Chicago Bears: 15 greatest linebackers of all time

The only active player that’s currently on this list, Khalil Mack has played for the Bears for just one full season. However, he’s quickly developed into the face of the Bears defense, proving to be a leader both on and off the field.

Mack is also one of the few players on this list that wasn’t originally drafted by the Bears. Selected by the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, the Raiders would trade Mack to the Bears just days before the 2018 NFL season for two first-round picks and more.

Sept. 1, 2018, will always be a special moment in Bears’ history. Most Chicagoans would wake up on a rainy Saturday morning only to find out that the Bears had traded for Mack. From that point onwards, everyone knew it: The Bears were back. Adding Mack would make this team into a dark horse Super Bowl contender.

In Mack’s first game with the Bears, despite having no training camp in 2018, he’d singlehandedly wreck the Green Bay Packers with an interception, a touchdown, a sack and three tackles. While the Bears would lose, it’s clear that Mack was ready to be the Bears’ next big thing on defense.

While Mack is still in the process of building his legacy with the Bears, it’s clear that the one thing that would make him one of the greatest athletes in Chicago sports history is if he can be the face of a Super Bowl-winning defense. So far, Mack is a future Pro Football Hall of Famer. However, a Super Bowl ring would cement his legacy in Chicago and Canton as well.