Bears Franchise 5: Jay Cutler edges Sid Luckman at QB on checklist of Chicago’s all-time ultimate figures

With a birth one year of 1920, back when they had been is named the Decatur Staleys two years sooner than they officially grew to become the group of workers we acknowledge at present, the Chicago Bears enjoy a successfully off and storied history stout of all-time huge linebackers, one in every of the entirely running backs ever, one in every of the final discover coaches in NFL history, and so forth, which makes deciding on their Franchise 5 almost about very unlikely. Unfortunately, that anxious job used to be handed to me as we proceed our offseason sequence here at CBS Sports, so with the back of CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli, who also occurs to be a Bears fan in Chicago, I did my entirely to sort thru the jumbled checklist of Corridor of Famers that enjoy donned the blue of the Bears to intention back up with a Franchise 5.

CBSSports.com’s Franchise 5 dives into 5 most impactful folks in every NFL’s group of workers history. Our principles here bind us to clutch excellent one quarterback, three non-quarterback gamers and one head coach.

For the Bears, picking a coach and quarterback used to be moderately simple for differing causes, but picking entirely three non-quarterback gamers used to be moderately anxious. An NFL-high twenty-seven Chicago Bears were inducted into the Corridor of Popularity. So, no longer easy selections and controversial snubs needed to be made. That might possibly perhaps presumably not be shunned.

But with the back of Fornelli, I got here up with a Franchise 5 that I wager because it must always be reflects the successfully off and storied history of the Bears. We birth up with the founding father of the franchise in what used to be the easiest selection of the 5.

Coach George Halas

There is a reason the winner of the NFC gets awarded the George Halas Trophy, a custom that began back one day of the 1984-85 season. Halas is rarely any longer truly excellent the Bears’ entirely-ever coach, he shall be one in every of the final discover coaches within the history of the sport. In his 40-one year coaching profession that began in 1920 with the Decatur Staleys — who would become is named the Chicago Bears in 1922 — and ended in 1967, Halas went a outstanding 318-148-31 with the franchise, leading them to six championships alongside the model.

Halas, who also owned the group of workers, is the entirely acceptable acknowledge here. His initials are quiet stitched on the Bears’ uniforms, finally. It be anxious to imagine them ever getting removed.

This is rarely any longer truly truly up for debate, but shoutout to every Mike Ditka and Lovie Smith, who deserve recognition as huge Bears coaches, every of whom took the group of workers to the Gorgeous Bowl — with Ditka worthwhile his look with that historically huge 1985 protection, and Smith in all likelihood no longer getting the recognition he deserved till the Bears tried to replace him with Marc Trestman after which John Fox. Perchance firing Smith after a 10-buy season wasn’t a natty scamper, finally. Within the seven seasons since Smith last walked the Bears’ sidelines, the Bears enjoy made the playoffs entirely once (in 2018 below present coach Matt Nagy)

Precise overlooked: Mike Ditka

QB Jay Cutler

Perchance basically the most underappreciated and misunderstood participant in Bears history, Jay Cutler by no diagram developed into the celeb the Bears belief they had been acquiring when they traded a fortune for him in 2009, but by the point his profession with the group of workers ended after the 2016 season, he’d established himself because the entirely quarterback within the franchise’s history. 

Clearly, the Bears’ history of quarterback play is unpleasant — so unpleasant that Sid Luckman, who last performed for the Bears in 1950, held rather a lot of the Bears’ passing records till Cutler got here alongside — but Cutler departed Chicago because the group of workers’s all-time leader in passing yards (topping Luckman by 8,757 yards) and touchdown passes (17 extra than Luckman). Protect into yarn that for a great deal of of Cutler’s high, he used to be taking half in within the back of a dreadful offensive line and throwing to receivers like Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, and Earl Bennett. He didn’t enjoy noteworthy back. Matt Strong point, a running back, used to be possibly his most consistent weapon over time. 

With a puny bit of further success, Cutler might possibly perhaps presumably’ve brought a championship to Chicago, but success used to be by no diagram on his facet — a torn MCL within the NFC Championship Sport ruined his entirely likelihood, a damaged thumb the next season wrecked a 7-3 birth to the one year, a 10-buy season in 2012 wasn’t ample to qualify for the postseason, and an Aaron Rodgers‘ fourth-down touchdown bomb to Randall Cobb ended the Bears’ 2013 season one buy looking the playoffs. 

