The Chicago Bears were ecstatic when Dillon Thieneman fell to them at 25th overall in the 2026 draft. They felt the Oregon safety had a rare mix of elite athleticism and top-tier work ethic. He could think the game at a high level and had the natural talent to exploit it. However, they knew that safeties usually took time before they started manifesting their full potential. That is why most expected veteran Coby Bryant to take the lead, allowing the rookie to learn at a normal pace. All of that went out the window when Bryant injured his knee.
This forced the Bears to lean on Thieneman far sooner than they would’ve liked. Ready or not, he had to step up. Not only did the rookie do so, but at a much higher level than anybody could’ve predicted. Sunday was more of the same. Thieneman spearheaded another great defensive effort, holding the New York Jets to 12 points and 59 yards rushing. What stood out the most was that he once again finished the day leading the Bears’ defense in tackles with 7. Thieneman has now led in every single game this season.
Dillon Thieneman is suddenly flirting with Bears history.
Tackles became a mainstream statistic in the NFL and among its fans in 1994. In the 32 years since, no safety has ever led the Bears’ defense in that category. The closest anybody came was Mike Green in 2002, finishing 2nd on the team with 130, behind Brian Urlacher’s 158. Mike Brown was also 2nd in 2000 with 102. Jaquan Brisker finished 2nd in 2022 with 104. Yet none of them got off to the kind of hot start Thieneman has. With today’s performance against the Jets, he now has 30 tackles in 4 games. That puts him on pace for 127 this season. The next closest is linebacker Devin Bush, who now has 19.
This kind of thing is not normal for any safety. Seeing it from a rookie is completely unheard of. It tells you how well Dillon Thieneman has played. This isn’t somebody stumbling his way into tackle situations because of teammates constantly allowing big plays. The 1st round pick moves everywhere, always finding his way to the football. He reads the run well and uses his exceptional speed to limit explosives through the air. His interception last week against Philadelphia was game-changing.
🔥 Subscribe to the Untold Chicago YouTube channel to hear Chicago legends tell stories you’ve never seen in headlines — real moments, real experiences, straight from the athletes themselves.
The Bears couldn’t have asked for more.
They would’ve been perfectly happy if Thieneman ranked 3rd or 4th in tackles and didn’t have any glaring setbacks in coverage. Instead, he is a constant presence that opponents are finding it difficult to escape. That is what you expect of somebody multiple seasons into a career, not a rookie in his first four career games. It is a tribute to the hard work and preparation Thieneman has put in since arriving, and also the coaching of defensive coordiantor Dennis Allen and his staff.
The scariest part is that the Bears defense still isn’t at full strength. Bryant has yet to return from his knee injury. When he gets back, a lot should get taken off of Thieneman’s plate. That, in turn, should make him even more dangerous. It would be something special to see him become the first safety in franchise history to lead the team in tackles for a season. That would set the tone for the rest of his career.
