Sept. 2022 (Updated from an article originally posted in April 2020)
Grange. Nagurski. Sayers. Payton. The Chicago Bears may have the proudest tradition of running backs in the history of the NFL.
George. Butkus. Singletary. Urlacher. Perhaps no franchise has boasted more fearsome linebackers than the “Monsters of the Midway”.
Phipps. Tomczak. McNown. Grossman. OK, so the team’s quarterbacking since 1950 has left something to be desired. On April 27, 2017, the Bears tried to change that. Because on that day, Chicago traded the 3rd, 67th, and 111th overall picks of the draft (and a 2018 third round pick) to move up one slot to #2 overall and draft Mitchell Trubisky out of North Carolina. What looked like a potentially savvy trade, following a postseason appearance just two years later, ended unceremoniously following a playoff loss to New Orleans in January 2021.
Two months later, Mitch Trubisky signed with Buffalo, ending his four-year run in the Windy City. But at some point the Bears are due to have a great signal caller, right? And their fans quickly forgot about Trubisky when, on the first night of the 2021 NFL Draft, they again traded up for a quarterback: Justin Fields out of Ohio State. Whether Chicago has finally found their first Hall of Fame quarterback since Sid Luckman, or whether they just Mitch’d themselves again, will undoubtedly be obsessed over by the Bears faithful for the foreseeable future.
Since 1950, 15 players have started at least 30 regular season games as quarterback for the Chicago Bears. The decision to go with a 30-start minimum for this analysis is to be consistent with other teams’ lists on this site.
Here are the 15 men who qualified for this analysis:
| Quarterback | Seasons in Chicago | Games Started |
| Avellini, Bob | 1975-1984 | 50 |
| Brown, Ed | 1954-1961 | 66 |
| Bukich, Rudy | 1958-1959, 1962-1968 | 30 |
| Concannon, Jack | 1967-1971 | 40 |
| Cutler, Jay | 2009-2016 | 102 |
| Douglass, Bobby | 1969-1975 | 45 |
| Evans, Vince | 1977-1983 | 32 |
| Grossman, Rex | 2003-2008 | 31 |
| Harbaugh, Jim | 1987-1993 | 65 |
| Kramer, Erik | 1994-1998 | 46 |
| McMahon, Jim | 1982-1988 | 61 |
| Orton, Kyle | 2005-2008 | 33 |
| Tomczak, Mike | 1985-1990 | 31 |
| Trubisky, Mitchell | 2007-2020 | 50 |
| Wade, Bill | 1961-1966 | 49 |
The Pregame Show
- This analysis only goes back to 1950 for various reasons covered in the Something Like an FAQ section of this blog. Many will note that, by default, this leaves out Sid Luckman. If you’re curious who is truly greatest Bears QB of all-time, here’s your answer: Sid Luckman.
- The data covers only their time in Chicago. So, for example, Jim McMahon’s numbers will not cover his time post-Chicago, playing for teams like Philadelphia or Minnesota.
- A few notable omissions:
- Sid Luckman was awesome. He guided the Bears to four NFL Championships during the 1940s, led the league in passing yards per game four times, was tops in TD passes three times, and had the best passer rating three times as well. Luckman faced his greatest rival, Washington’s Sammy Baugh, in four NFL Championship Games, and came out the winner in three of them. He was enshrined in Canton in 1965.
- Johnny Lujack led Chicago to the NFL Championship Game in 1950. He started 33 games at quarterback for the Bears over four seasons, 12 of those games came before 1950 though, which means he did not qualify for this analysis.
- George Blanda started 21 games under Center for Da Bears between 1952-1954, but was preferred by head coach George Halas as a placekicker. Blanda came off the bench in the 1956 NFL Championship Game, in an already lost cause, to relieve Ed Brown. He would eventually quarterback the Houston Oilers to the first two AFL Championships, and be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981. Great sideburns during the ‘70s too.
I have narrowed the list down to a Top 5, along with an honorable mention, with their respective index scores based upon the same criteria as the Top 100 list.
