Which single-season franchise records could the Chicago Bears break in 2024?

The Chicago Bears are one of the NFL’s flagship franchises, dating back to 1920 when they were known as the Decatur Staleys of the American Professional Football Association. During this span, they have accumulated impressive records, not only in the league but within their organization as well.

Offensive production, however, is not one of those remarkable feats.

Did you know that no Chicago Bears quarterback has ever thrown for 4,000 yards in a single season? Of course, you do because everyone knows that.

Let’s look at some franchise records that have a chance of being broken during the 2024 NFL season.

Very Likely

Rookie quarterbacks generally struggle when they enter the league. The Bears have magnified these struggles due to poor drafting, coaching, and development. Below are the rookie passing records for the Chicago Bears

Rookie Passing Yards: Mitch Trubisky (2017) – 2,193 yards

Rookie Completions: Mitch Trubisky (2017) – 196 completions

Rookie Passing Touchdowns: Charlie O’Rourke (1942) – 11 touchdowns

Mac Jones would have broken all of these records in his first year in New England to give you an idea of how sultry these numbers are. Caleb Williams will enter the season as a highly touted prospect with weapons all around him. He will also be the starter right out of the gate, so he will have the full 17 games to work with. He will break all of these records by midseason.

Somewhat Likely

Most receiving yards in a season: Brandon Marshall (2012) – 1,508 yards

DJ Moore and Keenan Allen finished last season with 1,364 and 1,243 yards, respectively. Keenan Allen amassed that yardage total while only playing in 13 games.

Here’s a hot take: Both wide receivers have a shot at eclipsing 1,500 yards this year. Moore is a better bet because of his ability after the catch. He would’ve broken this record last season if he had more consistent quarterback play.

Punt Net Average: Pat O’Donnell (2019) – 40.7 yds/punt

We need to mention the Bears’newly acquired punter, Tory Taylor, who broke five NCAA punting records last year and is one of the best prospects this position has seen in recent memory. While I don’t believe Taylor has a shot at any of the accumulative punting total records (I believe Caleb when he says they won’t be punting as much), I think he has a chance to break the net average record set by O’Donnell in 2019.

Taylor averaged 45.4 yards per punt at Iowa last year. Even if he takes a slight step back this year, he should have a good chance of breaking the current record.

A Little Less Likely

Passing yards in a season: Erik Kramer (1995) – 3,838 yards

It is asking a lot of a rookie quarterback to break the all-time single-season passing yards record. Again, if Mac Jones can throw for 3,801 yards during his rookie season, Caleb can make this happen. Fanduel has the O/U for Caleb’s yardage at 3,450 yards.

Most Completions: Jay Cutler (2014) – 370

This is not a hard hurdle to overcome. In fact, nine quarterbacks had over 370 completions last year (including first-year starter Jordan Love). This works out to just over 21 completions per game for a full 17-game season. The only reason I’ve ranked it so low is because Caleb Willims is a rookie quarterback, so it’s fair to wonder how Waldron will handle the first few games of the season.

Most receiving yards by a rookie: Harlon Hill (1954) – 1,124 yards

This is a record that has stood the test of time. It is largely due to the Bears’ history of not drafting elite WRs in the early rounds. While Rome Odunze certainly has the skillset and capability to break this record, I don’t know if he will have the opportunity to reach this number. He will likely be the third receiver behind Keenan Allen and DJ Moore, so his target share will take a hit. However, if Allen or Moore misses time due to injury, Odunze should be able to step in and produce.

If Everything Falls Perfectly….

Most points scored in a season: 1985 – 456 points

We couldn’t review the record books without bringing in one from the 1985 championship team. That team, relying primarily on defense, holds the Bears single-season record for points scored.

For the Bears to eclipse this number, they would need to average 27 points per game. For reference, five teams scored more than 456 in the regular season last year (Cowboys, Dolphins, 49ers, Ravens, Lions). The Bears certainly have the skill players to achieve this, but with so many new faces, it could take a few weeks before the offense clicks.