bears
Although the Staleys made a good account of themselves on the field, they struggled off of it. The team played their home games at
Staley Field
Staley Field in Decatur, Illinois, United States, was the home of the Decatur Staleys club of the American Professional Football Association in 1920, coached and managed by the young George Halas, who also played for the team.
The team was ...
, which only seated 1,500 people, incredibly small even by early professional football standards. Additionally, Staley employees received a 50 percent discount on tickets, further hobbling the company's bottom line.
The financial troubles did not dissuade Halas from improving the team. By the time the team took the field for the
1921 season, Halas had almost completely jettisoned the Staleys'
works team
A works team, sometimes also referred to as factory team and company team, is a sports team that is financed and run by a manufacturer or other business, institution, or organization in a broad sense. Works teams have very close ties with thei ...
roots. All but two local men and one Staley employee were gone from the roster and replaced with former college players. After the team opened the season with a home victory over the
Rock Island Independents
The Rock Island Independents were a professional American football team, based in Rock Island, Illinois, from 1907 to 1926. The Independents were a founding National Football League franchise. They hosted what has been retrospectively designated ...
, company founder and namesake Gene Staley made Halas a lucrative offer. He was going to have to lay off the players he had just hired due to a recession, but was willing to turn the team over to Halas. Remembering that the team had attracted its biggest home game crowds of the 1920 season by moving two games to the city, Staley advanced Halas $5,000 (about $76,423) to move the team to Chicago, provided that he keep the Staleys name for the remainder of the 1921 season.
[ Halas then took Sternaman on as a full partner. Taking advantage of his good relationship with ]Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
owner William Wrigley Jr.
William Mills Wrigley Jr. (September 30, 1861 – January 26, 1932) was an American chewing gum industrialist. He founded the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company in 1891.
Biography
William Mills Wrigley Jr. was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvani ...
and president Bill Veeck Sr., Halas quickly secured a lease at Cubs Park, soon to be known as Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...
.[Chicago Bears Media Guide]
2020 The Chicago Staleys stormed through the rest of the season, finishing 10–1–1 with their first league championship.
In 1922
Events
January
* January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes.
* January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...
, when the agreement to keep the Staleys name lapsed, Halas decided to choose a new name for his team. He considered calling it the Cubs as a nod to how the baseball Cubs had helped him get settled in Chicago, but ultimately decided on the Chicago Bears. In his biography, Halas recalled that he wanted a tie-in to the Cubs, but reasoned that since football players were far bigger than baseball players, "if baseball players are cubs, then football players must be bears!"[ Over the next few years, the Bears were ranked among the elite teams in the ]NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
, but could never capture a championship title since the league did not have a playoff system; instead, it had a somewhat controversial scheduling formula that led to uneven standings and contentious champions.
The highlight of the decade was Halas' unprecedented move to sign Red Grange
Harold Edward "Red" Grange (June 13, 1903 – January 28, 1991), nicknamed "the Galloping Ghost" and "the Wheaton Iceman", was an American professional American football, football Halfback (American football), halfback who played for the Chicag ...
(nicknamed "the Galloping Ghost") for $100,000 (about $1.7 million in 2023) in 1925
Events January
* January 1 – The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria (1925–1930), State of Syria.
* January 3 – Benito Mussolini m ...
. At that time, professional football was viewed negatively by many Americans, who saw college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
as a pure sport. Halas, however, took the Bears on a 17-game road trip across the United States to highlight Grange. The tour began on Thanksgiving at Wrigley Field as the Chicago Cardinals
The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons.
Roots ca ...
held Grange to just 36 yards in his professional debut, with the city rivals battling to a 0–0 tie. However, during the tour that continued through January 31, the Bears posted an impressive 11–4–2 record. This road trip impressed many and boosted the prospects of many debt-ridden teams such as the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
.
Grange left the Bears after a contract dispute in 1926
In Turkey, the year technically contained only 352 days. As Friday, December 18, 1926 ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Saturday, January 1, 1927 '' (Gregorian Calendar)''. 13 days were dropped to make the switch. Turkey thus became the ...
, and established the first incarnation of the American Football League
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, AFL–NFL merger, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Foot ...
, which folded after one season, although Grange's New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
would later be admitted into the NFL. Grange injured his knee in his first game against the Bears in 1927
Events January
* January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the BBC, British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith, 1st Baron Reith, John Reith becomes the first ...
, and was forced to sit out the 1928 season. He returned to Chicago in 1929
This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...
, but the Bears ended the decade with a losing season as Halas retired as player-coach and appointed Ralph Jones
Ralph Robert "Curley" Jones (September 22, 1880 – July 26, 1951) was an American football and basketball coach. He also served as the head coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1930 to 1932, leading them to the ...
as his successor.
1930–1939: NFL championships and George Halas' return
The Chicago Bears of the 1930s are remembered for being led by a ferocious tandem of Bronko Nagurski
Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski (November 3, 1908 – January 7, 1990) was a Canadian-American professional football player who was a fullback and defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). Renowned for his strength and size, Nagurski ...
and Red Grange
Harold Edward "Red" Grange (June 13, 1903 – January 28, 1991), nicknamed "the Galloping Ghost" and "the Wheaton Iceman", was an American professional American football, football Halfback (American football), halfback who played for the Chicag ...
, playing in the newly inaugurated NFL Championship Game four times and claiming the league title twice.
After completing the 1930 season with a record of 9–4–1, the Bears and the Chicago Cardinals
The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons.
Roots ca ...
played the first indoor football game on December 15 at Chicago Stadium
Chicago Stadium was an indoor arena in Chicago from 1929 to 1995. When it was built, it was the largest indoor arena in the world with a maximum seating capacity of 26,000. It was the home of the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks and ...
in a charity game for those affected by the Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, a game the Bears won 9–7. Due to the size limitations of the arena, the length of the football field was only 80 yards. In the 1932 season, the Bears and the Portsmouth Spartans
The Portsmouth Spartans were a professional American football team that played in Portsmouth, Ohio, from their founding in 1928 to their relocation to Detroit in 1934. Originally drawing players from defunct independent professional and semi-prof ...
tied for first place in the league, and played an "unofficial" championship playoff game at Chicago Stadium on December 18. The Bears won 9–0 and captured the championship before 11,198 fans. The popularity of the game prompted the NFL to institute various rule changes for the 1933 season, splitting the league into two geographical divisions and establishing an officially scheduled Championship Game to determine the NFL champion.
In 1933
Events
January
* January 11 – Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand.
* January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independen ...
, George Halas made his return to coaching the Bears, leading them to the first-ever Western Division title and the first-ever NFL Championship Game. The Bears again captured the Championship 23–21 in a nail-biter against the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
as Red Grange made a game-winning tackle. In 1934
Events
January–February
* January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established.
* January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...
, the Bears dominated the league and finished 13–0, but were denied perfection as they lost 30–13 to the Giants
A giant is a being of human appearance, sometimes of prodigious size and strength, common in folklore.
Giant(s) or The Giant(s) may also refer to:
Mythology and religion
*Giants (Greek mythology)
* Jötunn, a Germanic term often translated as 'g ...
in the Championship Game
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world championships, and ...
, which became known as the "Sneakers Game".
The Bears would play in the NFL Championship Game two more times that decade, losing both of them. In 1935
Events
January
* January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims.
* January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...
and 1936
Events January–February
* January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House.
* January 28 – Death and state funer ...
, the Bears remained somewhat competitive, but failed to qualify for the Championship. In 1937
Events
January
* January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua.
* January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Feb ...
, they made a return to the Championship Game
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world championships, and ...
, but fell short as Sammy Baugh
Samuel Adrian Baugh (March 17, 1914 – December 17, 2008) was an American professional football quarterback who played 16 seasons with the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the TCU Horne ...
and the Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
won 28–21. In 1938
Events
January
* January 1 – state-owned enterprise, State-owned railway networks are created by merger, in France (SNCF) and the Netherlands (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS).
* January 20 – King Farouk of Egypt marries Saf ...
, the Bears fell off the NFL map, with a record of 6–5. The Bears finished off the decade on a down note, losing twice to the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
in 1939
This year also marks the start of the World War II, Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history.
Events
Events related to World War II have a "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 1
** Coming into effect in Nazi Ger ...
.
During the late 1930s, George Halas and University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...
football coach Clark Shaughnessy
Clark Daniel Shaughnessy (born Clark Daniel O'Shaughnessy; March 6, 1892 – May 15, 1970) was an American football coach and innovator. He is sometimes called the "father of the T formation" and the original founder of the forward pass, althou ...
collaborated on a revolutionary approach to the offense and the quarterback position. The result was the T-formation offense and the first evolution of the modern quarterback. A complex scheme that required an athletic player with quick decision skills led Halas to recruit Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
quarterback Sid Luckman
Sidney Luckman (November 21, 1916 – July 5, 1998) was an American professional football quarterback who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1939 through 1950. During his 12 seasons with the Bears, he led t ...
, who turned the position into an engine for a high powered, time-consuming scoring machine.
1940–1946: The "Monsters of the Midway"
The Chicago Bears from 1940
A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280.
Events
Below, events related to World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
*Janu ...
to 1946
1946 (Roman numerals, MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1946th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 946th year of the 2nd millennium, the 46th year of the 20th centur ...
were considered a dynasty, earning the nickname of "Monsters of the Midway
The Monsters of the Midway is most widely known as the nickname for the National Football League's Chicago Bears. The moniker initially belonged to the Chicago Maroons football , University of Chicago Maroons football team, which was a reference t ...
". In this span, the Bears went to five NFL Championships and won four of them, even as head coach George Halas temporarily left the organization to serve in World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
from 1943 to 1945.
In the 1940 NFL Championship, Halas introduced the T-formation offense, with Sid Luckman
Sidney Luckman (November 21, 1916 – July 5, 1998) was an American professional football quarterback who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1939 through 1950. During his 12 seasons with the Bears, he led t ...
as quarterback. This formation shocked and confused the Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
all day as the Bears won 73–0, an NFL record that stands to this day. The T-formation was soon widely copied at college and pro levels. In 1941
The Correlates of War project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 3.49 million. However, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program estimates that the subsequent year, 1942, wa ...
, the Bears and the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
battled to a 10–1–0 tie for first place in the Western Division. Since the teams split their two regular season match-ups, which turned out to be each team's only loss of the season, a one-game playoff was set up. The Bears won 33–14, moving on to rout the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
37–9 in the 1941 NFL Championship.
