The
1968 season was the
Chicago Bears' 49th in the
National Football League. The team failed to improve on their 7–6–1 record from 1967 and finished with a 7–7 record under first-year head coach
Jim Dooley and earning them a second-place finish in the Central Division within the NFL's Western Conference, a game behind the
Minnesota Vikings.[1]
Star running back
Gale Sayers tore the ligaments in his right knee against
San Francisco on November 10 and was lost for the season.[2][3]
The Bears had the tiebreaker advantage over Minnesota, after defeating them twice.[4] They needed a win over the
Green Bay Packers in the season finale to clinch the division title,[4] but lost by a point at home.[5][6]
The
following season, Chicago posted its worst record in franchise history at 1–13. The Bears' next postseason appearance was in
1977, as a
wild card team, and the next division title came in
1984.
Offseason
George Halas, age 73, retired as head coach of the Bears for the fourth and final time on May 27.[7][8][9][10] Dooley, 38, was promoted and introduced as head coach the following day.[11][12]
The
1968 season was the
Chicago Bears' 49th in the
National Football League. The team failed to improve on their 7–6–1 record from 1967 and finished with a 7–7 record under first-year head coach
Jim Dooley and earning them a second-place finish in the Central Division within the NFL's Western Conference, a game behind the
Minnesota Vikings.[1]
Star running back
Gale Sayers tore the ligaments in his right knee against
San Francisco on November 10 and was lost for the season.[2][3]
The Bears had the tiebreaker advantage over Minnesota, after defeating them twice.[4] They needed a win over the
Green Bay Packers in the season finale to clinch the division title,[4] but lost by a point at home.[5][6]
The
following season, Chicago posted its worst record in franchise history at 1–13. The Bears' next postseason appearance was in
1977, as a
wild card team, and the next division title came in
1984.
Offseason
George Halas, age 73, retired as head coach of the Bears for the fourth and final time on May 27.[7][8][9][10] Dooley, 38, was promoted and introduced as head coach the following day.[11][12]