Chicago Bears History: From the Decatur Staleys to the Monsters of the Midway
Few franchises in professional sports have a history as deep as the Chicago Bears.
The Bears are one of the two remaining charter members of the NFL, tracing their roots to 1920. Before they became the Chicago Bears, they were the Decatur Staleys, an industrial football team sponsored by the A.E. Staley Manufacturing Company.
The franchise moved to Chicago in 1921, changed its name to the Bears in 1922 and has been one of professional football’s most important organizations ever since.
The Bears have won nine NFL championships, including the 1985 Super Bowl, and their history includes George Halas, Red Grange, Bronko Nagurski, Sid Luckman, Gale Sayers, Dick Butkus, Walter Payton, Mike Singletary, Richard Dent, Brian Urlacher, Devin Hester and many other Hall of Fame players.
The franchise has also produced some of the most famous defenses in football history.
The Birth of the Bears
In 1920, the A.E. Staley Company of Decatur, Illinois, sponsored a football team.
George Halas, who had experience as both a player and coach, became the team’s representative at the September 17, 1920 meeting in Canton, Ohio, where representatives of 11 other clubs helped form the American Professional Football Association, which became the National Football League in 1922.
The franchise fee was only $100.
The original team was the Decatur Staleys.
In 1921, A.E. Staley gave Halas the team, $5,000 and permission to move the club to Chicago as long as it retained the Staleys name for one season.
The move worked.
The Chicago Staleys won the 1921 APFA championship.
In January 1922, the franchise officially became the Chicago Bears.
The Bears were born.
George Halas: The Man Who Was the Bears
It is almost impossible to tell the story of the Bears without telling the story of George “Papa Bear” Halas.
Halas was: Player, Coach, Owner, General manager, Founder, Innovator, and NFL pioneer.
He coached the Bears for 40 seasons, divided into four separate 10-year periods.
His coaching record was an extraordinary 324-151-31, including playoffs.
He led Chicago to six NFL championships as coach: 1921, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1946 and 1963.
Halas retired from coaching after the 1967 season.
He remained the guiding force of the organization until his death in 1983.
Few people in NFL history have had a greater influence on a franchise.
Bears Ownership History
One of the unusual things about the Chicago Bears is that the franchise has remained in the same family since its earliest days.
A.E. Staley Company — 1920
The original Decatur Staleys were owned by the A.E. Staley Manufacturing Company.
The company sponsored the team and employed many of its players.
The Staleys’ financial problems helped lead to the decision to give George Halas control of the franchise and allow him to move it to Chicago.
George Halas — 1920-1983
George Halas became the dominant owner and leader of the franchise.
For more than six decades, the Bears were essentially his football kingdom.
He was involved in virtually every aspect of the organization.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame notes that almost all of the Bears’ successes from their beginning through 1983 can be attributed to Halas.
Virginia Halas McCaskey — 1983-2025
After George Halas died in 1983, ownership passed to his daughter, Virginia Halas McCaskey.
She became one of the most important women in NFL history.
McCaskey was born in 1923 and had literally grown up around the Bears.
She had watched the franchise from the earliest days of professional football and eventually became its principal owner.
She was the owner when the Bears won Super Bowl XX following the 1985 season.
McCaskey remained the team’s principal owner until her death on February 6, 2025, at age 102. She had been the longest-tenured owner in the NFL.
The McCaskey Family — 2025-present After Virginia McCaskey’s death, the Bears remained a McCaskey family-owned franchise.
Her grandson, George H. McCaskey, serves as Bears chairman and is the current principal owner/representative of the family’s ownership.
The important point is that the Bears have never been sold to an outside ownership group in their modern history.
The same family that began with George Halas continues to control the franchise more than a century later.
Every Major Bears Home Stadium
The Bears have played their home games in several locations during their long history.
Staley Field — Decatur, Illinois
1920
This was the original home of the Decatur Staleys.
It was a small facility with a capacity of approximately 1,500.
The limitations of playing in Decatur were one reason Halas moved the team to Chicago.
Cubs Park — Chicago
1921-1925
After moving to Chicago, the Staleys played at Cubs Park.
The ballpark was later renamed Wrigley Field.
Wrigley Field
1926-1970
Wrigley Field became the Bears’ home for half a century.
The Bears played their final game there on December 13, 1970, defeating the Green Bay Packers 35-17.
Wrigley was home to some of the greatest players in early Bears history including:
Red Grange, Bronko Nagurski, Sid Luckman, George McAfee, Bulldog Turner, Dick Butkus, and Gale Sayers.
