2006 Chicago Bears-Super Bowl 41 and Bust
The Bears celebrated at Soldier Field with the George S. Halas NFC Championship trophy for the first time since 1985. 
Respect. In 2006, according to the organization if the media questioned the Chicago Bears, it was due to a lack of respect. Rex Grossman finished a game with a quarterback rating of 0.0? No respect. The defense staggered to the end of the regular season for the second year in a row? No problems there, just no respect.
The Chicago Bears accomplished more in the 2006 season then they had in the previous 20 seasons, winning back-to-back division titles for the first time since 1988, hosting a conference championship game for the first time since that year and won that elusive crown. In their first Super Bowl since 1985, the disrespected underdogs were in a perfect position thanks to a rookie phenom and a castoff defensive back. But after two possessions on the world's greatest stage, the young Bears team couldn't totally silence their critics.
The seeds of this 2006 disrespect may have been planted five months prior to the season opener in Green Bay. The 2005 team's Achilles' heel was unquestionably an offense that couldn't score a small amount of points to keep up with their brilliant defense, that had set an NFL record for fewest points allowed in eight games at home. Despite glaring needs on that side of the ball, General Manager Jerry Angelo traded out of the first round and used all but one draft pick on defense-not selecting an offensive player until tabbing a guard in the sixth round. Critics were merciless, but Angelo would ultimately be vindicated.
In the beginning of the free agent signing period, Angelo did make a move that was long overdue. While resisting overpriced players Antwaan Randle-El and Adam Archuleta, both of whom signed ludicrous contracts with Washington, the GM signed Chicago's first legitimate backup quarterback in almost a decade in Brian Griese. The eight-year veteran of three teams was inked to a five-year deal, positioning him to back up the oft-injured Grossman and take over the reigns should the starter falter.
Players reported to training camp in Bourbonnais, IL in late July with many of the same questions dogging them as had throughout the Angelo era. Why the lack of attention to offense in the draft? (Angelo insisted he had a "redshirt" rookie class from 2005 that would step up as the de facto 2006 offensive draft class). Would Thomas Jones be traded, giving highly paid sophomore Cedric Benson a chance to take over the reigns at running back? (Trade rumors swirled, but Jones was not dealt). How would the eccentric Benson acclimate with his teammates?
Hints of the answer to the final question came to the forefront early in camp. Jones and linebacker Lance Briggs, both clients of controversial agent Drew Rosenhaus, had held out of all offseason activities in protest of playing under their existing contracts. In retaliation, Head Coach Lovie Smith (coaching under his own outdated contract) dropped the Rosenhaus duo on the depth chart. During a night drill in camp Benson, the default starter, caught a short pass in a light contract drill and was sandwiched by defenders Brian Urlacher and Mike Brown. The hit was not as hard as initially reported by the media, but it did dislocate Benson's shoulder. Was Benson being punished for still not acclimating with his teammates? The Benson injury, coupled with a strained hamstring Jones suffered from, limited both runners’ work throughout the preseason.
During the preseason more questions emerged. Grossman, entering what all hoped to be his first healthy season as a Bear, struggled mightily in the first three games. Operating with at best his third running back in games for which the Bears didn't game plan but their opponents did, Grossman looked terrible. By the time backup Brian Griese entered the game against the opponent's second team, to fans and the media it was clear that the journeyman should be leading the offense, not the questionable former first-round pick. Foreshadowing the remainder of the year, Smith steadfastly defended his starter, Rex Grossman.
Chicago opened the regular season and silenced many critics with a 26-0 pasting of the archrival Packers, only its fourth win in Green Bay in 14 years, but Smith's third straight there. Most notable during the game were a 49-yard touchdown completion from Grossman to wideout Bernard Berrian, another oft-injured offensive star, and the play of the team's stalwart defense, which looked better than the previous season's edition. And rookie kick returner Devin Hester sealed the game with an 84-yard punt return for a touchdown in his first game as a pro.
