When were the Chicago Bears founded?

The Chicago Bears are one of the two charter NFL franchises still in operation today (the other being the Arizona Cardinals). The Bears, in 1920, were the Decateur Staleys, named after their owner. In 1921, the team moved to Wrigley Field & became the Chicago Staleys. In this time frame, George S. Halas was purchasing control of the club from Staley. In 1922, Halas was the league's first player-coach-owner for his new team, the Chicago Bears, the new nickname inspired by their home field (Wrigley Field, which is the legendary home of baseball's Chicago Cubs). The short answer: The franchise began as an original NFL franchise. The team known as the Bears were first assembled in 1922.