The team struggled to find a permanent owner and later relocated to Rockford, Illinois in 2013 to play their final season.

[2][3] In 2023, Chicago-based music producer Ernest Clark acquired the Rush and announced plans to join a revived AFL in 2025.

In their inaugural year (2001), the Rush finished the regular season with a 7–7 and won their first playoff game, beating the Orlando Predators 41–26.

The team featured young players that would become Rush fixtures and fan favorites in the years to come, including quarterback Billy Dicken, Joe Douglass, Damien Porter and Jamie McGourty, and Riley Kleinhesselink, Cedric Walker, and Anthony Ladd.

After the team's 0-3 start, Chicago squared off against the 3-0 Los Angeles Avengers, facing off against Tony Graziani and the league's top ranked offense.

Dameon Porter sealed the win with a key interception at the goal line with one minute left to play.

Chicago defeated the Indiana Firebirds on the final day of the regular season, 46–43 in overtime, to clinch a playoff berth.

They won their first-round game 59–49 over the Orlando Predators but fell in the semifinals to the eventual ArenaBowl XVIII champion San Jose SaberCats 49–35.

Chicago led early in the game, but Philyaw tore his ACL on a scramble, and the Rush could not overcome the injury.

After a ten-minute delay to clean the confetti, the Rush were able to tie the game on the untimed down, forcing the overtime period.

In the Divisional Round, Chicago managed to pull off a huge upset by taking down the defending champion Colorado Crush, 63–46.

In the Conference Championship they upset the second-seeded San Jose SaberCats 59–56, giving the Rush their first ArenaBowl appearance in franchise history.

In ArenaBowl XX, the Rush defeated the Orlando Predators, 69–61, to give Chicago their first Arena Bowl title.

In 2008, the Rush made a free agency splash by signing AFL legends Sherdrick Bonner and Damian Harrell.

En route to an 11–5 season, Chicago locked up the conference's top seed and home field advantage for the entire playoffs.

However, former Rush players quarterback Russ Michna, jack linebacker/wide receiver DeJuan Alfonzo, and linemen Joe Peters, Robert Boss, and Beau Elliot rejoined the team.

However, the team lost its last two games, first to the 1–13 Dallas Vigilantes and then closed out the year on the road losing to the Spokane Shock.

Chicago defeated the Dallas Vigilantes at Allstate Arena in the first round of the playoffs, but the Rush season ended the following week, falling to the Arizona Rattlers in the National Conference Championship Game.

For the Rush, it marked the sixth time in franchise history the team had advanced to the AFL Conference Championships.

The ownership group, Chicago Gridiron LLC, declared bankruptcy before the season started and abandoned the team.

[6] Chicago began the year with a 70–48 home victory against the Tampa Bay Storm on March 10 at Allstate Arena.

In 2012, the Rush re-signed quarterback Russ Michna, the franchises all-time leading passer, 2011 Second Team All-Arena WR Reggie Gray and 2011 AFL Defensive Player of the Year DB Vic Hall, jack linebacker Kelvin Morris, and offensive lineman T.J. Watkins.

[12] In May 2013, David Staral Jr. bounced a check needed to secure Allstate Arena for two upcoming home games.

[1] However, the new AFL ceased operations and the league's surviving eight teams transitioned to the newly-formed Arena Football One (AF1) in September 2024.

[16] The following Rush players were named to All-Arena Teams: Note: Statistics are correct through the end of Week 1 the 2013 Arena Football League season.

From 2001 to 2008, the Rush games were broadcast by Tom Dore and former Chicago Bears offensive lineman James "Big Cat" Williams.