Chicago Bears: 15 greatest running backs of all time

Thomas Jones is one of my favorite Bears to ever play the game, regardless of position. Some people might forget just how good he was, even though his time in Chicago was short-lived. He was an important part of that Super Bowl run back in 2006. Many would argue he should have played an even bigger part on that team — but that’s a debate for later.

Jones’ Bears’ career lasted 45 games, but he still shows up as the sixth-leading rusher in franchise history with 3,493 yards. The way I see it, Jones’ production over those three seasons was outstanding. Considering he played on a team featuring one of the best defenses of this century and shared time with Cedric Benson at one point, he did all he was asked to do and more.

His best year as a Bear came during that Super Bowl season where he ran for 1,335 yards on a whopping 314 carries. That’s the thing about Jones that some may not remember. He was capable of being a true workhorse. Very rarely do you see backs get close to 300 carries in today’s NFL. It’s changed a lot, but Jones could handle it.

The former Virginia Cavalier began his career with the Arizona Cardinals as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, followed by one season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before joining the Bears.

Jones did end up going on to play for the New York Jets and earned his only Pro Bowl nod in 2008 with Gang Green. Jones finished his career with two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs before retiring after the 2011 NFL season.