Key:
W-L% Win-Loss Percentage (as starter)
Tot Y/G Total Yards per Game
TD/G Total Touchdowns per Game
TO/G Total Turnovers per Game
Y/C/Y/A Average of Yards per Completion + Yards per Attempt
Comp% Completion Percentage
TD% Rate of Touchdowns per Pass Attempt
INT% Rate of Interceptions per Pass Attempt
Note: I have awarded bonus points for winning NFL titles. Bonus points have also been awarded for longevity, based upon deviation of starts compared to the other quarterbacks analyzed for this exercise.
Honorable Mention: Mitchell Trubisky
It was a strange four years for Mitchell Trubisky in Chicago. Following the Bears’ surprising trade up to draft him, he was booed at a Blackhawks game soon after. With starting quarterback Mike Glennon unable to get anything going in the first month of the 2017 season, Trubisky stepped in and was serviceable for a 5-11 team. But with new head coach Matt Nagy in the fold in 2018, Mitch raised his game to meet the organization’s lofty expectations. He would go 11-3 as starter, throwing for 3,223 yards, running for 421 more, and totaling 27 TDs.
In a Wild Card game against Philadelphia, it appeared as though Mitch had led Chicago on the game-winning drive. That was until the infamous “Double Doink“, a missed field goal that hit BOTH uprights. The kick fell just short, as did the Bears, 16-15. Trubisky finished with 303 yards passing, a TD, and no turnovers, and at least seemed to have set the stage for a breakout 2019 season. But progress never came. Instead, Trubisky regressed in every major passing category from his previous season except for interception rate. The Bears responded with a disappointing 8-8 record.
From darling to doghouse, 2020 would be Mitch Trubisky’s last chance to prove he was the right man for the job in Chicago. Despite a 2-0 start, he would be pulled in the second half of Week 3 for Nick Foles who would lead the Bears to a comeback win. Foles remained the starter until his Week 10 injury saw Trubisky return with a final shot at redemption. He would actually play pretty solidly, throwing ten TDs to five picks as the Bears would finish 3-3 and make the postseason as the last seed. Against the Saints in the Wild Card Round though, Mitch’s performance would be uninspiring (admittedly not helped by a dropped touchdown). He would finish with 209 total yards, no turnovers, and cap his tenure in Chicago with a meaningless TD pass. The Bears fell 21-9, but Trubisky will always go down as the first NVP (Nickelodeon Valuable Player) in NFL history. Two months later, he would not be re-signed by the team that drafted him.
Facing the pressures that come with being the top quarterback taken in an NFL Draft, Mitch Trubisky had some great moments, but not nearly enough of them. Consistency was a big thing as he only averaged 1.4 TDs per game when the league average was 1.8, and his YCYA was just 8.6 compared to a league mean of 9.3. He did win games though, going 29-21 in the regular season. Mitch also managed to evade turnovers with an average of 1.3 per start, slightly better than the average quarterback. In two postseason starts he never turned the ball over, but found the end zone just once in each game.
Bears Tenure Index Score: -1.384 (average QB = 0.0)
Longevity Bonus = -0.3 Title Bonus = 0.0
| Season | W-L% | Tot Y/G | TD/G | TO/G | Y/C/Y/A | Comp % | TD% | Int% | TOTAL |
| Regular | 0.045 | -0.063 | -0.072 | 0.026 | -0.070 | 0.002 | -0.045 | 0.000 | -2.137 |
| Playoffs | -0.280 | -0.042 | -0.170 | 0.400 | -0.035 | 0.000 | -0.141 | 0.400 | 0.064 |
Honorable Mention: Rudy Bukich
Rudy Bukich possessed one of the strongest arms in NFL history. But during his twenties, he rarely got to flaunt it. According to Pro-Football-Reference.com, from his rookie season of 1953 through 1959 (which includes his first stint with the Bears) Bukich didn’t start a single game while attempting just 106 passes. Although it’s worth noting that he did miss two seasons due to military service. Playing for his fourth team, Pittsburgh in 1960, Rudy finally got three starts. He would get his first win one year later, and ended up going 4-4 in eight starts. Prior to the 1962 season, he would be sent back to Chicago for veteran signal caller Ed Brown. Yet Bukich would sit again, backing up Bill Wade for two seasons, the latter of which was an NFL Championship for the Bears.
