The Chicago Bears made a somewhat surprising decision a few months ago. Rather than go with a more experienced option to replace departing defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, head coach Matt Nagy opted to stay in-house. He promoted safeties coach Sean Desai to the job. A move that was celebrated by a number of former Bears players who knew him well and felt he had the intelligence and mentality perfectly suited for the job.
Desai certainly didn’t sound intimidated by the prospect. He made it clear things were going to be different moving forward. The Bears defense has a certain standard that goes back decades. It is his job to hold players to that standard. He expects toughness, discipline, speed, and effort. Anybody not willing to give him that likely won’t get on the field much. Certainly a strong opening message.
Will he uphold it though?
Early signs from practices say yes. Multiple Bears veterans have confirmed that drills under Desai are making it clear what the level of expectations is. Eddie Jackson said teammates warned him of what was coming prior to his arrival for mandatory minicamps.
“From what I’ve heard, he’s holding these guys out here to a standard: run to the ball, finish, be in your playbook, run through your keys, be on top of your keys, pursue,” he said.
He wasn’t the only one to notice right away. Longtime linebacker Danny Trevathan seemed excited about the prospect of Desai running the show. He likes how the young coach isn’t overwhelmed by the job. Instead, he’s embracing it. Making it his own.
Subscribe to the BFR podcast and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
“We feel his presence because we know Sean. We’ve been around him. He’s owning the defense, and he’s holding standards high. That’s what you love. He’s not letting nobody take jobs off, no seconds off, and everybody is being accountable about that.”
This is often the crucial stage for any new coordinator. Convincing the players that you’re the one in charge and why they should listen to you. Remember that Jackson and Trevathan played for guys like Wade Phillips and Vic Fangio. They’ve seen the best to do it. So for Desai to have their attention like this is a welcome sign.
Is this vet minicamp or the NBA dunk contest?! 😄
Throw it down, @ThePremier20! pic.twitter.com/oejtcVc5gF
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) June 17, 2021
Sean Desai is certainly having an effect
Word out of Halas Hall is the defense is playing with a lot of energy. They’re doing everything they can to make plays on the ball and celebrate collectively when they do. It’s clear he is trying to regain some of that swagger the unit lost after 2018 when Fangio left for Denver. While that isn’t an indictment of Pagano who did an admirable job filling the void, it was clear things regressed somewhat under his direction.
Sean Desai no doubt hopes to bring back their edge. That could prove a challenge. Age is catching up to a number of key members on the depth chart. Particularly Trevathan, Akiem Hicks, and Khalil Mack. All of whom are now in their 30s. This doesn’t even include the loss of Kyle Fuller earlier in the offseason due to cap problems. Talent has carried the defense to a lot of their success but that alone may not be enough this year.
That is where Desai comes in.
Motivating the players is only part of the equation. Eventually, he’ll have to match wits with some of the best offensive minds in the NFL during games. Can he handle the chess match? This is what the Bears are waiting to find out. Nobody is denying his intelligence. It’s just that things tend to be different when the bullets start flying. The players seem confident he can handle it.