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Earlier this week I mentioned some of the "legendary" quarterbacks that have passed through Chicago, while discussing my favorite all time Chicago Bears wide receiver Marty Booker. The best QB that Booker ever played with as a Bear would have to be Jim Miller. Miller was also a fairly popular player during his brief stay in Chicago.
The quarterback position in Chicago hasn't been blessed with much greatness throughout history. Sid Luckman is still the best QB to ever play for the Bears and he took his last snap in 1950. The last Bears Pro Bowler at QB was Jim McMahon in 1985. Chicago's current signal caller may be close to having all the records, but he's about as polarizing a figure that has ever played any sport in Chicago.
If today's question was, pick the best Bears QB of all time, the debate could spiral out of control, but since we're talking about personal favorites, and there are no right or wrong answers, this comment thread should be safe.
Day 6: Who is your all time favorite Chicago Bears quarterback?
When I was younger I was a big fan of the Michigan Wolverines, so I was very excited when the Chicago Bears picked Jim Harbaugh in the first round of the 1987 NFL Draft. I was also a big Jim McMahon fan, but even as a teenager I knew that Jimmy Mac couldn't stay healthy. The Bears needed to find a replacement for the Punky QB, and Harbaugh played the game with a certain toughness that I really admired.
It took Harbaugh a few years to take hold of the starting QB spot, but by 1990 he had a firm grasp of first string by starting 14 games. He started all 16 the following season, becoming the 1st Bear QB in 10 years to achieve that feat.
My favorite memory about Harbaugh didn't even happen while he was playing QB. If I remember correctly, I seem to remember Harbaugh playing on the kickoff team as a rookie, because as a bored 3rd string QB he begged head coach Mike Ditka to let him do something. I'm fairly certain it was a Monday Night game because I remember the slow motion shot of him running down the sidelines as a gunner. Does anyone else remember this game?
Harbaugh only played 7 seasons in Chicago, but he ranks 2nd all time in completions and attempts and he's 3rd all time in passing yards. He never made a Pro Bowl in Chicago, but there was always something I liked about the way he played the game.