In ’64, Rudy Bukich would replace an ineffective Wade and win three of four starts. His 61.9% completion rate on the year would be the NFL’s best, while he tossed 12 TDs to just seven INTs. Bukich would permanently displace Wade as starter, going 9-3. In one of the finest seasons for a QB in Bears history, the 35-year old would lead the NFL in INT rate (2.9%), finish second in passing yards (2,641) and yards/attempt (8.5), and third in both completion percentage (56.4%) and passer rating (93.7). Two early-season losses in which Wade started were costly as the Bears finished 9-5, just 1.5 games behind the Colts and Packers for the West Division title.
After his sterling effort in 1965, Rudy Bukich just couldn’t seem to regain his mojo in ’66. His completion rate dropped nearly 10%, to 47.6%, and he threw 21 interceptions to just 10 touchdowns. Chicago sputtered to 5-7-2 and Rudy was essentially done. The next two seasons he would ride the bench, not starting and attempting just 40 passes, before retiring after the 1968 campaign. It was an unfortunate finish to an essentially incomplete career. But for one full season, Bukich was as good under Center as any Chicago signal caller ever.
While many rocket-armed quarterbacks can be reckless with the ball, Rudy Bukich was not. His completion rate during his Windy City tenure (54.0%) was nearly three full percentage points better than the average (51.2%). He also turned the ball over just 1.7 times per start when the league average was 2.1, and his 5.1% INT rate was a half-percent better than the mean. Other than his stellar ’65 season though, he just didn’t rack up the yards. His 10.2 YCYA was less than the average of 10.7, and he only mustered up 166.7 total yards per start against a mean of 208.2.
Bears Tenure Index Score: -0.812 (average QB = 0.0)
Longevity Bonus = -0.6 Title Bonus = 0.0
| Season | W-L% | Tot Y/G | TD/G | TO/G | Y/C/Y/A | Comp % | TD% | Int% | TOTAL |
| Regular | 0.056 | -0.120 | -0.081 | 0.075 | -0.054 | 0.054 | -0.001 | 0.032 | -0.474 |
| Playoffs | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
#5: Jay Cutler
The Chicago Bears traded for Smokin’ Jay Cutler in 2009 to essentially be the franchise’s first star passer since Sid Luckman. The price was steep: two first-round draft picks in successive years, a third-round draft pick, and QB Kyle Orton. Jay Cutler (no, not that Jay Cutler) had just come off a Pro Bowl season in which he accumulated over 4,700 yards of total offense, and was only 26 years of age. He would spend the next eight seasons as Chicago’s primary signal caller, and end his tenure with virtually every cumulative quarterbacking record in team history.
Unfortunately, success was limited. Cutler had a rocket arm, but was also beaten up often, sacked at a higher rate than any quarterback in 2010, and fifth-most in 2012. The only major category he led the league in, during his time in Chicago, was interceptions. That’s bad, and he did that twice: in 2009 (26) and in 2014 (18). That said, he still managed to have an outstanding run in 2010, leading the Bears to 10 of their 11 regular season wins. In a Divisional Round game against Seattle (his first career postseason appearance) he would put up 317 yards of offense and score four touchdowns in a 35-24 win. But under controversial circumstances the following week against Green Bay, he would leave the game due to injury and the Bears would fall to their biggest rivals, 21-14. The Pack would win the Super Bowl two weeks later and Cutler would never appear in another playoff game. When he retired after the 2017 season, he was 27th all-time in NFL career passing yards.
From 2009-2016, Cutler was below average during the regular season. His greatest asset was that he was good around the end zone, his 4.7% TD per pass attempt rate exceeded the league average of 4.4%. He was essentially dead-on average in terms of win-loss percentage (51-51 record), completion percentage (61.8%), and average of yards/completion + yards/attempt (9.4). His playoff numbers are ever-so-slightly better than average thanks to that masterpiece against Seattle, but brought back to Earth with the incomplete performance against Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game. He’ll probably hold all the Bears passing records though for a long, long time.
