{"id":73814,"date":"2019-10-18T23:55:12","date_gmt":"2019-10-19T03:55:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=73814"},"modified":"2021-03-18T21:39:12","modified_gmt":"2021-03-19T01:39:12","slug":"chicago-bears-all-decade-team-defense-and-special-teams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/10\/18\/chicago-bears-all-decade-team-defense-and-special-teams\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago Bears All-Decade Team: Defense and Special Teams"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is the second and final part of the Chicago Bears<\/a> All-Decade team. In the first part, it was all about the offense. The list of offensive talent included franchise cornerstones in Matt Forte<\/a><\/strong> and Kyle Long<\/a><\/strong>, as well as trade acquisitions in Jay Cutler<\/a><\/strong> and Brandon Marshall<\/a><\/strong>. Now, we get into the cream of the crop.<\/p>\n

The Bears identity for almost the entirety of their franchise has been their defense. The 1985 Bears are widely considered the greatest defense of all time, which included Hall of Famers Mike Singletary<\/a><\/strong>, Richard Dent<\/a><\/strong>, and Dan Hampton<\/a><\/strong>. The mid-2000’s teams also had a great defense, led by the great coaching of Lovie Smith<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The present defense is great in its own right, with all-pro level talent at every level. This list is gonna be stacked with a lot of talent. Oh, and we can’t forget about the greatest returner of all time. Let’s get into the Bears all-decade defense and special teams.<\/p>\n

Chicago Bears All-Decade Team: Defense and Special Teams<\/h2>\n

Defensive End: Julius Peppers<\/a><\/h2>\n

The Bears made a splash in the 2010 free agency period by snagging future Hall of Famer Julius Peppers<\/a><\/strong>. He was clearly the best player in the class and made the feared Bears defense even more intimidating. Peppers surely didn’t disappoint during his four years in Chicago.<\/p>\n

He made three pro bowls and also made first-team all-pro in his inaugural season in the Windy City. Statistically, he put 37.5 sacks, 10 forced fumbles and even intercepted three passes. This was an easy pick for the Bears all-decade team, as Peppers was head and shoulders above everyone else on the defensive line during the decade. The only question with Peppers now is when he gets the call to Canton.<\/p>\n

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One of the good guys.<\/p>\n

Enjoy retirement, @juliuspeppers_<\/a>. You earned it. https:\/\/t.co\/ZlPnj6AujD<\/a><\/p>\n

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) February 1, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n