Four former members of the Chicago Bears are among the leading candidates for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024.
The 2023 NFL Honors show revealed the latest Hall of Fame class, which sadly did not include former Chicago Bears players Devin Hester and Jared Allen, despite being among the finalists. Only five modern players were selected this year, namely Darrelle Revis and Ronde Barber at cornerback, Joe Thomas at offensive tackle, and Zach Thomas and DeMarcus Ware at linebacker. However, Hester and Allen will be up for consideration again in 2024, and their impressive careers make them strong candidates for induction next year.
Devin Hester is a true legend of the Chicago Bears and a deserving Hall of Famer. Widely considered as the best kick returner in NFL history, Hester holds the record for the most return touchdowns in the league, with five kickoff returns and 14 punt returns. He made an immediate impact in Chicago with two seasons of five or more total return touchdowns. Hester's career was full of memorable moments, including an 83-yard punt return touchdown that spurred Dennis Greene's "the Bears were who we thought they were" post-game rant in 2006, two games with multiple return touchdowns, and a 108-yard return following a missed field goal against the Giants. Hester's greatest career highlight was at the beginning of Super Bowl 41, where he set a record for the quickest touchdown in Super Bowl history by returning the opening kickoff for a score.
Jared Allen's brief stint with the Chicago Bears may not be as impressive as Hester's, as he played only 18 games for the team before being traded to the Panthers. In that span, Allen recorded 5.5 sacks and 7 tackles for loss, all of which came in the 2014 season. His time in Chicago was short-lived, as the defense transitioned from a 4-3 to a 3-4 base front, making him a less than ideal fit for the new scheme. Nevertheless, Allen's overall NFL career deserves Hall of Fame recognition, as the Idaho State product retired with the 16th-most sacks and the fourth-most tackles for loss in league history.