Bears Tenure Index Score: -0.708 (average QB = 0.0)
Longevity Bonus = 0.4 Title Bonus = 0.0
| Season | W-L% | Tot Y/G | TD/G | TO/G | Y/C/Y/A | Comp % | TD% | Int% | TOTAL |
| Regular | 0.000 | -0.038 | -0.017 | -0.067 | 0.000 | 0.003 | 0.032 | -0.094 | -2.215 |
| Playoffs | 0.000 | -0.150 | 0.033 | 0.003 | 0.328 | -0.189 | -0.003 | 0.029 | 0.012 |
#4: Ed Brown
Like Roger Staubach after him, Ed Brown missed the first couple years of his pro football career due to service in the U.S. Military. When he finally reported to the Chicago Bears in 1954, two years after they had drafted him, he spent his rookie year as understudy to George Blanda and Zeke Bratkowski. But he won the starting role one year later, and went on to make consecutive Pro Bowls in ’55 and ’56. The latter year was particularly impressive as he led the NFL in completion percentage (57.1%), TD rate (6.5%), and passer rating (83.1).
The 1956 campaign was also Ed Brown’s lone postseason appearance, leading the 9-2-1 Bears to the NFL Championship Game. However, Chicago was humbled by the New York Giants, 47-7. He was replaced by George Blanda after going 8-for-20 for 87 yards and two INTs. Brown remained a Bear for the next five years, but could not replicate the success of the 1956 season, going 22-19-1 over that time. From 1962-1965 he had ups and downs with Pittsburgh before retiring after one appearance with the Colts in that final season. With an astounding career 16.4 yards per completion Ed Brown remains the NFL’s all-time leader in that regard. It’s a record that will almost certainly never be broken considering the modern game’s emphasis of short passes (for comparison’s sake, Peyton Manning retired with an average of 11.7 yards per completion in the regular season).
As noted above, getting the ball downfield, and getting it downfield far, was Ed Brown’s greatest asset. His 11.7 YCYA with the Bears was a full two yards more than the average quarterback from 1954-1961. He was also a winner, leading the Bears to a 39-25-2 regular season record during those eight years. That said, run-focused Bears teams limited his total yardage per game, and he averaged less than a touchdown per start. Finally, a disappointing showing in his lone postseason appearance also did not help elevate his index score.
Bears Tenure Index Score: -0.530 (average QB = 0.0)
Longevity Bonus = 0.5 Title Bonus = 0.0
| Season | W-L% | Tot Y/G | TD/G | TO/G | Y/C/Y/A | Comp % | TD% | Int% | TOTAL |
| Regular | 0.059 | -0.184 | -0.164 | 0.096 | 0.104 | -0.028 | -0.006 | 0.026 | -1.827 |
| Playoffs | -0.280 | -0.325 | -0.400 | 0.106 | -0.143 | -0.213 | 0.400 | 0.149 | –0.281 |
#3: Erik Kramer
Erik Kramer quietly put up some really solid numbers for Da Bears from 1994-1998, all the while battling injuries and only starting 16 games once. His 1995 effort was a minor triumph though, nearly getting a Bears team with a poor defense to the playoffs while finishing second in the NFL in touchdowns per attempt (5.6%), trailing only Brett Favre. That year, he also ended up seventh in passing yards (3,838) and fourth in QB rating (93.5). He earned the starting gig by replacing Steve Walsh in a playoff loss to San Francisco the year before. But he would be knocked out for the year early in 1996 and never quite be the same after that. He would retire less than a year removed from his times with the Bears due to a career-ending neck injury.
The post-NFL story of Erik Kramer is among the saddest imaginable. In 2011, his 18-year old son died of a heroin overdose. In 2015, he attempted suicide. Then in 2018, he was charged with domestic abuse, with his wife stating that she feared for her life and that of her daughter. Despite numerous accomplishments with the Bears, and the Lions before that, Kramer’s tragic story is one of too many that follow the playing days of some NFL veterans.
Although he has a lone 16-start season with the Bears, Kramer’s numbers were pretty solid during his five years on the team, and was actually a slightly above-average quarterback during this time. He was good at holding onto the ball, averaging 1.5 turnovers a game when the average QB was doling out 1.7, and his 2.9% INT rate was better than the league average (3.2%). The only knock is an 18-28 regular season record as starter. But he wasn’t helped by defenses that finished 22nd in scoring in 1995, and 29th in 1997, which were his primary years as the main man under Center.
