Chicago Bears: Top 10 draft picks in franchise history

8. Sid Luckman, Quarterback: First Round, No. 2 Overall, 1939

Okay, so Sid Luckman was a high draft pick. Because of that, a lot was expected of him, right? Well, he turned out to be even greater than what his high pick was. He became the Chicago Bears’ greatest quarterback and, according to the NFL, the 33rd-best player in league history.

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Yes, I know Jay Cutler came around and broke his records. The thing is Luckman set those records playing in the era where the passing game wasn’t yet the offensive juggernaut it is today. Luckman was the first true passer the league ever saw. He perfected the T-formation in an era when the running game was king.

Luckman led the greatest decade the Bears had in their history. They won division titles from 1940-1943 and 1946, winning the NFL title in 1940, 1941, 1943, and 1946. They finished second in their division in 1939, 1944, and 1947-1950. To give you an idea how great that decade with Luckman was, he played in five title games. The franchise has played in four title games in the 67 seasons since he retired in 1950.

Many fans and experts talk about Cutler now being the Bears’ best quarterback but that just isn’t true. Yes, he has the numbers, but Luckman was a better leader, leading the Bears to those five title games, winning four of them. Cutler led the Bears in one playoff run, ending with him on an exercise bike.

Luckman is best known for leading the Bears in a 73-0 bashing of Washington in the 1940 NFL Championship game. He didn’t even have a great game, throwing just four passes, completing three for 88 yards and a touchdown. He had Washington confused with the T-formation and it resulted in them getting faked out many times. His performance in 1943 was better when he had 286 yards passing and five touchdowns. Those were superhuman numbers back then.

Consider how great Luckman’s career was — even with all the sophisticated passing patterns in the game today, he still ranks second in yards per completion (8.4) and first in touchdown percentage (7.9 percent).