Vote opens in Bears “All-Time Historical Team” tournament, as Blue Ridge Better Bests face Gary’s Bears

The 2026 All-Time Historical Chicago Bears Fantasy Draft Tournament has entered its first-round matchup, putting two fans’ all-time Bears team concepts against each other in a bracket-style vote. Bryan Orenchuk’s Blue Ridge Better Bests squares off with Gary Baugher Jr.’s Gary’s Bears, setting up a direct debate over how to build the best possible roster in Bears franchise history.

The format matters because it is not a retrospective of what actually happened on the field. It is a fantasy-style drafting exercise across position groups, with voters asked to decide which team construction is strongest. The matchup is framed as a “final round 1” poll, indicating that this is the next decisive step in the tournament’s early bracket progression.

Orenchuk’s Blue Ridge Better Bests is presented as a quarterback-and-rushing-the-quarterback approach, according to the write-up that explains his draft philosophy. He emphasizes pivoting to the quarterback position after an early target was not feasible within the rules of the exercise, then building the rest of the roster around that foundation.

In Orenchuk’s version, Caleb Williams is described as the “foundation” of the team, and the selection of multiple pass rushers is treated as a priority. The strategy includes Julius Peppers, Steve McMichael, and Montez Sweat as part of his push to pressure the passer, alongside Darnell Wright at offensive tackle. The write-up also references Richard Dent’s “Rule of Three” as a lens for selecting and stacking edge-rushing production.

Baugher’s Gary’s Bears is presented as the counterpoint, with separate analysis available that details how he assembled his own all-time roster. That approach is tied to Baugher’s own list of choices, and the bracket matchup now asks voters to compare the two builds in the same head-to-head format.

Because this is a fan-driven tournament, the results do not change NFL standings, official records, or any real roster decisions. Still, it can reveal what different Bears eras value most, whether it is quarterback-centric construction, front-seven dominance, or a broader balance across offense and defense. The next step for voters is to follow subsequent first-round contests as the tournament advances.

Looking ahead, the key thing to watch is how voters weigh “team needs” versus “peak talent” within the constraints of an all-time fantasy draft. If the Blue Ridge Better Bests’ quarterback-and-pass-rush identity resonates, it would report that voters want a modern football blueprint even in a historical exercise. If Gary’s Bears prevails, it will suggest a different evaluation of where roster strength comes from in the Bears’ history, and that will shape the tone of the remainder of the bracket.