Bears Tenure Index Score: -0.180 (average QB = 0.0)
Longevity Bonus = -0.4 Title Bonus = 0.0
| Season | W-L% | Tot Y/G | TD/G | TO/G | Y/C/Y/A | Comp % | TD% | Int% | TOTAL |
| Regular | -0.061 | -0.015 | -0.001 | 0.061 | -0.011 | 0.023 | 0.007 | 0.035 | 0.470 |
| Playoffs | -0.280 | -0.200 | -0.118 | 0.400 | -0.214 | 0.217 | 0.001 | 0.400 | 0.055 |
#2: Bill Wade
Believe it or not, the Chicago Bears HAVE had two really good quarterbacks since 1950, and the forgotten one is Bill Wade. In his six years as Bears signal caller (1961-1966), the rival Green Bay Packers won four NFL titles. The other two were won by Cleveland Browns in 1964, and yes, the Chicago Bears, in 1963. That championship season is all the more impressive as the Packers went 11-2-1 that year, with their only two losses being to Wade and the Bears. And Bill Wade was heroic in that NFL Championship Game against Hall-of-Famer Y.A. Tittle and the New York Giants, rushing for two touchdowns on a frigid nine-degree day at Wrigley Field.
But Wade was no one-year wonder for the Bears. After being cast off by the L.A. Rams, he would lead the league in both touchdown rate (8.8%) and passer rating (93.7) during his maiden voyage in Chicago. He would also lead the Bears to a 9-5 record in ’62. But after the 1963 championship game, time caught up to the 34-year old Wade. He would go 2-8 in ten starts in ’64, and then 0-2 in ’65 while serving primarily as back-up to Rudy Bukich. Wade finished his career in 1966, making no starts and throwing just 21 passes.
A recurring theme with the “best” Bears quarterbacks, Bill Wade didn’t put up big numbers, but he did hold on to the football. Wade was only turning the ball over 1.6 times a game while his counterparts were at 2.1, and his 4.7% INTs per attempt was much better than the league average of 5.5%. He was also accurate, completing 54.5% of his passes when your average signal caller was at 51.9%. As part of my analysis of over 150 quarterbacks, he is the only one to have finished his career undefeated as a starter in the postseason, with a spotless record of 1-0.
Bears Tenure Index Score: 1.093 (average QB = 0.0)
Longevity Bonus = 0.6 Title Bonus = 0.7
One NFL Title
| Season | W-L% | Tot Y/G | TD/G | TO/G | Y/C/Y/A | Comp % | TD% | Int% | TOTAL |
| Regular | 0.040 | -0.045 | -0.017 | 0.103 | -0.076 | 0.051 | -0.038 | 0.060 | 0.958 |
| Playoffs | 0.280 | 0.001 | 0.302 | 0.166 | -0.114 | -0.272 | -0.400 | 0.400 | 0.091 |
#1: Jim McMahon
We all knew Jim McMahon was the best Bears QB after Sid Luckman. But was he really any good? The answer: absolutely… as long as he stayed healthy. Taken #5 overall in the 1982 NFL Draft (one year before Elway, Kelly, and Marino were all taken in the first round), the “Punky QB” turned out to be a dependable, if not reckless, winner. Had he thrown enough passes in nine starts in 1984, his 97.8 passer rating would have trailed only that year’s two Super Bowl starters, Dan Marino and Joe Montana, for the NFL’s best. His 1.4% INT rate would have been a whole half-percent better than league-leader Tony Eason, and his 5.6% TDs per attempt would have been sixth. The Bears would go 7-2 with McMahon as starter in ’84, and 3-4 without him. He would miss the final two months of the season with a lacerated kidney, and Chicago would fall one game short of Super Bowl XIX.
In 1985, McMahon would kind-of stay healthy, missing only five starts and going 11-0 in those that he didn’t. On a team remembered mainly for Walter Payton and perhaps the greatest defense ever assembled, Jim McMahon finished in the Top 10 in virtually every passing category, notably ending up seventh in passer rating (82.6). He would score two TDs in each of three playoff games, culminating in a 46-10 triumph in Super Bowl XX. With sights set on a repeat/dynasty, McMahon would go 6-0 in his starts until one of the dirtiest hits in modern-day NFL history put him on the sidelines for the rest of the season. A combination Mike Tomczak, Steve Fuller, and Doug Flutie got the Bears to 14-2 before they were upset at home by Washington in the Divisional Playoff Round.
