Every era of Chicago Bears football, one lineup. These are the highest-rated Chicago Bears legends across the 1960s to today — a full 11 on both sides of the ball, chosen by iKnoBall's era-adjusted engine — and the record they'd post over a 17-game season.
Offense is weighted 55%, defense 45% — exactly how iKnoBall scores a roster. Think you'd start a different 11? Prove it.
Jim McMahon headlines the group at a 89 overall — the kind of number only genuine all-time greats reach on iKnoBall's scale. Around McMahon, the model fills out a complete lineup that balances quarterback play, skill-position firepower, the trenches, and a defense across Chicago Bears history, then simulates all 17 games. The result — 14–3 — reflects both the raw talent and how the pieces fit on both sides of the ball.
Every Chicago Bears legend in the iKnoBall pool, ranked by era-adjusted overall. The top group forms the starting 11 above; the rest are the depth chart and the debate.
| Player | Position | Era | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim McMahon | Quarterback | 1980s | 89 |
| Walter Payton | Running Back | 1980s | 99 |
| Brandon Marshall | Wide Receiver | 2010s | 90 |
| Devin Hester | Wide Receiver | 2000s | 88 |
| Jim Covert | Offensive Tackle | 1980s | 91 |
| Khalil Mack | Defensive End | 2010s | 96 |
| Dick Butkus | Linebacker | 1960s | 99 |
| Charles Tillman | Cornerback | 2000s | 88 |
| Eddie Jackson | Strong Safety | 2010s | 88 |
| Gale Sayers | Running Back | 1960s | 97 |
| Mike Singletary | Linebacker | 1980s | 99 |
| Brian Urlacher | Linebacker | 2000s | 97 |
| Mike Ditka | Tight End | 1960s | 93 |
| Richard Dent | Defensive End | 1980s | 93 |
| Dan Hampton | Defensive Tackle | 1980s | 92 |
| Roquan Smith | Linebacker | 2020s | 91 |
| Olin Kreutz | Center | 2000s | 91 |
| Doug Atkins | Defensive End | 1960s | 90 |
| Matt Forte | Running Back | 2010s | 90 |
| Lance Briggs | Linebacker | 2000s | 89 |
| Akiem Hicks | Defensive Tackle | 2010s | 89 |
| Bill George | Linebacker | 1960s | 88 |
| Jay Hilgenberg | Center | 1980s | 88 |
| Tommie Harris | Defensive Tackle | 2000s | 88 |
| Alshon Jeffery | Wide Receiver | 2010s | 88 |
| Kyle Long | Offensive Guard | 2010s | 87 |
| Wilber Marshall | Linebacker | 1980s | 87 |
| Otis Wilson | Linebacker | 1980s | 87 |
| Jay Cutler | Quarterback | 2010s | 87 |
| Kyle Fuller | Cornerback | 2010s | 87 |
Draft your own all-time Chicago Bears — or any franchise across five sports — build your roster, and sim a full season chasing a perfect 17–0. Free to play.
Build Your All-Time TeamGet the AppBy iKnoBall's era-adjusted ratings the all-time Chicago Bears lineup is Jim McMahon (QB, 1980s), Walter Payton (RB, 1980s), Brandon Marshall (WR1, 2010s), Devin Hester (WR2, 2000s), Jim Covert (OL, 1980s), Khalil Mack (DL, 2010s), Dick Butkus (LB, 1960s), Charles Tillman (CB, 2000s), Eddie Jackson (S, 2010s), Gale Sayers (FLEX-O, 1960s), Mike Singletary (FLEX-D, 1980s). Together they project to a 14–3 regular season.
iKnoBall's simulation projects this 11-man lineup at 14–3 over a 17-game season, with an average starter rating of 93. The model runs each game as a probability from the roster's combined offensive and defensive strength, so an all-time team contends for a near-perfect year but nothing is guaranteed.
Each player's overall is era-adjusted so a 1970s legend and a modern superstar sit on the same 70–99 scale. Offense (QB, skill players, line) is weighted 55% and defense 45%, and only true all-time greats reach the mid-to-high 90s.
Yes — iKnoBall is a free game where you draft one legend per era, build your all-time roster, and simulate a full season chasing a perfect 17–0. Play it free at play.iknoball.com.
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Ratings are era-adjusted and computed by iKnoBall's simulation engine. Records are model projections for entertainment, not predictions. Player names belong to their respective owners; iKnoBall is an independent fan-made game.