The Bears started the 1942 season well before Halas departed for World War II. 45 players on the team also joined the war effort, which led to a roster shortage that nearly led to the Bears merging with the Cardinals in 1943
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured.
* January 4 � ...
. Halas' handpicked successors Hunk Anderson
Heartley William "Hunk" Anderson (September 22, 1898 – April 24, 1978) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Saint Louis University (1928–1929), University of Notre Dame (1931–1933), and No ...
and Luke Johnsos ran the Bears for the next three years until his return. The Bears finished the 1942 season 11–0 and played against the Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
in the 1942 Championship Game. The Redskins spoiled the Bears' attempt at a perfect season, with a 14–6 upset preventing the Bears from three-peat
In sports (especially in North America), a three-peat is winning three consecutive championships or tournaments. The term, a portmanteau of the words ''three'' and ''repeat'', originated with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Ass ...
ing. In the 1943 season, the Bears dominated the Western Division behind the quarterbacking of Luckman, who threw for 433 yards and seven touchdowns that season in a single game against the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
. In the 1943 Championship Game, the Redskins were no challenge to the Bears, who won 41–21 before a crowd of 34,320 at Wrigley Field behind Luckman's five touchdowns and Nagurski's final touchdown run.
The Bears' domination took a slight fall in as they posted a mediocre result in 1944
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 2 – WWII:
** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...
and a losing season in 1945
1945 marked the end of World War II, the fall of Nazi Germany, and the Empire of Japan. It is also the year concentration camps were liberated and the only year in which atomic weapons have been used in combat.
Events
World War II will be ...
. After Halas returned to the team in 1946 and many players returned from service in the war, the team was able to find their old magic again, finishing the regular season 8–2–1 to claim another Western Division title and a return trip to the Championship Game
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world championships, and ...
. The Bears won their last NFL Championship of the decade over the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
24–14 before a record crowd of 58,346 at the Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 to 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built for the ...
in New York; this would be the Bears' last Championship for the next 16 years.
Middle years: The rough years (1947–1981)
During this span of 34 seasons, the Bears had a combined record of 237–224–9, and finished 17 of those seasons with a record of .500 or better. Out of those 17 seasons, they won the NFL Western Division twice and qualified for the playoffs only five times, losing the 1956 Championship but winning the 1963 Championship. Despite these rough years, players like Gale Sayers
Gale Eugene Sayers (May 30, 1943 – September 23, 2020) was an American professional football halfback and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). Sayers played for the Chicago Bears from 1965 to 1971, though injuries effec ...
and Dick Butkus
Richard Marvin Butkus (December 9, 1942 – October 5, 2023) was an American professional football linebacker, sports commentator, and actor. He played football for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1965 to 1973. He w ...
thrived in their careers.
1947–1959: The decline from the top
In 1947
It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Events
January
* January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...
, the Bears got off to a slow start by losing their first two games. The team rebounded, however, and quickly ran off an eight-game winning streak to get back into the race for first place in the Western Division. After losing to the Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
17–14 in the second-to-last game of the season, the Bears and the Chicago Cardinals
The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons.
Roots ca ...
faced off in the final game of the season, with the Western Division title on the line. The Cardinals would stun the Bears 30–21 en route to the NFL Championship
Throughout its history, the National Football league (NFL) and other rival American football leagues have used several different formats to determine their league champions, including a period of inter-league matchups to determine a true national ...
. In 1948
Events January
* January 1
** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated.
** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...
, for the second season in a row, the Bears put together another great regular season, but fell short to their inner city rival Cardinals. The Bears posted a 10–2 record, but lost a key game against the Cardinals that gave them the Western Division Championship.
In 1949
Events
January
* January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2025
* January 2 – Luis ...
, the Bears continued to be one of the best-performing teams in the NFL, but fell a game short of making the Championship again. Their success continued into 1950
Events January
* January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed.
* January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 ...
, as they began the new decade in style by finishing 9–3, enough to earn them a tie for the Western Division with the Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
, whom they played against in the Conference Playoff. However, the Bears were unable to slow down the high-powered Ram offense in a 24–14 loss in Los Angeles as the Rams advanced to the Championship Game
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world championships, and ...
.
The Bears got off to a streaking start in the 1951 season, winning five of their first six games. However, the magic faded in the second half of the season as they won only two of their final six games, finishing fourth place in the conference with a mediocre record of 7–5. In the 1952 season, the Bears' defense struggled as they allowed a wretched 326 points and finished below .500 for the first time since 1945
1945 marked the end of World War II, the fall of Nazi Germany, and the Empire of Japan. It is also the year concentration camps were liberated and the only year in which atomic weapons have been used in combat.
Events
World War II will be ...
, coming in fifth place with a record of 5–7. The team's struggles continued into 1953
Events
January
* January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma.
* January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo.
* January 14
** Marshal Josip Broz Tito ...
, as most of their superstars from their 1940s dynasty had retired by this point. That season the Bears finished 3–8–1, posting back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in their history. A notable occurrence in the 1953 season was the NFL's first modern-era African-American quarterback Willie Thrower playing his first and only game for the Bears against the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
. In 1954
Events
January
* January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting.
* January 7 – Georgetown–IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York, at the head ...
, the Bears got back into the league playoff picture by posting a solid record of 8–4, enough for second place in the division but not for an appearance in the Championship Game
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world championships, and ...
.
In 1955
Events January
* January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama.
* January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut.
* January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...
, the Bears posted a second consecutive 8–4 season, again in second place, while head coach George Halas
George Stanley Halas Sr. (February 2, 1895 – October 31, 1983), nicknamed "Papa Bear", was an American professional football end, coach, and executive. He was the founder and owner of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), ...
called it quits for the third time in his career. He was replaced by former team standout Paddy Driscoll
John Leo "Paddy" Driscoll (January 11, 1895 – June 29, 1968) was an American professional football and baseball player and football coach. A triple-threat man in football, he was regarded as the best drop kicker and one of the best overall ...
, whose success would be highlighted in his first season with the team. In 1956
Events
January
* January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years.
* January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...
, Driscoll led the Bears through a solid 9–2–1 season, as they beat their fellow Midwest rival, the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
, by a half a game for the 1956 Western Division Championship. The magical season ended sourly, however, as the Bears were no match for the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
in the 1956 NFL Championship, as the Bears were blasted in a 47–7 rout in New York City. The magic of the championship season was short-lived, as in 1957
Events January
* January 1 – The Saarland joins West Germany.
* January 3 – Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch.
* January 5 – South African player Russell Endean becomes the first batsman to be Dismissal (cricke ...
the Bears dropped from first to below .500 with a 5–7 record, prompting Halas to quickly fire Driscoll and return to the sidelines.
In 1958
Events
January
* January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being.
* January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed.
* January 4
** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the thir ...
, following Halas' return, the Bears rebounded off the disappointing losing season by challenging for the Western Division Championship before faltering at the end of the season and finishing in a second place tie with an 8–4 record, a game away from the 1958 Championship. The Bears closed out the decade with yet another 8–4 finish that was only enough for second place in the division in 1959
Events
January
* January 1 – Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance.
* January 2 – Soviet lunar probe Luna 1 is the first human-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reaches the ...
. The decade gave way to Bears greats such as Ed "the Claw" Sprinkle, Bill George, George Connor, and Harlon Hill
Harlon Junius Hill (May 4, 1932 – March 21, 2013)
was an American professional football end who played for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Hill played for the Chicago Bears, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Detroit Lions. ...
.
The 1950s marked the first time in their history that the Bears went an entire decade without winning an NFL Championship. Halas, always the resilient innovator, found a young assistant in George Allen, a tireless, detail-oriented young coach who quickly created innovations such as thick playbooks for training camps, the first glimpses of deceptive schemes and exhaustive research for the NFL draft
The NFL draft, officially known as the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League. Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reve ...
. With the support of Halas, Allen turned the draft into a windfall for future Hall of Fame talent.
1960–1970: Rookie success and one more championship for Halas
The Bears started off the 1960s as the only team in Chicago following the Cardinals' move to St. Louis
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
. In the 1960 season, the Bears finished a disappointing 5–6–1 in fifth place in the NFL Western Conference. In the 1961 season, the Bears rebounded off a losing season to finish in fourth place in the conference with a record of 8–6, as rookie tight end Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka ( ; born Michael Dyczko; October 18, 1939) is an American former professional American football, football player, coach, and television commentator. During his playing career, he was UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year, UPI NFL R ...
made an instant impact by collecting 1,076 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns, setting a team record for rookies with 56 receptions, while winning the NFL Rookie of the Year Award
Various entities present an NFL Rookie of the Year award each season to the top rookies in the National Football League (NFL). The NFL considers the (rookie) of the year awards by the Associated Press (AP) to be its official honor. Since 2011, th ...
. The Bears also made their first trip out of American soil into Canada to take on the Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...
(CFL)'s Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: ''Les Alouettes de Montréal'') are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has disbanded twice and been re-established thrice. The Alouettes compe ...
(the original franchise) in a game that the Bears won 34–16.
The 1962 season was the second that saw a rookie who would make an immediate impact with the team–in this case, running back Ronnie Bull, who went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award as the Bears finished in third place in the conference with a solid 9–5 record. The Bears' rookie success hit a pinnacle in 1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...
, when they broke the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
' three-year stranglehold on the Western Division and the NFL by posting an 11–1–2 record. In the 1963 NFL Championship Game
The 1963 NFL Championship Game was the 31st annual championship game, played on December 29 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. The game pitted the visiting New York Giants (11–3) of the Eastern Conference against the Chicago Bears (11– ...
at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...
, the Bears battled the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
in front of 45,801 fans on a bone-chilling afternoon, winning their eighth Championship 14–10 as Bill Wade
William James Wade Jr. (October 4, 1930 – March 9, 2016), often referred to during his playing career as Billy Wade, was an American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams ...
scored both touchdowns for the Bears. However, the star of the game was the Bears' dominating defense, which intercepted Giants star quarterback Y. A. Tittle
Yelberton Abraham Tittle Jr. (October 24, 1926 – October 8, 2017) was an American professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants; he also ...
a stunning five times. The following season, the Bears followed up their Championship title with an underachieving 5–9 season, leading Halas to search for young talent in the upcoming draft. He selected running back Gale Sayers
Gale Eugene Sayers (May 30, 1943 – September 23, 2020) was an American professional football halfback and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). Sayers played for the Chicago Bears from 1965 to 1971, though injuries effec ...