Mad Mac would have two more solid years with the Bears, going 12-3 as a starter in the regular season, but coming up short in two playoff starts. He would be traded just prior to the start of the 1989 season, paving the way for the Jim Harbaugh era. McMahon is often overlooked for his quarterbacking ability due to a wealth of talent in the backfield and on defense. The fact is, from 1982-1988, the Chicago Bears went 46-15 (.738) in regular season games that he started. They were 27-16 (.626) without him. From 1985-1987 he went 22-1 as a starter, while the team went 18-6 without him. He may not have Hall of Fame statistics, but the results show that the Bears were a good team without him, and a GREAT team with him.
As legendary White Sox broadcaster Ken “Hawk” Harrelson was wont to say, “Don’ t tell me what a guy hits, tell me when he hits.” Jim McMahon didn’t accumulate stats, but he made his throws count. His per game numbers aren’t nearly as good as his per pass numbers, such as a 57.8% completion percentage when the league average was 55.6%, or a 3.7% INT rate when the league average was 4.1%. He also won more than 75% of his regular season starts, and boasted passer ratings above 95.0 in all three of his starts during the 1985 postseason. McMahon was far more than headstrong game manager, he was a legitimately good quarterback.
Bears Tenure Index Score: 2.908 (average QB = 0.0)
Longevity Bonus = 0.3 Title Bonus = 0.9
One Super Bowl Title
| Season | W-L% | Tot Y/G | TD/G | TO/G | Y/C/Y/A | Comp % | TD% | Int% | TOTAL |
| Regular | 0.142 | -0.098 | -0.042 | 0.149 | 0.027 | 0.039 | 0.023 | 0.043 | 3.276 |
| Playoffs | 0.056 | -0.069 | -0.007 | 0.143 | 0.083 | -0.019 | -0.111 | 0.109 | 0.174 |
The Postgame Show
- Six of the 15 quarterbacks analyzed for this article qualified for this site’s 100 Greatest QBs list. Only two made the Top 100, which encompasses their full careers and not just their time with Chicago. Jim McMahon ended up at #46, while Bill Wade finished at #55 overall.
- Jack Concannon spent five years with the Bears from 1967-1971, and was the primary signal caller in ’67 and ’70. He had a pretty good year in 1970 with 2,266 total yards and 18 touchdowns, but ended his run with Chicago having thrown 52 INTs to 31 TDs. He went 7-4-1 as starter in ’67 as the Bears finished 7-6-1, good enough for 2nd in the NFL Central Division, two games behind eventual Super Bowl winners Green Bay. He’s also the Bears’ quarterback in legendary tear-jerker Brian’s Song.
- Bobby Douglass had an incredibly powerful arm, but that meant little as he was notoriously inaccurate (his career completion percentage with Chicago was a paltry 42.0%). However, he made up for it with his legs and set an NFL record for a quarterback that lasted for 34 years when he ran for 968 yards (in only 14 games) in 1972. Michael Vick broke that mark in 2006 when he ran for 1,040. Lamar Jackson then shattered that record with 1,206 rushing yards in 2019. After retiring from pro football, he tried his hand at baseball. In 1979, he pitched seven innings for the Iowa Oaks, the Chicago White Sox AAA affiliate. He walked 13 batters, while striking out none. There is a great NFL Films segment about Bobby Douglass as well.
- Bob Avellini was the Bears’ primary signal caller from 1976-1978. Only once did he garner double-digit touchdowns in a season (passing + rushing) with 11 in 1977. The Bears made the playoffs that year behind Walter’s Payton’s MVP effort (1,852 rushing yards and 2,121 total yards, both of which led the NFL). Chicago was dismantled, 37-7, by eventual Super Bowl champs Dallas in the Divisional Playoff Round. Avellini gave way to Cleveland castoff Mike Phipps in 1979 and the Bears made the postseason again, falling 27-17 to Philadelphia in the first round.
