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The List: From Tyler Huntley to Tyler Palko to Glenn Foley ...

  • Writer: Mark Potash
    Mark Potash
  • Oct 27
  • 6 min read

The Bears have lost to some pretty modest NFL quarterbacks over the years, but in winning with the Ravens on Sunday, Huntley joined Foley as quarterbacks with single-digit NFL victories to beat the Bears twice.


Foley, a seventh-round draft pick by the Jets in 1994, deserves special mention. He was 2-7 in nine NFL starts, and both victories came against the Bears — in 1997 with the Jets (with veteran Neil O'Donnell finishing) and in 1999 with the Seahawks. He joins the Chiefs' Tyler Palko (2011) as quarterbacks whose only NFL victory came against the Bears. (The Vikings' J.J. McCarthy, who beat the Bears in his first NFL game in this year's opener and hasn't played since being injured in a loss to the Falcons in Week 2, also qualifies, but that's not the same thing by a longshot.)


Here's the list:


Mike White, Jets (2022, Week 12)


A fifth-round draft pick by the Cowboys in 2018, White was 2-5 as a starter in the NFL, with a 74.7 career passer rating. But he was lights out as a replacement for benched starter Zach Wilson against the 3-8 Bears — completing 22 of 28 passes for 315 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions for a career-best 149.3 passer rating in a 31-10 victory over the 3-9 Bears.



Tyler Huntley, Ravens (2021, Week 11)


Making his first NFL start in place of injured starter Lamar Jackson, Huntley, an undrafted free agent from Utah, was just OK against the 3-6 Bears, but good enough — overcoming six sacks to complete 26 of 36 passes for 219 yards, no touchdowns and one interception for a 76.0 passer rating in a 16-13 victory. He also rushed seven times for 40 yards. With his repeat victory over the Bears on Sunday, Huntley is 6-9 as an NFL starter.



Brett Hundley, Packers (2017, Week 10)


Bears fans breathed a sigh of relief when Hundley, a fifth round draft pick in 2017, started for the injured Aaron Rodgers, who was 13-2 in his previous 15 starts against the Bears. But Hundley, making his third NFL start, out-dueled Mitch Trubisky in a 23-16 victory at Soldier Field. Facing a 3-5 Bears team coming off a bye, Hundley completed 18 of 25 passes for 212 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions for a 110.7 passer rating in a 23-16 victory. He was 3-6 in his NFL career.



E.J. Manuel, Bills (2014, Week 1)


The first quarterback taken in a week draft in 2013 (first round,, 16th overall), Manuel was in his second season as a starter for the Bills in the 2014 opener and was just OK but good enough against the Bears. He completed 16 of 22 passes for 173 yards, one touchdown and one interceptions for a 91.7 passer rating and scored on a two-yard run in a 23-20 overtime victory at Soldier Field. Manuel was 6-12 as a starter in his NFL career.



Kellen Clemens, Rams (2013, Week 12)


A veteran back-up, Clemens was making his fourth consecutive start in place of injured starter Sam Bradford (torn ACL) when he faced Marc Trestman's 6-4 Bears and Josh McCown at the Edward Jones Dome. He wasn't very good — 10 of 22 for 167 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions for an 86.7 passer rating. But a Tavon Austin 58-yard touchdown run and Matt Forte's fumble inside the 10 on the Bears' ensuing possession led to an early 14-0 lead that put the wind at Clemens' back. He was 8-13 as a starter in the NFL.


Tyler Palko, Chiefs (2011, Week 13)


An undrafted free agent in 2007 who blossomed under Dave Wannstedt at Pitt, Palko had lost his first two NFL starts when he faced Caleb Hanie and the 7-4 Bears at Soldier Field. He wasn't any better against the Bears — 17 of 30 for 157 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions for an 82.2 passer rating. But he found a way to win, with an almost inexplicable 38-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to running back Dexter McCluster on the final play of the first half making the difference. Palko lost to the Jets 37-10 the following week and never played in another NFL game. He was 1-3 as a starter in the NFL.



