12 former Chicago Bears among Modern-Era nominees for Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is lined with former Chicago Bears stars.

This year, the league might add more Bears to the lineage of legendary players.

Here are the 12 former Chicago Bears that were among the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Modern-Era nominees for the Class of 2026.

Hall of Fame Nominees:

The Bears’ have six Modern-Era nominees for Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 are also players from the team’s last successful stretch under Lovie Smith.

There are others who spent time with the franchise, but weren’t in Chicago long enough to be considered life-long Bears.

Life-long Bears:

Center Olin Kreutz
Linebacker Lance Briggs
Cornerback Charles Tillman

These three were cornerstones of the Bears’ in the mid-2000s. Each earned All-Pro honors during their time in Chicago, too.

Briggs played with now-Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher, and former a tenacious tandem at linebacker in Lovie Smith’s defense. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro player in 2005, earning his own spotlight next to Urlacher.

Tillman needs no introduction to Bears fans, as he’s still a present-day ambassador for the team. In 2012, he finally earned first-team All-Pro honors after forcing a league-high 10 fumbles and returning all three of his interceptions for touchdowns. He coined the phrase “Peanut Punch” that teams and pundits across the league still use today.

Kreutz was a mainstay at center for the Bears for an entire decade and was the best center in the league between 2001 and 2006 where he made six-straight Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro player. He was an all-2000s selection by the NFL at center, too.

Part-time Bears:

Running Back Thomas Jones
Wide Receiver Brandon Lloyd
Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall
Wide Receiver Muhsin Muhammad
Tight End Greg Olsen
Guard Ruben Brown
Guard Josh Sitton
Nose TackleTed Washington
Defensive Tackle Jeremiah Ratliff

These players were with the Bears for a time of their career. Some had more pronounced moments in Chicago than others.

Thomas Jones, Ruben Brown, Ted Washington, Brandon Marshall and Greg Olsen are the biggest names from this group.

Jones was with the Cardinals, Jets and Bears for three years apiece. His tenure with the Jets was slightly better than his time in Chicago, as he rushed for 3,833 yards and earned a Pro Bowl nod in New York. With the Bears, Jones rushed for 3,493 yards and was the rugged runner that led the Bears’ rushing attack to the Super Bowl. Brown was a part of that unit, and earned a Pro Bowl nod during his three years with the Bears.

Olsen remains one of the biggest “what if” in Bears’ history. He was the 31st overall pick by the Bears in 2007 and scored a playoff touchdown against the Seahawks, but became one of the best tight ends in the NFL when he played for the Carolina Panthers.

Washington and Marshall were with the Bears for short periods of time, but earned All-Pro nods. Marshall holds the franchise single-season records for receptions and receiving yards. Ratliff and Muhammad were in a similar positions. Muhammad joined the Bears as a free agent in 2005 but had his best years in Carolina, while Ratliff joined the Bears after earning All-Pro status in Dallas.

Sitton and Lloyd were short-term players, but made a veteran impact on offense.