The Chicago Bears still hold the record for the most inductees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame with 41. The Bears also hold the record for the most inductees in the Hall who primarily played their career in the Windy City, with 32. The first ever Bears to get the nod were George Halas, Red Grange, and Bronko Nagurski, who were part of the inaugural class in 1963. The most recent primary Bears to be honored were Steve “Mongo” McMichael and Devin Hester, who were in the class of 2024. Julius Peppers
(Chicago from 2010 to 2013) was also a part of that class, and class of 2025 inductee Jared Allen played in Chicago in 2014 and 2015.
With the Pro Football Hall of Fame officially enshrining its class of 2026 yesterday, I asked our WCG crew which Bears should be next to be inducted.
After checking out what we had to say, be sure to share your answer in the comment section.
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
- Fewer ads
- Create community posts
- Comment on articles, community posts
- Rec comments, community posts
- New, improved notifications system!
Jeff Berckes: I’m going to focus on the word “should” in the prompt, and to me, that’s easy – Charles Tillman. Peanut changed the game with the Peanut Punch – he even got called out in the Hall of Fame Game broadcast for it, officially kicking off the 2026 NFL season. No one has literally changed the game as much as Peanut’s attacking punch has this century, and no one has had more success with it than he did. Impact plus greatness should be in the HOF despite the media’s slow appreciation of his impact during the early part of his career.
Josh Sunderbruch: You could basically just copy Jeff’s argument here for me, because I agree with it entirely. Peanut.
Erik Duerrwaechter: It has to be Charles Tillman. Yes, both Jay Hilgenburg and Olin Kreutz are two of the absolute best centers in NFL history. Matt Forte and Lance Briggs impacted the game in their own ways, too. But “Peanut” changed the game forever. His trademarked “Peanut Punch” is a staple for all defensive coaches to teach, and his mindset of attacking the ball with every chance has transformed how we play to this day. Isn’t that the definition of what it means to be in the Hall of Fame?
TJ Starman: This is an extremely tough call, and 4 candidates come to mind with 3 as modern candidates and 1 as a senior candidate: Olin Kreutz, Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman, and Jay Hilgenberg (Senior). There are solid cases to be made for each, in my opinion, but my heart is telling me to go with Peanut. His impact on the game far outweighs the accolades of his career (which are far too few in hindsight), and I’d love to see #33 in Canton.
Donald Gooch: For me, it is hands down Charles Tillman. I fully endorse the Hall of Fame cases of Hilgenburg, Kreutz, and Briggs. But Tillman not only had a Hall of Fame-worthy career at cornerback for the Bears, but also fundamentally changed the game. We saw the “Peanut Punch” in the Hall of Fame game just this week. Peanut belongs in the Hall, and frankly, it is overdue.
Sam Householder: Charles Tillman. There is no question his impact on the game overshadows any “production” or “longevity” knocks among HOF voters (although he had plenty of both of those, too).
Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.: Tillman was one of the most underrated players during his time. No one fully appreciated the impact of the Peanut Punch until late in his career, so the individual accolades never came his way. Plus, he was a “zone” cornerback in an era that still gave more publicity to the man-to-man corners, so Pro Bowl voters didn’t know what to do with him. I’d argue his play warrants induction into the Hall, but when you factor in how he changed the game, he should be a slam dunk.
And there’s always one, so take us home, MP!
Mongo Peanut: I think Olin Kreutz has the best argument. He was a massively underrated part of several successful Bears teams. His leadership, steady hand, and nastiness set an important tone.
