Chicago Bears Logo

The Chicago Bears are definitely one of the main names in American Football. The team was established in 1920 in Decatur and today is one of the two oldest teams in the NFL. The Staleys moved to Chicago in 1921 and got their new name in 1922.

Meaning and history

The Chicago Bears are one of only two teams still in existence that played in the inaugural NFL season. The history of the legendary club began in Decatur in 1920 when the Staleys Company decided to sponsor a soccer team. Then on September 17, 1920, the Staleys, with their representative George Halas, joined the American Professional Football Association, which was renamed the National Football League in 1922. That same year, the team was also renamed, which is how the Bears came to be.

By the way, the team owed its new name to George Halas. When the club moved to Chicago, it already had a baseball team called the Chicago Cubs. Halas’ premise was that Football players are physically larger than baseball players. So if baseball players are cubs, then soccer players are bears.

The team’s mascot, on the other hand, is relatively recent. The bear named Staley Da Bear first appeared at an NFL game in 2003. His name is a tribute to the company that founded the team. Staley wears a jersey from the home uniform set with the number 00.

The Chicago Bears have played over a thousand games in their long history. The team has played in the NFL Finals 21 times, won 19 division championships, eight NFL championships, and a 20th Super Bowl.

1920 – 1921

The initial logo was designed for the team with the name Decatur Staleys, and it was a simple rounded emblem, executed in blue, orange, and white. This color palette still stays with the team and is a signature instantly recognizable combination.

1921 – 1940

The first redesign was held after the move of the team to Chicago. Now the logo was composed of a brown football with white details and a bold orange wordmark with a blue outline.

1922 – 1945

The Bear first appeared on the logo in 1922. The Chicago Bears insignia, designed this year, was composed of a big brown animal running with a football.

1946 – 1961

The redesign of 1946 brought a more modern look to a bear and a football. Now the blue animal was crawling on an enlarged orange football, placed horizontally. This emblem stayed with the team for almost 30 years.

1962 – 1973

In 1962 the famous wishbone letter “C” first appears in the Chicago Bears visual identity. It was a white symbol with a black outline.

1973 (proposed)

The unused logo of Chicago Bears, designed in 1973, featured a combination of a bold and stable rounded sand-serif inscription and a contoured drawing of a bear in the club’s helm, drawn in thick gray lines. The caricaturish animal looked very determined and ready to fight.

1974 – 2023

Today the team uses the logo, designed in 1974. It is a modified version of the wishbone “C”, executed in the original orange, blue and white color palette.

The Chicago Bears also have a strong and solid logotype, which is sometimes used under the “C”, and sometimes – on its own. It is an inscription, executed in a bold sans-serif typeface, which is very close to OL London Black font. There are two different color options, depending on the background — the lettering can be whether in orange or in navy-blue.

2023 – Today

The redesign of 2023 has replaced the iconic Chicago Bears’ wishbone “C” with a bright orange and blue drawing of a roaring bear’s head. The new badge perfectly represents the fighting spirit and strength of the club, as much as its identity — the historical orange and blue color palette and the mascot of the team.

Symbol

The iconic symbol of the team is the head of the roaring bear, which was designed in 1999, based on the original image from 1963. The head is executed in the team’s official color palette — orange and dark blue, the colors, symbolizing energy, power, and excellence.

Helmets

Since the 1960s, The Chicago Bears have been using one and the same minimalist yet remarkable helmet design — the wishbone “C” is placed on a solid blue background. During the first years, the “C” was in white, but in 1974 it became orange. Today’s helmets in navy blue have an iconic letter in orange with a delicate white outline.

Uniform

In addition to blue and orange helmets, The Chicago Bears uniform includes a jersey in the same color palette and white pants with bright side stripes. The player’s number is placed on both the front and back sides of the jersey and executed in bold white digits with an orange outline. The uniform looks powerful and evokes a sense of authority and professionalism, being at the same time instantly recognizable.