The Bears opened their home schedule the following week with a 34-7 pasting of the Detroit Lions, despite a guarantee of a Lion victory by the visitor's brash receiver Roy Williams. Harris again sparked his team to a victory with a strip of Detroit quarterback Jon Kitna on the opening series of the game.
In week three, Chicago traveled to Minnesota to face the Vikings. As had happened early in the 2005 season, Smith made a change in the defensive backfield, installing rookie Danieal Manning at free safety to supplant Chris Harris, who had replaced Mike Green early in the '05 season. Harris took his demotion positively, correctly guessing that in the long season many things change. In the Metrodome Grossman struggled a bit, tossing an interception returned for a touchdown by the Vikes that kept the home team in the game. The signal caller redeemed himself late in the fourth quarter, delivering a laser strike to slot receiver Rashied Davis for the game's winning score. The score would not have happened were it not for a disruptive play by defensive tackle Tommie Harris, who knifed into the backfield and caused a fumble recovered by Adawale Ogunelye. The recovery led directly to the winning score, which would be the first of several clutch, game-winning receptions on the season by Davis.
The Detroit and Minnesota wins put Chicago in the driver's seat in the division, with three straight wins against their rivals in September. But their statement game was square ahead of them.
On October 1st, the defending NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks came to Chicago, in just the type of game Chicago had difficulty winning since the 1980's. The Bears responded by thrashing Seattle on national television, winning 37-6 and completely demoralizing the visitors. Harris earned his second straight NFC Defensive Player of the Week honor, and Grossman looked to be flaming his critics with a 232 yard, two touchdown performance.
The utter destruction of opponents continued the following week, as former Bear coach Dick Jauron delivered his Buffalo Bills on a platter for a 40-7 roasting. The Bears led 40-0 with just minutes left in the game, but a Benson fumble positioned the Bills to score a garbage touchdown at the end. Chicago defenders put it on themselves and declared they wouldn't let such a breakdown occur again.
With one game left before the bye week, the Bears were 5-0, with a stifling defense, the NFC's highest scoring offense, and were piloted by the NFL's hottest quarterback. Certainly an undefeated season was within reach.
On October 16th, Chicago traveled to the desert for its first Monday Night Football appearance in three seasons. Their hosts, the Arizona Cardinals, would be starting rookie quarterback Matt Leinart for the first time, and national pregame shows focused on the juggernaut Bears and the sure impending pummeling of the neophyte.
Then the game started. Leinart led his team on successive long touchdowns, and his Cardinals embarrassed the visiting beasts. At halftime, the score was 20-0 Arizona and Grossman's performance was abysmal. And worse, it didn't get better in the second half, as "Bad Rex" finished the game throwing four interceptions with a quarterback rating of 10.2. However, Brian Urlacher, the defense, and the rookie phenom picked the offense up and carried it on their collective shoulders. First, Leinart was drilled by another Bear rookie phenom, fifth-round defensive end Mark Anderson, fumbled, and the fumble was walked into the end zone by safety Mike Brown. Later, Urlacher yanked the ball free from Cardinal running back Edgerrin James, and the fumble was returned for another score by cornerback Charles "Peanut" Tillman. Finally, late in the game Hester broke free on an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown. Undoubtedly thousands of Bear fans left the game that night, only to wake up and again realize that one should never quit on a Bears game early. Chicago turned a one-time 23-3 deficit into a 24-23 miracle victory.
The miracle victory at Arizona further bolstered the legend of the 2006 Bears. Despite Grossman's terrible performance in the desert, insane fans predicted it was a one-time aberration, and equally predicted an undefeated Bears finish. For one more week, following the team's bye, it looked as if the team may prove those predictions true. Chicago rolled up 41 points in the first half against San Francisco, tying a team record, and won 41-10. Grossman silenced his critics as well, bouncing back with a strong performance (137.4 rating, three touchdowns).
