Chicago Bears – Sid Luckman
Honorable mentions: Jay Cutler, Jim McMahon
The Chicago Bears were one of the toughest teams to decide because it was a three-man race between the guy with the best stats (Jay Cutler), the guy with the Super Bowl ring (Jim McMahon), and the man with the greatest impact (Sid Luckman).
Ultimately, McMahon’s numbers don’t merit the No. 1 spot, and Cutler benefitting from more passing-friendly rules explains him having 10,000 more passing yards than Luckman. But his lack of winning meaningful games excludes him as well.
I had to go back to the 1940s to find a passer worthy of the No. 1 spot. And while Luckman’s time certainly was before mine, I can’t help but respect his accolades.
He played 12 seasons with the Bears, winning four NFL Championships and being awarded NFL MVP in 1943. Luckman led the league in passing touchdowns multiple times and is tied for the single-game record with seven with several other great quarterbacks.
A Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee in 1965, Luckman also served his country during World War II, yet still being able to play and dominate in the NFL. He’s credited with revolutionizing the passing game overall when it comes to downfield throwing. Luckman also has the league’s first-ever 400-yard passing game on his illustrious resume.
Luckman is second in franchise history with over 14,000 passing yards and 137 touchdowns, while also being the team’s standout punter. His career ended in 1950, but the progress of the NFL and the passing game can be traced back to his efforts with Chicago in the 1940s.
This went from a head-scratching decision initially to one of the easiest sections throughout this entire project. When talking about the “G.O.A.T.” of the NFL quarterbacks, don’t forget about the ones who started it all such as Mr. Luckman.