(nicknamed the "Kansas Comet") and linebacker Dick Butkus
Richard Marvin Butkus (December 9, 1942 – October 5, 2023) was an American professional football linebacker, sports commentator, and actor. He played football for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1965 to 1973. He w ...
in the first round of the draft to improve the Bears' offense and defense.
The 1965 season proved to be yet another year where a rookie made an impact for the Bears, as Sayers won the Rookie of the Year Award while establishing a new record of 22 touchdowns during the season, still a team record. His record season and his entire career would be highlighted by his six-touchdown performance against the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
at Wrigley Field on December 12. The new element of Sayers helped the Bears finish the season in third place with a 9–5 record. Sayers continued his offensive successes in 1966
Events January
* January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko.
* January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...
, with a record 2,440 all-purpose yards, but the team still finished with a 5–7–2 season. Meanwhile, Mike Ditka abruptly retired at the end of the season, dissatisfied with Halas' unwillingness to spend money on talent; he would become an assistant coach for the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
under Tom Landry
Thomas Wade Landry ( ; September 11, 1924 – February 12, 2000) was an American professional football coach, player, and World War II veteran. Regarded as one of the greatest head coaches of all time, he was the first head coach of the Dallas ...
.
The year 1967
Events January
* January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair.
* January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...
not only saw the NFL's first Super Bowl, but also the final retirement of George Halas (then 72 years old), 47 years after his first season with the team. At the time of his retirement, Halas had 324 coaching wins, a record that stood until 1993, when it was broken by Don Shula
Donald Francis Shula ( ; January 4, 1930 – May 4, 2020) was an American professional American football, football player, coach and executive who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) from 1963 to 1995. He played seven s ...
. In Halas' final season, the Bears played respectably with a 7–6–1 record and a second-place finish in the Central Division. Halas stated that he did not retire from coaching because of his age, but because the hip injury he had sustained as a baseball player made it almost impossible for him to stand on the sidelines during games.
With Jim Dooley
James William Dooley (February 8, 1930 – January 8, 2008) was an American football player and coach. He played in the National Football League (NFL) as an end and flanker for the Chicago Bears.
College career
Born in Stoutsville, Missour ...
's appointment in Halas' place, the Bears finished the 1968 season with a 7–7 record. The low point of the season, however, was a career-threatening knee injury to Gale Sayers, from which he never fully recovered. After Sayers' injury, running back Brian Piccolo
Louis Brian Piccolo (October 31, 1943 – June 16, 1970) was an American professional football player who was a halfback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) for four years. He played college football for the Wake Forest ...
did not believe he deserved the job because of the injury. Instead of running away with his opportunity as most athletes would, Piccolo, a popular figure in the Chicago area who roomed with Sayers for a few years on road trips, pushed Sayers to get his knee back into football playing shape during the 1969 off-season. Sayers got back into the lineup, and Piccolo was back on the bench when the 1969 season started. Sayers rushed for 1,032 yards and earned the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award
A number of NFL Comeback Player of the Year awards are given to National Football League (NFL) players who have demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity by overcoming illness, physical injury or other circumstances that led them to miss p ...
. This was the ultimate display of friendship between Piccolo and Sayers, who were friends despite race differences in society during the 1960s. Even with Sayers' performance, the Bears finished the 1969 season with a franchise-worst 1–13 record. Their hopes worsened due to the fact that they had the number-two pick, while the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
had the first overall pick (with the Bears defeating them), allowing them to draft future Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw (born September 2, 1948) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since 1994, he has been a television sports an ...
.
The horror of the season came in November 1969, when Piccolo began suffering breathing problems and was diagnosed with lung cancer
Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...
. On June 16, 1970, seven months after his diagnosis, Piccolo lost his battle with lung cancer at the age of 26. The Bears responded by setting up the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund, which raises money through various annual events for cancer research. In 1971, ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting
* Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
aired the television film ''Brian's Song
''Brian's Song'' is a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week that recounts the life of Brian Piccolo ( James Caan), a Chicago Bears football player stricken with terminal cancer, focusing on his friendship with teammate Gale Sayers ( Billy Dee Williams) ...
'', which starred James Caan
James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award an ...
as Piccolo and Billy Dee Williams
William December Williams Jr. (born April 6, 1937) is an American retired actor, novelist and painter. He has appeared in over 100 films and television roles over six decades. He is best known for portraying Lando Calrissian in the ''Star Wars ...
as Gale Sayers, and detailed the friendship between the two running backs.
1970–1975: Move to Soldier Field
Following the merger
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of a company, business organization, or one of their operating units is transferred to or consolidated with another entity. They may happen through direct absorpt ...
between the NFL and the American Football League
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, AFL–NFL merger, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Foot ...
(AFL), the 1970s began with the end of an era for the NFL, especially for the Bears. The sport, which once lagged behind baseball and college football in terms of popularity, was seeing a huge rise with the advent of the Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
, with bigger venues being needed to support fans. Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...
(which was also the home of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB)'s Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
) had been the Bears' home stadium for nearly 50 years, but it did not measure up to the NFL's new guidelines, which required all stadiums to seat at least 50,000. After winning their final game at Wrigley 35–17 against the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
on December 13, 1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 1970 Tonghai earthquake, Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli ...
(and finishing the season fourth place with a record of 6–8), the Bears moved into Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side, Chicago, Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears from the National ...
(which had opened in 1924 and once hosted their former crosstown rivals, the Chicago Cardinals
The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons.
Roots ca ...
, in 1959
Events
January
* January 1 – Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance.
* January 2 – Soviet lunar probe Luna 1 is the first human-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reaches the ...
) on the Near South Side of Chicago, and played their first game there against the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
on September 19, 1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
, which they won 17–15. However, the Bears ended up finishing their first season at the stadium with a record of 6–8, leading to the termination of head coach Jim Dooley
James William Dooley (February 8, 1930 – January 8, 2008) was an American football player and coach. He played in the National Football League (NFL) as an end and flanker for the Chicago Bears.
College career
Born in Stoutsville, Missour ...
.
Dooley's replacement Abe Gibron
Abraham Gibron (September 22, 1925 – September 23, 1997) was an American professional football player and coach. Gibron played 11 seasons as a guard in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL) in the 1940 ...
did not start his tenure any better with the Bears, who were last place in the NFC Central division with a record of 4–9–1. The Gibron era took a deeper dive during the 1973 season as the team finished in last place again with a record of 3–11, limited to just 195 total points during the entire season. Dick Butkus
Richard Marvin Butkus (December 9, 1942 – October 5, 2023) was an American professional football linebacker, sports commentator, and actor. He played football for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1965 to 1973. He w ...
, who had terrorized enemy offensive players for the last eight years, retired early in the season after being hobbled by knee injuries. The 1974 season would be Gibron's last with the Bears, who finished yet again in last place, this time with a record of 4–10. The Gibron era was marked with a combined record of 11–30–1, with the only memorable event from that era being Gibron's appearance in an NFL Films
NFL Productions, LLC, doing business as NFL Films, is the film and television production company of the National Football League. It produces advertisement film, commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentary film, documentaries ...
production where he was taped singing "Joy to the World
"Joy to the World" is an English hymn and Christmas carol. It was written in 1719 by the English minister and hymnist Isaac Watts. It is usually sung to the American composer Lowell Mason's 1848 arrangement of a tune attributed to George Fride ...
", not paying attention to the game in front of him.
1975–1982: Building for a championship
Halas had made the franchise's football decisions for 54 years, but decided to entrust the rebuilding of the Bears to former Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
general manager Jim Finks
James Edward Finks (August 31, 1927 – May 8, 1994) was an American professional football player, coach, and executive.
Early life and playing career
Finks was born in St. Louis, Missouri, attended high school in Salem, Illinois, and attended ...
, whom he named general manager. In 1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
, Finks brought in Jack Pardee
John Perry Pardee (April 19, 1936 – April 1, 2013) was an American professional football player and head coach. He played as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). As a coach, he is the only head coach to helm a team in college ...
to coach, marking the first time in Bears history that the team hired a head coach who had not previously been either a Bears player or assistant coach. The move did not have any initial impact, as the team finished the season 4–10. The best move of the year was the drafting of running back Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1953Although most sources at the time of his death gave Payton's birth year as 1954, reliable sources subsequently state he was born in 1953. – November 1, 1999) was an American professional American football, ...
(nicknamed "Sweetness") in the first round, who would come to be known as one of the Bears' greatest players. The string of losing seasons ended in 1976
Events January
* January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
, with Payton rushing for 1,390 yards while scoring 13 touchdowns. At the end of the season, the Bears posted a 7–7 record, landing in second place. That same season, the Bears debuted their cheerleading squad, the Honey Bears. Despite the squad's success, Halas' daughter Virginia Halas McCaskey
Virginia Halas McCaskey ( Virginia Marion Halas; January 5, 1923 – February 6, 2025) was an American football executive who was the principal owner of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1983 until her death in 2025. S ...
terminated the group in 1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...
after Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for ...
, starting claims of a "Honey Bear Curse".
Payton had a breakout year in 1977
Events January
* January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
* January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...
, rushing for a team record of 1,852 yards, highlighted by a single-game performance of 275 yards, which established a single-game record that would stand for the next two decades. That same year, Payton won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award
The National Football League Offensive Player of the Year Award is an annual American football award given by various organizations to the National Football League (NFL) player who is considered the top offensive player during the regular season. O ...
and the NFL MVP Award. Behind the performance of Payton, the Bears won their final six games of the season to finish second place with a 9–5 record, which landed them in the NFC Wild Card spot. However, they were outpowered and overmatched in their first playoff game since 1963, as the eventual Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
champion, the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
, defeated them 37–7 in Dallas. At the end of the season, Pardee left the Bears to take over the coaching reins of the Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
. He was replaced by Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
defensive coordinator Neill Armstrong
Neill Ford Armstrong (March 9, 1926 – August 10, 2016) was an American football player and coach whose career spanned more than four decades at both the college and professional levels. Notably, Armstrong served as the head coach of the ...
, whose first season proved to be a step backwards from the Bears' playoff appearance, with a 7–9 record. The Bears would be more successful in the 1979 season, but tragedy struck the team as the Bears were celebrating their playoff berth.
