The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced there are for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2025. And there are some heavy hitters with a real shot at making it in the upcoming class.
First-time eligible NFL legends include quarterback Eli Manning, running back Marshawn Lynch, and kicker Adam Vinatieri. The group also includes a whole slew of players with Chicago Bears ties, headlined by a trio that was part of the team that went to Super Bowl XLI — cornerback Charles “Peanut” Tillman, center Olin Kreutz, and linebacker Lance Briggs. And let’s not forget that Super Bowl XX champions Jay Hilgenberg and Wilber Marshall are among the Hall of Fame Senior nominees who could be inducted in 2025.
Chicago Bears players who are modern-era candidates
These are the Hall of Fame-eligible players who have Bജears ties:
Cornerback Charles “Peanut” Tillman has one of the most compelling Hall of Fame cases. Tillman made just two Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro just once, but was one of the best and most respected players at his position during his era. The Peanut Punch is his lasting legacy, and I hope it gets him serious consideration.
Linebacker Lance Briggs is one of the most underrated Bears on a national level. Locally, Bears fans knew how valuable Briggs was to the Lovie Smith defense. And while Brian Urlacher received a ton of accolades and praise, Birggs made seven Pro Bowl teams and was a first-team All-Pro linebacker in 2005.
Center Olin Kreutz is everything you’d want a player who played that position to be. Kreutez made six Pro Bowls and was a member of the All-2000s Team. A first-team All-Pro center in 2006, Kreutz was an anchor on the last great Bears offensive line.
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Defensive end Jared Allen played just 18 games over two years with the Bears in 2014-15. He had just 5.5 sacks during his stint in Chicago, which wasn’t representative of how much of a game-wrecker he was during stints with the Kansas City Chiefs (2004-07) or Minnesota Vikings (2007-113).
Special teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo stands out to me as a core member of an underrated unit, making the Pro Bowl as a special teamer in 2006 and 2007. The rules have phased out guys like Ayanbadejo, but that doesn’t mean we should forget players like him.
Offensive lineman Ruben Brown made eight of his nine Pro Bowl appearances as a member of the Buffalo Bills, but his 2006 nod came as a member of the Bears team that went to Super Bowl XLI. If the Bears had a guard like him on their roster right now, that position group wouldn’t be a concern at all.
Quarterback Doug Flutie played his best ball after leaving Chicago. Go figure. Since this is the Pro Football Hall of Fame (not the NFL Hall of Fame), I think Flutie gets in eventually as his Canadian Football League exploits were tremendous.
Running back Thomas Jones ran for 3,493 yards and scored 22 rushing touchdowns for the Bears from 2004-06. His departure still sticks in my craw because the Bears should’ve never let him go. I wonder if his Hall of Fame case would look stronger if the Arizona Cardinals had been a competent football organization when Jones was drafted as a first-round pick (7th overall) in 2000. The Cardinals were in the midst of running a masterclass in wasting talent.
Wide receiver Brandon Marshall was a first-team All-Pro in his first year with the Bears in 2012, catching 118 balls, racking up 1,508 receiving yards, and scoring 11 touchdowns. Marshall finished his career with 12,351 receiving yards, 83 touchdowns, and 970 receptions.
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Receiver and returner Glyn Milburn led the NFL in kick returns (62), return yards (1,550), and return touchdowns (2) in 1998.
Wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad was twice a Pro Bowler and earned first-team All-Pro honors with the Panthers in 2004 when he led the league in receiving yards (1,405) and touchdowns (16). He didn’t come close to matching those numbers in Chicago, but he was a solid player who scored a touchdown in Super Bowl XLI that briefly gave the Bears a lead.
Offensive lineman Josh Sitton made the Pro Bowl as a Bears starting left guard in 2016. Are we sure that Sitton, 38, doesn’t have a few more snaps left in him.
Defensive tackle Ted Washington joined the Bears in 2001 and immediately put together a season in which he earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. His time in Chicago was short-lived, but enjoyable (at least for the 2001 season).
Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (20ಞ15-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.
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