The following week, misguided fans that had predicted the sure undefeated season saw their hopes blow up in their faces, as Grossman had his second terrible outing of the season, throwing three interceptions and finishing with a 36.8 quarterback rating. The Bears lost 31-13 to a Miami Dolphin team roundly called the worst team in football at that point in the year.
The Miami loss came on the eve of the season's most difficult stretch: a three-game road trip to New York and New England. Chicago's quarterback started shakily in the first game at the New York Giants, but rebounded to lead the Bears to a 38-20 win against a suddenly reeling Giant team. The Giant win was reprised the following week with another win in the same stadium against the Jets. Then on November 26th, the 9-1 Bears traveled to New England for a matchup with the 7-3 Patriots. In a tough game the Bears kept it close, but on their final offensive play, Grossman underthrew a streaking Davis for an interception, ending the game with a 17-13 loss.
The Bears won their next four games of the regular season. The first, at home against Minnesota in negative-windchill weather, ended with a 23-13 Bears win. However, "Bad Rex" again emerged as he finished with a 1.3 rating and three interceptions. Also, All-Pro defensive tackle Tommie Harris was lost for the season with a torn hamstring. Harris' injury coupled with that of Mike Brown, who was lost for the year in the Arizona game, created a noticeable difference in Chicago's once #1 ranked defensive unit.
Again, as he did all year, Grossman bounced back with a solid performance the following week at St. Louis, and Devin Hester tied and broke an NFL record with his fifth and six kick return touchdowns on the season.
Against NFC doormats Tampa and Detroit in the following two weeks, the Bears were on the ropes late but pulled out wins. And in the season finale on New Year's Eve, moved to a night game at the behest of the NFL, the Bears were obliterated by Green Bay, who had nothing to play for. Grossman and teammates admitted to not treating the game as seriously as they should have given the circumstances, but questions lingered if another playoff collapse was imminent.
Due to a botched chip-shot field goal by Dallas, Chicago drew the Seattle Seahawks to come to Soldier Field in the divisional round of the playoffs. Unlike the previous "statement" annihilation of the Seahawks by the Bears, this time Seattle kept the game close. It took a game-winning Robbie Gould field goal in overtime to put the visitors away and vault the Bears to their first NFC Championship game since 1988.
Entering the championship game, the Bears were favored by as little as two points, despite New Orleans pulling out a squeaker in the divisional round against the Eagles. Given the old adage that the home time is given three points, the odds makers basically favored the Saints. And the national media, in love with the darlings from hurricane-ravaged New Orleans, completely wrote the Bears off. Indeed, all seven "expert" prognosticators from ESPN chose the Saints to win.
The Bears jumped out to a 16-0 lead until shortly before halftime, when New Orleans scored a touchdown. Momentum swung the Saints' way in the third on a Reggie Bush 87-yard touchdown reception, at the end of which he leapt into the endzone and taunted a trailing Brian Urlacher. At about this time, the snow began to fall as it did in Chicago's previous NFC Championship win. Punter Brad Maynard pinned the Saints inside their five-yard line, and the Bear defense forced Saint quarterback Drew Brees into a safety. The Bears then scored 20 unanswered points, and Bears matriarch Virginia McCaskey received the George Halas trophy at midfield.
Doubted by everyone, to a man claiming to be respected by no one, the Chicago Bears won their fourth conference championship and the first in 21 years. But in the locker room following the victory, Head Coach Lovie Smith reminded his team that his final goal-a World Championship-was still unattained.
The Bears left freezing Chicago in late January to trek to Miami and face the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl 41. With Smith and good friend Tony Dungy, the game would be the first matchup of African American head coaches in NFL history. Rex Grossman, the Bears, and their coach faced unending questions about which quarterback would show up in the game: the Bears' best passer in eleven years (Good Rex, seven games), one of their worst in history (Bad Rex, five games) or "somewhere in-between" (four games). Grossman tired of answering the questions, and Smith steadfastly stood behind his starter.
