Chicago Bears: Top 25 players in franchise history

21. QB Jim McMahon

Was he the best quarterback in franchise history? Not quite. Was he the most accurate quarterback in franchise history? No. Is he a Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee? Once again, that’s a no.

Is Jim McMahon one of the most iconic players in Chicago sports history? Absolutely.

McMahon is best known for being the man under center when the Bears defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. He absolutely benefited from the best defense in NFL history, sure, but McMahon was much more than just a game manager.

Bears fans will remember one of his biggest moments with the team during the 1985 season where he was hospitalized during the week due to a neck injury. He spent a night in the hospital and because he missed practice time, head coach Mike Ditka told McMahon he wouldn’t play.

In a big game against the Minnesota Vikings, the Bears were down 17-9 in the third quarter when Ditka backed off and allowed McMahon to play.

The show McMahon put on in the second half, leading the Bears to three touchdown drives and a win, is one of the most impressive moments of his career.

Aside from his antics and hilarious personality, McMahon would have been just another guy. It was his personality that made him the man and player he was. The guy known to never appear without wearing sunglasses would go on to be cemented in franchise history as one of the greatest players to ever put on a Bears jersey.