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===1919–1939: Early Bears===
{{Blockquote|In March of 1920 a man telephoned me ... George Chamberlain and he was general superintendent of the A.E. Staley Company ... In 1919<!--Yes, 1919. This is NOT a typo-->, [the company's Fellowship Club] had formed a football team. It had done well against other local teams but Mr. Staley wanted to build it into a team that could compete successfully with the best semi-professional and industrial teams in the country ... Mr. Chamberlain asked if I would like to come to Decatur and work for the Staley Company.|[[George Halas]], in his book ''Halas by Halas''<ref name=Halas/>}}

{{stack|[[File:Pete Rozelle and George Halas.jpg|thumb|Bears founder [[George Halas]] (right) with NFL commissioner [[Pete Rozelle]] (early 1980s)]]}}

Originally named the '''Decatur Staleys''', the club was established by the [[A. E. Staley]] food starch company of [[Decatur, Illinois]], as a company team. This was the typical start for several early professional football franchises. The team played independently in [[1919 Decatur Staleys season|1919]], winning the Central Illinois Championship.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite web |last=Conn |first=Justin |date=September 17, 2018 |title=The Chicago Bears NFL franchise began in Decatur as the Staleys |url=https://herald-review.com/news/local/the-chicago-bears-nfl-franchise-began-in-decatur-as-the/article_c6273ddc-07ba-53b8-bd12-f9742c6956e6.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181228084709/https://herald-review.com/news/local/the-chicago-bears-nfl-franchise-began-in-decatur-as-the/article_c6273ddc-07ba-53b8-bd12-f9742c6956e6.html |archive-date=December 28, 2018 |access-date=December 28, 2018 |publisher=Herald & Review}}</ref> The company hired [[George Halas]] and [[Edward Sternaman|Edward "Dutch" Sternaman]] in 1920 to run the team. The [[1920 Decatur Staleys season]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.independentfootball.site90.com/Teams/1920DecStaleys.htm |title=1920 Decatur Staleys |publisher=Independentfootball.site90.com |access-date=November 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716075300/http://www.independentfootball.site90.com/Teams/1920DecStaleys.htm |archive-date=July 16, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> was their inaugural [[Regular Season (NFL)|regular season]] completed in the newly formed [[American Professional Football Association]] (AFPA) (later renamed the [[National Football League]] (NFL) in 1922).<ref>{{cite web|last=Jones|first=Julius L.|url=https://www.chicagohistory.org/bears100/|title=A Century of Chicago Bears Football|website=[[Chicago History Museum|chicagohistory.org]]|publisher=[[Chicago History Museum]]|date=October 21, 2019|accessdate=January 27, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/football-history/1869-1939/1922/|title=1922 – American Professional Football Association Changes Name to National Football League|publisher=[[Pro Football Hall of Fame]]|accessdate=January 27, 2026}}</ref>

Full control of the team was turned over to Halas and Sternaman in 1921.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Decatur Staleys |work=Local Website |url=http://home.comcast.net/~esterneman/sternaman/football.htm |access-date=June 15, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20100919012039/http://home.comcast.net:80/~esterneman/sternaman/football.htm |archive-date= 2010-09-19}}</ref> Official team and league records cite Halas as the founder as he took over the team in 1920 when it became a charter member of the NFL.<ref>{{cite web|title=George Halas: Hall of Fame Member|work=Pro Football Hall of Fame|url=http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=85|access-date=May 14, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060405133723/http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?PLAYER_ID=85|archive-date=April 5, 2006|url-status=live}}</ref>

