The Chicago Bears are one of the NFL’s oldest teams and have fielded some of the league’s best players. At present, the Bears have 30 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees, the most in the NFL. Let’s rank the top 15 players in Bears franchise history, almost all of whom already own a gold jacket.
Ranking the Best Chicago Bears of All Time
By culling our list to 15, we’ve had to omit several Bears players who delivered outstanding careers, including linebackers Lance Briggs and George Connor, offensive linemen Jimbo Covert, Stan Jones, and Jay Hilgenberg, and defensive tackle Steve McMichael, among others.
15) Devin Hester (2006-13)
Let’s start with Hester, the most dynamic returner in league history. Originally drafted as a cornerback, Hester eventually converted to wide receiver but made his most significant contributions on special teams.
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The only player to return the opening kick of a Super Bowl for a score, Hester owns NFL records for most total return touchdowns in a season (six), most all-time punt return scores (14), and most all-time total return touchdowns (20).
14) Dan Fortmann (1936-43)
Considered one of the smartest players of his era, Fortmann only spent eight seasons with the Bears, but he made his impact felt. He began his career with two straight second-team All-Pro nods before earning six consecutive first-team berths to close his NFL tenure. A member of both the Pro Football and College Halls of Fame, Fortmann was a three-time NFL champion and a member of the 1930s All-Decade Team.
13) Doug Atkins (1955-66)
At 6’8″, Atkins developed into one of the most dominant defensive players of the fifties and sixties. He appeared in 205 games and racked up 94.5 official sacks, although he clearly finished with far more than total, given that we don’t have sack data before 1960. Atkins earned a second-team All-Pro nod in his penultimate NFL campaign at 38 years old.
12) Dan Hampton (1979-90)
Hampton was one of the more versatile players during the Bears’ 1980s run, as he earned All-Pro berths as both a defensive end and defensive tackle. Underrated due to his lack of sack totals, Hampton was a force up front who eventually was placed on the 1980s All-Decade Team before being enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
11) Richard Dent (1983-93, 1995)
Dent ranked third on the all-time sack list when he retired, but he now sits tied for 10th with John Randle. With 124.5 career sacks, Dent has 32 more sacks than any other Bear. He racked up 34.5 sacks from 1984-85 before being named the MVP of Super Bowl XX. Dent is the most prolific pass rusher in Chicago franchise history, and it isn’t particularly close.
10) Bronko Nagurski (1930-37, 1943)
At 6’2″, 238 pounds, Nagurski was a physical force in the 1930s and was larger than most linemen on the field. A running back who totaled 3,947 yards on the ground while also completing 36 of 80 passes, Nagurski’s versatility didn’t stop there. He starred on the defensive line and at linebacker and would even play offensive tackle if he suffered an injury that prevented him from running the ball. Nagurski won three NFL championships and earned four first-team All-Pros.
9) Brian Urlacher (2000-12)
The Bears’ defensive rebound in the 2000s can largely be tied to Urlacher’s dominance. Lovie Smith employed the Tampa 2 zone defense, which required an athletic linebacker to fill the deep void in the middle of the field. Urlacher, a collegiate safety, was more than up to the task. He won a Defensive Rookie of the Year award (2000), a Defensive Player of the Year award (2005), and was named to eight Pro Bowls before hanging up his cleats after the 2012 season.
8) Bulldog Turner (1940-52)
Like Nagurski, Turner starred in an era in which NFL players were expected to play on both sides of the ball. Serving as both a center and a linebacker, Turner made seven All-Pro teams and won four NFL titles.
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The league’s interceptions leader in 1942, Turner was eventually named to the NFL’s 1940s All-Decade team and later became a Bears assistant coach.
7) Gale Sayers (1965-71)
Sayers only played for the Bears for seven seasons and was healthy for just five of those campaigns, but he made his time count. The fourth overall pick in the 1965 NFL Draft, Sayers scored 22 all-purpose touchdowns in his rookie season. He earned a first-team All-Pro nod and finished top-five in MVP voting in each of the first five years of his career. Although knee injuries eventually forced him to retire in 1971, Sayers was elected to the Hall of Fame at age 34.
6) Bill George (1952-65)
Because of his tendency to drop back from his middle guard position along the defensive line, George is believed to be the inventor of the middle linebacker position and the unintentional creator of the 4-3 defense. An eight-time first-team All-Pro, George retired with 18 interceptions and 19 fumble recoveries to his name. He also went 14-for-15 on extra points and converted four field goals as a kicker.
5) Mike Ditka (1961-66)
The best Bears head coach in history not named George Halas, Ditka was also an outstanding tight end. Although he only spent six years in Chicago before moving on to the Eagles and Cowboys, Ditka was dominant during his time in the Windy City. He won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 1961 and averaged a 62-918-8 receiving line over his first four seasons with the Bears before becoming the first tight end elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
4) Mike Singletary (1981-92)
Known as the “Heart of the Defense” during the Bears’ 1980s success, Singletary is perhaps more synonymous with the “Monsters of the Midway” than any other Chicago player. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1985 while leading the Bears to a Super Bowl win and won DPOY again three years later. A 10-time Pro Bowler, Singletary only missed two games over the course of his career.
3) Sid Luckman (1939-50)
Arguably the first modern NFL quarterback, Luckman became the first passer to average more than 200 yards per game for a complete season. Over 12 years in Chicago, Luckman won four NFL championships while leading the league in passing yards and touchdowns in 1943, 1945, and 1946. Despite all the changes to the sport since Luckman played, he remains second on the Bears’ all-time passing yardage and passing touchdown lists.
2) Dick Butkus (1965-1973)
Widely viewed as the ideal middle linebacker, Butkus was chosen with the third overall pick of the 1965 NFL Draft and subsequently spent nine seasons with the Bears. He was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year twice (1969, 1970) and earned Pro Bowl appearances in every season of his career except for his final campaign. Butkus retired with 22 interceptions and 27 fumble recoveries under his belt and was named to both the 1960s and 1970s All-Decade Teams.
Who Is the Best Chicago Bear of All Time?
Walter Payton is the best Chicago Bears player of all time. “Sweetness” retired as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher (16,726) and rushing touchdown scorer (110). He played in 198 out of a possible 199 career games and posted at least 100 rushing yards in 77 of those contests.
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A five-time first-team All-Pro, Payton won the 1977 MVP award and earned a Super Bowl trophy after the 1985 campaign. One of the greatest NFL players of all time, Payton was arguably a better person, and the league’s Man of the Year Award is named in his honor.