Sid Luckman (1939)
He remains the gold standard by which all other Bears QBs are measured. Sid Luckman earned that by being the only one to play that position in Chicago who made the Hall of Fame. Were there signs of that greatness as a rookie though? All things considered, yes there was. Luckman started seven games in 1939. He completed 23 passes for a 636 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions. Given the archaic rules of that era, it’s pretty good numbers. What makes it more impressive? He averaged 44.4 yards as a punter that year and intercepted three passes on defense.
Johnny Lujack (1946)
Lujack may have been drafted in 1946, but by that point his college career wasn’t even over yet. He’d be absorbed into the United States Navy during World War II and didn’t reach the NFL until 1948. Technically that was his rookie year. He appeared sporadically across nine games but ended up starting three. He completed 33 passes for 611 yards and six touchdowns with three interceptions. On top of that he ran for 110 yards and another touchdown. The craziest part though was he played defense that year and had eight interceptions.
Bobby Layne (1948)
This might be one of the ultimate what-if scenarios. The Bears almost could’ve had another Hall of Fame quarterback going into the 1950s if they’d had the foresight to keep Bobby Layne. However, the timing was just tragic. Lujack was getting into the meat of his run at the time. Layne only started one game that season in 1948 and threw for 232 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also added a 13-yard rushing touchdown. Layne realized he wasn’t going to play much moving forward so he requested a trade the next year. Not long after that, Lujack retired to become a coach at Notre Dame.
Bob Williams (1951)
He didn’t start any games as a rookie but Bob Williams did get some playing time. First impressions weren’t encouraging. He barely completed 42% of his 33 passes for 146 yards, one TD and two interceptions. Also he fumbled twice on five rushing attempts. It was a sign of the underwhelming things that were to come. Williams ended up playing just three seasons in Chicago. His career was short-circuited by serving a tour of duty in the Navy during the Korean War. He missed two full seasons and didn’t last long upon his return.
Jim McMahon (1982)
For the first time in over 30 years the Bears selected a first round QB. Jim McMahon was a hero at BYU know for his leadership and late-game magic. What they didn’t count on was his rebellious attitude. Yet it was impossible to deny his gifts. McMahon won the starting job as a rookie and had a positive effect right away. He three for 1,501 yards, nine touchdowns and seven interceptions in seven starts. In a strike-shortened year the team went 3-6 but were 3-4 with McMahon, who was hurt for the two other games.
Jim Harbaugh (1987)
The constant injury problems with McMahon eventually forced the Bears to look towards the future in 1987. They took Jim Harbaugh 27th overall and hoped he would become the guy down the road. The team really did do everything possible to keep him off the field. Harbaugh only threw 11 passes total for 62 yards in the six games he was active. Per usual the start pretty much reflected his Chicago career. Underwhelming and forgettable. Quite unlike his eventual time as a head coach.
Cade McNown (1999)
By and large the rookie run for Cade McNown was all that bad. He looked like the inexperienced kid he was. In six starts for the Bears that 1999 season, he threw for 1,465 yards with eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 160 yards. There were at least signs that he could be molded into something better. It just never happened. Problems kept cropping up after that. Sometimes it was injury and others just a lack of initiative to get better. McNown was gone after two seasons.
Rex Grossman (2003)
Perhaps this might be the lesson John Fox needs to learn. Dick Jauron was coming off another bad year in 2002. So the team injected some life into the team by drafting Rex Grossman in the first round of the 2003 draft. Yet Jauron felt more comfortable going with veterans Kordell Stewart and Chris Chandler. It wasn’t until late in the season after falling out of playoff contention that Grossman got his shot to play. In three starts he threw for 427 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The Bears went 2-1 in those games. Jauron was fired the next season.
