When Jonathan Owens returned a blocked punt 21 yards for a touchdown in Sunday's 24-17 win over the Titans, it marked the first time that the Bears scored their first TD of a season on special teams in 26 years.
The last player to accomplish the feat was Glyn Milburn, a Pro Bowl return specialist who brought back a kickoff 89 yards in a 24-23 loss to the Jaguars in the 1998 opener at Soldier Field.
In between, 19 different players scored the Bears' first touchdown of a season, all on offense. Running back Matt Forte did it the most during that span, four times, including three on plays of at least 50 yards: a 50-yard run in his first NFL game in a 29-13 win over the Colts in 2008, an 89-yard pass from Jay Cutler in a 19-14 victory over the Lions in 2010 and a 56-yard pass from Cutler in 30-12 win over the Falcons in 2011.
Others who've scored the Bears' first TD of the season on multiple occasions since 1998 are receiver Marty Booker (2001 and 2002), running back Thomas Jones (2004 and 2005), tight end Martellus Bennett (2013 and 2014) and running back David Montgomery (2019 and 2021).
The only non-skill position player on the list is tackle John St. Clair, who caught a 2-yard TD pass from Cutler as an eligible receiver in a 20-10 win over the Chiefs in 2007.
Hall of Famer Devin Hester scored the Bears' first TD of the 2009 season in a 21-15 loss to the Packers, but it came on a 36-yard pass from Cutler, not on a kick return.
Here's the complete list since 1998:
- 2024: Jonathan Owens 21-yard return of a blocked punt
- 2023: Darnell Mooney 20-yard pass from Justin Fields
- 2022: Dante Pettis 51-yard pass from Justin Fields
- 2021: David Montgomery 3-yard run
- 2020: Jimmy Graham 2-yard pass from Mitchell Trubisky
- 2019: David Montgomery 1-yard run
- 2018: Mitchell Trubisky 2-yard run
- 2017: Jordan Howard 4-yard run
- 2016: Jeremy Langford 1-yard run
- 2015: Matt Forte 1-yard run
- 2014: Martellus Bennett 12-yard pass from Jay Cutler
- 2013: Martellus Bennett 8-yard pass from Jay Cutler
- 2012: Michael Bush 1-yard run
- 2011: Matt Forte 56-yard pass from Jay Cutler
- 2010: Matt Forte 89-yard pass from Jay Cutler
- 2009: Devin Hester 36-yard pass from Jay Cutler
- 2008: Matt Forte 50-yard run
- 2007: John St. Clair 2-yard pass from Rex Grossman
- 2006: Bernard Berrian 49-yard pass from Rex Grossman
- 2005: Thomas Jones 1-yard run
- 2004: Thomas Jones 2-yard run
- 2003: Desmond Clark 3-yard pass from Kordell Stewart
- 2002: Marty Booker 29-yard pass from Jim Miller
- 2001: Marty Booker 15-yard pass from Jim Miller
- 2000: John Allred 18-yard pass from Cade McNown
- 1999: Curtis Enis 10-yard pass from Shane Matthews
- 1998: Glyn Milburn 89-yard kickoff return
