Chicago Bears: 3 reasons why Charles Tillman is Canton-worthy
Charles Tillman should be credited with helping keep the Chicago Bears relevant.
If you’ve seen one Chicago Bears game, you may as well have seen them all. Maligned by putrid offenses without a quarterback to lead them for as long as I can remember, it’s no surprise that many players on the defense that kept them relevant are often overlooked in the history of the NFL.
From 2003 (when Charles Tillman was drafted) until 2014, the Chicago Bears ranked 30th in offensive efficiency and third in defensive efficiency. This even includes the two putrid years under Marc Trestman where even the defense was as bad as the traditional garbage offense. Despite this, the Bears made runs to the Super Bowl in 2006 and to the NFC Championship game in 2010.
In fact, the two teams that were better than the Bears in defensive efficiency during this time frame were the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers who ranked first and second, respectively. They combined for three Super Bowl victories and four appearances in this time period as their offensive efficiency ranked 18th and ninth, respectively.
With the 30th ranked offense to support him throughout his Bears career, Tillman anchored the secondary of a defense that propelled his team to a record at or above .500 in seven of his twelve seasons along with three postseason appearances. The Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns, who ranked 31st and 32nd in offensive efficiency over this time period, combined for three seasons at or above .500 and zero playoff appearances between them.
Tillman, one of the best in his era at forcing turnovers, helped keep the Bears relevant and competitive as his defenses were top 10 in forcing turnovers eight times. This includes five seasons finishing in the top five and three where they led the league.
Even in 2015 for the Carolina Panthers, Tillman helped their defense jump from 12th in forcing turnovers the year before to first in 2015 en route to helping them reach just their second Super Bowl in franchise history.
It’s clear that Tillman anchored a defense that would be well respected in NFL history had the Chicago Bears been able to support them with a competent offense. Despite these circumstances, Charles Tillman and the Bears defense never quit on their teams and are the biggest reason why the Bears were even relevant throughout his career – a feat that should not go unnoticed by the Pro Football Hall of Fame voters.