Chicago Bears: Five All-Time Greatest Running Backs
Number One: Walter Payton
What more could you possibly say about Walter Payton? His incredible 13-year career was one for the ages. Not only is he the obvious best running back in Bears’ history, he is the clear choice for best player in franchise history, and could easily be considered the best running back in NFL history. When it comes down to it, “Sweetness” was as good as there was.
He led the franchise through some very dark times. Payton was drafted by the Bears with the fourth overall pick of the 1975 NFL Draft. He struggled to adapt to the NFL game as a rookie, but broke out in his second season with 1,390 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. Payton earned his first Pro Bowl appearance for his play in 1976, but it was in 1977 where he really began his Hall of Fame resume.
As a third-year back in 1977, the Bears rode Payton all season long. He finished the year leading the NFL in all major rushing categories including carries (339), yards (1,852), rushing touchdowns (14) and yards per attempt (5.5). He also broke the single-game rushing record that season, with a performance against the Minnesota Vikings. On November 11th, 1977, Payton carried the ball 40 times for a league-record 275 yards. While that record does not stand today, it was an incredibly impressive performance, especially considering he was suffering from a 101-degree fever.
Payton was clearly an incredible player, and he pretty much single-handily carried the Bears through the dark times of the late 70s and early 80s. Payton was finally able to get some help in the middle part of the 1980s, culminating in their 1985 Super Bowl championship. That Super Bowl title still stands as the only Super Bowl in franchise history, and Payton was a massive part of it.
He does not only have the most rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in franchise history, but Payton’s total more than doubles the next closest person. His 492 career receptions are also the most in franchise history, and his 4,538 career receiving yards are the third highest total.
Simply put, Sweetness was the greatest, and it is going to take a truly incredible player to ever knock him off of the top of this list.
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