Cutler might possibly perhaps merely no longer be normal amongst Bears fans on yarn of he by no diagram lived as much as their expectations and by no diagram cared about his public perception, but that would not secure him a unhealthy participant. He’s the entirely participant to play the quarterback plan in franchise history, but that would not secure him a huge participant. Within the close, Cutler used to be appropriate, no longer huge. But that also represents the entirely the Bears enjoy ever had at quarterback. After gazing Mitchell Trubisky the previous few seasons, Bears fans must always quiet lastly cherish Cutler for what he used to be: the entirely they’ve considered below heart.

Precise overlooked: Sid Luckman

RB Walter Payton

One in every of the entirely running backs in NFL history, Payton, who tragically passed away in 1999 at the age of 45, used to be the easiest selection on the participant facet. From 1975-87, Payton totaled 21,264 yards and 125 touchdowns from scrimmage. He’s the franchise’s all-time leader in speeding yards with 16,726. For the sake of comparison, bear in solutions that Matt Strong point ranks 2nd with 8,602 speeding yards. So, Payton has almost about double the amount of yards because the 2nd-leading rusher in Bears history. Payton also leads the franchise in speeding touchdowns with 110 — the next closest participant, Neal Anderson, has 51. This time, Payton has nicely doubled up (after which some) 2nd plan. 

Payton meets all of the necessary necessities: He’s the entirely running back in franchise history and or no longer it’s no longer in particular close, won a Gorgeous Bowl, captured MVP in 1977, and is one in every of the entirely gamers at his plan crew within the history of soccer — entirely Emmitt Smith has Payton beat in profession speeding yards.

If we had been ranking the close three gamers in Bears history, Payton would lead the checklist. Precise clutch it from folks that performed with and coached him. Ditka once known as Payton “the very entirely soccer participant I’ve ever considered, length. At any plan.” Within the period in-between, Dan Hampton once said Payton used to be “the entirely soccer participant of our time. Bar none.” 

LB Dick Butkus 

In extra than half of his 9 seasons, Butkus used to be named first group of workers All-Official, made eight Official Bowls, racked up 22 interceptions, and generated the ninth-top approximate price amongst all Bears gamers ever. But Butkus’ importance to the Bears extends previous the stats. He by no diagram won a Gorgeous Bowl, which would’ve enhanced his legacy, but he is even handed one in every of the entirely and most feared linebackers within the history of the sport.

“Dick used to be an animal,” said Corridor of Famer Deacon Jones, per NBC Sports Chicago. “I known as him a maniac. A stone maniac. He used to be a successfully-conditioned animal, and every time he hit you, he tried to put you within the cemetery, no longer the sanatorium.”

For the explanation that stats produce no longer frequently carry out him justice, let’s scamper to the anecdotes. This one, also by NBC Sports Chicago, might possibly perhaps presumably be my well-liked:

Minnesota Vikings running back Dave Osborne had once been annihilated by Butkus on an sick-fated tried sweep. Osborne used to be asked after the sport what had came about to his blocker on the play. “I produce no longer know,” Osborne said. “Perchance Butkus ate him.”

Butkus retired the total diagram back in 1973 and he is quiet belief of one in every of the entirely linebackers within the history of the sport. It might possibly presumably quiet stay that diagram. As a minimal, or no longer it’s anxious to imagine him ever getting replaced on a checklist of the entirely three Bears gamers ever. 

LB Brian Urlacher 

The Bears might possibly perhaps merely no longer enjoy ever had a undoubtedly huge quarterback, but you can’t content excellent what number of huge linebackers they’ve produced. If Butkus is 1A, then Urlacher is 1B. The present Corridor-of-Popularity inductee wrapped up his profession in 2012, retiring with basically the most solo tackles in franchise history. The inspiration of his profession used to be marked by a Defensive Rookie of the Yr award. Alongside the model, he won Defensive Player of the Yr in 2005, garnered four first group of workers All-Official selections, and eight Official Bowl nods.

Urlacher, clearly, by no diagram won a Gorgeous Bowl, but he did play an integral allotment in getting the Bears to the Gorgeous Bowl within the 2006 season. He used to be in a position to doing all of it: speeding the passer as a blitzer (41.5 profession sacks), covering downfield (22 profession interceptions), and stuffing the bustle. It be anxious to imagine of a extra total linebacker to enjoy performed the sport, and or no longer it’s no accident that the Bears’ protection right this moment suffered once he retired — though they’ve since returned to produce. Urlacher is the entirely Bears participant of the previous twenty years, and or no longer it’s no longer in particular close. 

Precise overlooked:  Mike Singletary, Dan Hampton, Richard Dent