Chicago Bears Seasons

Chicago Bears Seasons

The Chicago Bears franchise was originally founded as the Decatur Staleys, a charter member of the American Professional Football Association (APFA). The team moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1921 and changed its name to the Bears in 1922, the same year the APFA changed its name to the National Football League (NFL). This list documents the franchise's completed seasons from 1920 to present, including postseason records and results from postseason games.

The Chicago Bears have played over one thousand games in their history, which includes eight NFL Championships victories and one Super Bowl win. The Bears' nine championships are the second most by any team in history. The franchise has captured eighteen NFL divisional titles and four NFL conference championships. The Bears have also recorded more regular season and overall victories than any other NFL franchise.

The franchise has experienced three major periods of continued success in their history. The first period of success came from 1932 to 1946 when the Bears played in nine NFL Championship Games, winning six of them. This period saw the Bears participate in the first ever National Football League playoff game, the first ever official NFL Championship Game, and become the American football sports dynasty of the 1940s. The Bears played in four straight NFL Championship Games between 1940 and 1944, winning three of them, including an NFL record 73–0 victory over the Washington Redskins in 1940. The second period of success was between 1984 and 1991 when the Bears captured six NFC Central Division titles in eight years and won Super Bowl XX. A brief period of success stretched from 2005 to 2007 when the franchise captured two straight NFC North titles and a NFC Championship title, which earned them a berth in Super Bowl XLI, a game that the club lost to the Indianapolis Colts.

The Bears have experienced failure in their history. The franchise finished in last place within its division five times in the 1970s. In 1970, the team moved from Wrigley Field to Soldier Field to play its home games. In the mid- to late 1990s and early 2000s, the club posted six seasons with 10 or more losses. By chance, these two decades—the 1970s and 1990s—are the only decades in the Bears history that the franchise has not won or played for an NFL Championship or Super Bowl. In the 1969 season, the franchise posted their worst regular season record with a 1–13 showing.