For our entry on NFL Thursday today, we turn to the Monsters of the Midway: the Chicago Bears. Surprisingly, though, there are not a lot of old-school players on this list of the best in team history. The franchise has won 9 league championships, but almost all the players below are guys who played for the organization in the last 40-plus years. Oh well; sabermetrics can be weird that way, so we won’t quibble.

No. 10: Jay Hilgenberg, C—93 AV (1981-1993)

He made 7 straight Pro Bowls from 1985-1991, starting with the team’s Super Bowl XX championship season. He averaged 11.3 AV in those 7 seasons as well. Not bad for an undrafted guy who didn’t become a full-time starter until 1984. He played in 12 playoff games for the team, too, as the Bears made the postseason 7 times in an 8-year stretch from 1984-991. However, he is not in the Hall of Fame. Go figure.

No. 9: Gary Fencik, S—97 AV (1976-1987)

A 10th-round pick of the Miami Dolphins, he was injured in his first NFL preseason and released. The Bears picked him up and never regretted it: 38 career interceptions and 2 Pro Bowls (1980-1981) later, he served as the elder statesman of the Chicago defense for more than a decade. He was on the famed “46” defense that helped the franchise win its only Super Bowl and set a lot of high standards for defensive integrity. Not bad.

No. 8: Dick Butkus, LB—99 AV (1965-1973)

Despite playing just 9 seasons in the NFL, this guy left his mark: 8 consecutive Pro Bowls (1965-1972), averaging close to 12 AV per season. He didn’t win any league titles, but that didn’t stop the Hall of Fame from calling on him. His reputation still resonates today, too: he set a standard of ferociousness. But he also recovered 27 fumbles in his short career, showing a nose for the ball—not to mention his 22 INTs as well.

No. 7: Richard Dent, DE—117 AV (1983-1993, 1995)

The voted MVP of Super Bowl XX, he was an 8th-round pick who ended up making 4 Pro Bowls (1984-1985, 1990, 1993) while topping the NFL in sacks once (1985) and forced fumbles twice (1984-1985). Overall, he had 124.5 sacks for the team, while adding 13 FRs and 8 INTs. His career-best season happened to be 1985, but there was no doubt about the 20 AV he posted that year. He was a huge presence in 10 playoff games, obvi.

No. 6: Steve McMichael, DT—121 AV (1981-1993)

Despite making just 2 Pro Bowls (1986-1987), he is in the Hall of Fame with his defensive teammate immediately above. Originally a third rounder by New England, he played 1 season with the Patriots before anchoring the Bears defensive line for 13 seasons. He piled up 92.5 sacks with the Chicago organization, and he added 5.5 more in the postseason. He, too, had a very specific reputation for nastiness on the field of play.

No. 5: Lance Briggs, LB—123 AV (2003-2014)

Probably the most surprising name on this list to the average reader, he was a third rounder who made 7 straight Pro Bowls from 2005-2011. He helped the franchise reach its second Super Bowl in 2006, while establishing himself as a tackling machine. For 9 consecutive seasons (2004-2012), he posted double-digit AV. During his career, he contributed 5 INT touchdown returns and 1 FR TD return, as well. Pretty awesome.

No. 4: Dan Hampton, DE/DT—125 AV (1979-1990)

Yeah, there are 3 guys from the same-era defensive line on this list. Stunning, really. This guy was the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, so that paid off handsomely with a Hall of Fame career: 4 Pro Bowls (1980, 1982, 1984-1985), 82 sacks, and 8 more sacks in the postseason. From 1983 to 1990, the Bears made the playoffs 6 times thanks to the strength of this defensive line trio. It’s shocking that the franchise won just 1 title there.

No. 3: Brian Urlacher, LB—152 AV (2000-2012)

After being the No. 9 overall pick in he draft, he also won the defensive ROTY vote in 2000. He made 8 Pro Bowls overall, including his first 4 seasons in the league (2000-2003, 2005-2006, 2010-2011). With 41 sacks, 22 INTs, and 11 FFs, he was always somewhere around the ball making a big play: he scored 4 defensive TDs, too. In 7 playoff games, he notched 7 tackles for loss and 6 passes defended. He was there.

No. 2: Mike Singletary, LB—159 AV (1981-1992)

A second-round pick, he was the leader of the “46” defense, with a great many stars around him, of course. He made 10 consecutive Pro Bowls (1983-1992) to end his career, which is impressive. Twice he was voted NFL DPOY, too (1985, 1988). It wasn’t just about the numbers with him, either: there was a leadership quality he brought to the equation that made it all work around him. That’s why he’s in the Hall of Fame, really.

No. 1: Walter Payton, RB—167 AV (1975-1987)

Of course, this all-time great is atop this list: the No. 4 overall pick, he won the 1977 NFL MVP vote—and we also picked him for our MVP in 1978, 1979, and 1986. In his stellar career, he made 9 Pro Bowls (1976-1980, 1983-1986), while posting 10 seasons of double-digit AV, too. That’s amazing for a running back who topped the NFL in carries 4 straight years once (1976-1979). There’s not a lot we can say here that isn’t obvious!