On December 16, 1979, as the Bears earned that spot on the final day of the season with a 42–6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
, team president George "Mugs" Halas Jr. died of a heart attack at the age of 54. "Mugs", the son of Bears founder George Halas
George Stanley Halas Sr. (February 2, 1895 – October 31, 1983), nicknamed "Papa Bear", was an American professional football end, coach, and executive. He was the founder and owner of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), ...
, had served as the team president since 1953. The Bears had to regroup quickly, as they would face the Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
in the Wild Card Game
The Wild Card Series (formerly known as Wild Card Game from 2012 to 2019 and in 2021) are games that serve as the opening round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason. A single wild card game was instituted in 2012. This became a best ...
in Philadelphia a week later. The Bears held a 17–10 lead in the early moments of the second half, only to see the Eagles soar back, moving on to the next round with a 27–17 victory. The Bears did not return to the playoffs under Armstrong, and in 1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
, they fell below .500 with a 7–9 record (despite some seminal moments in Bear lore). On October 6, 1980, Payton broke the Bears' all-time franchise all-purpose yardage total previously held by Gale Sayers
Gale Eugene Sayers (May 30, 1943 – September 23, 2020) was an American professional football halfback and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). Sayers played for the Chicago Bears from 1965 to 1971, though injuries effec ...
, with 9,462 career yards. On Thanksgiving in Detroit, Dave Williams took the overtime kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, setting an NFL record for the fastest end to an overtime game. On December 7, the Bears ripped the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
61–7, the biggest margin of victory in the series and the most one-sided game in the history of the Bears-Packers rivalry. Armstrong lasted just one more year with the Bears, finishing with a last place showing and a 6–10 record before being fired in the off-season.
By the end of the 1970s, the beginnings of a front office brain trust were in place. General manager Jim Finks
James Edward Finks (August 31, 1927 – May 8, 1994) was an American professional football player, coach, and executive.
Early life and playing career
Finks was born in St. Louis, Missouri, attended high school in Salem, Illinois, and attended ...
was building the foundation of a championship team; scout Bill Tobin had a knack for finding overlooked talent in the NFL draft; and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan
James David "Buddy" Ryan (February 17, 1931 – June 28, 2016) was an American football coach in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL). During his 35-season coaching career, Ryan served as the head coach of the ...
was beginning to formulate his revolutionary "46 Defense". As with earlier innovations involving the T-formation with Clark Shaughnessy
Clark Daniel Shaughnessy (born Clark Daniel O'Shaughnessy; March 6, 1892 – May 15, 1970) was an American football coach and innovator. He is sometimes called the "father of the T formation" and the original founder of the forward pass, althou ...
and later creative ideas with George Allen, the pieces began to fit into place for a championship run.
The Ditka era: Bears renaissance (1982–1992)
Early in 1982
Events
January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...
, George Halas summoned Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka ( ; born Michael Dyczko; October 18, 1939) is an American former professional American football, football player, coach, and television commentator. During his playing career, he was UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year, UPI NFL R ...
back from Dallas and offered him the head coaching job, which he accepted. Under Ditka, the Bears recorded a record of 112–68. After Halas, Ditka became the second Bears coach to record over 100 wins as coach. In addition, the Bears won six division titles and made three trips to the NFC championship. The peak of this era was the 1985 season, where the Bears won Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for ...
.
The 1982 season was Ditka's first as the Bears' head coach, as he began his rebuilding program by drafting Jim McMahon
James Robert McMahon Jr. (born August 21, 1959) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, most notably with the Chicago Bears. McMahon played col ...
from Brigham Young University with the intention of making him a franchise quarterback. The season was interrupted by a players' strike and shortened to nine games. As a result, the NFL held a special playoff tournament involving the top eight teams in both conferences. The Bears did not qualify for the postseason, finishing in 12th place with a 3–6 record. On October 31, 1983
1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
, George Halas died of pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of ...
at the age of 88; he was the last surviving NFL founder. The death of Halas also brought the addition of the initials "GSH" on the left sleeve of the Bears' uniforms. After Halas' passing, his daughter Virginia Halas McCaskey
Virginia Halas McCaskey ( Virginia Marion Halas; January 5, 1923 – February 6, 2025) was an American football executive who was the principal owner of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1983 until her death in 2025. S ...
and her husband Ed assumed ownership of the team. In Ditka's second season, the Bears improved and finished with a record of 8–8. The 1983 draft was a critical one, as it saw the core of the Bears' 1985 championship team arrive.
In 1984, Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1953Although most sources at the time of his death gave Payton's birth year as 1954, reliable sources subsequently state he was born in 1953. – November 1, 1999) was an American professional American football, ...
broke Jim Brown
James Nathaniel Brown (February 17, 1936 – May 18, 2023) was an American professional American football, football player, civil rights activist, and actor. He played as a Fullback (gridiron football), fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the ...
's all-time career rushing record (which pleased Brown, who had threatened to come out of retirement if Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
running back Franco Harris
Franco Dok Harris (March 7, 1950 – December 20, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a fullback for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football fo ...
broke the record; Brown disliked Harris's tendency to run out of bounds to avoid oncoming rushers)., Payton's record stood for eighteen years until it was broken by Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith III (born May 15, 1969) is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, 13 as a member of the Dallas Cowboys and 2 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals ...
in 2002. The Bears finished the season with a 10–6 record to win their first NFC Central
The National Football Conference – Northern Division or NFC North is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed the "Black and Blue Division" for t ...
Division Championship. Even though the Bears won the division, they struggled toward the end of the season, which cost them a playoff home game. Instead, in the divisional playoffs, the Bears played against the Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, commonly known as RFK Stadium and originally known as District of Columbia Stadium, is a defunct multi-purpose stadium in Washington, D.C. located on East Capitol Street near the Anacostia River. Opened in 1 ...
in a game they won 23–19, ending the Redskins' quest for a third straight Super Bowl appearance. The Bears advanced to the NFC championship to play the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
, who shut the Bears out 23–0 on their way to Super Bowl XIX
Super Bowl XIX was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Miami Dolphins and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion ...
, and also humiliated the Bears by sending in guard Guy McIntyre
Guy Maurice McIntyre (born February 17, 1961) is an American former professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected by the San Francisco 49 ...
to play fullback.
1985: Super Bowl champions
1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...
is the most celebrated year in Chicago Bears history. Through various rankings, the 1985 Bears have been marked as one of the top five NFL teams of all time, as they beat the first 12 of their opponents, outscoring their opponents 456–198.
The season brought players to the national spotlight such as William "The Refrigerator" Perry
William Anthony Perry (born December 16, 1962) is an American former professional football defensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Bears. Nicknamed "the Refrigerator", he play ...
, Mike Singletary
Michael Singletary (born October 9, 1958), nicknamed "Samurai Mike", is an American former professional football player and coach. He played as a linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college foo ...
, Jim McMahon
James Robert McMahon Jr. (born August 21, 1959) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, most notably with the Chicago Bears. McMahon played col ...
, Dan Hampton
Daniel Oliver Hampton (born September 19, 1957) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for twelve seasons with the Chicago Bears from 1979 to 1990 in the National Football League (NFL). He was elected to ...
, and Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1953Although most sources at the time of his death gave Payton's birth year as 1954, reliable sources subsequently state he was born in 1953. – November 1, 1999) was an American professional American football, ...
. In week three of the season, McMahon suffered through a back injury, but the Bears managed to overcome a 17–9 deficit to beat the Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
. Eventually, in week nine, the Bears beat the 49ers 26–10, sacking Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Co ...
a seven times. In week 11, the Bears handed the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
their worst home loss in franchise history, beating them 44–0 and clinching the division for Chicago. In week 12, the Bears suffered their only defeat, a 38–24 loss to the Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
, retaining their status as the lone team to have ever had a perfect season. Around this time, the Bears filmed a music video
A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
called " The Super Bowl Shuffle". In the divisional playoffs, the Bears shut out the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
21–0 on a bitterly cold and windy afternoon. The Bears then faced the Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
in the NFC championship in another shutout, winning 24–0 and advancing to the Super Bowl.
In Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for ...
, the Bears were heavily favored to beat the New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
. The Bears started shakily as Payton fumbled deep in Bears territory. On the subsequent possession, the Patriots were unable to advance the football and had to settle for a field goal, taking a 3–0 lead. However, their lead was short-lived as the Bears struck back by scoring the next 44 points, including a touchdown by Perry. The Bears won the game 46–10, capturing their first NFL championship since 1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...
(three years prior to the birth of the Super Bowl), and setting Super Bowl records for points and margin of victory, with defensive end Richard Dent
Richard Lamar Dent (born December 13, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL), primarily for the Chicago Bears. He was the MVP of the Super Bowl XX. He was elected ...
being named the Super Bowl MVP
The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's (NFL) championship game. The winner is chosen by a panel of 16 football writers and broadcaster ...
.
1986–1992: Post-Super Bowl years
In 1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
** Spain and Portugal en ...
, the Bears' defense was even stingier coming off the Super Bowl, establishing a record low for 187 points allowed as they finished with another NFC Central title and a 14–2 record. The Bears' attempt to defend their Super Bowl title took a blow when Jim McMahon
James Robert McMahon Jr. (born August 21, 1959) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, most notably with the Chicago Bears. McMahon played col ...
suffered an injury from an illegal hit by Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. They are the third ...
defender Charles Martin. McMahon threw an interception and was slammed into the turf by Martin, injuring his shoulder and ending his season, which had already been subpar. Doug Flutie
Douglas Richard Flutie (born October 23, 1962) is an American former professional Gridiron football, football quarterback who played for 21 seasons. He played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), eight seasons in the Canadian Footb ...
took over, but proved to be ineffective as the Bears were shocked by the Washington Redskins in the divisional playoffs, 27–13. A notable game that season was the inaugural American Bowl
The American Bowl was a series of National Football League pre-season exhibition games that were held at sites outside the United States between 1986 and 2005.
The league started the ''American Bowl'' series in 1986 primarily to promote America ...
, the first Bears game outside of North America, with the team defeating the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
17–6 at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
in London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
.
As the 1980s wore on, other teams began to gradually figure out the 46 defense
The 46 defense is an American football defensive formation with six players along the line of scrimmage. Regarded as an eight men in the box defense, it features two players at linebacker depth playing linebacker technique, and three defensive ...
. Offensive coordinators learned it was vulnerable to a short passing game, particularly the one devised by Bill Walsh
William Ernest Walsh (November 30, 1931 – July 30, 2007) was an American professional and college football coach. He served as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and the Stanford Cardinal, during which time he popularized the West Coast off ...
of the San Francisco 49ers (later referred to as the West Coast offense). The Bears also failed to draft proper replacements for aging starters.
