ESPN hits the nail on the head when it comes to choosing which former Chicago Bears to select on the All Quarter Century team

Time has a funny way or moving fast and slow at the same time. Believe it or not, we are 25 years into the 21st century already, which is a milestone year across the board.

In honor of that, ESPN's Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder released an NFL All Quarter Century team featuring some of the best players over the last 25 years.

This list, understandably, got a lot of criticism over which players were selected and which players were left off completely. When it comes to the Chicago Bears, ESPN selected the right candidates that truly deserved to be on the list.

5 former Bears players and 1 coach selected to ESPN's All Quarter Century Team

For what it's worth, the Bears haven't been widely successful over the last quarter century. Chicago did reach a Super Bowl in 2006 but besides that the team only managed to reach the playoffs in five other seasons.

Even still, some all time greats came through Chicago over the last 25 years and rightfully were recognized for their career in the league.

Brian Urlacher (LB3)

This one was a little questionable, only because of where he's listed. Brian Urlacher has the support to be the greatest linebacker of his era and the resume to back it up. Urlacher was an 8-time Pro Bowler, 4-time All-Pro, AP Defensive Player of the Year in 2005, and AP Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2000. In 2018, Urlacher was named into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. To be far, the linebackers listed over Urlacher were Hall of Famer Ray Lewis and future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner.

Jared Allen (EDGE2)

Being ranked as the second edge rusher behind DeMarcus Ware is high praise for Jared Allen, but well earned by the recent Hall of Famer. Allen's tenure in Chicago was short-lived and at the tail-end of his career but still a small piece of his legacy.

Julius Peppers (EDGE4)

 As someone who grew up in North Carolina, Julius Peppers was one of my All-Time favorites on the gridiron. While he only spent four seasons in Chicago, they were very high-quality. With the Bears, Peppers was named to three Pro Bowls and one first-team All-Pro selection by totaling 37.5 sacks, 52 QB hits, and 10 forced fumbles all while never missing a game. After being selected to the Hall of Fame in 2024, it's easy to see why Peppers got the final spot off the edge.

Devin Hester (Returner1)

And, to no ones surprise, Devin Hester got his own spot as the return specialist. Hester became the first primary return man to be selected to the Hall of Fame last year. His resume has a returner will be hard for anyone to beat returning 14 punts and five kickoffs for touchdowns. Hester's touchdown on the opening kickoff in Super Bowl XLI will always be remembered as one of the top moments in Super Bowl history.