Which Former Bears Player Would You Love To See On The 2026 Team?

A few days ago, we fired off a question asking Chicago Bears fans: which player who never won a Super Bowl ring do you wish had won one while in Chicago? Some commenters (both here and on social media) seemed tripped up by the question.

I assume they skimmed it and rushed to the comments to give their answer, and some were really good answers by the way, but they were just to a different question.

I get the sense that the question they were answering was this one.

Which former Bears player do you wish could be on the 2026 team?

So let’s make that today’s topic!

The 2026 team is still defensively deficient, so give me a pass rusher. Richard Dent, Julius Peppers, Dan Hampton, Steve McMichael, or Khalil Mack would be fine additions, but I’m going really old school with Hall of Famer Doug Atkins.

“Doug Atkins was like a storm blowing over a Kansas farmhouse,” said John Facenda, the voice of NFL Films via the Knoxville Focus. “He came from all directions. All there was to do was to tie down what you could and hope he didn’t take the roof.”

At around 6’8” and 280 pounds, Atkins was a monster of a man in his era (1953-1969), and his strength and athleticism were legendary. He led his high school basketball team to the Tennessee state championship. He went to the University of Tennessee on a basketball scholarship but was quickly recruited to the gridiron. He helped the Volunteers football team win the National Championship. He was also on the track and field team, and he took second in the high jump at the SEC Championships.

“He was the strongest man in football and also the biggest,” said Minnesota Vikings Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton via the Sports History Network. “When he rushes the passer with those oak tree arms of his way up in the air, he’s 12 feet tall. And if he gets to you, the world starts spinning.”

Sacks weren’t an official stat back in Atkins’ day, but Pro Football Reference charted sacks all the way back to 1960, and in the last 10 years of his career, they had him with 94.5 in 131 games.

He could single-handedly elevate a defense as he terrorized offenses. He was the type of player that coaches always had to scheme for, and blockers always had to look for.

“The strongest player I saw in the NFL was Doug Atkins,” said Packers Hall of Famer Ray Nitschke. “None of the Green Bay Packers liked to mess with him. If we talked to him during a game, it was always about something pleasant, warm weather, and a clear sky, because nobody wanted to get him pumped up.” 

Which former Bear do you think would make the biggest difference playing on the 2026 team?