Soldier Field
1971-2001
The Bears moved to Soldier Field in 1971.
The stadium became the permanent symbol of Bears football.
It was the home of Walter Payton, the 1985 championship team and the legendary Bears defenses.
Memorial Stadium — Champaign, Illinois 2002 During the renovation of Soldier Field, the Bears temporarily moved to Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois.
Soldier Field
2003-present
The Bears returned to the renovated Soldier Field in 2003.
The NFL’s 2025 Bears media guide lists the franchise’s home sequence as Staley Field, Cubs Park, Wrigley Field, Soldier Field, Memorial Stadium and then Soldier Field again.
The Early Bears Become a Football Power
The Bears quickly became one of professional football’s most important teams.
Halas believed that professional football needed stars.
That philosophy led to one of the biggest signings in early sports history.
In 1925, the Bears signed Harold “Red” Grange, the legendary University of Illinois star.
Grange was already one of the most famous athletes in America.
The Bears took Grange on a barnstorming tour, playing games across the country.
The tour attracted enormous crowds and helped transform professional football from a regional curiosity into a national attraction.
The Monsters of the Midway
The Bears became known as the Monsters of the Midway, a nickname that has followed the franchise for generations.
The first great Bears dynasty was built around defense, power football and innovation.
The Bears won championships in:
1921, 1932, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1946, .1963
The 1940 championship team produced one of the most famous scores in football history.
Chicago defeated Washington 73-0.
It remains the most lopsided victory in NFL history.
Sid Luckman and the T-Formation
One of the greatest offensive innovations in NFL history came from the Bears.
Sid Luckman became the centerpiece of George Halas’ T-formation offense.
At first, Luckman struggled with the complicated system.
He fumbled.
He had difficulty with handoffs.
Halas even moved him to halfback temporarily.
But when Luckman finally mastered the offense, it changed professional football.
The Bears used the T-formation to devastating effect.
In the 1940 championship game, Chicago destroyed Washington 73-0.
Luckman eventually became a Hall of Famer and was named NFL MVP in 1943.
The Bears’ NFL MVP Winners
There is an important historical distinction when discussing Bears MVPs.
Sid Luckman — 1943
Luckman won the Joe F. Carr Trophy, the NFL’s official MVP award of that era.
In 1943 he threw for:
2,194 yards
28 touchdowns
He led the Bears to the NFL championship.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame recognizes Luckman as the NFL’s 1943 MVP.
Walter Payton — 1977
Walter Payton became the Bears’ only winner of the modern AP NFL MVP award.
In 1977, Payton rushed for:
1,852 yards and 14 touchdowns.
He also produced one of the greatest rushing performances in NFL history, gaining 275 yards against Minnesota.
The Bears went from a 3-5 team to a playoff team, largely because of Payton.
Chicago’s official historian notes that Payton remains the only Bears player to win the AP NFL MVP award since the AP began presenting the award in 1957.
Bears MVPs
Player
Year
MVP
Sid Luckman
1943
NFL MVP / Joe F. Carr Trophy
Walter Payton
1977
AP NFL MVP
Payton also received other MVP honors during his career, including the PFWA MVP in 1977.
Major Bears Award Winners
The Bears have produced an enormous number of award-winning players.
Offensive Player of the Year
Walter Payton — 1977
Payton won AP Offensive Player of the Year while having his MVP season.
His 1,852 rushing yards were extraordinary for the era.
Defensive Player of the Year
Mike Singletary — 1985 Singletary was the emotional and tactical leader of the greatest defense in Bears history.
He won AP Defensive Player of the Year in 1985.
Mike Singletary — 1988
Singletary won the award again in 1988.
Brian Urlacher — 2005 Urlacher became the third Bears player to win AP Defensive Player of the Year.
He was the centerpiece of the Bears’ dominant 2005 defense.
Urlacher received 34 of the 50 available first-place votes.
Bears AP Defensive Players of the Year
Mike Singletary — 1985
Mike Singletary — 1988
Brian Urlacher — 2005
Coach of the Year Winners
Several Bears coaches have won the AP NFL Coach of the Year award.
George Halas
1963
1965
Mike Ditka
1985
1988
Dick Jauron
2001
Lovie Smith
2005
Matt Nagy
2018
The awards reflect some of the franchise’s most important revival seasons.
Rookie of the Year Winners
The Bears have also produced several major rookie award winners.
Mike Ditka — 1961
Ditka won Rookie of the Year after making an immediate impact at tight end.
Ronnie Bull — 1962
Bull followed with another Bears Rookie of the Year award.
