TLDR – Tillman loved being an FBI agent. He hated the immigration raids and being part of the "crackdown". So he quit.

Gift link here: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6891025/2026/01/29/charles-tillman-nfl-fbi-chicago-bears/?unlocked_article_code=1.IFA.CB2U.nlTNKMMQ1CgR&source=athletic_user_shared_gift_article_copylink&smid=url-share-ta

43 comments
  1. As if I needed another reason to love Peanut

    ![gif](giphy|OrIU3eNm3hLpe)

    *that’s my *cornerback*

  2. The only 2 signed jerseys I have in my home office space are Peanut Tillman and Matt Forte. Hopefully I’ll add more as it goes, but happy with those choices so far.

  3. One of my favorite Bears of all time. Can’t believe I didn’t know he was born in Chicago.

  4. some people make me wish hell exists. tillman is a man that makes me hope heaven exists. absolute amazing human being.

  5. They need to reword that title lol sounds like Peanut joined the FBI and started the raids

  6. Some bootlickers in here 🫩

    It’s a story about one of the greatest to play the sport. One who really revolutionized the way is even played- “peanut punch” is a thing cause of Tillman.

    Chicago was lucky and blessed to have such a great player and above all human like him in the city. My favorite Bear and GOAT.

    Deserves and rightfully so to be a HOF

  7. I’m serious when I say that Peanut needs to run for public office because he would do a great job at whatever he sets out to do but also because you could do so much fun stuff playing off the Peanut Punch.

  8. Always been my favorite Bear since he locked Moss down his rookie year. We need more leaders like him in America.

  9. Incredible read.

    Imagine being in Highland Park that day and the first uniformed officer you see after the attack is *Charles Fucking Tillman*.

    I think I would just assume I was hallucinating.

  10. I’m laughing at the idea of Peanut teaching the peanut punch to FBI trainees. Pop out knives and Crack needles while making the arrest.

  11. Has there EVER been a truly negative story or report on Peanut? If there was, I missed it.

  12. He interned with my agency and in my office while still playing with the Bears before joining the FBI. Says a lot about his call to public service.

  13. Thank you for gifting this article! I absolutely love Charles Tillman and this article just goes into all the reasons why. What an amazing human being

  14. Love it when you don’t have to make any moral concessions about your favorite player growing up.

  15. A better human being than he was a football player.

    And he was a HELL of a football player.

  16. One thing I just need to say about this, he was not the first person to try to punch out the ball, he just did it a lot, and successfully.

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