NFL's Choice for Best Chicago Bears QB of Super Bowl Era is Predictable

There are young fans out there who just don't understand the depth of sorrows that the Chicago Bears quarterback position has been. Many of them experienced the Jim Miller, Shane Matthews, Craig Krenzel, and Rex Grossman years and think that's the extent of the misery. They didn't have to live through the likes of Jack Concannon, Bobby Douglass, Gary Huff, Bob Avellini and Mike Phipps.

It truly is remarkable how consistently bad the franchise has been at identifying good quarterbacks. So picking who was the best among them throughout the Super Bowl era? Not exactly a challenge. Ali Bhanpuri of NFL.com agrees. Even though the numbers aren't exactly stellar, it's hard to say it's anybody other than Jim McMahon at the top.

"That there's only one Bears quarterback who meets the criteria in the past 52 years is almost unbelievable. McMahon certainly benefited from having an all-time great defense and a legendary running back, but he also made plays when necessary, using both his arm and his legs. His hard-nosed, ultra-competitive mentality melded well with the city and the franchise, similar to Jim Kelly in Buffalo."

Jim McMahon overcame a lot as Chicago Bears quarterback

Some may argue that Jay Cutler deserves consideration. His numbers and longevity were better than McMahon's. However, the fact is McMahon had it tough. Most will argue against that since he had Walter Payton and one of the best defenses in NFL history. That overshadows the incredible archaic offensive system he was forced to play in.

The Bears offense of the 1980s under Mike Ditka was straight out of the 1950s. They ran the ball, then ran it again, and ran it a little more for good measure. Then when necessary they'd let the quarterback throw it. McMahon hated it so much at times that he'd change the plays at the line, knowing full well he'd earn Ditka's wrath for doing so.

It's fair to wonder what he might have accomplished under a Bill Walsh or a Don Coryell at that time. McMahon was capable of putting up better numbers than he eventually ended up with. He deserves the title of best Bears QB of the Super Bowl era.