1969 Chicago Bears season

NFL team season August 2023 March 2026 Chicago Bears 1969 1–13 4th Central Jim Dooley George Halas Wrigley Field Did not qualify Bears seasons The 1969 Chicago Bears season was their 50th regular season completed in the National Football League. The team finished with a franchise-worst 1–13 record.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JEQxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mhEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7006%2C4761361 Milwaukee Sentinel UPI Lions win; clinch 3rd in West December 22, 1969 2, part 2 July 2026 InternetArchiveBot The Bears' own historical record described the 1–13 campaign as the lowest point in franchise history at the time.https://library.sfo2.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/publications/football/yearbooks/FCHIBMG-1979-chicago-bears-media-guide.pdf Chicago Bears Media Guide Chicago Bears 1979 2026-10-05 This occurred despite the contributions of future Pro Football Hall of Fame players Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers. Sayers had torn the ligaments in his right knee in November 1968.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xkUxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sBAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3379%2C2084700 Milwaukee Sentinel UPI Bears beat 49ers, 27-19, but lose Sayers for year November 11, 1968 1, part 2 June 2023 InternetArchiveBot yes https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UQsqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IigEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5238%2C153898 Milwaukee Journal press dispatches Bears down 49ers, 27-19, but lose Sayers for season November 11, 1968 12, part 2 July 2026 InternetArchiveBot After surgery, he went through a physical rehabilitation program with the help of teammate Brian Piccolo. In 1969, Sayers led the league in rushing once again with 1,032 yards, but lacked his previous speed, and averaged only 4.4 yards per carry. This would also turn out to be Sayers final full season, as he would be on the injured reserve list for the entire 1970 and '71 seasons before finally retiring. An already poor season was compounded in late November. Undersized fullback Piccolo had scored a touchdown in each of his final three games (November 2, 9, 16),https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uJ8oAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LigEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4145%2C2095188 Milwaukee Journal press dispatches Bears errors help Vikings keep lead November 3, 1969 13, part 2 July 2026 InternetArchiveBot https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=v58oAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LigEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7198%2C7388304 Milwaukee Journal Associated Press dispatches Bears end famine by routing Steelers November 10, 1969 15, part 2 June 2023 InternetArchiveBot yes https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=feANAAAAIBAJ&sjid=32wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6802%2C1375549 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Sell Jack Steelers 'good' for what ails Bears, 38-7 November 10, 1969 28https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NjkoAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MigEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7178%2C4518278 Milwaukee Journal press dispatches Falcons set scoring record of 48 points in rout of Bears November 17, 1969 16, part 2 June 2023 InternetArchiveBot yes but a persistent cough was diagnosed as cancer and he underwent chest surgery;https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2HVQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8BAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2363%2C5352323 Milwaukee Sentinel press dispatches Cowboys' Morton to undergo surgery November 25, 1969 1, part 2 July 2026 InternetArchiveBot https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3HVQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8BAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7147%2C6698177 Milwaukee Sentinel UPI Operate on Piccolo November 29, 1968 3, part 2 July 2026 InternetArchiveBot he succumbed to the disease seven months later at age 26.