Chicago Bears: 3 reasons why Charles Tillman is Canton-worthy

Charles Tillman left an imprint on the Chicago Bears and the game of football.

Typically, players get inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a result of the sheer magnitude of their accolades and accomplishments. However, others receive their gold jacket due to their impact on the game. Charles Tillman may not be represented on multiple all-pro teams, the all-decade team, or an abundance of pro-bowls, but he pioneered his own way to impact the game every Sunday with his “peanut punch.”

Known to force fumbles in this unique way and consistently delivering it over the course of his career cannot be ignored. His ten forced fumbles in 2012 are tied with the all-time record for one season and the impending threat of Tillman stripping the ball had to be something that crossed the minds of all those receivers and running backs who carried the ball against him every week for the better part of his 13-year career.

He even has the respect of perhaps the most talented wide receivers in Calvin Johnson. Who else remembers when Calvin needed 108 yards in week 17 in 2012 and Tillman held him to five catches on 14 targets for 72 yards? In fact, across their fourteen matchups between 2007 and 2014, Calvin only eclipsed 100 yards four times. It is these types of moments against fellow legends that cement a player’s status as a Hall-of-Famer and Charles Tillman’s career is full of those.

In addition to always matching up well with fellow legends, Tillman’s style of play has had an impact on how younger cornerbacks approach the game. Baltimore Ravens cornerback, Marlon Humphrey who made the Pro-Bowl in 2020 after forcing eight fumbles, openly acknowledged that the “Peanut Punch” is something many young corners are adding to their game and is something that he himself takes to heart.

All in all, Charles Tillman had a phenomenal career for the Chicago Bears and if not for the organization being unable to field an offense that could complement the efforts of their elite defense, we wouldn’t even have to debate whether or not Tillman should be in the Hall of Fame.

However, despite all that, his situation should not be the reason his career gets overlooked for Canton as evidenced by both his numbers, his contributions to the elite Bears defenses throughout his time in Chicago, and the impact he’s left on the game of football.