
McMahon's tenure might have been short. He may
have been injured through much of each of the seasons he played for the Bears,
and he may have left on terrible terms with the Chicago Bears. But McMahon
remains ranked second on the Bears' all-time career passing list with an 80.4
quarterback rating. McMahon was the second quarterback taken in the 1982 NFL
draft behind Ohio State's Art Schlichter, who would famously flame out of the
league long before McMahon. The young rookie arrived at Halas Hall following
his selection with a beer in his hand, and later wondered why George Halas
drafted him as the 87 year old owner criticized him during contract
negotiations. McMahon sat out the first two games of his rookie year which we
started by Bob Avellini, but following the player's strike he took over as the
starter and was named the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year that season. In
1983 he started 13 of 16 games, showing continual improvement. McMahon
lacerated his kidney in 1984, missing the final 6 games of that season and the
playoffs, but rebounded in 1985 to lead the Bears to victory in Super Bowl 20
and received a Pro Bowl berth. From 1986-1988 McMahon suffered a series of
injuries, constantly battled with some defensive teammates and coach Mike
Ditka, and was finally traded by the Bears to the San Diego Chargers in the
1989 preseason. McMahon would remarkably play another eight seasons in the NFL
for six different teams. His record as a starter in Chicago was an astounding
50-22, and former Bears offensive coordinator Ed Hughes called him the best
in-game quarterback in the NFL bar none. And personally, having met McMahon
twice, I have to say despite his often petulant public persona, one-on-one he's
a very personable and accomodating person.