Chicago Bears Countdown to Kickoff: 90 Days with Julius Peppers

Peppers joins Chicago Bears defense ahead of 2010 season

In his first season in Chicago, Peppers made an immediate impact, adding 11 tackles for loss, eight sacks, and nine pass deflections. Peppers would finish the season as a Pro Bowler, a First-Team All-Pro member, and the fourth-place finisher for Defensive Player of the Year after starting all 16 games.

In 2011, Peppers had another strong season, recording 11 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and another Pro Bowl selection. 2012 brought similar results, with 11.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, another Pro Bowl selection, and another All-Pro nomination. Peppers, unfortunately, took a step back in 2013, recording just seven sacks and eight tackles for loss, and was subsequently released by the Bears following the year.

Now 34 years old, Peppers would sign with the division rival Green Bay Packers, where he would play for three years, accumulating 25 sacks, 21 tackles for loss, and a Pro Bowl selection over 43 starts across 48 games. After his stint with the Packers, Peppers returned to the Carolina Panthers for two seasons in 2017 and 2018 before his retirement, where he added 16 sacks and 16 tackles for loss.