On the opening kickoff of the Super Bowl, the one and only Devin Hester scored a touchdown on a 92-yard return. On Indianapolis' first possession, the Chicago defense rushed and stifled legendary Colt quarterback Peyton Manning, forcing an interception grabbed by the once-forgotten safety Chris Harris (now starting opposite rookie Danieal Manning). Then things changed. Grossman fumbled snaps from center, stumbled for losses, and the Bear defense gave up the short play in order to prevent the big play. Peyton Manning and his teammates marched down the field methodically and the Chicago offense couldn't answer through the air, despite a solid 112 yard rushing performance by Thomas Jones.
In the end, the Bears lost their return trip to the Super Bowl 29-17, and vowed to return in 2008 to earn that last bit of respect.
Quote of the Year: "Rex Grossman is our starting quarterback. This football team has won (x) number of games with Rex and we're not making a change."  -Lovie Smith, using the same explanation multiple times as to why he would not give Brian Griese a try at the position after four distinct abysmal performances by his starter. Seemed much like Dick Jauron's explanation for keeping John Shoop as offensive coordinator from 2001-2003.
2006 Records: Preseason 2-2, Regular Season 13-3, Playoffs 2-1
2006 NFL Rankings: Offense 15th Overall, 15th Rush, 14th Pass; Defense 5th Overall, 6th Rush, 11th Pass
2006 Coaches: Lovie Smith, Head Coach; Ron Rivera, Defensive Coordinator; Ron Turner, Offensive Coordinator
DATE
TEAM
RESULT
NOTES
8/11
49ers
L 14-28
Preseason
8/18
Chargers
W 24-3
Preseason
8/25
Cardinals
L 16-23
Preseason
8/31
Browns
W 20-7
Preseason
9/10
Packers
W 26-0
Looking tough.
9/17
Lions
W 34-7
Killin 'em.
9/24
Vikings
W 19-16
Squeaker.
10/1
Seahawks
W 37-6
Statement game.
10/8
Bills
W 40-7
Thrash Jauron.
10/16
Cardinals
W 24-23
Desert miracle.
10/29
49ers
W 41-10
Magic continues.
11/5
Dolphins
L 13-31
Magic ends.
11/12
Giants
W 38-20
Gutty win.
11/19
Jets
W 10-0
Back on track.
11/26
Patriots
L 13-17
Close loss.
12/3
Vikings
W 23-13
Ugly victory.
12/11
Rams
W 42-27
Hester thriller.
12/17
Bucs
W 34-31
Getting too close.
12/24
Lions
W 26-21
Closer again.
12/31
Packers
L 7-26
Disaster.
1/14
Seahawks
W 27-24
Playoff win!
1/21
Saints
W 39-14
NFC Champs!
2/4
Colts
L 17-29
Super letdown.
HOME
AWAY
Passing: Rex Grossman-  Possibly no quarterback in NFL history had a more strange season.  Grossman turned in the best (23 touchdowns and 3,193 yards) and the worst (20 interceptions, multiple games below 10.0 quarterback rating) season in Bears history.
Rushing: Thomas Jones- Despite sharing more and more carries with Cedric Benson late in the season, Jones followed up his strong 2005 with a 1,210 yard rushing performance, with 6 touchdowns and a 4.1 yard average, which is phenomenal.
Receiving: Muhsin Muhammad- Though he still has not equalled the numbers he put up in Carolina to earn his $30 million contract from Chicago, Muhammad led the Bears for the second year with 60 catches for 843 yards and 5 td's.
Scoring: Robbie Gould-  Gould earned All Pro honors as the best kicker in the league in 2006.  He finished the season kicking 32 of 36 attempts, and did not miss a try until the season's eleventh week.
Sacks:  Mark Anderson- It was questioned whether the fifth-round pick would make the team after missing most of the preseason with a leg injury.  The phenom led the Bears with 12 sacks, the most by a Bear player since 1993 (Richard Dent).  He also finished second in Rookie of the Year.