The team moved to Chicago in 1921, where the club was renamed the '''Chicago Staleys'''; Under an agreement reached by Halas and Sternaman with Staley, they received US$5,000 to keep the name "Staleys" for the 1921 season.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chicago Bears Team History|url=https://www.profootballhof.com/teams/chicago-bears/team-history/|website=Pro Football Hall of Fame|language=en-US|access-date=January 3, 2024|archive-date=June 11, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230611193128/https://www.profootballhof.com/teams/chicago-bears/team-history/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1922, Halas changed the team name from the Staleys to the '''Bears'''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chicagobears.com/tradition/history-by-decades/highlights-1920s.html |title=Highlights from the 1920s |publisher=Chicago Bears |access-date=December 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180416071306/http://www.chicagobears.com/tradition/history-by-decades/highlights-1920s.html |archive-date=April 16, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The team moved into [[Wrigley Field]], home of the [[Chicago Cubs]] [[baseball]] franchise. As with several early NFL franchises, the Bears derived their nickname from their city's baseball team (bears' young are called "cubs").<ref>{{cite web |url=http://chicagoist.com/2007/01/31/ask_chicagoist_why_are_they_called_the_bears.php |title=Ask Chicagoist: Why Are They Called the Bears? |last=Exoo |first=Thales |publisher=[[Gothamist]] |date=January 31, 2007 |website=Chicagoist |access-date=December 19, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510153921/http://chicagoist.com/2007/01/31/ask_chicagoist_why_are_they_called_the_bears.php |archive-date=May 10, 2017 }}</ref> Halas liked the bright orange-and-blue colors of his alma mater, the [[University of Illinois]], and the Bears adopted those colors as their own, albeit in a darker shade of each (the blue is [[Pantone]] 5395, [[navy blue]], and the orange is Pantone 1665, similar to burnt orange).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chicagobears.com/tradition/uniform-history.html |title=Chicago Bears Uniform History |publisher=Chicago Bears |access-date=December 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407205428/http://www.chicagobears.com/tradition/uniform-history.html |archive-date=April 7, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://prod.static.bears.clubs.nfl.com/assets/docs/cb_brand_book_050410.pdf#page=15 |title=The Chicago Bears Brand |publisher=Chicago Bears |format=PDF |access-date=December 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304230137/http://prod.static.bears.clubs.nfl.com/assets/docs/cb_brand_book_050410.pdf#page=15 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Staleys/Bears dominated the league in the early years. Their rivalry with the [[Arizona Cardinals|Chicago Cardinals]], the oldest in the NFL (and a crosstown rival from 1920 to 1959), was key in four out of the first six league titles. During the league's first six years, the Bears lost twice to the [[Canton Bulldogs]] (who took two league titles over that span), and split with their crosstown rival Cardinals (going 4–4–2 against each other over that span), but no other team in the league defeated the Bears more than a single time. During that span, the Bears posted 34 shutouts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/bears-shutout-victories|title=The Chicago Bears have won 109 times in shutouts all-time.|website=[[StatMuse]]|url-access=subscription|accessdate=January 27, 2026}}</ref>

The Bears' rivalry with the [[Green Bay Packers]] is one of the oldest and most storied in American professional sports, dating back to 1921 (the Green Bay Packers were an independent team until they joined the NFL in 1921). In one infamous incident that year, Halas got the Packers expelled from the league in order to prevent their signing a particular player, and then graciously got them re-admitted after the Bears had closed the deal with that player.<ref>{{cite web|last=Peterson |first=Brian |title=Love-Hate Relationship: Bears-Packers Rivalry Always Bittersweet |url=http://www.packers.com/news/stories/2000/09/28/1/ |publisher=Green Bay Packers |date=September 28, 2000 |access-date=June 8, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107015852/http://www.packers.com/news/stories/2000/09/28/1/ |archive-date=January 7, 2010 }}</ref>

The franchise was an early success under Halas, capturing the NFL Championship in {{nfly|1921}} and remaining competitive throughout the decade.

{{stack|[[File:1924bears.jpg|thumb|The 1924 team photo]]}}

On December 7, 1924, the Bears claimed the championship after defeating the [[Cleveland Bulldogs]], even putting the title "World's Champions" on their 1924 team photo. The NFL had ruled, however, that games after November 30 did not count towards league standings, and the Bears had to settle for second place behind Cleveland.<ref>{{cite web|title=1924: The Third Time is Charmed |work=PFRA |url=http://footballresearch.com/articles/frpage.cfm?topic=1924b |access-date=2007-02-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013105712/http://footballresearch.com/articles/frpage.cfm?topic=1924b |archive-date=2007-10-13 |author=PFRA Research }}</ref> Their only first losing season came in {{nfly|1929}}; it remained the team's only such season until {{nfly|1945}}.<ref name=CBFE/>

During the 1920s the club was responsible for triggering the NFL's long-standing rule that a player could not be signed until his college's senior class had graduated. The NFL took that action as a consequence of the Bears' aggressive signing of famous University of Illinois player [[Red Grange]] within a day of his final game as a collegian.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schwartz |first=Larry |title=Galloping Ghost scared opponents |url=https://www.espn.com/sportscentury/features/00014213.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051231152202/http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00014213.html |archive-date=December 31, 2005 |access-date=December 1, 2005 |website=ESPN.com}}</ref>