The 1987 NFL season, 1987 season brought a month-long strike that included the use of replacement players for three games. Off-field turmoil ensued when the Bears drafted quarterback Jim Harbaugh in the first round as a possible replacement for the injury-prone Jim McMahon, who was offended by this and quarreled with head coach Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka ( ; born Michael Dyczko; October 18, 1939) is an American former professional American football, football player, coach, and television commentator. During his playing career, he was UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year, UPI NFL R ...
. The latter, meanwhile, unwisely took the side of the NFL during the strike, damaging relations with his team. Even with the replacements, the Bears continued to dominate the NFC Central division, winning their fourth straight NFC Central title and achieving an 11–4 record (the strike resulted in a 15-game season), but ended the year on an embarrassing note as they were destroyed by the 1987 San Francisco 49ers season, San Francisco 49ers 41–0. That season, however, was remembered as the end of an era, as Walter Payton retired after 13 seasons where he only missed one game; Payton had rushed for an all-time career record of 16,726 yards.
The Bears earned a divisional playoff rematch against the 1987 Washington Redskins season, Washington Redskins. The Bears jumped out to a 14–0 lead early on only to see the Redskins storm back and take a 21–17 lead late in the game. As time was winding down on the season and on Payton's career, the Bears need to score a touchdown late. The ball was in the hands of Payton who tried to extend his career, but on fourth down he was shoved out of bounds a yard short of the first down marker, allowing the Redskins to run the clock out. Payton watched the rest of the game alone on the bench.
In the 1988 Chicago Bears season, 1988 season, the Bears kept on rolling, winning their fifth straight division title with a 12–4 record and earning home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. In a divisional playoffs game on New Year's Eve, the Bears faced the 1988 Philadelphia Eagles season, Philadelphia Eagles and former defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan
James David "Buddy" Ryan (February 17, 1931 – June 28, 2016) was an American football coach in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL). During his 35-season coaching career, Ryan served as the head coach of the ...
in a game that would be known as the "Fog Bowl (American football), Fog Bowl". Late in the second quarter, fog began to roll in from Lake Michigan before immersing Soldier Field by the third quarter, which made viewing the game impossible. Nonetheless, the Bears emerged with a 20–12 victory over the Eagles. However, the Bears lost the NFC Championship game the following week 28–3 to the eventual Super Bowl XXIII champion, the 1988 San Francisco 49ers season, San Francisco 49ers.
The 1989 Chicago Bears season, 1989 season started with a deal that sent Jim McMahon to the San Diego Chargers. The move was made as McMahon fell out of favor with Mike Ditka and the Bears' front office with his behavior and repeated injuries. This gave the starting job to Mike Tomczak, who had already seen considerable playing time as McMahon regularly missed games due to various injuries. This change did not help the Bears, who finished the season 6–10 and missed a sixth consecutive division title.
The Bears came into the 1990 Chicago Bears season, 1990 season bouncing back from a lackluster season to finish in first place with an 11–5 record. During the season, Ditka earned legendary status when he coached the team again just 10 days after suffering a heart attack. This was referenced several times on the ''Saturday Night Live'' sketch "Bill Swerski's Superfans". However, a change in the playoff system caused the Bears a three seed to play in a wild card game to get to the divisional playoffs. In the first-ever NFC 3 vs. 6 game, the Bears defeated the 1990 New Orleans Saints season, New Orleans Saints 16–6 to advance to a divisional playoff showdown against the 1990 New York Giants season, New York Giants, who defeated the Bears 31–3 and went on to win Super Bowl XXV.
The Bears made a return trip to the playoffs in 1991 Chicago Bears season, 1991 with an 11–5 record in a season that saw Ditka earn his 100th career-coaching win. The Bears did not win the division, but made the playoffs as a wild card qualifier. In the wild card round, the Bears were defeated by the 1991 Dallas Cowboys season, Dallas Cowboys 17–13.
The 1992 Chicago Bears season, 1992 season saw the end of an era in Chicago. The Bears suffered their worst record of Ditka's tenure, finishing 5–11. As a result, the Ditka era ended as team president Mike McCaskey fired him and hired Dave Wannstedt. Another era that ended that season came with the retirement of Hall of Famer Mike Singletary
Michael Singletary (born October 9, 1958), nicknamed "Samurai Mike", is an American former professional football player and coach. He played as a linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). After playing college foo ...
, who was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
1993–2003: The Wannstedt/Jauron years
For the next 11 seasons, the Bears had a record of 76–103 and posted three seasons above .500. Twice the Bears qualified for the postseason, with only one playoff win. In this same span, they placed first in their division only once.
1993–1998: Dave Wannstedt era
In Dave Wannstedt's first season as head coach, the Bears finished with a record of 7–9. During the 1993 Chicago Bears season, 1993 season, the Bears played their 1,000th franchise game and beat the 1993 Atlanta Falcons season, Atlanta Falcons 6–0 at Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side, Chicago, Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears from the National ...
. In 1994 Chicago Bears season, 1994, the Bears put together a 9–7 season, and earned a trip to the playoffs. In the NFL playoffs, 1994–95, wild card round, the Bears defeated the NFC Central Division champion, the 1994 Minnesota Vikings season, Minnesota Vikings, 35–18. The Bears' success did not last long as they were beaten badly by the eventual Super Bowl XXIX champions, the 1994 San Francisco 49ers season, San Francisco 49ers, 44–15 in San Francisco. In the 1995 Chicago Bears season, 1995 season, the Bears again finished 9–7, but missed the playoffs due to a loss in a tiebreaker with the 1995 Atlanta Falcons season, Atlanta Falcons. In the 1996 Chicago Bears season, 1996 season, the Bears took a step backwards under Wannstedt and finished in third place with a record of 7–9.
The Bears declined further in the 1997 Chicago Bears season, 1997 season, losing their first seven games with a 4–12 record. One of the few highlights of the season was the Bears winning their 600th victory against the 1997 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, becoming the first franchise to achieve such a feat. The Bears had a setback when their game at the 1997 Miami Dolphins season, Miami Dolphins on October 26 was pushed to the following Monday night after Pro Player Stadium was needed to host game seven of the 1997 World Series, but the Bears managed to come back and beat the Dolphins 36–33 in overtime for their first win of the season. The 1998 Chicago Bears season, 1998 season would be the Bears' last under Wannstedt, as they again finished 4–12. After the season, Wannstedt was fired and McCaskey was reassigned by his mother Virginia Halas McCaskey, Virginia, the daughter of George Halas.
1999–2003: Dick Jauron era
For the 1999 Chicago Bears season, 1999 season, the Bears hired Dick Jauron as their next head coach. The decade ended with Jauron's first season at 6–10. That same year, on November 1, former Bears running back Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1953Although most sources at the time of his death gave Payton's birth year as 1954, reliable sources subsequently state he was born in 1953. – November 1, 1999) was an American professional American football, ...
died from cholangiocarcinoma at the age of 45.
The Bears began the 2000 Chicago Bears season, 2000 season and the new decade on a sour note. After losing their first four games, the Bears finally won their first game of the season on the road against their historic rival, the 2000 Green Bay Packers season, Green Bay Packers. However, the Bears could not build off that win and lost their next three games. After the bye-week, they won against the 2000 Indianapolis Colts season, Indianapolis Colts in week 10. Out of the remaining seven games, they would win three. Although the team ended the season 5–11, rookie linebacker Brian Urlacher was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The Bears surprised most with a breakout campaign in 2001 Chicago Bears season, 2001. Apparently, this remained the most successful season for Jauron with the Bears. After they lost their first game of the season to the eventual Super Bowl XXXV champion, the Baltimore Ravens, 17–6 on the road, the Bears won their next six games. Two of those games were won in overtime, against the 2001 San Francisco 49ers season, San Francisco 49ers (37–31) and the 2001 Cleveland Browns season, Cleveland Browns (27–21). In both games, safety Mike Brown (safety), Mike Brown capped remarkable comebacks (the Bears trailed 28–9 in the third quarter against San Francisco, and 21–7 with seconds remaining against Cleveland) by returning an interception in overtime for a touchdown. Unfortunately, the 2001 Green Bay Packers season, Green Bay Packers ended the win streak at home 20–12.
Fortunately, the Bears would win their next three games. However, the Bears traveled to Lambeau Field and were again swept by the Packers 17–7 in their last loss of the regular season. The Bears would win their last four games, ending the regular season with a 13–3 record. This qualified for second place in the NFC, earning the Bears a first-round bye in the playoffs.
In the divisional playoff game, the visiting 2001 Philadelphia Eagles season, Philadelphia Eagles won against the Bears 33–19. Despite the Bears' season ending on a sour note, rookie running back Anthony Thomas (American football), Anthony Thomas won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award, and Dick Jauron was given the Coach of the Year award.
With Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side, Chicago, Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears from the National ...
being renovated, the Chicago Bears had to play their 2002 Chicago Bears season, 2002 home games at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in Champaign, Illinois (136 miles outside Chicago). This was also the year the Houston Texans joined the NFL and realignments were made, with the Bears joining the Detroit Lions, the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
and the Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
in the newly formed NFC North division. The Bears also acquired former Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
quarterback Kordell Stewart, Kordell "Slash" Stewart. Despite starting the 2002 season 2–0, the team was plagued by injuries and lost their next eight games. The Bears finally got their third win of the year at home against the 2002 Detroit Lions season, Detroit Lions, but would lose four of the remaining five games of the season, finishing with a 4–12 record.
For the 2003 Chicago Bears season, 2003 season, the Bears were able to move back to the newly renovated Soldier Field, and the team also debuted their new mascot Staley Da Bear. Nevertheless, mediocrity continued as the Bears began the season with a 1–4 record by week five. Kordell Stewart lost his starting job after the Bears lost their next two road games. Chris Chandler (American football), Chris Chandler was named their new quarterback, but ended up playing only four games for the Bears, winning the first two. This allowed Stewart to reclaim his starting job, and he played the next three games, winning two. The Bears finished the season with a 7–9 record.
Looking towards the future, the Bears allowed rookie quarterback Rex Grossman to start the last three games of the season. Grossman brought the Bears victories in their final two home games. In the end, the late showing of talent was not enough to save Dick Jauron's job, as he ended up being dismissed from the Bears. This post-Ditka decade saw an uneven effort to bring back the fiery Halas style and forge new ideas, as two coaches and various schemes came and went. Furthermore, this era was marred by a "quarterback carousel", where the starting job changed year after year. The hiring of general manager Jerry Angelo in 2001, after 14 years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was viewed as a hopeful sign.
