Oct 5, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; A Chicago Bears helmet lays on the bench during the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
As one of the original NFL franchises (then called the Decatur Staleys), the Chicago Bears are rich with tradition and history. As a true smash-mouth franchise for a majority of their existence, the running back position has become a major part of their lengthy history.
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The Bears have almost always had an offense centered around pounding the ball down the defense’s throat. Chicago is a hard-nosed, blue-collar city. With a strong running game and physical defensive play, their football team has historically matched the blue-collar traits of the city. This has led to an incredible crop of defensive players and running backs in the history of the franchise.
For now, we are going to focus on the running back position, which has almost always been the focal point of a strong Bears’ offense. From the days of George Halas running his two-or-three back system, to the our current times, the Bears have typically looked to feature the running back position.
While featuring a running back has not always worked out as planned (I am looking at you Cedric Benson), their reliance on the running game has allowed for a very impressive All-Time list. In fact, I think you would struggle to find an NFL team with a better overall history at the running back position.
We all know the names, but how are they ranked? Here are the five All-time greatest running backs in the history of the long and storied history of the Chicago Bears.
Next: Number Five