Chicago Bears Quarterbacks

[Eagles One]

Don Meredith was drafted by the Bears during the 3rd round in 1960. It would have been interesting if Dandy Don played his career in Chicago instead of Dallas.

[racepug]

Cutler wasn't the same player after leaving the Broncos due to his diabetes. He had a strong arm but not like Elway-Favre class in my opinion. Rollout bootlegs were his strength, not throwing from the pocket, though the Bears never built the kind of line he needed. Like Stafford, he just couldn't rally everyone around him, hence, the losing record, while McMahon, with lesser talent, had the opposite affect.

Evans had a strong arm but was inaccurate and couldnt take advantage of having the best player in NFL history.

I can remember when weak-armed Steve Walsh won a playoff game for them.

Cade McNown, Kordell Stewart and Rex Grossman were busts. Tomczak never wanted the starting job, while Kramer and Orton were tough but limited, though Kramer had some good passing seasons.

Ed Brown and Bukich had strong arms but inconsistent.

Truly a meat and potatos, three yards and a cloud of dust franchise.

Yeah, it just seems like "Da Bears" have never really gotten out of that mindset, doesn't it? Maybe "Justin Fields to Chicago" will work out just fine for them but given the history of former Ohio State QBs in the N.F.L. and given "Da Bears" own history with quarterbacks, I'm not holding my breath on that count.

[JohnH19]

I think Rudy Bukich led the NFL in passing efficiency in 1965, or maybe it was just passing TDs. Either way, Bukich was great at flipping a short pass to Gale Sayers and letting Sayers do all the work.

Bukich did indeed lead the league in passing efficiency in 1965. He finished strong in 1964, when he took over from the faltering Bill Wade, and carried his hot streak into the next season. He returned to his normal level of mediocrity in 1966.

[SixtiesFan]

Don Meredith was drafted by the Bears during the 3rd round in 1960. It would have been interesting if Dandy Don played his career in Chicago instead of Dallas.

I remember reading one of the "What's Wrong With the Dallas Cowboys?" books circa 1970. I think it was "Dallas Cowboys Pro or Con," by Sam Blair.

It said one reason Don Meredith became unpopular with Cowboys fans was they had heard too much about Don Meredith and were tired of him. Meredith played college ball at SMU before his Cowboy career. He was supposed to have a lot of promise, but never won. Lance Rentzel, in an interview, said Don Meredith and his wife went to a Dallas restaurant, whereupon the clientele booed and booed until Meredith left.

In Meredith's case, playing college and pro ball in the same city may not have been a good thing.

[JohnH19]

Don Meredith was drafted by the Bears during the 3rd round in 1960. It would have been interesting if Dandy Don played his career in Chicago instead of Dallas.

I remember reading one of the "What's Wrong With the Dallas Cowboys?" books circa 1970. I think it was "Dallas Cowboys Pro or Con," by Sam Blair.

It said one reason Don Meredith became unpopular with Cowboys fans was they had heard too much about Don Meredith and were tired of him. Meredith played college ball at SMU before his Cowboy career. He was supposed to have a lot of promise, but never won. Lance Rentzel, in an interview, said Don Meredith and his wife went to a Dallas restaurant, whereupon the clientele booed and booed until Meredith left.

That probably happened after the 1968 playoff loss to Cleveland. I believe this was one of the events that led Meredith into retirement.

[Brian wolf]

Others may disagree but I think the Bears may have given up on Trubisky too soon. Yes, he struggled but also led the Bears to the playoffs twice, one more than Cutler ever did. Just think, his last pass for the Bears was a TD but had the receiver not dropped a perfect TD bomb from Biscuit earlier in the game, the playoff game against the Saints may have been totally different ? Is Fields, from Ohio State of all places, that much more of an upgrade ?

Maybe but another HC will probably have to unlock his potential unless Foles-Dalton can start winning games.

[racepug]

After Luckman in 1942, on only seven occasions has a Chicago Bears quarterback been selected by his peers to appear in the Pro Bowl: Johnny Lujack (1950-51), Ed Brown (1955-56), Billy Wade (1963), Jim McMahon (1985), Mitchell Trubisky (2018). That's seven times in the past 78 years.

Packers? 24 times
Vikings? 17
Lions? Also only 7 times, with Bobby Layne filling five of those spots.

In the history of those four teams the Packers, by a country mile, have had the most success at the quarterback position. Rodgers, Favre, Starr, Isbell, Herber. For each of those other teams you have one top-notch QB (Luckman, Layne, Tarkenton) and then what else? I'd actually argue that "Da Bears" are 2nd best in that regard, mostly because of Jim McMahon (not that he was GREAT, but he was a serviceable N.F.L. quarterback for several years). Whom do the Lions and Vikings have "in 2nd place" on their all-time roster at QB? Nobody notable, as far as I'm concerned, unless you want to count that one awesome year that Randall Cunningham had with the Vikings or Tommy Kramer.

[Brian wolf]

Youre right racepug ...

Dutch Clark was the Lions first notably great QB/HB out of the single wing who called the plays and won a championship but wasnt much of a thrower.

Tobin Rote and Joe Kapp won NFL championships for the Lions and Vikings but were never with their teams long enough to do anything else. Culpepper had potential with the Vikings but never kept his momentum going, especially after Moss left. Stafford is a thrower but non-winner.

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

Pretty sure that Lujack was the last Bears qb to lead the league in passing.

[JohnH19]

After Luckman in 1942, on only seven occasions has a Chicago Bears quarterback been selected by his peers to appear in the Pro Bowl: Johnny Lujack (1950-51), Ed Brown (1955-56), Billy Wade (1963), Jim McMahon (1985), Mitchell Trubisky (2018). That's seven times in the past 78 years.

Packers? 24 times
Vikings? 17
Lions? Also only 7 times, with Bobby Layne filling five of those spots.

In the history of those four teams the Packers, by a country mile, have had the most success at the quarterback position. Rodgers, Favre, Starr, Isbell, Herber. For each of those other teams you have one top-notch QB (Luckman, Layne, Tarkenton) and then what else? I'd actually argue that "Da Bears" are 2nd best in that regard, mostly because of Jim McMahon (not that he was GREAT, but he was a serviceable N.F.L. quarterback for several years). Whom do the Lions and Vikings have "in 2nd place" on their all-time roster at QB? Nobody notable, as far as I'm concerned, unless you want to count that one awesome year that Randall Cunningham had with the Vikings or Tommy Kramer.

The Bears QB history since Luckman retired is the worst in the NFC North and probably in the whole league.

Other than McMahon's injury filled run, they have only had some one or two season blips with Lujack, Ed Brown, Bill Wade, Rudy Bukich and Erik Kramer. Cutler was pretty good by Chicago's standards but he was an overall disappointment. Thanks to the Monsters of the Midway, the Bears have had some playoff seasons with little help from guys like Bob Avellini, Mike Phipps, Jim Miller and Rex Grossman.

After Tarkenton the Vikings have received solid to excellent quarterbacking from Tommy Kramer, Wade Wilson, Rich Gannon, Moon, Brad Johnson, Cunningham, Jeff George, Culpepper, Favre and Cousins. Even Case Keenum gave them an excellent season.

The Lions QBs have also been almost completely mediocre since Layne was traded to Pittsburgh. The guys that have played the most are Milt Plum, Bill Munson, Greg Landry, Rodney Peete, Scott Mitchell, Charlie Batch, Joey Harrington and finally Stafford who is, by far, the best of a bad lot.

It's Stafford who gives the Lions sorry bunch the edge on the Bears. The Vikings history is far better than both of them.