2004–2012: Lovie Smith era
With Lovie Smith, former defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams, as their new head coach, the Bears made plans for the 2004 Chicago Bears season, 2004 season. Since hiring Smith, all personnel moves made by general manager Jerry Angelo had an overwhelming degree of success. Under Lovie Smith, the Bears achieved a cumulative record of 63–49, including two playoff wins and two playoff losses, one of which was Super Bowl XLI in 2007.
At the beginning of his tenure, Smith laid out three goals: end Green Bay's dominance of the division, win the NFC North, division, and win the Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
. By the end of 2005, the first two goals had been realized.
2004–2008: The new "Monsters of the Midway" and Super Bowl XLI
In Smith's first year as coach, the Bears ended the 2004 Chicago Bears season, 2004 season at 5–11. For the first goal, Smith aimed to defeat the Bears' rival, the 2004 Green Bay Packers season, Green Bay Packers, at Lambeau Field. However, by week seven, the Bears recorded a poor starting record of 1–5, with the only win against Green Bay largely due to the week three road loss to the 2004 Minnesota Vikings season, Minnesota Vikings, where they lost starting quarterback Rex Grossman from a season-ending knee injury. From then on, the Bears cycled through three different quarterbacks: Craig Krenzel, Jonathan Quinn and Chad Hutchinson. After a modest three-game win streak from week eight to 10, the Bears capped the streak in their 19–17 win over the 2004 Tennessee Titans season, Tennessee Titans in overtime with a safety in week 10. It was the second time in NFL history that a game ended in overtime on a safety. Afterwards, the Bears ended up losing six of the remaining seven games.
In 2005, after going 3–2 in the preseason (with Rex Grossman suffering a broken ankle in their preseason loss to the 2005 St. Louis Rams season, St. Louis Rams), the Bears named rookie quarterback Kyle Orton their starter, but their regular season started off poorly. The Bears began the 2005 Chicago Bears season, 2005 season with a 1–3 record. Not even a bye week could help them, as the Bears lost a hard-fought road game to Trent Dilfer and the 2005 Cleveland Browns season, Cleveland Browns 20–10 in week five.
After the 1–3 start, the Bears had an eight-game winning streak, which started with two home games against 2005 Minnesota Vikings season, Minnesota 28–3 and the 2005 Baltimore Ravens season, Ravens 10–6. On a week 10 home game, the visiting 2005 San Francisco 49ers season, 49ers attempted a 52-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, but the wind blew it to Nathan Vasher, who was in the end zone and returned that missed field goal 108 yards for the longest touchdown play in NFL history, a record that would only be repeated by the Bears' own Devin Hester almost exactly a year later. The eight-game winning streak came to an end on the road in a cold and snowy fight against the 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh Steelers (21–9).
The Bears closed out the season with a 2–2 record. In week 15, they won their last regular-season home game against the 2005 Atlanta Falcons season, Atlanta Falcons with a final score of 16–3. During the game, Lovie Smith replaced Kyle Orton with a fully healed Rex Grossman. The following week, the Bears clinched the division with a dominant performance at Lambeau Field on Christmas Day (the first time the Bears ever played on Christmas). For the first time since 1991, the Bears swept the Packers, and also secured the NFC North Division title. The Bears ended the regular season with an 11–5 record, enough for second place in the NFC and a first-round bye in the 2005–06 NFL playoffs, playoffs. In addition, Lovie Smith received NFL Coach of the Year Award, NFL Coach of the Year honors.
In the NFC divisional playoff game, the 2005 Carolina Panthers season, Carolina Panthers defeated the Bears 29–21, ending the latter team's season. Panthers receiver Steve Smith (American football, born 1979), Steve Smith had 12 receptions for 218 yards and two touchdowns. The Panthers' offense dismantled the Bears' top-ranked defense. The Bears had a final chance to force overtime, but Rex Grossman's 4th-and-1 pass intended for Muhsin Muhammad fell incomplete with less than a minute left in the game.
The Bears started the 2006 Chicago Bears season, 2006 season by winning their first seven games, marking their best start since 1988 Chicago Bears season, 1988. The team established a strong offense under the helm of a healthy Rex Grossman, who was inactive for the most of his first three seasons due to injuries. Grossman earned a FedEx Offensive Player of the Month Award, a 100.9 passer rating during the first month of the season. During one game, Grossman threw four touchdowns and earned a passer rating of 148. The Bears' defense also made headlines, and allowed them to outscore their opponents 221–69 during the first two months of the season.
However, the Bears showed a glimpse of mortality during this period. After defeating the 2006 Buffalo Bills season, Buffalo Bills 40–7, the Bears traveled to Glendale, Arizona, to face the 2006 Arizona Cardinals season, Arizona Cardinals, where Grossman committed six turnovers in a seemingly lost effort. With less than twenty minutes remaining, the Bears' defense and special teams mounted 2006 Chicago Bears–Arizona Cardinals game, a comeback that allowed them to overcome a 20-point deficit and beat the Cardinals 24–23. After a decisive 41–10 crushing of the 2006 San Francisco 49ers season, San Francisco 49ers, where the Bears scored 41 points in the first half, tying the record by the 1940 NFL Championship Game, 1940 Championship Game victory, Grossman had another turnover-ridden performance against the 2006 Miami Dolphins season, Miami Dolphins (which reminisced the 1985 Chicago Bears, 1985 Bears season), where the Bears lost 31–13, the most points the team allowed that season. However, the Bears bounced back with a staunch performance against the 2006 New York Giants season, New York Giants, where Devin Hester tied Nathan Vasher's longest missed-field goal return record, and a shutout victory over the 2006 New York Jets season, New York Jets.
The Bears then traveled to Foxboro, Massachusetts, where Grossman and the defense struggled to defeat the 2006 New England Patriots season, New England Patriots. Despite earning another chance to win the game, Grossman threw a game-ending interception to Asante Samuel. The following week, the Bears' defense and special teams came up big in the wake of a struggling passing game against the 2006 Minnesota Vikings season, Minnesota Vikings 23–13. The win clinched their second consecutive NFC North title, and a playoff-berth. The team began to re-establish their clockwork performance during the next three games, including one where Hester returned two kicks for touchdowns against the 2006 St. Louis Rams season, St. Louis Rams, and an overtime thriller against the 2006 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where Grossman threw for over 300 yards. The season ended on a low note, when the Packers defeated the Bears 26–7, in the regular season's finale, with Grossman leaving a NFL quarterbacks who have posted a passer rating of zero, passer rating of zero.
Local media began to criticize Grossman for his inconsistent performances and shortcomings. Many fans called upon Lovie Smith to bench Grossman in favor of veteran quarterback Brian Griese. Nevertheless, Smith, who had supported Grossman throughout the season, opted to keep Grossman as the team's starter. The Bears prepared to take on the Seattle Seahawks for a second time, who had returned with a healthy Shaun Alexander. Prior to the game, Smith announced the creation of the "Fourth Phase", which involved using fan support as an advantage. On a dreary day along the lakefront, the Bears defeated the 2006 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks 27–24 on an overtime Robbie Gould field goal. The win marked the first time since 1994 Chicago Bears season, 1994 that the Bears had won a playoff game.
The following week, the Bears faced the 2006 New Orleans Saints season, New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship, marking the Saints' first Conference Championship appearance. The Bears' defense shut down the Saints' top-ranked offense, while running backs Thomas Jones (American football), Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson exploited the Saints' run defense for nearly 180 yards and three touchdowns. The Bears defeated the Saints 39–14, earning them the NFC Championship Game, George Halas Trophy and the right to represent the National Football Conference at Super Bowl XLI against the 2006 Indianapolis Colts season, Indianapolis Colts in their first Super Bowl appearance since Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for ...
in 1986. Also, Lovie Smith became the first African-American coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl. This feat was matched hours later by his mentor and friend Tony Dungy of the Colts.
The Bears entered Super Bowl XLI as seven-point underdogs. Amidst the game's rainy weather, the Bears took the quickest lead in Super Bowl history when Devin Hester returned the game's opening kick-off for a touchdown return. Although the Bears' expanded their lead with a touchdown, the Colts struck back to take a halftime lead. The Bears' hopes for a comeback were almost thwarted when Grossman threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Ultimately, the Colts defeated the Bears 29–17. After a productive season, the Bears returned to Chicago in hopes of replicating their success the next year.
Success was not forthcoming in the 2007 Chicago Bears season, 2007 season, which saw the Bears struggle and finish 7–9. Legal troubles affected defensive tackle Tank Johnson during the spring, and he was cut by the Bears on June 25. Defensive coordinator Ron Rivera was dropped as well after his contract with the team expired. After the Bears started the season with a 1–3 record, Lovie Smith benched Grossman in favor of Griese. However, injuries ravaged the team's roster, resulting in multiple inconsistent performances on defense and offense. The team finished the season with a 7–9 record, one game behind the 2007 Detroit Lions season, Detroit Lions. On the bright side, the Bears swept the 2007 Green Bay Packers season, Green Bay Packers for the first time since 2005 Chicago Bears season, 2005, including a 35–7 victory against the 13–2 Packers in week 17.
In 2008 Chicago Bears season, 2008, Lovie Smith named Kyle Orton the team's starting quarterback. The Bears parted with Cedric Benson, who was cut after two alcohol-related arrests and was succeeded by rookie running back Matt Forte, who rushed for 1,238 yards and caught 47 receptions for 438 yards. The team recorded a major victory in week 1 in a Super Bowl XLI rematch against the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium 29–13. The Bears posted a winning record again (9–7), but ended up being one game behind the eventual NFC North champion, the 2008 Minnesota Vikings season, Minnesota Vikings, and failed to qualify for the playoffs after losing 31–24 to the Houston Texans in Week 17.