- A sixth round draft pick out of USC, Vince Evans was primarily used as a kick returner in his rookie year of 1977. He reverted back to his natural position of quarterback in ’78, and started his first three games the following season (all losses). He went 5-5 as starter in 1980, highlighted by a perfect 158.3 QB rating in Week 14 against Green Bay. His lone season as primary starter was 1981 where he went just 6-10. He’d only start three more games over the next two years, following the Bears’ drafting of Jim McMahon. After a couple years in the USFL, he returned to the NFL as a Raider, where he’d remain for an incredible nine years before retiring after the 1995 season at age 40.
- Mike Tomczak got a ring as a rookie third-stringer for the ’85 Bears. Filling in for the oft-injured Jim McMahon, he’d start 31 regular season games for Chicago over the next five years, going 21-10. He was also 2-1 as a postseason starter, but in 34 total starts he’d only exceed 300 yards passing once (302 in Week 3 of ’89). Da Bears committed to Jim Harbaugh after 1990. Tomczak would make short stops in Green Bay and Cleveland before spending his final seven seasons in Pittsburgh. Although mostly used as a back-up, he’d go 10-5 as starter in ’96. He would then win a postseason game over his former rival in Chicago, Indianapolis starter Jim Harbaugh.
- Speaking of Jim Harbaugh, the man elicits some fond memories among Bears fans. But he saved his best for his post-Chicago pro career, taking the Indianapolis Colts within a Hail Mary of Super Bowl XXX. Between 1990-1991, Harbaugh guided the Bears to a cumulative 21-9 record in his starts. He would succumb to a late season-ending injury in 1990 and watch Mike Tomczak take the Bears to a Wild Card win over the Saints, before being eaten alive by the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants the following week. In 1991, Harbaugh was able to guide Chicago to a Wild Card Round match-up with Dallas. He would accumulate 244 total yards and pass for a late touchdown, but Chicago would fall to a Cowboys team only a year away from starting a Super Bowl dynasty, 17-13.
- Rex Grossman was a gunslinging Florida Gator taken 22nd overall by the Bears in the 2003 draft. He was supposed to be the chosen one, but was seemingly cursed as injury after injury limited him to just seven regular season starts in his first three years. Still, “Sexy Rexy” triumphantly returned in ’06 and, bolstered by a dominating defense, led the 13-3 Monsters of the Midway to Super Bowl XLI. Facing destiny-driven Peyton Manning and the Colts, Grossman would throw for just 165 yards and turn the ball over three times, offsetting a first quarter TD pass that put the Bears up 14-6. It was downhill from there as Indy prevailed, 29-17. Over the next two years, Rex would win just two of eight starts for Chicago. He spent ’09 in Houston and started 16 games for Washington during his final three seasons, retiring after 2012. Guy could really sling it though.
- Kyle Orton was just supposed to be Rex Grossman’s backup when the Bears took him in the fourth round in 2005 out of Purdue. But with Rex injured in the preseason for almost the entire year, Orton was thrust into duty. His numbers weren’t pretty (9 TDs, 13 INTs, 59.7 QB rating), but he won 10 of 15 starts before Grossman returned to start the team’s playoff loss. The Purdue alum saw no action during the Bears’ Super Bowl run the following year, but he got three starts in Grossman’s place in ’07, winning two. He displaced Sexy Rexy in 2008, going 9-6 in 15 starts, but the 9-7 Bears just missed the playoffs. Both he and Grossman got the boot after that, as the Bears traded Orton (and a ton of draft picks) for Jay Cutler. He would have two good years in Denver, averaging over 3,700 yards passing, but failing to make the playoffs. From 2011-2014 he would jump from Denver to Kansas City to Dallas to Buffalo, before retiring under mysterious(?) circumstances.
In Summary
The Chicago Bears are historically famous for their defense and run games. But it actually just goes to show you how important the quarterback position has been to the franchise. Chicago’s two best statistical QBs by far, Bill Wade and Jim McMahon, were actually big reasons that championships were brought back to Sweet Home Chicago at the end of the 1963 and 1985 seasons.
Otherwise, the Bears have struggled to find a consistently reliable starter over the past 70 years, with Mitch Trubisky unable to live up to great expectations. Perhaps Justin Fields will be the next Sid Luckman. Hell, Bears fans will gladly take the next Jim McMahon or Bill Wade. Or perhaps he’ll be the next Mitch Trubisky… or Jay Cutler… or Rex Grossman…
The Quarterback Project 