There is a lot of buzz in NFL circles after Brian Urlacher revealed which former Bears teammates he thinks should be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Brian Urlacher has truly stirred the waters across NFL and Bears circles by highlighting a standout former Chicago Bear whom he believes is long overdue for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In a radio interview on 670 The Score’s “Rahimi & Harris Show” in mid‑July 2025, Urlacher publicly advocated for his longtime teammate, center Olin Kreutz, calling him “the guy who should get in” due to his remarkable career with the Bears—and emphasizing that facing Kreutz in practice daily sharpened his own defensive craft ([Yardbarker][1]).

Olin Kreutz spent thirteen seasons largely anchoring the Bears’ offensive line. He started 187 games, appeared in 195, earned six Pro Bowl nods, was named to the NFL’s All‑Decade Team for the 2000s, and was twice All‑Pro. Urlacher stressed how instrumental Kreutz was not just for his own success, but for the cohesion and performance of their entire defense ([Yardbarker][1]). Urlacher’s endorsement is especially vocal because many voters often overlook offensive linemen despite their influence on the game.

Urlacher’s frustration extends beyond Kreutz. In interviews dating back to 2022, he criticized the Hall’s inductee process as flawed, pointing out that deserving players are sometimes delayed or denied induction over media bias or retroactive grudges. He lamented the Hall’s reluctance to induct multiple players at the same position in the same year, questioning why two deserving quarterbacks wouldn’t both go in together. Urlacher feels the Hall should be based strictly on on‑field merit, not off‑field perceptions or narrative baggage ([Windy City Gridiron][2]).

Equally telling is Urlacher’s support for other former Bears teammates like Lance Briggs and Charles “Peanut” Tillman. Within the same commentary, Urlacher expressed hope for both to get their call someday. As a group, Kreutz, Briggs, and Tillman formed the nucleus of a defense that defined an era in Chicago, and Urlacher highlighted them as worthy of serious consideration ([Windy City Gridiron][2]).

Among these, Charles Tillman often earns particular support from fans and analysts alike. “Peanut” was revered not just for his coverage skills but for inventing what became known as the “Peanut Punch”—a tackling method that prioritized punching the ball out to force turnovers. Tillman twice made the Pro Bowl and was All‑Pro once, and he spent virtually his entire career in Chicago (12 of 13 seasons). He changed defensive philosophy league-wide, laying groundwork for how modern defenders attack ball control ([Reddit][3]). One Bears fan wrote, “If you have a maneuver that changed the way the game is played forever named after you, then you should immediately be enshrined in Canton… Peanut should be in the HoF regardless” ([Reddit][4]).

Lance Briggs, meanwhile, was a consistent All‑Pro linebacker—seven Pro Bowls, one 1st Team All‑Pro, two 2nd Team All‑Pro—and spent every one of his 12 productive seasons in Chicago. Many argue his Hall of Fame credentials are borderline, but he repeatedly made teams dominant defensively and leadership groups respected him deeply ([Windy City Gridiron][5]).

Getting lost in all of this is Jay Hilgenberg, who Ecuador next eligibility and has a resume steeped in success: seven Pro Bowls, two first‑team All‑Pro selections, a Super Bowl championship, and 12 seasons with Chicago (plus a clean 188 games played). He was part of the legendary 1985 Super Bowl team and is frequently listed among the franchise’s greatest centers—but has yet to be inducted ([Wikipedia][6]).

Let’s reflect on how Urlacher frames the Hall versus how selectors often decide. Urlacher makes a pointed critique of the Hall voters’ reliance on media narratives and a reluctance to co‑induct worthy players at the same position in a single class. In his view, failing to induct, say, two deserving offensive or defensive linemen (or linebackers like Briggs and Tillman) in the same year makes no sense. He believes that if the credentials are strong, the induction should follow swiftly—regardless of position saturation or politics ([Windy City Gridiron][2]).

