Bears All-Quarter Century Team: Wide receivers
Twenty-five years of Chicago Bears football are in the books since the turn of the century. Since the calendar turned over to 2000, the Bears have seen some success, but also plenty of woeful stretches. Early on, Chicago became a defensive force, claiming four division titles and reaching only their second Super Bowl in franchise history from 2000 to 2010. Since then, however, a 14-year playoff victory drought that is still ongoing and a one-sided fight with their rival Green Bay Packers have taken the spotlight.
For all the ups and downs the Bears have seen, however, they had plenty of talent over the years across offense and defense. Multiple former Bears players are already in the Hall of Fame, while many more provided years of incredible play in the navy and orange.
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Here at Bears Wire, we're celebrating the best Bears players at each position over the last 25 years. We're going position by position to name the Bears' All-Quarter Century Team for those who played from 2000 through 2024. Up next are wide receivers, a position that once struggled in Chicago but has seen plenty of production over the last 15 years.
Brandon Marshall
2012 - 2014
279 receptions, 3,524 yards, 31 touchdowns
Nov 16, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) celebrates his touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
For much of the 21st century, Chicago was where wide receivers went to die. At least according to Muhsin Muhammad, who failed to live up to lofty expectations when he signed as a free agent in 2005. That all changed with the arrival of Brandon Marshall, who gave the Bears their first true superstar wide receiver when he was acquired via trade in 2012 from the Miami Dolphins.
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Marshall reunited with quarterback Jay Cutler and wasted no time in reliving their glory days from their time with the Denver Broncos. The star pass catcher set a team single-season record for receptions (118) and receiving yards (1,508) in 2012, earning him First-Team All-Pro honors—the first for a wide receiver in Bears history since Dick Gordon in 1970. Marshall quite literally was the Bears offense that year and followed it up with another stellar campaign in 2013 with over 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Though Marshall's Bears career lasted just three seasons, he made a lasting impact on the field. Marshall was a beast who took over games and proved time and time again he would not be denied, whether it was in the open field, in the red zone, or even run blocking.
Alshon Jeffery
2012 - 2016
304 receptions, 4,549 yards, 26 touchdowns
Oct 18, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (17) during the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
The Bears weren't satisfied with adding just one big-bodied wide receiver during the 2012 offseason. After acquiring Marshall, the Bears drafted Alshon Jeffery in the second round of the 2012 draft, and it proved to be a shrewd move. Jeffery broke out his second year, totaling over 1,400 receiving yards while adding seven touchdowns. He broke the team's single-game receiving record early in the season with 218 yards, then broke his own record a couple of months later with 249 yards.
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Jeffery was a stellar deep-ball specialist, making unreal catches time and again. He and Marshall were arguably the best receiving duo in the league at the time, which benefitted Jeffery's growth early in his career. Though Jeffery's play dipped in his last two seasons in Chicago due to injuries and suspensions, he was always a threat to make a big play in the passing game. Jeffery has the third-most receiving yards in Bears history, and he likely would have broken Johnny Morris' franchise record had he been able to stay on the field his final couple of seasons. Regardless, Jeffery was one of the best receivers in franchise history, and his 1,421 receiving yards in 2013 is still the second-highest total in a season behind Marshall.
Allen Robinson
2018 - 2021
293 receptions, 3,561 yards, 18 touchdowns
Sep 27, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson II (12) runs against Atlanta Falcons safety Damontae Kazee (27) during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
At the end of the 2010s, the Bears desperately needed a proven wide receiver to step up as a reliable option in the pass game. Allen Robinson did that and more when he signed as a free agent in 2018. Robinson wasn't the biggest or fastest player on the field, but he was technically sound and caught pretty much everything thrown his way.
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From 2018 through 2020, Robinson had the best three-year stretch of his career in Chicago. He caught 255 passes for 3,151 yards and 17 touchdowns and helped get the Bears to the postseason twice. His performance in the 2018 Wild Card game against the Philadelphia Eagles set a team record for most receiving yards in a playoff game with 143.
For a moment, it looked like Robinson was going to threaten Morris' career franchise record given his production and the possibility of an extension. That didn't happen as Robinson fell off his final season and bounced around the league for the next couple of years. Like other Bears receivers, his tenure didn't end the best, but there's no denying his overall production while in Chicago.
Marty Booker
1999 - 2003, 2008
310 receptions, 3,676 yards, 22 touchdowns
ATLANTA - OCTOBER 12: Marty Booker #86of the Chicago Bears celebrates during the game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome on October 12, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The final spot in our rankings was a toss-up between Marty Booker and DJ Moore, but we opted to go with the former thanks to his Bears longevity and consistent production in an era where passing wasn't as prevalent as it is today. Booker technically joined the Bears in 1999 but didn't break out until 2001, when he totaled 100 receptions (a team record at the time) for 1,071 yards and eight touchdowns.
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Booker followed that up with another stellar season, totaling 1,189 yards and six touchdowns. That earned him Pro Bowl honors, the first for a Bears receiver since Dick Gordon in 1972. Booker was on his way to climbing to the top of the Bears' career receiving records but was traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2004 for Adewale Ogunleye. The trade proved to be worth it for the Bears, and Booker got his swan song in Chicago when he returned on a one-year deal in 2008.
Honorable mention: DJ Moore
Bears All-Quarter Century Team
6/22: Quarterbacks
6/22: Running backs
6/23: Wide receivers
6/23: Tight ends
6/24: Offensive line
6/24: Defensive tackles
6/25: Defensive ends
6/25: Linebackers
6/26: Cornerbacks
6/26: Safeties
6/27: Specialists
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