Despite much of the on-field success, the Bears were a team in trouble. They faced the problem of increased operating costs and flatlined attendance. The Bears would only draw roughly 5,000–6,000 fans a game, while a University of Chicago game would draw 40,000–50,000 fans a game. By adding top college football draw Red Grange to the roster, the Bears knew that they found something to draw more fans to their games. [[C.C. Pyle]] was able to secure a $2,000 per game contract for Grange, and in one of the first games, the Bears defeated the Green Bay Packers, 21–0. However, Grange remained on the sidelines while learning the team's plays from Bears quarterback [[Joey Sternaman]]. Later in 1925, the Bears went on a barnstorming tour, showing off the best football player of the day. 75,000 people paid to see Grange lead the Bears to a 17–7 victory over the Los Angeles Tigers, who were a quickly put together team of West Coast college all-stars. After a loss to San Francisco, the Bears cruised to a 60–3 win over a semi-pro team called the Portland All Stars.<ref name="ChicagoBears">{{cite book |last1=Whittingham |first1=Richard |last2=Ditka |first2=Mike |title=The Chicago Bears: From George Halas to Super Bowl XX |year=1986 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=978-0-671-62885-7 |oclc=13795870 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/chicagobearsfrom0000whit }}</ref>

Any hopes that Grange would lead the Bears to glory in 1926 were quickly dashed. A failed contract talk led to Grange bolting to a team in the newly-formed [[American Football League (1926)|American Football League]] (AFL), the [[New York Yankees (NFL)|New York Yankees]], which was owned by Pyle. The Bears also lost star quarterback Joey Sternaman, who joined the [[Chicago Bulls (AFL, 1926)|Chicago Bulls of the AFL]]. The Bears replaced Grange with [[Paddy Driscoll]], a star football player in his own right. The Bears used the money made from the Grange barn-storming tour to sign the man who replaced him. Grange split his time between making movies and playing football. However, the time was not right to have two competing pro football leagues, and the AFL folded after only one season. Grange would return to the Bears.<ref name="ChicagoBears" />

After the financial losses of the {{nfly|1932}} Championship season, Halas's partner Dutch Sternaman left the organization. Halas maintained full control of the Bears until his death in 1983. He also coached the team off-and-on for forty seasons, an NFL record. In the [[NFL Playoff Game, 1932|1932 "Unofficial" NFL Championship]], the Bears defeated the [[Portsmouth Spartans]] in the first NFL playoff game.<ref name=fpg>{{cite web|url=https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/decades-1930s-first-playoff-game/|title=First Playoff Game|publisher=[[Pro Football Hall of Fame]]|accessdate=November 28, 2023}}</ref> Due to blizzard conditions in Chicago, the game was played at [[Chicago Stadium]],<ref name=fpg/><ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF-MYaFH6us|title=Doc Emrick tells the odd tale of the 1932 NFL Championship Game|publisher=[[NBC Sports]]|via=[[YouTube]]|date=December 12, 2021|accessdate=November 28, 2023|archive-date=March 20, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320050232/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF-MYaFH6us|url-status=live}}</ref> marking it as the first indoor NFL game.<ref>{{cite web|last=Mayer|first=Larry|url=https://www.chicagobears.com/news/bears-played-nfl-s-first-indoor-game-12689196|title=Bears played NFL's first indoor game|publisher=Chicago Bears|date=March 1, 2014|accessdate=April 16, 2026}}</ref>

The success of the playoff game led the NFL to institute a championship game. In the first [[NFL Championship]], the Bears played against the [[New York Giants]], defeating them 23–21. The teams met again in the [[1934 NFL Championship]] where the [[1933 New York Giants season|Giants]], wearing sneakers defeated the Bears 30–13 on a cold, icy day at the [[Polo Grounds]].<ref name=Canavan>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yT1WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9-kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5288%2C1343586 |newspaper=[[The Gainesville Sun]] |location=[[Gainesville, Florida]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |last=Canavan |first=Tom |title=Sneakers game is most famous episode in Bears-Giants rivalry |date=January 5, 1986 |page=4F }}</ref>