Meanwhile, outside perspective echoes Urlacher’s sentiment. Fans frequently emphasize Tillman’s underappreciated greatness: “He was the best takeaway artist of all time… one of the only guys who could cover Randy Moss and Megatron in their peaks—and he’ll never be considered one of the greats because he wasn’t a ball hawk or a total lockdown island guy” ([Reddit][3]). Others argue that the Peanut Punch era he initiated fundamentally changed tackling practice in the NFL, making him historically significant beyond just stats ([Reddit][4]).

All of Urlacher’s top candidates share one clear trait: they spent the vast majority of their careers with the Bears, making them feel unquestionably like franchise icons. Olin Kreutz played virtually his entire career there, as did Briggs and Tillman. Jay Hilgenberg and others like Steve McMichael and Devin Hester—even though Hester goes in as a return specialist—carry that same identity. Bears team chairman McCaskey remarked that the franchise has a “backlog” of worthy HOF Bears including Covert, Hilgenberg, Briggs, McMichael, Hester, and Casares, hoping that selectors will eventually catch up ([Chicago Bears][7]).

From a numbers standpoint, here’s how the case stacks up:

* **Olin Kreutz**: 13 seasons, six Pro Bowls, two All‑Pro nods, starting 187 games. Key linchpin in an offensively dominant Bears era. Urlacher’s vocal support is an uncommon player‑to‑player endorsement for an offensive lineman ([Reddit][8], [Yardbarker][1]).

* **Charles Tillman**: Inventor of the Peanut Punch; forced fumbles more consistently than almost anyone; covered elite receivers regularly; two Pro Bowls, one All‑Pro; long tenured Bear. Widely regarded as under‑respected by Hall voters ([Reddit][9]).

* **Lance Briggs**: Seven Pro Bowls, multiple All‑Pro selections; steady presence in Chicago defense; overshadowed often by Urlacher in spotlight but still elite in his own right ([Windy City Gridiron][5]).

* **Jay Hilgenberg**: Seven Pro Bowls, key center on dominant ’85 Bears, multiple All‑Pro years. A pillar of that legendary team. Frequently nominated but remains on the outside looking in ([Wikipedia][6]).

In recent years, the Hall has inducted Devin Hester and Steve McMichael (class of 2024, both primary Bears contributors), and Jared Allen in 2025 (whose stint in Chicago was short) ([Axios][10]). Urlacher explicitly points out that peers like Kreutz are long overdue, especially given how immediately players like Hester and Peppers gained entry.

Urlacher’s emphasis on Kreutz isn’t random: copious practice tape, Pro Bowl selections, and advanced analysis credit him as the best center of his era, yet he has made only semi‑finalist lists so far. Urlacher frames it more personally: he credits Kreutz with improving his own career through daily practice battles and leadership—a powerful anecdote rarely heard from a Hall of Famer about an offensive lineman ([Yardbarker][1]).

Lance Briggs and Charles Tillman continue to earn support from fans—but the official process moves slowly. Tillman’s legacy may hinge on narrative: changing the way defenses tackle and forcing fumbles is a legacy beyond sheer statistics. Fans say he’s the most physically dominant corner of his generation, who faced future Hall‑of‑Famers head on ([Reddit][3], [Reddit][9]). Briggs is praised as underrated next to Urlacher but nevertheless instrumental on defense.

The question remains: will selectors follow the endorsements and data to induct multiple deserving players in future classes? Urlacher has succinctly laid out that holding back worthy candidates in fear of oversaturating a position or punishing players for media-related controversies is misguided. If someone’s excelled over a long career with elite consistency, they deserve entry, plain and simple.

Ultimately, Brian Urlacher’s public remarks reinforce a broader narrative: too many Bears teammates with exceptional careers remain in the Hall of Fame’s waiting room. His immediacy in naming Kreutz, coupled with broader support for Tillman and Briggs (and historically Hilgenberg and others), lends weight to arguments from fan communities and former players alike that Canton needs to act soon. The buzz is no accident.