Interceptions: Charles Tillman and Ricky Manning Jr.- Each player had five interceptions, and both had perhaps their greatest season as professionals.
2006 Chicago Bears Normal Starters
Rex Grossman Thomas Jones Jason McKie Mushin Muhammad Bernard Berrian John Tait Ruben Brown Olin Kreutz Roberto Garza Fred Miller Desmond Clark Robbie Gould
QB
RB
RB
WR
WR
LT
LG
C
RG
RT
TE
K
Alex Brown Tommie Harris Tank Johnson Adewale Ogunelye Lance Briggs Brian Urlacher Hunter Hillenmeyer Charles Tillman Chris Harris Danieal Manning Nathan Vasher Brad Maynard
DE
DT
DT
DE
LB
MLB
LB
CB
SS
FS
CB
P
On offense, Rex Grossman became the first Bear quarterback to start 16 games since Erik Kramer in 1995.  It was only the third time in 25 years this was accomplished.  Jason McKie took over for the oft-injured Bryan Johnson at fullback and lended steady play.  Wide Receiver Bernard Berrian earned the starting spot opposite Moose Muhammad and shone with several spectacular long catches.  On defense, much the same unit returned from 2005 to 2006, with the only long-term changes being due to Tommie Harris and Mike Brown's injuries.  Left to Right: Offense Rex Grossman, Thomas Jones, Jason McKie, Muhsin Muhammad, Bernard Berrian, John Tait, Ruben Brown, Olin Kreutz, Roberto Garza, Fred Miller, Desmond Clark, Robbie Gould.  Defense Alex Brown, Tommie Harris, Tank Johnson, Adewale Ogunelye, Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher, Hunter Hillenmeyer, Charles Tillman, Chris Harris, Danieal Manning, Nathan Vasher, Brad Maynard.
#
Pos.
Name
School
Exp.
4
P
Brad Maynard
Ball State
10
8
QB
Rex Grossman
Florida
4
9
K
Robbie Gould
Penn State
2
12
WR
Justin Gage
Missouri
4
14
QB
Brian Griese
Michigan
9
16
WR
Mark Bradley
Oklahoma
2
17
WR
Airese Currie
Clemson
2
18
QB
Kyle Orton
Purdue
2
20
RB
Thomas Jones
Virginia
7
21
CB
Dante Wesley
Arkansas-PB
6
22
CB
Tyler Everett
Ohio State
R
23
CB/KR
Devin Hester
Miami
R
24
CB
Ricky Manning Jr.
UCLA
4
27
S
Nick Turnbull
Florida Int'l
R
29
RB
Adrian Peterson
Georgia S.
5
30
S
Mike Brown
Nebraska
7
31
CB
Nathan Vasher
Texas
3
32
RB
Cedric Benson
Texas
2
33
CB
Charles Tillman
Louis. Lafay.
4
35
S
Todd Johnson
Florida
4
36
S
Brandon McGowan
Maine
2
37
FB
Jason McKie
Temple
5
38
S
Danieal Manning
Abeilene Christian
R
44
S
Cameron Worrell
Boise State
4
45
LB
Dwayne Slay
Texas Tech
R
46
S
Chris Harris
LA-Monroe
2
47
FB
Bryan Johnson
Boise State
7
48
FB
J.D. Runnels
Oklahoma
R
52
LB
Jamar Williams
Arizona St.
R
53
LB
Leon Joe
Maryland
3
54
LB
Brian Urlacher
New Mexico
7
55
LB
Lance Briggs
Arizona
4
57
C
Olin Kreutz
Washington
9
58
LB
Darrell McClover
Miami
3
59
LB
Rod Wilson
S. Carolina
2
60
G
Terrence Metcalf
Miss
5
63
G-C
Roberto Garza
Texas A&M-K
6
64
G
Tyler Reed
Penn State
R
65
LS
Patrick Mannelly
Duke
9
68
OL
Anthony Oakley
W Kentucky
2
69
T
Fred Miller
Baylor
11
70
DT
Alfonso Boone
Mt. SA JC
6
71
DL
Israel Idonije
Manitoba
3
72
DE
Copeland Bryan
Arizona
R
74
G
Ruben Brown
Pitt
12
75
T
Mark LeVoir
Notre Dame
R
76
T
John Tait
BYU
8
78
T
John St. Clair
Virginia
7
80
WR
Bernard Berrian
Fresno St.
