New England Patriots

History, Common Players, and Fun Facts for Patriots-Bears

Published

4 days ago

November 10, 2024

Chicago Bears Steve McMichael sacks New England Patriots QB Tony Eason in Super Bowl 20

The Chicago Bears franchise began play in 1920. They were known as the Decatur Staleys for a year, then the Chicago Staleys for one season, before permanently becoming the Chicago Bears in 1922. The Boston Patriots didn’t begin play until 1960, becoming the New England Patriots in 1970. Despite these teams combining for 15 NFL Championships, they’ve only played each other 15 times.

Among their head-to-head matchups was Super Bowl 20, each franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance. It worked out significantly better for the elder franchise (more on that below).

A look at the common players, head-to-head matchups, statistical leaders, and more between the Patriots and Bears.

Common Players

There have been 63 players to play for the Patriots and the Bears. Three of those players played for the Bears this season: Byron Cowart, Bill Murray, and Ameer Speed.

Also Read – Kelley: Is Drake Maye Starting a PR Move for the Patriots?

Not included is the newest Patriot, Yannick Ngakoue, who previously played for the Bears.

Longest Tenures With Both Franchises

Twelve of the 63 common players spent more than one season for each franchise.

Rosevelt Colvin is the only player to appear in at least 50 games for both teams. He played in 56 games with Chicago and 65 for New England. Two other players, Tony Carter and Tony McGee, played 40-plus games with both franchises.

Other notable players to play for both franchises include Marv Cook, Doug Flutie, Carl Garrett, Akiem Hicks, Brian Hoyer, Michael Timpson, and Larry Whigham.

Super Bowl Players

Mark Anderson is the only player to reach the Super Bowl, playing for the Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots. He was on the 2006 Bears team that played in Super Bowl 41 and the 2011 Patriots, which advanced to Super Bowl 46. Unfortunately for Anderson, his squad lost in the Super Bowl both times.

One Chicago Bears Super Bowl champion also played for the Patriots. Steve McMichael played his rookie season with New England in 1980 before playing the next 13 years of his Hall of Fame career in Chicago. He won Super Bowl 20 as a member of the Bears.

Introducing Hall of Famer No. 376, Steve McMichael! pic.twitter.com/ACFlSS5Tc5

— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) August 3, 2024

Fourteen former Bears players have won Super Bowl rings with the Patriots. That group consists of Duron Harmon (three), Rosevelt Colvin (two), Rabih Abdullah, Fred Baxter, Martellus Bennett, Bryan Cox, Marc Edwards, Brian Hoyer, Steve Maneri, Shea McClellin, Barkevious Mingo, Cardarelle Patterson, Keith Traylor, and Ted Washington.

Original Patriot Who Was a Bear

Among the players on the inaugural 1960 Boston Patriots roster was offensive tackle Bobby Cross. he played his rookie season in 1952 with the Chicago Bears and his final season in 1960 with the Patriots. This makes Cross the first player to play for both franchises.

Head-to-Head Meetings

Of the 15 meetings between the teams, the Patriots hold a 10-5 advantage. However, the Bears lead where it counts the most, winning their lone postseason game.

The first time they played was in Week 6 of the 1973 season. Both teams entered the game with 1-4 records. Chuck Fairbanks’ Patriots beat Abe Gibron’s Bears 13-10. A fourth-quarter touchdown run by New England quarterback Jim Plunkett proved the final and game-winning score. It was a defensive battle, with the two teams combining for just 144 yards passing. Former Patriots Carl Garrett was the lone bright spot for the Bears with 196 all-purpose yards.

The most memorable meeting was unquestionably Super Bowl 20. The 1985 Chicago Bears were one of the most dominant teams in NFL history, featuring future Hall of Famers Walter Payton, Jimbo Covert, Richard Dent, Dan Hampton, Steve McMichael, and Mike Singletary. Chicago also featured memorable NFL characters like head coach Mike Ditka, defense coordinator Buddy Ryan, quarterback Jim McMahon, and rookie William “Refrigerator” Perry.

New England’s 1985 AFC Championship team was the first squad to reach the Super Bowl after three road wins. The Patriots had two Hall of Fame players of their own, John Hannah and Andre Tippett. Despite a dominant rushing attack throughout the season, they got overmatched and overwhelmed in the title game. Chicago emerged with a 46-10 victory, which was the most lopsided win in Super Bowl history to date.

The most recent Patriots-Bears game was on Oct. 24, 2022. Chicago went to New England and the Bears prevailed 33-14. The Monday Night Football meeting was dominated by Chicago and marked the beginning of the end for Mac Jones in New England. The home crowd was chanting for Bailey Zappe throughout the night, though Zappe didn’t fare much better after replacing Jones. Chicago’s QB Justin Fields combined for 261 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.

Trade History

There have been two trades between the teams in recent years. On March 17, 2016, the Bears traded tight end Martellus Bennett to New England. New England moved back in the 2016 NFL Draft in the deal, giving Chicago No. 127 overall for No. 204. Chicago used the pick to select safety Deiondre’ Hall. New England used their pick as part of multiple further packages for draft picks.

New England traded former first-round pick N’Keal Harry to Chicago on July 13, 2022, for a seventh-round pick in 2024. The Patriots selected tight end Jaheim Bell with the pick.