Jay Cutler trade
During the 2009 off-season, Rex Grossman achieved free-agent status and left the team, signing with the Houston Texans. The Bears then traded Kyle Orton to the Broncos in exchange for quarterback Jay Cutler. The 2009 Chicago Bears season, 2009 season began on an foreboding note, as Cutler threw four interceptions against the 2009 Green Bay Packers season, Green Bay Packers in week one. However, the Bears bounced back to 3–1, including a victory in week two over the defending Super Bowl XLIII champion, the 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh Steelers, but things fell apart quickly after the bye week, with the Bears losing eight of the next ten games, including a loss to the San Francisco 49ers, where Cutler threw a career-high five interceptions, including a game-ending pick in the red-zone with less than a minute left in the game. A 31–7 loss to the 2009 Baltimore Ravens season, Baltimore Ravens in Week 15 mathematically eliminated the Bears from the playoffs, but the team managed to close out the year by winning the last two matches against the 2009 Minnesota Vikings season, Minnesota Vikings (a 36–30 overtime win) and the 2009 Detroit Lions season, Detroit Lions (37–23) to finish 7–9.
The following offseason, the Bears signed Pro Bowler Julius Peppers, Chester Taylor and Brandon Manumaleuna. The Bears began the 2010 Chicago Bears season, 2010 season by hosting the 2010 Detroit Lions season, Lions and winning 19–14 after a controversial call. Next, they traveled to Dallas and beat the 2010 Dallas Cowboys season, Cowboys 27–20. The next week, the 2010 Green Bay Packers season, Packers came to town and lost 20–17 after a mass of penalties (18 total), putting the Bears up to 3–0. However, their winning streak ended when they suffered a 17–3 loss to the 2010 New York Giants season, Giants on the road. Jay Cutler was sacked multiple times and suffered a concussion. Veteran free agent quarterback Todd Collins (quarterback), Todd Collins replaced Cutler, but was also quickly injured. Third-string quarterback Caleb Hanie played the remainder of the game.
After this loss, the Bears had an easy road win over the 0–5 2010 Carolina Panthers season, Carolina Panthers before another 23–20 loss to the 2010 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks. Continued difficulties with the offense and offensive line led to a second straight home loss when the 2010 Washington Redskins season, Redskins won 17–14 in week seven. After the bye week, offensive coordinator Mike Martz worked to revamp the offense to compensate for Cutler's lack of offensive line protection. After this, they easily beat the struggling 2010 Minnesota Vikings season, Vikings at home 27–13, followed by a 16–0 shutout of the 2010 Miami Dolphins season, Dolphins in Miami, handing the Bears their 700th win, a league first.
In week 12, the Bears hosted the 2010 Philadelphia Eagles season, Philadelphia Eagles for the second season in a row and won 31–27, while also preserving their perfect record against Eagles quarterback Michael Vick (who, after the game, had a 0–5 all-time record playing them). After beating the Lions in Detroit on more questionable officiating, the Bears suffered a total collapse at home against the 2010 New England Patriots season, New England Patriots in a blowing snowstorm (the Patriots won 36–7).
The next week saw the Bears drawn into the turmoil of the Vikings' 2010 season. As the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome's inflatable roof had collapsed the week before, the two teams had to play at TCF Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota campus in frigid winter weather. Despite being a nominal home game for the Vikings, they were not a team prepared for outdoor play, and the Bears overwhelmed them 40–14. It was here that Brett Favre took his final snap in the NFL after he was knocked into the frozen ground and suffered a concussion, ending a 20-year career that included 297 consecutive starts.
Afterwards, the Bears returned home and beat the 2010 New York Jets season, Jets 38–34 in a shootout before traveling to the "Frozen Tundra" of Lambeau Field for week 17. Their arch-rival Packers only needed to lose this game to be removed from playoff contention, so Lovie Smith decided to play Chicago's starters. He also apparently ran generic plays to avoid giving anything away to the Packers for the playoffs, but the offense again sputtered and Green Bay won a 10–3 defensive struggle to secure a wild card playoff berth.
Throughout the season, the Bears' offense and offensive line were rated in the NFL's bottom ten, and the Bears mainly depended on special teams (especially Devin Hester's duties as a punt returner) and an aging but still effective defense led by defensive end Julius Peppers (acquired from Carolina Panthers, Carolina during the off-season) and linebacker Brian Urlacher. Although their own playoff chances were unharmed by the loss in Green Bay (they had already gotten the number-two NFC seed and a first-round bye with their 11–5 regular season record), that game ultimately proved fatal because of their inability to remove the Packers from postseason contention.
After the Seahawks gained a surprise division title with a 7–9 season record and an even more miraculous playoff victory over the defending Super Bowl XLIV champion, the 2010 New Orleans Saints season, New Orleans Saints, they headed to Chicago in the divisional round. However, there was no repeat of week six this time. On a gray, fog-shrouded winter afternoon, Jay Cutler threw two touchdown passes as the Bears overpowered the Seahawks 35–24 to advance to the NFC Championship.
The Packers, meanwhile, had beaten the Eagles and Falcons in the playoffs to head to Soldier Field for what was only the second-ever postseason meeting with the Bears (the first was in 1941 NFL season, 1941). To everyone's surprise, the Packers marched out to an early lead as the Bears' offense struggled. During the third quarter, Cutler was pulled with a knee injury and replaced by Todd Collins, who was benched after only two minutes of play. Caleb Hanie came in and tried to rally the team, but hammered by the Packers defense, threw a fatal interception that was caught by nose tackle B. J. Raji and returned for a touchdown. Although Hanie subsequently belted a 35-yard touchdown pass, Green Bay's defense held on to win the game 21–14 and advance to Super Bowl XLV.
Cutler was widely blamed for a disastrous end to the Bears' miracle season and after the NFC championship by fans as well as players such as Maurice Jones-Drew, and some fans burned Cutler jerseys. Some argued that he did not show any indication that his knee injury was serious enough to keep him out of the game, and that he had been riding an exercise bike during the rest of the game. However, Cutler was still defended by the Bears and various players, including the Packers' Aaron Rodgers and LeRoy Butler, with Rodgers calling the criticism "disrespectful" and Butler calling the critics "stupid".
In the 2011 Chicago Bears season, 2011 season, the Bears went 7–3 under Cutler, but after he came down with a thumb injury, Caleb Hanie started the games, and the team lost five straight games under Hanie, as well as running back Matt Forté to an ACL sprain. However, Forté was having a productive season, leading the league in total yards from scrimmage until the injury came, and the Bears went 8–8 with Josh McCown at quarterback.
2012–2014: Phil Emery and Marc Trestman era
In 2012, general manager Jerry Angelo was fired after 11 seasons with the Bears. During their search for a replacement, the team considered Marc Ross, the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
' director of college scouting; Jimmy Raye III, the San Diego Chargers' director of player personnel; Jason Licht, the New England Patriots' director of pro personnel; and Phil Emery (American football), Phil Emery, the Kansas City Chiefs' director of college scouting, former Bears scout and eventual general manager, along with in-house candidate Tim Ruskell. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz also retired, and was replaced by offensive line coach Mike Tice. Emery's first move as general manager was giving Matt Forte the franchise tag, as well as acquiring Pro Bowl MVP Brandon Marshall from the Miami Dolphins, reuniting him with Cutler.
Through the first seven games of the 2012 Chicago Bears season, 2012 season, the Bears became the first team in league history to return six interceptions for touchdowns, with another interception by Brian Urlacher in week nine bringing them closer to the record set by the 1961 San Diego Chargers season, 1961 San Diego Chargers. However, after the Bears missed the playoffs after starting the year 7–1 (making them the first team to start the season with that record and not make the playoffs since the 1996 Washington Redskins season, 1996 Washington Redskins), Smith was fired and eventually succeeded by Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: ''Les Alouettes de Montréal'') are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has disbanded twice and been re-established thrice. The Alouettes compe ...
head coach Marc Trestman. On March 20, 2013, the Brian Urlacher era also came to an end when he and the Bears failed to agree on a new contract.
The Trestman era began with a 24–21 victory over the 2013 Cincinnati Bengals season, Cincinnati Bengals, as Trestman became the fourth head coach in franchise history to win in his head coaching debut, after George Halas
George Stanley Halas Sr. (February 2, 1895 – October 31, 1983), nicknamed "Papa Bear", was an American professional football end, coach, and executive. He was the founder and owner of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), ...
(1920), Neill Armstrong
Neill Ford Armstrong (March 9, 1926 – August 10, 2016) was an American football player and coach whose career spanned more than four decades at both the college and professional levels. Notably, Armstrong served as the head coach of the ...
(1978) and Dick Jauron (1999). In his 2013 Chicago Bears season, first season, Trestman helped lead the Bears to one of the best offenses in the team's history, concluding the year with the second best scoring offense in the NFL with 445 points, and breaking team records in total yards (6,109), passing yards (4,450), passing touchdowns (32), and first downs (344). Conversely, 2013 was also one of the worst defensive years in Bears' history, with franchise-lows in yards allowed (6,313), rushing yards allowed (2,583) and points (478), while also ranking dead last in run defense by allowing a league-worst 5.35 rushing yards per carry. This would lead to the Bears finishing 8–8 in their first season under Trestman, being eliminated from the playoffs by the 2013 Green Bay Packers season, Green Bay Packers in the final game of the season.
In 2014 Chicago Bears season, 2014, the Bears struggled and finished the season 5–11. Trestman and Emery were fired at the end of the season.
2015–2021: The Ryan Pace era
On January 8, 2015, the Bears hired Ryan Pace, the New Orleans Saints' director of player personnel, as general manager. On January 16, they hired John Fox (American football), John Fox as their new head coach. In Fox's 2015 Chicago Bears season, first season, the Bears improved to a 6–10 record, which included a NFL on Thanksgiving Day, Thanksgiving win over the 2015 Green Bay Packers season, Packers at Lambeau Field.
In 2016 Chicago Bears season, 2016, however, the Bears were plagued by injuries to multiple positions, including quarterback, as they fell to a 3–13 record, the worst in their history since the NFL's expansion to a 16-game schedule. After Jay Cutler went down with injuries, Brian Hoyer started for the team until he suffered a broken arm, which led to third-string quarterback Matt Barkley playing. None of the three quarterbacks returned for the 2017 Chicago Bears season, 2017 season.
In the 2017 NFL draft, the team selected quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who sat behind newly-signed quarterback Mike Glennon for the first four games before taking over. The Bears ended the season 5–11 and again finished last in the NFC North. On January 1, 2018, Fox was fired, ending his tenure in Chicago with a 14–34 record. A week later, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy was hired to become the 16th head coach in Bears history.
