Historian Jeff Berckes has another take on the Bears’ retired jersey situation, and his plan involves George Halas’ number 7 going back in circulation to start the cycle.
The Chicago Bears have a league-leading fourteen numbers retired. I agree with my colleagues Jack Silverstein (The 50-Year Plan – Jack’s story is great and this builds upon it so read his first) and Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. (It’s time for the Chicago Bears to unretire some jersey numbers), but I’m going to take it one step further:
The Chicago Bears should start with the number 7.
Mothballed Legacies
Can you list all 14 retired jersey numbers? Can you name the man behind each number? Do you know why the franchise set aside that number?
If so, you’re in the minority. Reading through comments on Twitter and Windy City Gridiron from dedicated Bears fans has revealed a layer of dust on the legacies of some of these great gridiron legends.
Someone posted a screenshot of Bronko Nagurski’s stats through the lens of a 2025 football fan as if his legend wasn’t as tall as Paul Bunyan when he played.
Questioning Bronko F’ing Nagurski?!
I about died.
Football continues to evolve. Watch a game from the 1990s and tell me it’s the same game we’re watching today. I dare you. But that’s the beauty of covering this great game. Understanding the evolutions and history of football for how we went from leather helmets and playing games in the shadow of a circus to millions of people watching the 3-day NFL Draft while hundreds of thousands attend in person to watch names be called at a podium.
How can something so popular lose touch with those who built the foundation?
New Opportunity
The Bears stated that Mike Ditka’s number 89 would be the last jersey they would retire. Ditka last played for the Bears in 1966. For a franchise steeped in history, ending the practice of retiring jerseys threatens to keep you stuck in the past and removes the ability to properly honor greatness of the current generation.
I propose that the Bears evolve their thinking when it comes to retired jerseys and use the opening of their new stadium as a catalyst to make it happen. As I write this, we don’t know if the stadium will be in Arlington Heights or along the lakeshore or some third location we haven’t heard of yet, but one day in the not-too-distant future, the Bears will open a new stadium.
Once inside, they will finally have an opportunity to introduce a Ring of Honor, a Chicago Bears-specific Hall of Fame of players and contributors. Let’s call it the “Den of Honor” because, well, Bears. In year 1 of the new stadium, they should induct one name and one name only:
George Halas.
How many Bears fans know the name George Halas? Probably quite a few. How many know his legacy, including his playing days, and even that he wore the number 7? I’d venture a much lower percentage.
So let’s take the opportunity to celebrate the full legacy of George Halas. Sell jerseys, create a series of giveaways at games, trot out picture opportunities with the giant Halas bobblehead – make it a celebration of all things George Halas.
Then, at the end of the season, put number 7 back in circulation. Throw a cool patch on it. Make it a thing.
If the Bears put George Halas’s number back in play (which, incidentally, was worn by another Hall of Fame player, Ed Sprinkle, in the 1940s and 50s, and worn as recently as 1984), they have the credibility to enact this plan. There is no “inner circle” of numbers, each man given that highest of honor is as deserving as the next.
Rolling Out the Numbers
As the Bears continue with the Den of Honor, they can unretire several other numbers. Year two of the plan should feature Harold “Red” Grange, aka The Galloping Ghost and his famous number 77. Without Grange, the NFL likely does not gain legitimacy. Celebrate it the same way as the number 7 in year 1, then put it back in circulation.
Year 3 is for number 3 and Bronko Nagurski. Year 4 for Bill Hewitt and his number 56. Year 5 for the number 5 and George McAfee. Year 6 for Clyde “Bulldog” Turner’s 66, Year 7 for Sid Luckman’s 42, and so on as we work through the greats of yesteryear, reviving their stories.
Executing this plan and sequencing of numbers and celebrating legacies will eventually need to answer the question of “when is the right time?” In my opinion, retiring a jersey number should mean that number isn’t worn again as long as that player is alive (Jack suggested a 50-year clock). If the Bears agree, there’s probably a period of 10-20 years after a player’s death where the time could be right to bring that number back. In the case of someone like Walter Payton, who died at a young age with a legacy as bright and vibrant as any in NFL history, that “right time” might not be for quite a while.
However, I do think that at some point, it makes sense to bring back every number, including Payton’s 34. Ask yourself, in 30 years, how old will you be? I never got to really watch him play, even though I certainly understand his legacy, and in 30 years, I’ll be well into retirement. Will a Bears fan born today understand that legacy in 2055? Could they use the refresher celebration like many of us need on George McAfee today? This is, of course, not precluding the Bears from putting Payton in the Den of Honor as early as Year 2 and keeping the number retired for another generation. Or maybe 2034 is the year of Payton. This is more art than a hard and fast rule.
Odds and Ends
I’ll note that opening a Den of Honor in a new stadium gives the Bears marketing team an amazing opportunity to celebrate the legacies of not just the retired jersey guys but the 32 players and contributors in the Hall of Fame (with significant contributions to the Bears) and great players not in Canton. Guys like Joe Fortunato, Ken Kavanaugh, Jay Hilgenberg, Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman, Olin Kreutz, etc. that deserve recognition as an all-time great that may never see enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Den of Honor opens up opportunities for fan favorites like Robbie Gould, Pat Mannelly, and Tom Waddle to get their day in the sun.
It can be a time to celebrate the championships of old. Maybe 2032 is the 100-year celebration of the 1932 team, which is maybe the year to put Hall of Famer George Trafton into the Den of Honor. 100-year anniversary opportunities are right around the corner for the 1932, ‘33, ‘40, ‘41, ‘43, and ‘46 champions. All had many contributors deserving of Den of Honor inclusion.
By my estimation, the Den of Honor has at least 25-30 years of ceremonies and marketing built in from Day 1, by which time the current generation of players will all be long retired. It’s an amazing opportunity to lift history to the present and keep the memories of these great players alive.
All they have to do is start with the number 7.
If you’d like to see the Chicago Bears enact some sort of plan to unretire jersey numbers, then sign the petition here.