Ranking The Best Chicago Bears Single-Season Turnarounds Ever

The Chicago Bears enter 2023 with low expectations, not of themselves but from everybody outside of their own sphere. That is hardly a surprise. The team posted its worst record of the modern era at 3-14 last season. People aren’t convinced one off-season will fix everything wrong with their roster. Yes, the Bears should be better this year, but they are nowhere close to playoff contention. Then again, this league has a long history of teams going from worst to first in the space of one year.

Few organizations know this better than the Bears. They had multiple such instances over the past century of existence. It offers hope that this version of the team can do the same. They certainly have enough talent in key places and what appears to be a semi-favorable schedule. So here’s a fun question. Which turnaround was the best? Let’s rank them.

The Chicago Bears know something about turnarounds.

#5 – 1990

Many wondered if the Bears’ consistent excellence in the 1980s had finally reached its end in 1989 when they crumbled to a 6-10 record. This came after a 4-0 start. The defense had collapsed after years of dominance. Age had finally caught up to them. That made the 1990 season an ugly shock for many. The defense rebounded to top 10 status, spearheaded by young stars like Mark Carrier and Trace Armstrong. It was also the best season they got from quarterback Jim Harbaugh during his time there. The team celebrated their 11-5 record with a playoff over New Orleans in the wild card round.

#4 – 2018

It is easy to forget the Chicago Bears weren’t viewed as a “good” team going into the 2018 season. They’d just gone 5-11 the previous year. There was uncertainty about quarterback Mitch Trubisky. However, the arrival of Khalil Mack via trade from Oakland shifted those expectations. After a brief stumble on opening night against Green Bay, the Bears went 12-3 the rest of the way to claim their latest division title. It was a complete effort, too, as both the offense and defense took turns producing wins. Trubisky even made the Pro Bowl. Sadly, it ended up being the special teams that ruined them in the end. That season will forever be etched in NFL lore for the “Double Doink” loss to Philadelphia in the playoffs.

#3 – 2005

Nobody can dispute the 2004 season might be one of the absolute worst to watch in Bears history. The offense was a hot mess all year, going through multiple quarterbacks, including Jonathan Quinn and Craig Krenzel. Defensively, they were ravaged by injuries. All hope was lost when Rex Grossman broke his leg in the 2005 preseason, forcing rookie Kyle Orton into the lineup. Head coach Lovie Smith didn’t see it that way. The Bears leaned on a steady ground attack led by Thomas Jones and the league’s #1 defense to go 11-5, stunning the league with a division title. The fact they did it after starting out 1-3 made it even more improbable.

#2 – 1946

This is a story most Bears fans don’t know about. The 1940s were the dynasty years for this team. However, World War II appeared to have ruined it due to the armed forces bringing in several NFL athletes. After winning championships in 1940, 1941, and 1943, the team sharply declined. Things hit bottom in 1945 when they finished 3-7. It looked like the dynasty was over. That sentiment didn’t last long. Key players had finally returned by the start of 1946. Star fullback Bill Osmanski was among them. The Bears came out hot to start the year and never really cooled down, finishing 8-2-1 before dismissing the Giants in the NFL championship game. It was their fourth title in seven years.

#1 – 2001

To understand the absurdity of this turnaround, people need to rewind a few years. The Chicago Bears were a bottom-feeder in the eyes of every NFL fan by the start of 2001. They hadn’t produced a winning record since 1995 and had only 19 total wins in the previous four seasons. Quarterback questions lingered as they had no set starter between Jim Miller and Shane Matthews. Brett Favre was in his prime with the Packers. Expectations couldn’t have been lower.

Then, to borrow a popular phrase, things got weird. Rookie running back Anthony Thomas sparked a resurgent ground attack while a young linebacker named Brian Urlacher spearheaded a suddenly suffocating defense. It seemed like every week, they found increasingly absurd ways to win. Who could forget the back-to-back overtime triumphs over San Francisco and Cleveland, where safety Mike Brown ended both games with pick-sixes? It was Marty Booker catching three touchdowns against Tampa Bay. It was Keith Traylor’s epic interception return against Jacksonville. That team made Chicago Bears football fun again. After going 5-11 the previous year, they went 13-3 to win the division. Nothing like it was seen before or since.