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=O3UfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YigEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3867%2C3283575 Milwaukee Journal press dispatches Cancer fatal to Piccolo of Bears at 26 June 16, 1970 13, part 2 June 2023 InternetArchiveBot yes https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KiBOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Wu0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7215%2C338436 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Associated Press Brian Piccolo is dead at 26 June 17, 1970 19https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JKVRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0BAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1511%2C3237907 Milwaukee Sentinel Associated Press Sayers, Halas praise Piccolo's courage June 17, 1970 1-part 2 July 2026 InternetArchiveBot The Bears scored a total of only 27 points in 6 division games. Offseason Draft 1969 NFL/AFL draft 1969 Chicago Bears 1 14 Rufus Mayes Offensive tackle Ohio State yes 2 41 Bobby Douglass Quarterback Kansas yes 3 66 Ross Montgomery Running back TCU yes 4 91 Rudy Redmond Cornerback Pacific no 5 119 Jim Winegardner Tight end Notre Dame no 6 114 Bill Nicholson Defensive end Stanford no 7 169 Ron Copeland Wide receiver UCLA yes 8 197 Webb Hubbell Guard Arkansas no 9 222 Joe Aluise Running back Arizona no 10 247 Ron Pearson Tight end Maryland no 11 275 Sam Campbell Defensive tackle Iowa State no 12 300 Dave Hale Defensive tackle Ottawa yes 13 325 Tom Quinn Defensive back Notre Dame no 14 353 Ron Ehrig Defensive back Texas no 15 378 Bob Coble Punter Kansas State no 16 403 Dave Stydahar Guard Purdue no 17 431 Bob Long Wide receiver Texas A&M no no no Roster 1969 Chicago Bears 15 Virgil Carter 11 Jack Concannon 14 Bobby Douglass y 33 Mike Hull fullback 32 Ralph Kurek 22 Ross Montgomery American football y 40 Gale Sayers 36 Ron Copeland athlete y 45 Dick Gordon American football 21 Cecil Turner 89 Bob Wallace American football 84 Austin Denney 38 Ray Ogden 82 Emilio Vallez 72 Jim Cadile G 58 Jim Ferguson American football C 65 Randy Jackson offensive lineman T 74 Wayne Mass T 71 Rufus Mayes y T 68 Howard Mudd G 50 Mike Pyle C American football 67 George Seals G 63 Bob Wetoska T 81 Marty Amsler DE 73 Frank Cornish Jr. DT 79 Dick Evey DT 75 Dave Hale y DE 85 Willie Holman DE/DT 70 Ken Kortas DT 87 Ed O'Bradovich DE 55 Doug Buffone OLB 51 Dick Butkus MLB 59 Rudy Kuechenberg OLB 53 Dave Martin linebacker MLB 86 Loyd Phillips OLB 23 Dick Daniels FS 49 Major Hazelton CB 44 Garry Lyle SS 26 Bennie McRae CB 20 Joe Taylor cornerback CB 37 George Youngblood SS 88 Bobby Joe Green P 83 Mac Percival K 29 Ronnie Bull RB American football IR 41 Brian Piccolo RB NF-Ill. 57 Dan Pride LB IR 80 Jerry Simmons wide receiver WR IR 35 Joe Aluise y no RB 69 Ted Wheeler American football G Preseason On August 30, a crowd of 85,532 fans viewed a doubleheader at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium. In the first contest, the Bears played the AFL's Buffalo Bills,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zj0aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OSgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7320%2C5482627 Milwaukee Journal Bledsoe Terry Bears beat Bills, 23-16 August 31, 1969 2, sports July 2026 InternetArchiveBot while the Cleveland Browns hosted the Green Bay Packers in the second match.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zT0aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OSgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5660%2C5267708 Milwaukee Journal Packers given 4th billing in Browns' doubleheader August 30, 1969 14, part 2 July 2026 InternetArchiveBot https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zj0aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OSgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6877%2C5477656 Milwaukee Journal Bledsoe Terry Packer rally beats Browns, 27-17 August 31, 1969 1, sports July 2026 InternetArchiveBot Rockin’ the Rockpile: The Buffalo Bills of the American Football League, p.439, Jeffrey J. Miller, ECW Press, 2007, 978-1-55022-797-0 Regular season 1969 NFL season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 21 at Green Bay Packers L 0–17 0–1 Lambeau Field 50,861 2 September 28 at St. Louis Cardinals L 17–20 0–2 Busch Memorial Stadium 50,039 3 October 5 at New York Giants L 24–28 0–3 Yankee Stadium 62,583 4 October 12 Minnesota Vikings L 0–31 0–4 Wrigley Field 45,757 5 October 19 at Detroit Lions L 7–13 0–5 Tiger Stadium 54,732 6 October 26 Los Angeles Rams L 7–9 0–6 Wrigley Field 45,985 7 November 2 at Minnesota Vikings L 14–31 0–7 Metropolitan Stadium 47,900 8 November 9 Pittsburgh Steelers W 38–7 1–7 Wrigley Field 45,851 9 November 16 at Atlanta Falcons L 31–48 1–8 Atlanta Stadium 53,722 10 November 23 Baltimore Colts L 21–24 1–9 Wrigley Field 45,455 11 November 30 Cleveland Browns L 24–28 1–10 Wrigley Field 45,050 12 December 6, 1969 at San Francisco 49ers L 21–42 1–11 Kezar Stadium 32,826 13 December 14 Green Bay Packers L 3–21 1–12 Wrigley Field 45,216 14 December 21 Detroit Lions L 3–20 1–13 Wrigley Field 41,879 Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Standings References 2 Chicago Bears Category:Chicago Bears seasons Chicago Bears Category:1969 in Chicago