Few teams have perfected the art of the punt return quite like the Chicago Bears over the past four decades. One need only look at the roster of players they’ve had play that position during that span. It won’t be long before it’s realized this franchise is head and shoulders above everybody else. The NFL though released a fascinating highlight reel recently.
It showcases the longest punt return every team has had since 1980. So that raises a fun question. Who do Bears fans think owns that particular record? The odds say most of them will mention one of two names. The majority will go for Devin Hester, the greatest punt returner in history. He had 14 TDs in his career receiving them.
Others will probably say Tarik Cohen. After all, he was an All-Pro punt returner in 2018 for the Bears. It makes sense. Interestingly enough, neither of those answers is correct. The true holder of that record is none other than former running back Johnny Bailey. He claimed it when he ran a punt back 95 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs back in 1990.
Johnny Bailey belongs in Chicago Bears punt return legacy
Bailey is another of those great what-if stories in Bears history. What if he’d come around two decades later? His skill set would’ve been such a perfect fit in the current Bears offensive scheme under Matt Nagy. His mixture of quickness, speed, and vision gave him Cohen or Hester-like tendencies. In fact, he became a Pro Bowler in 1992 as a return man after leaving Chicago.
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It makes one wonder what might’ve happened had he been around a more creative coaching staff. Something Mike Ditka was never known for. Still, he does hold one piece of Bears history that many people should remember. Hester and Cohen are doing just fine without it.