Tim Tebow, Broncos (2011, Week 14)


A week after losing to Palko and the Chiefs, the 7-5 Bears faced Tebow, the former Heisman Trophy winner who wasn't a very good quarterback but had a knack for making things happen and making you play stupid if you let him. He wasn't very good against the Bears — 21 of 40 for 236 yards, one touchdown and one interception for a 68.3 passer rating. But Marion Barber inexplicably ran out of bounds to give Tebow enough time to set up Matt Prater's 59-yard field goal at the end of regulation, and Barber's overtime fumble gave Tebow a chance to scratch and claw to set up Prater's 51-yard field goal that won it, 13-10. Tebow somehow made the playoffs at 8-8 under John Fox and actually beat the Steelers in overtime in the playoffs, but soon faded and finished 8-6 as an NFL starter.



Doug Pederson, Eagles (1999, Week 6)


A back-up to Brett Favre with the Packers, Pederson joined Andy Reid when he got the Eagles job and was his Week 1 starter with No. 2 overall pick Donovan McNabb waiting in the wings. He out-dueled Bears (3-2) rookie Cade McNown in a 20-16 victory at Soldier Field — completing 22 of 38 passes for 228 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 92.9 passer rating. Three games later, McNabb made his first NFL start — and the rest is history. Pederson started eight games for the Browns in 2000, but went 1-7 to finish 3-14 in his career. He became the Eagles head coach in 2016 and won the Super Bowl behind Nick Foles in 2017.



Glenn Foley, Seahawks (1999, Week 2)


A game-day decision by Mike Holmgren to start over injured starter Jon Kitna, Foley didn't do much against the 1-0 Bears for three quarters and trailed 13-0. But he turned it on in the fourth quarter — completing 8 of 11 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns, including a 49-yarder to former Bears wide receiver and Waubonsie Valley product Fabien Bownes to win 14-13 at Soldier Field. He was 18 of 30 for 283 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 113.6 passer rating.



Glenn Foley, Jets (1997, Week 12)


Making his second NFL start in place of Neil O'Donnell, Foley completed 8 of 13 passes for 111 yards and a 35-yard touchdown to Keyshawn Johnson to stake the Jets to a 10-0 lead against the 1-9 Bears when he suffered a knee injury and was replaced by O'Donnell. In two games against the Bears, Foley was 2-0 with a 113.9 passer rating (three touchdowns, no interceptions). Against the rest of the league, he was 0-7 with a 61.3 rating (nine touchdowns, 16 interceptions).


(A side note: In 1997, after losing to Foley and the Seahawks, the Bears were 1-10 and in position for the No. 1 overall draft pick, with Tennessee's Peyton Manning and Washington State's Ryan Leaf the likely top two picks. They faced Scott Mitchell, Todd Collins, Tony Banks and Trent Dilfer in the final five weeks and went 3-2 to finish 4-12, with the No. 5 pick in the draft. Instead of Maning, they got Penn State running back Curtis Enis.)


Heath Shuler, Saints (1997, Week 6)


The No. 3 overall pick of the 1994 draft by the Redskins, Shuler was traded to the Saints in 1997 and faring no better when he and Mike Ditka's Saints faced Dave Wannstedt's 0-4 Bears at Soldier Field. Shuler was just as bad against the Bears late into the fourth quarter — 8 of 22 for 106 yards, no touchdowns and one interception for. 33.5 passer rating. And his fumbled snap that Jim Flanigan recovered at the Saints 8-yard line set up Raymont Harris' one-yard touchdown run that gave the Bears a 17-13 lead with 6:02 left. But Shuler responded on the next play from scrimmage, throwing an 89-yard touchdown pass to Randal Hill to give the Saints a 20-17 victory. Shuler started just three more games (benched in two of them) and finished 8-14 as a starter in the NFL.








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