On September 2, 2018, the Bears traded away their 2019 and 2020 first round draft picks to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for disgruntled defensive end/linebacker Khalil Mack. In the 2018 Chicago Bears season, 2018 season, the Bears returned to the postseason for the first time since 2010, winning the NFC North division. However, their season ended during the wild card round with a loss to the 2018 Philadelphia Eagles season, Philadelphia Eagles after kicker Cody Parkey had a game-winning field goal blocked, resulting in the Double Doink, kick bouncing off the goal post twice. He was cut from the team shortly afterwards, and Eddy Piñeiro was picked as his replacement for the 2019 Chicago Bears season, 2019 season after a substantial kicking competition in the offseason. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was named the head coach of the Denver Broncos shortly after the season ended, with former Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano taking over.
The 2019 season began with high expectations for the Bears, with some outlets picking them to make a Super Bowl run. However, those lofty expectations would not be met as the Bears slumped to an 8–8 record. While their defense ranked in the upper tier of the league, their offense struggled all season, ranking in the bottom tier of the league. The Bears jumped out to a 3–1 record, but proceeded to lose seven of their last twelve games, most of them by a touchdown or less, missing the playoffs for the eighth time in nine years.
Before the 2020 NFL season, the Bears traded a fourth round draft pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars to acquire veteran quarterback Nick Foles. However, the COVID-19 pandemic limited the amount of practice the Bears could conduct leading into the actual season. Nagy named Trubisky the starting quarterback to begin the season. The Bears opened the 2020 Chicago Bears season, 2020 season with two narrow wins, but Trubisky was benched after throwing an interception with the Bears facing a 16-point deficit against the Atlanta Falcons during week three. Foles rallied the three fourth-quarter touchdowns en route to a 30–26 victory. The Bears cruised to a 5–1 record with Foles at quarterback. However, the team suffered six straight losses and plunged to 5–7.
Nagy handed over offensive play-calling duties to Bill Lazor. Trubisky reclaimed his starting role after Foles suffered an injury. The Bears won their next three consecutive games thanks in part to a reinvigorated offense. The team played the 2020 Green Bay Packers season, Green Bay Packers in their regular season finale with the opportunity to qualify for the playoffs. The Packers defeated the Bears, who fell to an 8–8 record. Despite the loss, the Bears secured the final wildcard spot in the 2021 NFL playoffs after the 2020 Arizona Cardinals season, Arizona Cardinals lost to the 2020 Los Angeles Rams season, Los Angeles Rams. The Bears lost 21–9 to the 2020 New Orleans Saints season, New Orleans Saints in the wild card round of the playoffs.
Nagy and Pace remained with the Bears heading into the 2021 NFL season. The team did not re-sign Trubisky and instead signed veteran quarterback Andy Dalton during free agency. The team continued to invest in the quarterback position by trading their current and 2022 first-round draft pick to move up and select Justin Fields. Nagy resumed offensive play calling duties and named Dalton as the team's start quarterback. On defense, Chuck Pagano retired and Sean Desai was named as the team’s defensive coordinator. After dropping their 2021 season opener, Dalton was injured during the second game of the season and Fields became the team's starting quarterback. Fields' first start for Chicago resulted in him being sacked nine times with only one net passing yard in 6–26 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Nagy again relinquished offensive play calling duties to Lazor. The Bears suffered a five-game losing streak during the season and fell out of playoff contention. The team finished the season with a 6–11 record and ranked 27th in offensive scoring. Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace were both fired following the end of the regular season.
2022–present: The Ryan Poles era
The Bears hired Ryan Poles from the Kansas City Chiefs to become the franchise's seventh general manager. The team then hired Matt Eberflus from the Indianapolis Colts as their head coach. Luke Getsy was hired from the rival Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
to become the team's offensive coordinator and help develop Justin Fields. Eberflus transitioned the Bears to a 4–3 defense from a 3–4 defense. The team then traded Pro Bowl linebacker Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft (which they used to take Jaquan Brisker) and a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft. The move came as Poles attempted to generate draft capital while also offloading most of Mack's remaining contract. Poles released veterans Tarik Cohen, Danny Trevathan, and Eddie Goldman, while also allowing Allen Robinson, Akiem Hicks, and James Daniels to walk away from the Bears in free agency.
The team started the season with a 2–1 record, but fell to 3–5 as the trade deadline approached. The Bears dealt defensive stars Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn (American football), Robert Quinn in exchange for future draft picks. The team then acquired wide receiver Chase Claypool to help their struggling passing game. The Bears entered a franchise record 10-game losing streak. Despite the team's slump, Fields set multiple NFL and franchise quarterback rushing records. The Bears finished the season with an NFL-worst 3–14 record, which secured the team the rights to the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. The Bears are entered free agency with an NFL-high $118 million available in salary cap.
On January 12, the Bears hired former Big Ten Conference commissioner Kevin Warren as their new President/CEO replacing Ted Phillips, who retired after the 2022 season after 40 years with the organization. During the 2023 offseason, the Bears made trades and signed big name free agents. They traded their first overall pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for the ninth overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, a 2024 first-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick, and wide receiver D. J. Moore. They signed linebackers T. J. Edwards (three-year $19.5M) and Tremaine Edmunds (four-year, $72M), offensive lineman Nate Davis (offensive lineman), Nate Davis (three-year, $30M), defensive linemen DeMarcus Walker (three-year, $21M) and Andrew Billings (one-year, $3.5M), running backs Travis Homer (two-year, $4.5M) and D'Onta Foreman (one-year, $3M), and tight end Robert Tonyan (one-year, $2.65M). Before the preseason started, they signed veteran Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to a one year, $10.5M contract.
The Bears lost their first four games of the 2023 season, extending their losing streak to a franchise-record 14 games dating back to the previous season. The team's defensive coordinator, Alan Williams (American football), Alan Williams, also abruptly resigned from the team for personal reasons. The Bears bounced back by winning their Week 5 game against the Washington Commanders, but dropped their next game against the Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
, while also losing quarterback Justin Fields to a thumb injury. The team turned to Tyson Bagent, an undrafted NCAA Division II rookie, as their quarterback while Fields recovered. Bagent led the Bears to a 2–2 record. The team's defense improved with the addition of defensive end Montez Sweat, whom the team acquired from the Commanders for a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Fields returned as the Bears made a push for the playoffs that ultimately fell short after a Week 15 loss to the Cleveland Browns. The loss to Cleveland marked the third time in 2023 that the team managed to lose after leading by at least 10 points in the fourth quarter. The Bears won their next two games before losing their season finale to the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
, finishing the season with a 7–10 record and finishing last in the division for the second year in a row.
The Bears fired most of their offensive coaching staff after the game, including offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. The Bears found themselves with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft for the second consecutive year, as the Carolina Panthers, who traded their 2024 first round-draft pick to the Bears earlier in 2023, finished the season with the NFL's worst record. The Bears hired Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron as their new offensive coordinator and hired their former defensive assistant and defensive line coach Eric Washington (American football), Eric Washington as their new defensive coordinator. Over the offseason, the Bears signed free safety Kevin Byard, running back D'Andre Swift, tight end Gerald Everett, and strong safety Jonathan Owens. The Bears also acquired Ryan Bates for a 2024 fifth and six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen for a 2024 fourth-round pick.
The Bears traded quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick and used their first overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft to select University of Southern California Trojans, USC quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bears used their ninth overall pick from the same draft to select Rome Odunze from Washington Huskies football, Washington, who joined fellow wide receivers D. J. Moore and Keenan Allen. The Bears were featured on the training camp edition of ''Hard Knocks (documentary series), Hard Knocks'' for the first time. Before the regular season started, the Bears traded for Seattle Seahawks defensive end Darrell Taylor for a 2025 sixth-round pick and Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Chris Williams (defensive tackle), Chris Williams also for a 2025 sixth.
The Bears opened the 2024 Chicago Bears season, 2024 season with a 4–2 start, which was highlighted by strong defensive play and a developing offensive that scored at least 35 points in back-to-back weeks. The team lost to the Washington Commanders after surrendering a last-second touchdown on a Hail Mary pass play known as the Hail Maryland. The Bears failed to score an offensive touchdown in 23 consecutive possessions over their next two losses. Following a 19–3 loss to the New England Patriots, the Bears fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron after only nine games, allowing former Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator and then Bears offensive assistant Thomas Brown (American football coach), Thomas Brown to become the new offensive coordinator.
Following a six-game losing streak, capped off with a heavily criticized final drive on a 20–23 loss on American football on Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving to the 2024 Detroit Lions season, Detroit Lions, the Bears fired Eberflus. This was the first time in Bears history that the organization fired a head coach midway through the season. The team named offensive coordinator Thomas Brown as their interim head coach. Brown led the Bears to a 1–4 record as the Bears finished the season with a 5–12 record.
On January 21, 2025, the Bears hired Ben Johnson (American football coach), Ben Johnson from the Detroit Lions as the franchise's 18th head coach. The Bears also cleaned out most of their coaching staff and made many key hires including the hires of former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen (American football), Dennis Allen as defensive coordinator, former Denver Broncos tight ends coach Declan Doyle as offensive coordinator, former wide receiver Antwaan Randle El as assistant head coach and wide receivers coach, former cornerback Al Harris (cornerback), Al Harris as defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator, former Ohio State quarterback J. T. Barrett as quarterbacks coach, former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy as running backs coach, and former New Orleans Saints assistant Dan Roushar as offensive line coach. The Bears also made key moves of fixing the offensive line after Caleb Williams was sacked 68 times in 2024 as the Bears traded for guards Jonah Jackson from the Los Angeles Rams and Joe Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs as the Bears gave a 2025 sixth for Jackson and a 2026 fourth for Thuney. The Bears signed Atlanta Falcons center Drew Dalman to complete their offensive line rebuild. The Bears also signed Miami Dolphins tight end Durham Smythe, Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, Washington Commanders wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus,. and Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo. Virginia Halas McCaskey
Virginia Halas McCaskey ( Virginia Marion Halas; January 5, 1923 – February 6, 2025) was an American football executive who was the principal owner of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) from 1983 until her death in 2025. S ...
, who became owner of the team in 1983, died at the age of 102 on February 6.
Footnotes
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References
*http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi1920.htm 1920 Decatur Staleys, Professional Football Reference (URL last accessed October 1, 2006)
*http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/crd1920.htm 1920 Chicago Cardinals, Professional Football Reference (URL last accessed October 1, 2006)
Chicago Bears
External links
Chicago Bears History
{{DEFAULTSORT:History Of The Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
NFL history by team, Chicago Bears