The 5 best kick returners in the history of the Chicago Bears

One thing the Chicago Bears know and they know well is the impact of a great kick returner. After over 100 years in the league, the Bears have seen several talented names come through their doors at the position.

There is nothing like the adrenaline rush, as a fan, when you watch your team swing the momentum of a game thanks to a big kick return or even one that's taken to the house for a touchdown. Some teams are lucky to have one or two elite return men come through their organization, but the Bears have had several.

Putting together a list of the Bears' top five kick returners was a difficult task, as they've had a plethora of return men who have performed at a high level. They've had some guys who are more do-it-all types, and others who were hyper-focused on the return game. Taking their entire body of work into consideration, it was not easy to compile our top five.

Criteria for selection

Looking at the Bears' all-time kick return leaders, and sorting them out based on different metrics, you could come up with dozens upon dozens of different 'top five' rankings. There are a few key stats and aspects of the return game which could impact how players are ranked.

One could simply sort them all out based on career kick return yards, and that wouldn't necessarily be the wrong idea. However, you wouldn't get the whole story. So, while career kick return yards with the franchise are certainly important, they're not the sole focus, here.

And, while longevity is also important, we cannot merely sort these guys out based on how many total returns they had with the Bears. Sure, they might have held the job for a great while, but that doesn't mean they were the best.

Above all else, specifically with the Bears, you have to consider how much these return men could impact a game. How many touchdowns did they score? How many yards were they able to average per kick return? These are important questions, too. But, how were they each able to impact a single game, in a single moment, for the sake of their team?

With all of that in mind, let's get to our list.

The top five kick returners in Chicago Bears history

5. Jerry Azumah

Bears fans who watched the team in the late 90's on into the 2000's will mainly remember Jerry Azumah as one of Chicago's starting cornerbacks for a couple of seasons. Azumah played a good amount during the years he wasn't a starter, as well, and remained a key player on some great defenses.

Coming out of New Hampshire as a fifth-round pick back in the 1999 NFL Draft, Azumah didn't become the team's main kick returner until 2003. And when he did, the guy absolutely took over that role.

In his first year as the primary return man, Azumah made the Pro Bowl. He averaged a league-leading 29.0 yards per return on 41 attempts and even took two back to the house. In a medicore season, team-wise, Azumah was certainly a highlight for fans, as they watched three different quarterbacks start under center for the Bears that year.

In terms of career kick return yards, Azumah ranks no. 4 for the Bears all-time with 2,885 yards.

4. Danieal Manning

Often overshadowed by teammate Devin Hester, Danieal Manning was a phenomenal return man himself. The Bears were lucky to have the two of them on the same team for a few years, and if the opposition decided to kick it away from Hester, it was Manning who became the "other" guy.

Teams learned very quickly that, whether it was Hester or Manning returning the kick, they could be in trouble.

Manning came to the Bears as a second-round pick out of Abilene Christian back in 2006, and was the team's starting free safety for four out of his five seasons in Chicago. And, he was a pretty good player at safety. He totaled 26 pass breakups and seven interceptions at the position. Four different seasons, Manning totaled over 70 tackles and at least four pass breakups. A ball hawk, Manning also forced seven fumbles with the Bears.

But, as a kick returner, Manning ended his career averaging 26.8 yards per attempt and a total of 2,711 return yards with the Bears. In 2008, Manning led the league with 29.7 yards per return on 36 returns, overall. He also took one back for a touchdown that season, too.

3. Cordarrelle Patterson

The man, the myth, the legend ... Cordarrelle Patterson was more of a "flash in the pan" for the Bears, rather than a long-term solution. He sits no. 10 on the team's all-time kick return yards list after having spent just two seasons as the primary kick returner. But, those two years? He was electric.

Patterson averaged a whopping 29.2 yards per return during his stint with the Bears, proving he was still one of the league's best to ever do it. Chicago wasn't the same team they were in 2018, after having made the playoffs and looking like they were on the rise, but Patterson was definitely a bright spot amidst some other big-time roster issues and questions.

In his two seasons as the Bears' return man, Patterson took two back for scores as well. He was voted to the All Pro First Team each season with the Bears, proving that he still had plenty left in the tank after his time in Minnesota.

Similarly to a guy we'll talk about in just a bit, Patterson had that "it" quality as a return man. Anytime he touched the ball, he could do big things with it in the return game.

2. Gale Sayers

If you're talking about an all-time list, and Gale Sayers is number two, you better have a good reason why. And, of course, there is a good reason. But, when it comes to Sayers, he will always be remembered as one of the greatest players in franchise history. He was truly a "do-it-all" type, whether it was on offense or special teams.

Sayers was a fantastic running back and added plenty in the receiving game, as well. But, as a return man, he was just as talented. In fact, Sayers' six career kick return touchdowns are the most in franchise history. He is also the only qualifying return man, in the history of the Bears, to average over 30 yards per attempt (30.6 to be exact) for his career).

Ranking no. 5 all-time in career return yards for Chicago, Sayers accumulated 2,781 in total. His career-long of 104 yards is tied for the longest return in Bears history, too. The man has dozens upon dozens of accomplishments to list on his résumé.

Only playing for the Bears from 1965-1971, one could only wonder what Sayers would have been able to do had his career spanned longer. The things he accomplished, in such a short time, were nothing short of artistry and masterclass.

1. Devin Hester

Could there be any other name at the top? Of course, it's Devin Hester. The 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee might be the most exciting player to ever put on a Bears uniform. There have been countless Hall of Famers on both sides of the ball such as Walter Payton and Mike Singletary, among many others, but only Devin Hester had fans on the edge of their seat ... every single time he touched the football.

There was a period of time in his career where, whenever the opposing team was back to kick off, as a Bears fan, that was the worst time you could possibly stop watching the game. There were no bathroom breaks. There was no time to grab a cold one from the fridge or refill the chip bowl. When the Bears were back on kickoff return, your eyes were glued to the screen because, in a matter of moments, something spectacular could unfold.

Just ask those Bears fans who were either in attendance or watching Super Bowl XLI on TV. When the Indianapolis Colts got ready for the opening kick, Hester was getting ready to make history.

Hester is, by far, the Bears' all-time franchise leader in kick return yards with a mesmerizing 5,504 yards -- almost 1,000 yards more than the second-place Glyn Milburn, who sadly did not make our cut.

To this day, there has never been another like him. Even if the NFL does whatever it can to make the kickoff exciting again, it will be difficult for any player to ever accomplish what Hester once did. The NFL's all-time leader in return touchdowns had 20 over his entire career in the league.