The Top 10 running backs in Chicago Bears history

The history of the Chicago Bears is dotted with legendary defensive players, but the offensive side of the ball doesn't have as much renown. In fact, the Bears are the only franchise in the NFL that does not have a quarterback who threw for 4,000 yards in a single season.

Many of their greatest offensive achievements have been on the ground, as a strong running game served them well in both the George Halas and Mike Ditka coaching tenures. Being a running back for the Bears still has a mystique about it.

Making the list of the 10 best in franchise history is a very tough task, as there is a pool of players that goes back over 100 years to choose from. These 10, however, have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are worthy of the title of "best Bears running backs ever."

Criteria for selection

These running backs were chosen based on a combination of:

• Statistical Achievements
• Impact on Success
• Longevity
• Memorable Moments

The top 10 running backs in Chicago Bears history

10. Willie Galimore

Known as "The Wisp" in his prime, Galimore's lack of gaudy statistical production can be outweighed by the fact Hall of Fame players were scared to death of him. An All-Pro runner in 1958, Chuck Bednarik called him "the fastest human being I've ever seen on a football field."

NFL Films mastermind Steve Sabol once remarked that outside of Gale Sayers, there's not a more exciting highlight reel than Galimore in the open field. A dual threat who was a legitimate passing game weapon, Galimore was a part of the 1963 NFL champion Bears in a loaded backfield.

Unfortunately, Galimore passed away in a car accident in 1964 at 29 years old. His prime was short, but it was spectacular.

9. George McAfee

There's a case to be made McAfee was a better defensive back than running back, as the Hall of Famer doesn't even have 2,000 yards on the ground, yet piled up 25 picks. McAfee's story is hard to convey to box score watchers. An All-Pro in 1941, he played just six games between 1942 and 1946 due to World War II limiting his playing time.

McAfee is on this list due to strong testimonials of his ability from that era. Packers coach Curly Lambeau called him "the most talented back the Packers ever faced." Writers of the time compared him favorably to the legendary Jim Thorpe as a player, while Halas said the highest compliment any ball carrier can earn was to be compared to McAfee.

8. Matt Suhey

While Suhey was nominally a fullback due to the presence of Walter Payton, he toted the rock more than most at his position. For 10 seasons, Suhey was a vital part of Mike Ditka's run-heavy offense. Suhey even managed to top 1,000 yards from scrimmage in 1983 due to how often he was used as a pass-catcher.

A bit undersized by most fullback standards of the era, Suhey was tough as nails and a perfect blocker for Payton. However, as his stats show, Suhey could have been more than capable of shouldering a heavy rushing load if needed. Payton was already great before Suhey, but he went to legendary status when No. 26 joined the backfield.

7. Neal Anderson

Anderson was given the nigh impossible task of succeeding Walter Payton as Bears running back. While he wasn't at that level (who could be), Anderson did manage to become a major success after reeling off five consecutive seasons with at least 1,000 yards from scrimmage. Only Payton has more rushing TDs in Bears history.

Anderson made the Pro Bowl every year between 1988 and 1991, including three straight seasons with at least 1,000 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. Injuries sapped his effectiveness and forced him out of the game before he turned 30, but Anderson was a very effective running back despite generally average passing games around him.

6. Rick Casares

When Mike Ditka calls you the toughest player he ever played with, that should tell everyone something about what kind of player he was.

Casares came into the NFL like a ball of fire, as the 6-2, 225-pound bulldozer was a Pro Bowl player in each of his first five seasons. His finest hour came in in his second season in 1956, as he ran for 1,126 yards and 12 touchdowns in a 12-game season. At the time, this was 20 yards short of the single-season record.

In what ultimately became a 10-year career with Chicago, Casares ran for 5,657 yards and 49 touchdowns, still third in franchise history. He won a championship in 1963, serving as the powerful answer to the speedy Galimore on the outside.

5. Matt Forte

One of the best pass-catching backs ever, Forte recorded 1,000 yards from scrimmage in all but one of his 10 NFL seasons and topped 1,400 yards from scrimmage in seven straight seasons with the Bears. Jay Cutler may have led those offenses, but Forte was far and away his best weapon.

Forte's average 17-game pace between 2008 and 2014 would help him record over 1,800 yards from scrimmage and 70 catches per season. Forte is second all-time in rushing yards in Bears history.

While some might overlook Forte's career due to some of the average teams he played on, his statistics from that area are right up there with the best backs in the league.

4. Red Grange

Why is someone who is only credited with 569 career rushing yards this high on the list? Grange's impact on the sport is titanic. Joining the Bears after becoming a national sensation at Illinois, Grange is often regarded as professional football's first marquee star player.

Accompanied by an all-time great nickname in "The Galloping Ghost," Grange was on the cover of Time Magazine in 1925 and helped popularize the sport. By giving the NFL Validity and making people want to watch it due to his spectacular, slithering runs, Grange is regarded by some as having a Babe Ruth-like impact on the business of the sport.

3. Bronko Nagurski

Perhaps no player in NFL history sounded more like a bruising fullback than Bronko Nagurski. Standing 6-3 and 235 pounds at a time when many offensive and defensive linemen weren't that big, Nagurski overwhelmed ball-carries in the 1930s with pure power to the tune of four All-Pro selections.

The Bears won three NFL championships in Nagurski's tenure, including a brief cameo after an unretirement in 1943. In the same vein as Payton, every team knew that Bronko was going to hit the line with splintering force on every single play, and they were unable to stop him.

2. Gale Sayers

Any list of players who saw great careers cut short by injury must include Sayers. For all intens and purposes, his career in the NFL lasted five years due to knee injuries and archaic medical technology available at the time. Those five years were so special that he madethe Hall of Fame off that stretch alone. He may have been the best offensive player in the NFL during the 1960s.

Sayers' rookie year still may be the best ever. Despite touching the ball just 232 times as a rusher, receiver, and returner, he scored 22 touchdowns. Essentially, he scored once every 10 times he touched the ball. If you can imagine it, the "Kansas Comet" used legendary speed and elusiveness to improve from there.

Sayers was an All-Pro in all of his first five seasons, leading the league in rushing twice and finishing in the top five in MVP Voting every year. Had Sayers been able to have a full 12-year career, there's a very good chance he would have not only been No. 1 on this list, but the best running back in league history.

1. Walter Payton

Many to this day will still argue that Payton is the greatest running back in NFL history, and they might not be wrong. Despite playing most of his career with wretched quarterbacks and the knowledge every team went into games exclusively trying to figure out how to stop him, the Jackson State legend put up historic numbers.

The 1977 NFL MVP, Payton was a nine-time Pro Bowler and eight-time All-Pro in 12 years. Payton, who was often the Bears chief receiving threat in his prime, ran for 1,300 yards in a season nine times and had four seasons in excess of 2,000 yards from scrimmage.

Payton, who retired as the league's all-time leading rusher, passed away at just 46 years old, leaving an immense hole in the foundation of this franchise that can never truly be filled. His life and legacy are treasured by every Bears fan, as his records for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns will likely never be broken.

The 3 best running backs in Bears history by rushing touchdowns