Gale Sayers — 1965
Sayers became one of the greatest rookies in NFL history.
He scored 22 touchdowns, setting an NFL rookie record that stood for decades.
Rashaan Salaam — 1995
The Heisman Trophy winner rushed for 1,074 yards as a rookie and was named NFC Rookie of the Year.
Mark Carrier — 1990
Carrier was named NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Anthony Thomas — 2001
Thomas won AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
The AP rookie award records confirm Sayers’ 1965 victory, Ditka’s 1961 award and Ronnie Bull’s 1962 award, while Thomas won the AP award in 2001.
Super Bowl MVP: Richard Dent
The Bears have won only one Super Bowl.
But their victory was spectacular.
Super Bowl XX — January 26, 1986
Chicago Bears 46
New England Patriots 10
The Bears’ defense dominated New England.
The Patriots scored first, but Chicago quickly turned the game into a rout.
Defensive end Richard Dent recorded a dominant performance and was named Super Bowl MVP.
Dent finished the game with:
2 sacks
2 forced fumbles
Multiple pressures
He became the first defensive lineman to win Super Bowl MVP.
The Bears’ official championship history recognizes the 1985 team as Super Bowl champions.
The 1985 Bears: One of Football’s Greatest Teams
The 1985 Bears are arguably the most famous team in franchise history.
Their defense featured:
Richard Dent, Dan Hampton, Steve McMichael, William Perry, Mike Singletary, Otis Wilson,
Wilber Marshall, Gary Fencik, Leslie Frazier.
Offensively, Chicago had:
Walter Payton, Jim McMahon, Willie Gault, Dennis McKinnon, Matt Suhey,
And then there was William “The Refrigerator” Perry.
Perry was a defensive lineman who became an offensive goal-line weapon.
The Bears finished the regular season 15-1.
They destroyed the New York Giants 21-0 in the divisional playoffs.
Then they shut out the Los Angeles Rams 24-0 in the NFC Championship Game.
In Super Bowl XX, they crushed New England 46-10.
The 1985 Bears became one of the most culturally recognizable teams in sports history.
Mike Ditka: The Coach Who Defined the Bears
Mike Ditka is one of the most important figures in Bears history.
Before becoming their coach, Ditka had been a Bears player.
George Halas selected him with the fifth overall pick in the 1961 draft.
Ditka became one of the first great receiving tight ends in NFL history.
As coach, he became the perfect personality for Chicago.
Ditka was tough.
Demanding.
Emotional.
And completely confident.
He coached the Bears from 1982 through 1992.
His greatest achievement came in 1985.
The Bears went 15-1 and won Super Bowl XX.
Ditka was named Coach of the Year in both 1985 and 1988.
Other Notable Bears Coaches
George Halas
The founder and architect of the franchise.
He won six championships as coach.
Paddy Driscoll
A Hall of Fame player and coach who led the Bears to the 1921 championship.
Ralph Jones
Jones coached the Bears during the early 1930s and helped develop the team that won championships in 1932 and 1933.
Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos
The two coached the Bears during the 1940s, including the 1943 championship season.
Jim Dooley
Dooley led the Bears to the 1963 NFL championship.
Jack Pardee
Pardee coached the Bears from 1975-77 and was the coach during Walter Payton’s rookie season.
Mike Ditka
The architect of the 1985 Super Bowl champions.
Lovie Smith
Smith rebuilt the Bears into an NFC contender.
He led Chicago to Super Bowl XLI following the 2006 season.
Matt Nagy
Nagy won Coach of the Year in 2018 after leading Chicago to a 12-4 record and NFC North championship.
Ben Johnson
Johnson became the Bears’ head coach in 2025.
His first season produced an 11-6 record and an NFC North championship. The Bears won a playoff game against Green Bay before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round.
The Heisman Trophy Winners Drafted by the Bears
The Bears have drafted several famous college football players, but only a small number of Heisman Trophy winners.
The most notable are Tom Harmon, Johnny Lujack and Rashaan Salaam.
Tom Harmon — 1940 Heisman Trophy Winner
Tom Harmon was one of the biggest stars in college football history.
He won the 1940 Heisman Trophy at Michigan.
The Bears selected Harmon:
No. 1 overall — 1941 NFL Draft
It seemed like the perfect selection.
But Harmon never played for Chicago.
Instead, he chose to play for the New York Americans of the rival All-America Football Conference.
World War II then interrupted his career.
Harmon eventually played in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams in 1946 and 1947.
