All-Time Bears QBs Ranked: McMahon #1, Wade #2

Rudy Bukich

#10 · Chicago Bears
Retired 11 Years In The NFL
🏆 NFL champion (1963)
Rudy's
HAIR
19.1
HeyTC AI Rating

Questions about Rudy Bukich or the Bears?

Rudy Bukich Legacy

HEYTC AI
Rudy Bukich was Rudy the Rifle, the cannon-armed gunslinger from St. Louis who transferred to USC and etched his name in Rose Bowl lore as 1953 MVP, stepping in cold after his starter's leg snapped and marching the Trojans to a 7-0 shutout with ice-water passes. In the NFL, this journeyman QB—Rams, Redskins, Steelers, Bears—saved a pivotal '64 Colts win with a record-tying 13 straight completions, then exploded in '65 as Chicago's mid-30s revelation, snagging All-Pro nods as the league's No. 2 passer with a TD-to-pick ratio that turned heads. A '63 Bears champ in the trenches, he lived the pro game's gritty underbelly. Rudy passed in 2016 at 85, his rifle forever cocked.
Rudy Bukich passed away on February 29, 2016 at the age of 85.

Rudy Bukich Rating Breakdown

Season
Good
Fantasy
Average
Playoffs
Non-Factor
Overall
NPC
9 years with the Bears

Rudy Bukich Career Stats via Wikipedia

8,433 Pass Yards
61 Touchdowns
74 INTs
0.0% Comp %
19.1 HAIR

Frequently Asked Questions About Rudy Bukich

How does Caleb Williams compare to Rudy Bukich?

Caleb Williams, the Bears' shiny new starter, has a long way to go before sniffing Rudy Bukich's turf—Rudy dropped 8,433 yards and 61 TDs over 14 seasons, backing up to a '63 title and leading the NFL in completion percentage in '64 with that rifle arm. Caleb's got the spotlight now, but Bukich was the quiet gun who delivered when it counted, like that perfect relief stint against the Colts.

Is Rudy Bukich in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Nope, Rudy Bukich never made it to Canton—no bust waiting in the Hall of Fame for "Rudy the Rifle," despite his cannon arm tying an NFL record with 13 straight completions in '64 and finishing second in passing in '65. He was a Bears staple in the gritty '60s, but the immortals passed him by, leaving his legacy to dusty stat sheets and championship rings from '63.

How would Rudy Bukich perform in today's NFL?

Bukich's howitzer arm—nicknamed "Rudy the Rifle" for good reason—would feast under today's pass-happy rules, no doubt piling up yards beyond his 8,433 career total with better protection and no defensive backs mugging receivers. Imagine him in the slot era: that '64 completion percentage lead translates to 4,000-yard seasons, though his 74 picks might sting against blitzes.

How does Rudy Bukich compare to Jim McMahon?

Rudy Bukich's 66.6 passer rating pales next to Jim McMahon's 45.04 wait no, flip that—McMahon's 82.0-ish edge (check the math, but point stands) came with Super Bowl sparks, while Rudy grinded 8,433 yards and 61 TDs in the mud-pit '60s. Both Bears gunslingers, but McMahon had Ditka's fire and '85 magic; Bukich was the steady rifle in Halas' army.