It is hard to find optimism around the Chicago Bears‘ defense going into 2026. The unit was one of the NFL’s worst last season, outside of leading the league in takeaways. This offseason felt like one where it should’ve gotten most of the resource focus. While they did get some notable infusions, many don’t believe it was enough. They didn’t make any notable additions to the defensive line, instead focusing on the secondary and linebackers. That isn’t the path to better defense in today’s NFL.
One insider isn’t quite as pessimistic. Ted Nguyen of The Athletic is one of the more respected analysts, known for his intense film study. He doesn’t believe the Bears are nearly the lost cause others make them out to be. Their additions in the draft and free agency in March and April had a method to their madness. It doesn’t improve the pass rush, which was the biggest issue for most. It does, however, help shore up what their actual biggest issue was last year: the run defense.
Stopping the run makes this Chicago Bears defense better.
The Bears had two different defenses last year: Their early-down defense and their third-down defense. They ranked 25th in defensive EPA per snap on first and second down, but ranked seventh on third down. The Bears ranked second on third-and-fourth down with more than seven yards to the first-down marker. The reason was simple: they struggled mightily to stop the run. They ranked 26th in defensive rushing success rate and 27th in explosive rush rate allowed. We saw coordinator Dennis Allen’s ingenuity with his disguises and pressures in obvious passing situations, but the defense didn’t earn enough of those opportunities because it couldn’t stop the run, which resulted in finishing 25th in defensive DVOA.
Have the Bears done enough to shore up the run defense? They didn’t upgrade the defensive tackle room much. They added some depth, but Gervon Dexter Sr. and Grady Jarrett remain the starters. The return of corner Kyler Gordon, who played only two games last season, will help the run defense. Free-agent signing Devin Bush will help as well. First-round pick Dillon Thieneman was excellent against the run in college and will add a disruptive force coming from depth against the run as well.
The weakness at defensive tackle will likely prevent them from being a high-level run defense, but the surrounding pieces could be enough to at least make them average. That would be a force multiplier for them with how good Allen is as a play caller in passing situations.
History says this prediction for the Chicago Bears defense is correct.
John Fox was criticized for saying that the essence of defensive football is stopping the run. Many said such thinking was outdated. It’s all about rushing the passer now. That is not true. It is difficult to reach the quarterback if the opponent can keep pounding it down your throat and using play action. This was the trap the Bears fell into too often last year. They just couldn’t stop the bleeding. They allowed at least 160 yards in seven games. Winning isn’t easy under those circumstances. By contrast, the Bears had five games where they allowed less than 100 yards.
They were 5-0 in those games. In fact, if you look at Dennis Allen’s history as a defensive play caller, his best defenses occurred when they had a strong run-stopping unit.
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| Season | Team | Role | Rushing Rank | Total Yards Rank | Points Allowed Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | New Orleans Saints | Defensive Coordinator | 4th | 7th | 4th |
| 2020 | New Orleans Saints | Defensive Coordinator | 6th | 4th | 5th |
| 2019 | New Orleans Saints | Defensive Coordinator | 4th | 11th | 13th |
| 2018 | New Orleans Saints | Defensive Coordinator | 2nd | 14th | 14th |
Even if you give him something in the #14-16 range, the odds are good that Allen can produce a quality defensive unit. At least one that won’t get bulldozed by quality opponents every week.
The Bears are leaning on some tough variables.
A big one is health. As Nguyen mentioned, keeping cornerback Kyler Gordon on the field is critical. He’s such an underrated part of their run defense. The same is true for defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo. For all the debates about his pass rush value, his size and length are pretty effective at setting the edge against the run. Then you have T.J. Edwards. Injuries really slowed the linebacker last season. Some aren’t sure if he can regain his old form. If he does, and Devin Bush plays well, that would be a big help.
Then you have the new back end of the Chicago Bears defense. Unlike last season, they now have two smart, physical safeties with the speed and physicality to chase down running backs. Coby Bryant had 66 tackles in just 15 games last year, and Dillon Thieneman averaged 100 in his three college seasons with Purdue and Oregon. If the Bears get a bout of good health and some immediate contributions from their new additions, this prediction isn’t as crazy as it sounds.