3
81
WR
Rashied Davis
San Jose St.
2
82
TE
Gabe Reid
BYU
4
83
WR
Mike Hass
Oregon St.
R
84
WR
Brandon Rideau
Kansas
2
85
TE
John Gilmore
Penn State
5
86
TE
Richard Angulo
W. New Mex
1
87
WR
Muhsin Muhammad
Michigan St.
11
88
TE
Desmond Clark
Wake Forest
8
90
DT
Antonio Garay
Boston College
3
91
DT
Tommie Harris
Oklahoma
3
92
LB
Hunter Hillenmeyer
Vanderbilt
4
93
DE
Adewale Ogunleye
Indiana
7
94
LB
Brendon Ayanbadejo
UCLA
4
95
DT
Ian Scott
Florida
4
96
DE
Alex Brown
Florida
5
97
DE
Mark Anderson
Alabama
R
98
DT
Dusty Dvoracek
Oklahoma
R
99
DT
Tank Johnson
Washington
3
What else? Rex Grossman
Don't you just HATE Rex Grossman? In 2006, he threw 20 interceptions, the most by a Bears quarterback since 1981. A very pedestrian quarterback rating is 70, and Grossman had games this season of 36, 23, 10, 1 and ZERO.
Don't you just LOVE Rex Grossman? In 2006, Grossman turned in the most yards, touchdowns and games started by a Bears quarterback in 11 years. His 3,193 yards, 23 touchdowns and 16 games started put him in the top three quarterbacks to ever play the position in 87 years of Bears football.
Confused? What a quandary.
This would be impossible to truly rate, but Rex Grossman's 2006 season had to be the strangest on record for any NFL quarterback in history. Grossman entered the 2006 season on the heels of three seasons of suffering a major injury. This for a player that never suffered a major injury in his career at the high school and college levels.
2006 started with the Bears signing his first true competition or viable backup, Brian Griese from Tampa Bay. Grossman's preseason performance (60.7 rating) versus Griese's (141.7) led to early calls for the youngster's head that were unheeded by his coach.
He began the regular season on an absolute tear, posting a 102 QB rating in the first five games with 10 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He earned offensive player of the month honors and was looked upon as a sure-fire Pro Bowler and league MVP.
Week 6 brought his first crash, finishing with a 10.2 rating against the pushover Arizona Cardinals. He rebounded with a near-perfect 137.2 against San Francisco, then crashed again with a 36.8 in the team's first loss against Miami.
The remainder of the season was up-and-down, with the regular schedule concluding on a John Blutarsky-like zero-point-zero rating. Grossman's play was borderline in the playoffs, but he threw two interceptions in the Super Bowl, one returned for a decisive Indianapolis score.
The only direction to move with Grossman is forward, obviously, but no questions are answered.
2007 will be the final year of the quarterback's rookie deal, so should there be another flop there isn't a salary cap hit to take as there was with Rick Mirer, Cade McNown or countless others. However, with a narrow window to another Super Bowl just cracked open for another season, there is much on the line.
