Chicago Bears: Top 10 wide receivers in franchise history
7. Alshon Jeffery (2012-16): 304 receptions, 4,549 yards, 26 touchdowns
The next two guys are really the receivers who could have been so great for the Bears. The first one is Alshon Jeffery.
Jeffery always showed flashes of how great a receiver he could be, but just couldn’t put it all together consistently in Chicago. He had two very good seasons, in 2013 and 2014, in which he combined for 174 catches for 2,554 yards and 17 touchdowns. To give you an idea how great those seasons looked for Bears fans, those two seasons alone would rank him 25th in receiving yards, 23rd in receiving touchdowns, and 29th in catches. That is just for two seasons’ of work!
When Jeffery was on the field he was electric. Keeping him on the field was the problem, however. He missed 17 games, or 21 percent of the total games in his five seasons in Chicago. He missed games due to a variety of injuries and a suspension for PED use.
It’s incredible to think Jeffery could have been even better. He didn’t have a good rapport with quarterback Jay Cutler. In his last two seasons with Chicago, Jeffery caught just six touchdowns.
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Cutler had his trouble connecting with receivers in his time with the Bears, but I feel Jeffery could have done more work with him. When Cutler organized teammates to work out with him in Tennessee, Jeffery preferred to work out on his own elsewhere. Then, when Jeffery became a free agent, he declined to re-sign with the Bears, even though they offered him more money than any other team.
We’re left to wonder how Jeffery would fit in Matt Nagy’s new high-powered offense.
6. Brandon Marshall (2012-14): 279 receptions, 3,524 yards, 31 touchdowns
The second player who could have broken a number of receiving records is Brandon Marshall. In just three seasons with the Bears, he ranked ninth in catches, 12th in receiving yards and seventh in touchdown catches.
In his first season with the Bears, Marshall helped lead a Chicago Bears offense that ranked second in the league. Only the record-breaking Denver Broncos offense ranked higher. He made catch after catch keeping drives alive and found the end zone many times. He became a mentor to Jeffery, and Jeffery had his two most productive seasons.
Perhaps that relationship was the reason Jeffery had trouble with Cutler and the Bears. Marshall was unceremoniously traded away after a fallout with Cutler. The Bears felt Marshall wore out his welcome in Chicago.
Who knows what would happen if Marshall lowered his intensity and worked more with the Bears.
5. Dick Gordon (1965-71): 238 receptions, 3,550 yards, 35 touchdowns
Dick Gordon ranks 13th in receptions, 11th in yards and third in touchdowns. Even so, not many people know about him. Maybe playing for a franchise that finished 41-54 in his seven seasons had something to do with it. Also, he was in a draft in which the first two picks the Bears made ended up being iconic players in the league.
Though he was a pretty good player himself, he got lost when people looked at Dick Butkus and Gayle Sayers. The Bears drafted Gordon in the seventh round so he didn’t receive the same attention. He held his own, though. Wish the Bears had a great quarterback as well.