So technically, the Bears drafted the Heisman winner with the first overall pick, but never received the benefit of having him play for the franchise.
Why did the Bears fail with Harmon?
It wasn’t really a football failure by the Bears.
The problem was that the NFL was competing with rival professional leagues, and Harmon chose a different opportunity.
The Bears had the No. 1 pick and selected one of the biggest stars in college football.
They simply couldn’t get him onto the field.
Johnny Lujack — 1947 Heisman Trophy Winner
Johnny Lujack is a completely different story.
The Bears selected Lujack with the fourth pick of the 1948 NFL Draft after he won the Heisman Trophy at Notre Dame.
Lujack actually became a star in Chicago.
He played four seasons with the Bears.
His accomplishments included:
6,295 passing yards
41 touchdown passes
12 interceptions on defense
8 interceptions as a rookie
Pro Bowl appearances in 1950 and 1951
First-team All-Pro in 1950
In 1949, Lujack led the NFL in passing.
He threw for 2,658 yards and 23 touchdowns.
In the final game of that season, he threw for 468 yards and six touchdowns against the Chicago Cardinals.
The 468 yards remain the Bears’ single-game passing record.
Lujack retired after only four NFL seasons to return to Notre Dame as a coach.
Did Lujack fail with the Bears?
Absolutely not.
Lujack is actually one of the great examples of a Heisman Trophy winner succeeding in Chicago.
His career was short, but it was highly productive.
His decision to retire early was his own choice rather than a failure of the Bears.
Rashaan Salaam — 1994 Heisman Trophy Winner
Rashaan Salaam won the Heisman Trophy at Colorado in 1994.
His college season was extraordinary.
He rushed for:
2,055 yards
and
24 touchdowns.
He became only the fourth Division I player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season at that time.
The Bears selected him:
21st overall — 1995 NFL Draft
The pick looked brilliant after his rookie season.
Salaam rushed for:
1,074 yards
and won NFC Rookie of the Year.
But his career quickly went downhill.
He played only three seasons for Chicago and finished his Bears career with 1,684 rushing yards.
His career was affected by injuries, inconsistency and fumbles.
The Bears had hoped they had found their next great running back.
Instead, Salaam’s NFL career lasted only seven seasons across the NFL, XFL and CFL.
Why did Salaam fail to become a Bears star?
This is one of the classic examples of the difference between college dominance and NFL success.
Salaam possessed tremendous talent, but his running style did not translate consistently to the NFL.
He also struggled with injuries and ball security.
The irony is that his rookie season suggested the Bears had made a brilliant pick.
He simply could not maintain that level of production.
The Heisman Trophy Trust notes that Salaam played three seasons with Chicago and was NFC Rookie of the Year in 1995.
Heisman Winners Drafted by the Bears — Summary
Heisman Winner
Bears Pick
Bears Career
Tom Harmon
1940
No. 1 overall, 1941
Never played for Chicago
Johnny Lujack
1947
No. 4 overall, 1948
Successful 4-year career
Rashaan Salaam
1994
No. 21 overall, 1995
Excellent rookie year, short career
Of the three, Lujack was the clear success story, while Harmon never played for Chicago and Salaam had a promising beginning that eventually faded.
Walter Payton: The Greatest Draft Pick in Bears History
If there is one draft selection that changed the Bears forever, it was Walter Payton.
Chicago selected Payton with the fourth overall pick in the 1975 NFL Draft.
Interestingly, the Bears obtained the fourth selection through a coin flip with Cleveland.
Payton came from tiny Jackson State.
Some teams questioned whether a player from a smaller college could become an NFL superstar.
The Bears didn’t hesitate.
They were rewarded with arguably the greatest player in franchise history.
Payton finished his Bears career with:
16,726 rushing yards
110 rushing touchdowns
4,538 receiving yards
and became the NFL’s all-time leading rusher when he retired.
He was named NFL MVP in 1977.
He also helped Chicago win Super Bowl XX.
Walter Payton’s Greatest Run
There are many candidates for the greatest individual play in Bears history.
One of the best is Payton’s famous 18-yard run against Kansas City on November 11, 1977.
The Bears were losing 17-0.
Payton took a sweep to the right.
He spun away from one defender.
He avoided three more.
He ran through two additional tacklers.
He was finally dragged down near the Kansas City 4-yard line.
The Bears eventually won 28-27.
Chicago’s official history describes the run as one of the most iconic runs of Payton’s career because it demonstrated his combination of strength, balance, speed and determination.