After being burned by the Carolina offense in the 2005 playoffs, the Bears raided the Panther secondary in free agency. They signed unrestricted free agent CB Dante Wesley, then gave up a third-round draft pick to sign restricted free agent Ricky Manning Jr. Manning Jr. was undersized to play a starter's role, but the Bears slid him in perfectly as their nickel back. The very night Manning became a Bear, Manning was accused of any ultimately plead no contest to assaulting a patron at Denny's. Chicago GM Jerry Angelo was roundly criticized by fans and the media for spending six of seven draft picks on defense when the Bear offense needed so much help. Many wanted the Bears to take a tight end in round one, but journeyman Desmond Clark ended up turning in his finest season with better stats than any rookie drafted in a deep class. Indeed, Angelo's class was fantastic as the two second-round picks were a starter and a Pro Bowler, and a fifth-rounder finished second in rookie of the year balloting. In addition to Manning and Wesley, the Bears also signed their first legitimate backup quarterback in almost a decade in Brian Griese. Griese clearly outplayed starter Rex Grossman in the preseason against backups, but Grossman got the nod throughout the season. Rookie Devin Hester set an NFL record with six touchdowns on returns, and added another in the Super Bowl, the first time an opening kickoff was returned for a score. Most ironically, almost a year to the day that Nathan Vasher set the NFL record for longest play with a 108-yard missed field goal return, Hester tied the record against the Giants on the same type of play. Bear legal difficulties continued in December, when defensive tackle Tank Johnson was arrested on weapons charges. Several days later his best friend was shot and killed at a nightclub. Johnson's troubles, coupled with season-ending injuries to Mike Brown and Tommie Harris, significantly softened the Bear defense during the stretch run of the playoffs.
The day before the 2006 draft, the Houston Texans shocked the NFL by announcing they had come to terms with defensive end Mario Williams as the first overall selection. This was in a year when the electrifying Reggie Bush was available. Bush was selected with the second pick by New Orleans, who didn't need a running back, but deemed him to valuable to bypass. The Saints would be the next team to shock the NFL when they turned their 3-13 2005 season to 10-6 and an NFC Championship appearance in 2006. Almost every national prognosticator predicted the Saints would win the championship in Chicago, but they were defeated, much to the nation's dismay. Improbable AFC representatives in Super Bowl 41 were the Indianapolis Colts, who were reeling in December and giving up rushing yards by the stadium-full. The Colts rebounded to beat the Bears in Super Bowl 41 by a score of 29-17.
2006 Bears Draft
Rd
Pos
Name
School
2a
DB
Danieal Manning
Abilene Christian
2b
CB/KR
Devin Hester
Miami
3
DT
Dusty Dvoracek
Oklahoma
4
LB
Jamar Williams
Arizona State
5
DE
Mark Anderson
Alabama
6a
FB
J.D. Runnels
Oklahoma
6b
G
Tyler Reed
Penn State
2006 Bears Trades
Traded first-round pick to Buffalo for Bill's second and third-round picks.
Traded OL/DL Lennie Friedman to Cleveland for undisclosed future draft pick.
Surrendered third-round pick to Carolina for signing restricted free agent CB Ricky Manning Jr.
 
Notable Free Agent Signings
Brian Griese, QB, Tampa Bay
Dante Wesley, CB, Carolina
2006 Bears Retirements
CB Jerry Azumah
2006 Chicago Bears Awards
NFC Conference Champions
NFC North Division Champs
Lovie Smith, NFL Coach of the Year
Brian Urlacher, LB, Pro Bowl (5)
Olin Kreutz, C, Pro Bowl (6)
Robbie Gould, K, Pro Bowl (1)
Devin Hester, KR, Pro Bowl (1)
Tommie Harris, DT, Pro Bowl (2)
Lance Briggs, LB, Pro Bowl (2)
Brendan Ayanbadejo, ST, Pro Bowl (1)
Ruben Brown, G, Pro Bowl (9)
Rex Grossman, NFC Offensive Player of the Month (September)
Mark Anderson, Defensive Rookie of the Month (October)
Robbie Gould, NFC Special Teams Player of the Month (October)
Rex Grossman, NFC Offensive Player of the Week
Devin Hester, NFC Special Teams Player of the Week (twice)
Tommie Harris, NFC Defensive Player of the Week (twice)
Robbie Gould, NFC Special Teams Player of the Week








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