5 Chicago Bears with cases to make the Hall of Fame
By Evan Bruner
Chicago Bears HOF Candidate No. 4: Brandon Marshall
It’s hard to put into words how physically dominant Brandon Marshall was at the peak of his powers. He was a 6’5 232 pound behemoth of a receiver who used his massive catch radius and elite physicality to impose his will on opposing defenses.
Marshall’s stellar career is highlighted by his first season with the Bears, where he caught 118 passes for 1,508 yards and 11 touchdowns. While this season was the best of his career, the truth is he put up numbers wherever he went.
Over the course of his career, Marshall recorded a 1,200+ receiving yard season for four different teams, many of which featured underwhelming quarterback play. Along with being one of the best receivers of his time, Marshall also has a far less enviable title to his name of one of the greatest players to never make the playoffs.
While it was no fault of his own, it’s hard to argue that spending his career on middling teams hasn’t hurt Marshall’s Hall of Fame chances. He will be on the ballot for the first time in 2024, and as great as his career stats are, without team success, Marshall faces an uphill battle.
Verdict: The regrettable reality that Marshall probably won’t get into the Hall of Fame is more of an indictment of his teams than Marshall himself. Chicago traded for him in hopes of a playoff run. Marshall held up his end of the bargain. The Bears, however, did not.