Bear Digest

Former Bear's resume now includes Pro Football Hall of Famer

Edge rusher Jared Allen is known as a Vikings or Chiefs sack artist but spent 18 games with the Bears before his career ended, and now he's headed for Canton.
Gene Chamberlain|
Jared Allen (69) follows a play in the preseason as an outside linebacker in the 2015 Bears defense.
Jared Allen (69) follows a play in the preseason as an outside linebacker in the 2015 Bears defense. | Jon Durr-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

There are 32 Chicago Bears in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but now there are also nine more players enshrined who spent a smaller portion of their careers with the team.

Former NFL edge rusher Jared Allen became the ninth when he was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Thursday at NFL Honors, after a career when he made 136 sacks.

Allen played 18 games for the Bears, including all of 2014 during Marc Trestman's final season as coach, and three games under John Fox in 2015.

Most of Allen's career was spent trying to sack Bears quarterbacks as he played 96 games with Minnesota over six years, after starting his career with Kansas City and playing from 2004-07.

GM Phil Emery signed Allen to a four-year, $32 million deal when he brought him to Chicago, with $15.5 million guaranteed.

"Some guys can rush the passer, but can finish consistently relative to their ability to get past the blocker," Emery said when he signed Allen. "But he always knows where that quarterback is. He has sixth sense for him."

Allen was long known as a "motor guy," who had many of his sacks by refusing to quit on a play.

"Chicago was always in my top-5 short list because they have a quarterback, they have an offense," Allen said after signing. "(Matt) Forte, he’s a dual threat. He can run for a thousand. He can catch for a thousand, what are you going to do?

"I knew the parts of this defense. I know Jay Ratliff—if he’s healthy, he’s a beast. He’s an absolute beast."

It didn't quite work out for Allen or Ratliff for that matter.

New Bears GM Ryan Pace traded Allen to the Carolina Panthers after he made 5 1/2 sacks and seven tackles for loss in his 18 Bears games, and he played 12 games with two more sacks for the Panthers that season.

The Vikings signed him to a one-day contract so he could retire with Minnesota in 2016 and he'll go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a Vikings player.

Allen is joined in this class of Hall of Famers by cornerback Eric Allen, tight end Antonio Gates and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe.

The other eight players who spent smaller parts of their careers with the Bears and are in the Hall of Fame are Julius Peppers, Chuck Howley, Orlando Pace, Alan Page, Bobby Layne, Walt Kiesling, Guy Chamberlin and Jimmy Conzelman.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.