2017 NFL Draft: All-time top five Chicago Bears first round draft picks

Sid Luckman, 1939, #2 overall

While Jay Cutler is no longer a Chicago Bears, he owns a lot of the franchise’s passing records. Those records belonged to unquestionably the greatest quarterback the franchise ever had. The amazing thing about Sid Luckman‘s records is that they stood for SEVEN decades.

There are more Chicago Bears in the Hall of Fame than any other team. There are players of different positions that have busts at Canton, but only one true quarterback. Sure, George Blanda was a Bear, but he did most of his damage in other uniforms, and in Chicago he was mostly a kicker.

Luckman was a full-time quarterback, and boy was he good. He revolutionized the position when George Halas created the T-formation to highlight his athletic abilities. His play on the field was a precursor for the ultra-passing game we have in the league today. Before him, it was four yards rushing and a pile of dust. He was the first quarterback to throw seven touchdowns in one game. That is still a record to this day (seven other players tied it). Oh, and by the way, he did it in the 1943 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!

It’s a shame that many people don’t truly comprehend the greatness of Luckman. There isn’t much video of him playing so the evidence of his greatness is knocked down a notch. He was the leader of one of the greatest eras in franchise history. In his 12-season career, he won 4 titles. Overall, the Bears won 9 titles, so he led them to 45 percent of their titles.

Since his retirement in 1950, the Chicago Bears have been looking for another quarterback like him. The search continues.