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when were the chicago bears founded

The Chicago Bears trace their origins to September 20, 1919, when they were founded as the Decatur Staleys in Decatur, Illinois.

Quick Scoop

  • The club began as a company team for the A. E. Staley food starch company in Decatur in 1919.
  • The franchise turned professional and joined what became the NFL in 1920, still as the Decatur Staleys.
  • The team moved to Chicago in 1921 and later adopted the Chicago Bears name in 1922.

So, if you are asking “when were the Chicago Bears founded,” the foundational date most often cited is 1919, as the Decatur Staleys, the team that evolved into today’s Chicago Bears.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.