{"id":726,"date":"2013-07-14T15:29:40","date_gmt":"2013-07-14T20:29:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pauleide.com\/wordpress\/?p=726"},"modified":"2022-10-10T17:54:59","modified_gmt":"2022-10-10T22:54:59","slug":"chicago-bears-receivers-sad-af","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/i80sportsblog.com\/chicago-bears-receivers-sad-af\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago Bears Receivers Prior To Brandon Marshall Were Sad AF"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Every Bears fan knows the team needed a No. 1 WR for essentially the life of the franchise. Chicago Bears receivers have historically been terrible.<\/h2>\n\n\n

Even to this day, Walter Payton has the 4th most receiving yards in franchise history.<\/p>\n

But what everyone may not<\/em> know is just how long and how bad<\/em> the Chicago Bears receivers were prior to Brandon Marshall.<\/p>\n

A brief glance at the Bears’ receiving leaders, and their statistics, from 1987 to 2012 may as well have been from 1888 to 1912 – truly pathetic.<\/p>\n

In that 25 year span, you could also argue the QBs were terrible as well.<\/p>\n

Talk about a list of also rans (Kordell Stewart), never wases (Steve Walsh), and straight up suck bags (Cade McNown). Since Sid Luckman, the best QBs in franchise history were Erik Kramer, Jim McMahon, and Jim Miller (lol).<\/p>\n

Love him or hate him, Jay Cutler is the best QB in Bears’ franchise history.<\/p>\n

As Muhsin Muhammad famously stated, Chicago is \u201cwhere receivers go to die.\u201d<\/p>\n

Take a look at this list of Chicago Bears receivers prior to Marshall. It is sad, how did they win anything!?<\/p>\n

1987: Willie Gault<\/h2>\n

Stats: 35 Rec, 705 yards, seven TDs<\/p>\n

One of the fastest players in NFL history, and still one of the fastest humans on the planet.<\/p>\n

Never had a 1,000-yard season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1988: Dennis McKinnon<\/h2>\n

Stats: 45 Rec, 704 yards, three TDs<\/p>\n

Basically the prototypical Bears WR: not great at any one thing, not particularly fast; just good enough.<\/p>\n

Never had 1,000-yard season.<\/p>\n

1989: Ron Morris<\/h2>\n

Stats: 31 Rec, 486 yards, one TD<\/p>\n

486 yards receiving in a season is OK…for a running back.<\/p>\n

Never had 1,000-yard season.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

1990-1992: Wendell Davis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1990 stats: 39 Rec, 572, three TDs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1991 stats: 61 Rec, 945 yards, six TDs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1992 stats: 54 Rec, 734 yards, two TDs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Davis was the most consistent WR the Bears had since Willie Gault. Unfortunately, he was known as much for his gruesome double knee injury in the Astrodome as his receiving exploits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never had 1,000-yard season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1993: Tom Waddle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stats: 44 Rec, 552 yards, one TD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the youngsters may not know that Waddle, a frequent NFL Network contributor, was one of the Bears’ most consistent receivers for a three-year period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never had a 1,000-yard season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1994, 1995: Jeff Graham<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1994 Stats: 68 Rec, 944 yards, four TDs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1995 Stats: 82 Rec, 1,301 yards, four TDs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sneaky-fast Graham was a technician at WR, making the most of his lack of speed to outwit defenders. He was a major contributor for the Bears’ 1994 playoff team and to Erik Kramer\u2019s 1995 season, which is still the most productive season for a QB in franchise history (3,838 yards, 29 TD).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His lone 1,000-yard season in 1995 was the first since Dick Gordon in 1970.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1996: Curtis Conway<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stats: 81 Rec, 1,049 yards, seven TDs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conway was the most exciting Bears WR since Willie Gault. His back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in \u201995 and \u201996 made him the first Bears player to accomplish the feat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These days, he\u2019s married to boxer Laila Ali.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conway had two 1,000-yard seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1997: Ricky Proehl<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stats: 58 Rec, 753 yards, seven TDs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back to reality. Proehl\u2019s \u201997 season was a successful one, considering the Bears didn\u2019t plan to rely on him that much entering the season and that he only started 10 games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never had 1,000-yard season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1998: Bobby Engram<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stats: 64 Rec, 987 yards, five TDs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bears drafted and developed Engram into a prototypical possession WR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never had 1,000-yard season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1999, 2000: Marcus Robinson<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1999 Stats: 84 Rec, 1,400 yards, nine TDs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2000 Stats: 55 Rec, 738 yards, five TDs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robinson\u2019s \u201999 season came out of nowhere, setting a team record in single-season receiving yards, but was never duplicated again in his career. It took him the next four seasons to accumulate 1,400-plus receiving yards total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An injury during the 2000 season limited him to 11 games and unfortunately, limited the rest of his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robinson had one 1,000-yard season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2001-2003: Marty Booker<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

2001 Stats: 100 Rec, 1,071 yards, eight TDs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2002 Stats: 97 Rec, 1,189 yards, six TDs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2003 Stats: 52 Rec, 715 yards, four TDs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1999, Booker became the first Bears WR to post a 100-plus-yard receiving game since Willie Gault in 1983\u201418 years. His 100 catches in \u201901 is a franchise record and he made the Pro Bowl in 2002.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Booker had two 1,000-yard seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2004: David Terrell<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stats: 42 Rec, 699 yards, one TD<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Man, did Terrell have some serious potential. He could never live up to it. He was out of Chicago the following year and never played in the NFL again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never had 1,000-yard season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2005, 2006: Muhsin Muhammad<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

2005 Stats: 64 Rec, 750 yards, four TDs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2006 Stats: 60 Rec, 863 yards, five TDs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a monster 2004 season and a Super Bowl appearance in 2003, the Bears gave Muhammad a six-year contract worth $30 million, with $12 million guaranteed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, I think this contract is exactly why the Bears have shied away from the free-agent market ever since, with the exception being two years under Jerry Angelo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never had 1,000-yard season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2007: Bernard Berrian<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Stats: 71 Rec, 951 yards, five TDs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Berrian developed in to a solid WR in Chicago, primarily as a deep threat, thanks to his speed. Angelo\u2019s decision to not re-sign him in 2008 was one moves he deserved credit for as GM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never had 1,000-yard season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2008, 2009: Devin Hester<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

2008 Stats: 51 Rec, 665 yards, three TDs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2009 Stats: 57 Rec, 757 yards, three TDs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember that one time the Bears FORCED D Hess to play WR? He told me about it at the Super Bowl here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Devin Hester – The Bears MADE Me Play Wide Receiver<\/a><\/blockquote>