His 20 special teams touchdowns and 14 punt return touchdowns remain an NFL record to this day. But Devin Hester might best be remembered for his 2006 season when he had a 108-yard scrimmage play, two return touchdowns, and a Super Bowl berth for the Bears. In 2024. he was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
A demon on the offensive line, Jimbo Covert immediately led the Bears to lead the league in rushing. During his eight year career, the Bears won six Division titles and 10+-win seasons. He was selected to two Pro Bowls and was the main force behind the Bears registering seven 1,000-yard rushers in his eight seasons with the team. He became a member of the Hall of Fame in 2020.
The Danimal wasn't just a nickname, Dan Hampton personified it on the field game in and game out. A do-it-all lineman, he won six All-Pro selections amidst 10 knee surgeries. In 1980, he totaled 11.5 sacks and a franchise record 73 tackles.
After a slow start, Richard Dent exploded in his sophomore season, recording 17.5 sacks and a Pro Bowl selection, despite starting in just the final 10 games of the year. Over the next nine years, he would record 10+ sacks seven more times. He was also instrumental to the Bears' Super Bowl XX victory, as he won Super Bowl MVP for recording three tackles, 1.5 sacks, and forcing two fumbles. He ended his tenure with Chicago having recorded 124.5 sacks.
A trendsetter for the tight end position, Mike Ditka recorded 1,076 yards and 12 touchdowns in his rookie season, earning a Pro Bowl selection in the process. He set the record for receptions by a TE three years later with 75. He started off his career with four-straight Pro Bowl and five-straight All-Pro selections, while recording 50+ receptions in four of his six seasons with the Bears.
One of the all-time greats at the running back position, Gale Sayers was instant impact. Starting off his career with five-straight All-Pro selections, he finished top five in MVP voting in four of those years. He also made four Pro Bowl appearances, led the league in rushing twice, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1977, despite his career being cut short due to injuries.
An all-time great linebacker, Mike Singletary was transcendent right from the get go. For the last 11 years of his career, he was first or second on the Bears in tackles. That kind of performance led to 10 Pro Bowl and eight All-Pro selections for Singletary. His crowning achievement came in 1985 and 1988 when he won the league's Defensive Player of the Year award, the former of which even saw the Bears win the Super Bowl.
One of the most dominant linebackers of all-time, Brian Urlacher began his career with a Defensive Rookie of the Year award. During his 13-year career, he went to eight Pro Bowls, was a five-time first-team All-Pro selection, made a Super Bowl appearance in 2006 and even won a Defensive Player of the Year in Year 5, cementing his Hall of Fame career.
There is a reason the Butkus Award is named after him. Dick Butkus started off his career with eight-straight Pro Bowl selections, finishing his career with 22 interceptions and 27 forced fumbles. He earned five first-team All-Pro selections as well, and was top six in MVP voting thrice.
Over a 13-year career with the Chicago Bears, Walter Payton amassed nine Pro Bowl and five first-team All-Pro selections, crowning it with a Super Bowl XX. His best year came in 1977, when he earned the MVP, OPOY, Pro Bowl, and a first-team All-Pro selection. He was the league-leader in carries, yards, touchdowns, yards per game, and yards per carry. Payton, for his career, tallied 16,726 rushing yards, still the second-highest mark in NFL history.