The Most Outstanding Play in Bears History:
Devin Hester’s Super Bowl Kickoff Return
If I had to choose one play as the most outstanding single play in Bears history, I would choose:
Devin Hester’s Opening-Kickoff Return — Super Bowl XLI
February 4, 2007.
Super Bowl XLI.
Chicago Bears vs. Indianapolis Colts.
The Bears received the opening kickoff.
Most teams would have simply tried to start the game with decent field position.
But Chicago had Devin Hester.
Hester caught the kick at approximately the Bears’ 8-yard line.
He started left.
Then he cut inside.
Then outside.
He accelerated through the coverage.
Indianapolis kicker Adam Vinatieri couldn’t catch him.
Hester raced into the end zone.
Touchdown, Chicago.
The Bears led 7-0 before their offense had even run a play.
It remains the only opening-kickoff return for a touchdown in Super Bowl history.
That makes it unique.
It wasn’t simply a great return.
It happened on the biggest stage in football.
And it immediately changed the atmosphere of the Super Bowl.
The Colts eventually won 29-17, but Hester’s return remains one of the greatest individual moments in Bears history.
Why Hester’s Return Gets My Vote
There are legitimate arguments for several other plays.
Walter Payton’s incredible runs.
The Bears’ 73-0 championship victory.
Richard Dent’s Super Bowl dominance.
William Perry’s touchdown run in Super Bowl XX.
The 1985 defense’s historic postseason.
But Hester’s return has something none of those plays has:
It is unique in Super Bowl history.
No other player has returned the opening kickoff of a Super Bowl for a touchdown.
And Hester did it while representing the Chicago Bears.
That is why I would rank it as the Bears’ most outstanding individual play.
The Bears’ Super Bowl History
The Bears have appeared in two Super Bowls.
Super Bowl XX
1985 season
Chicago Bears 46
New England Patriots 10
Winner: Chicago
MVP: Richard Dent
This remains the Bears’ only Super Bowl championship.
Super Bowl XLI
2006 season
Indianapolis Colts 29
Chicago Bears 17
Winner: Indianapolis
The Bears led early after Devin Hester’s historic kickoff return but could not hold the lead.
The Bears’ Nine NFL Championships
The Bears’ championship history extends far beyond the Super Bowl era.
Chicago has won nine NFL championships:
1921, 1932, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1946, 1963, 1985. The first eight occurred before the Super Bowl era.
The 1985 championship became the franchise’s first Super Bowl title.
The Bears and the Hall of Fame
The Bears have one of the richest Hall of Fame traditions in professional football.
Among their legendary Hall of Famers are:
George Halas, Red Grange, Bronko Nagurski, Sid Luckman, Bill George, George McAfee,
Joe Stydahar, Bulldog Turner, Mike Ditka, Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers, Walter Payton,
Dan Hampton, Richard Dent, Mike Singletary, Jimbo Covert, Brian Urlacher, Devin Hester,
anf Steve McMichael
The Pro Football Hall of Fame currently lists 37 Chicago Bears-associated Hall of Famers, one of the highest totals in NFL history.
The Legacy of the Chicago Bears
The Bears are different from most NFL franchises.
Their identity was built before the modern passing game.
They were founded by a football pioneer.
They became famous for defense.
They produced Hall of Fame running backs.
They helped revolutionize offensive football through the T-formation.
They gave the NFL Red Grange.
They developed Sid Luckman.
They drafted Walter Payton.
They built the 1985 defense.
And they produced Devin Hester, the greatest return specialist in NFL history.
Even the ownership tells a remarkable story.
The franchise has remained in the Halas-McCaskey family for more than a century.
That kind of continuity is almost unheard of in professional sports.
Final Thoughts
The Chicago Bears are not simply one of the oldest NFL franchises.
They are one of the franchises that created the NFL as we know it.
George Halas helped establish the league.
Red Grange helped make professional football nationally popular.
Sid Luckman helped revolutionize offensive football.
George Halas’ defenses created the Monsters of the Midway tradition.
Walter Payton became one of the greatest running backs ever.
Mike Ditka led one of the most famous teams in sports history.
The 1985 Bears became Super Bowl champions.
Brian Urlacher carried the defensive tradition into the modern era.
And Devin Hester produced a Super Bowl moment that has never been duplicated.
The Bears have experienced championship dynasties, rebuilding periods, legendary players and frustrating eras.
But through all of it, the identity has remained remarkably consistent:
Defense. Toughness. Tradition. Chicago.
From the Decatur Staleys of 1920 to the modern Bears, the franchise has spent more than a century proving that it belongs among the great institutions of American sports.
Artie Fischal
