Despite their last Super Bowl coming back in 1985, the Chicago Bears are no strangers to Hall of Fame ceremonies.
The list of Bears players currently enshrined in Canton has some of the most famous names in NFL history – especially, of course, on the defensive side of the ball.
According to the NFL's official Hall of Fame website, 17 players that were originally drafted by the Bears are now enshrined, which is more than any other team in the league (Pittsburgh comes in 2nd at 16). Here are all 17.
Chicago Bears players who are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
NAME | POSITION/TITLE | YEAR INDUCTED |
|---|---|---|
George Blanda | QB/K | 1981 |
Dick Butkus | LB | 1979 |
Jimbo Covert | OL | 2020 |
Richard Dent | DL | 2011 |
Mike Ditka | TE | 1988 |
Dan Fortmann | U/G | 1965 |
Bill George | LB | 1974 |
Dan Hampton | DL | 2002 |
Devin Hester | KR/PR | 2024 |
Chuck Howley | LB | 2023 |
Stan Jones | OL/DT | 1991 |
Sid Luckman | QB | 1965 |
Walter Payton | RB | 1993 |
Gale Sayers | RB | 1977 |
Mike Singletary | LB | 1998 |
Brian Urlacher | LB | 2018 |
Clyde Turner | U/C/LB | 1966 |
As for current Bears who may have a shot at the Hall, things look a little more bleak – at least until Caleb William's eligible. So here are a few current Bears – plus a couple guys that were recently in Chicago – that could have a good argument to make for themselves when they retire.
Which current and former Bears players could make the Hall of Fame next?
Khalil Mack
Mack's been gone for a few seasons now, but his impact in Chicago was enormous.
That Labor Day weekend trade they pulled off for him right before the 2018 season was an iconic moment in contemporary Bears history – not only did it make that defense historically elite, but it signaled to the rest of the league that the Bears were, in fact, going for it. In 10 seasons with the Raiders, Bears, and Chargers, Mack has 101.5 sacks, seven Pro Bowls, five All Pro nominations (3 first team), and one Defensive Player of the Year award (2016). He finished 4th in the NFL in sacks last year (17), and has started 150 of the 151 games he's appeared in.
He's almost certainly going to get in.
Roquan Smith
That 2018 defense was stacked. Smith was just a rookie for that team, and still was one of the more impactful players on the team. In the 7 years since, Smith has put up over 850 tackles over 94 games (92 starts). He's been named a first team All-Pro in each of the last four seasons, and has two additional second team nominations to boot.
The four Pro Bowls don't hurt, either. He doesn't quite have the resume yet – his Football Reference Hall of Fame monitor number (36.78) is still a bit off from the average HOF LB (105.65), but if puts up another half decade or so of All Pro caliber seasons, it's going to be hard to keep him out.
DJ Moore
Moore feels like one of those guys who people are going to spend a decade arguing about. His resume, on the surface, doesn't scream Hall of Fame – he's never even made a Pro Bowl.
When you look at his stats, it's actually kind of wild how underappreciated he's become outside of Chicago (and I guess Carolina). In six years, Moore's put up 1,000-yard seasons four times. He already has over 6500 yards for his career and has scored either the same amount of touchdowns or more in each season since getting drafted. It's not saying much, but he'll probably end up as the best wide receiver in Bears history.
Moore's candidacy feels a bit more of a stretch than the other two guys on this list, but there's a fun argument starting to form, at least.