NFL franchise all-time power rankings: Which organization comes out on top?

11. Chicago Bears

Ah, the Chicago Bears. It’s very Chicago Bears to fall right outside the top ten. This is an iconic franchise with fans across the globe. People know them for Mike Ditka, “Da Bears” on Saturday Night Live, a man named “Refridgerator,” and “Sweetness” Walter Payton. If you asked a fairweather fan how many Super Bowls the Bears have won, many would guess at least three. They’ve felt like they’ve been around since the beginning (and they have). 

In fact, the Bears have only won one Super Bowl. The 1985 Bears were one of the most iconic teams ever thanks to the Super Bowl Shuffle, but they were truly a dominant team that could compete with anyone in history. That team lost one game all season. Their defense allowed less than 200 points in the regular season. They broke Super Bowl records at the time, scoring the most points and having the biggest margin of victory. They beat the New England Patriots 46-10.

If you’re giving all of Chicago's football teams credit here, the Bears are the earliest NFL champions still in existence. Technically, the Akron Pros won the first NFL Championship, but the Chicago Staley’s championship in 1921 was the first for this franchise. Chicago went on to win in 1932, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1943, and 1946. That’s a pretty dominant run for any team. They would go on to win another title in 1967 before the league merger. 

Since the merger, there have been a lot of rough times for Chicago. The Bears made the playoffs twice in the 70s, five times in the 80s, three times in the 90s, and six times this century. There just hasn’t been a ton of success for the Bears in the Super Bowl era. Unfortunately, there may not be success for a while. The Bears have a big decision to make between Justin Fields and Caleb Williams. If they make the wrong decision, it could keep them in the doldrums for a long time.