Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson felt he had a good idea of what he was stepping into. He knew the organization hadn’t had a winning season in over half a decade. He knew they’d crashed and burned in 2024 with a 5-12 record. Their young quarterback was shellshocked from taking 68 sacks. Confidence in the locker room was in the toilet. Getting everything cleaned up would be a monumental task. Johnson felt he was up for the challenge. What he wasn’t sure about was parts of the job he was unfamiliar with. That is when Dennis Allen came to the rescue.

Johnson told Larry Mayer of Chicagobears.com that the Bears’ defensive coordinator dropped some significant advice when they began working together last year. It had a profound effect on how Johnson operated throughout the season.

“The best advice I got was from [defensive coordinator and former NFL head coach] Dennis Allen soon after I took the job,” Johnson said. “He was like, ‘You just come into work every day expecting something to hit your desk that you weren’t anticipating.’ When you come in with that in mind, you’re really not taken unawares a whole lot. You learn to be flexible, you learn to trust people around you, and that’s been the best part of it.”

This goes a long way in explaining why the Bears managed to survive blows that would’ve seen other teams crumble. There were the laundry list of injuries. You had the 52-21 beatdown in Detroit. Zah Frazier never suited up for the team due to off-field issues. Other head coaches would’ve been overwhelmed by all of that. Johnson cut through all of it and brought the Bears to their first division title in seven years.

Dennis Allen was speaking from hard-bitten experience.

After all, he knows what it’s like walking into a totally new situation as a young head coach. He did it in 2012 when he joined the Oakland Raiders. He was only 40 years old at the time and had been a coordinator for just one season. Still, he felt he couldn’t pass up the opportunity. In hindsight, it didn’t take long for Allen to realize he hadn’t been prepared for the challenges. The team was mired in salary cap hell and had serious communication issues at the top. The operation was accused of being cheap behind the scenes, from unpaid electric bills to the continued use of paper-based accounting.

Combine all of that with serious quarterback issues, and it’s little wonder Dennis Allen never got that team off the ground. He did manage to leave them a foundation for future success with Derek Carr and Khalil Mack. Alas, that experience left him better prepared for his second opportunity in New Orleans a few years later. While he never quite got over the hump, it showed that he wasn’t a complete loss as a head coach. The fact that his scars helped to prepare Johnson for what was coming made it all worth it.

This is why Johnson values Allen’s presence so much.

Not only is the man a great defensive coordinator, but he’s a great sounding board for a young coach still finding his way. Their partnership led to great things last season, despite less-than-ideal circumstances. Just imagine what can happen when they manage to retool the roster to their preferred specifications. We’re already seeing signs of it. Last year’s draft class was an instant sensation for the team on offense. Now they are focused on adding some playmakers on defense.

If that side of the ball can rise to match what Johnson has accomplished on offense, this team will be a legitimate Super Bowl threat. We already know this coaching staff is well-prepared for the many strange bounces coming its way. One can only hope they aren’t as jarring as last year. Knowing the NFL, that isn’t how it works. We’re already staring down the likelihood of replacement referees. Other weird turns will likely follow. Bring them on.

The Chicago Bears have completed the first leg of their offseason. Free agency saw them make significant adjustments on defense. Kevin Byard, Tremaine Edmunds, and Jaquan Brisker are all out as starters. Coby Bryant and Devin Bush were signed to help replace them. Bears general manager Ryan Poles also swung a trade for veteran Garrett Bradbury to help offset the early retirement of center Drew Dalman. The moves have earned praise from people inside the NFL, both for their discipline and for identifying talent.

Criticism has been surprisingly low. However, not necessarily non-existent. Mike Sando of The Athletic reached out to several executives around the league to get their assessment of every team’s offseason moves thus far. One of them raised serious criticism of the Bears’ continued neglect of their pass rush.

“The pass rush has been their biggest question on defense the last few years,” another exec said. “It hasn’t really been the back end, where they’ve given contracts to Jaylon Johnson and their nickel (Gordon), drafted Tyrique Stevenson. They need to improve the D-line, but they couldn’t really do it because they are locked into guys with guaranteed money. They didn’t really address their biggest defensive need.”

It is a fair statement. Fans have been saying it since last year. The Bears haven’t done enough to supplement their pass rush. It was hoped Dayo Odeyingbo might help with that, but the free agent signing was non-existent for half of last season, and then he tore his Achilles. So far, they’ve made no additions to the position, instead losing two key depth pieces to free agency: Dominique Robinson and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.

The Chicago Bears haven’t made their intentions clear.

Poles has indicated the team would like to give Odeyingbo and former 2nd round pick Shemar Turner an opportunity to get back into the mix this coming season. That can’t happen if the team invests heavily at edge rusher in the coming draft. Still, there could be even worse backlash if they don’t do something. Banking on two guys being more effective than they were last year, despite coming off serious injuries (Turner tore his ACL), is foolhardy. The Bears have three picks in the first two rounds. One of them has to be an edge rusher.

This is a good class to do it in. Experts all agree the edge position is the deepest of any this year. You should easily be able to find a starter as deep as the 3rd or 4th rounds. Much depends on what the Bears are looking for. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has specific preferences for his defensive ends, so that might make landing a good one difficult. We’ll see if he relaxes those restrictions and allows the Bears to go after guys with more natural capability for hunting quarterbacks.

The Bears are already in uncharted territory.

As of now, the organization has gone ten consecutive drafts without selecting an edge rusher in the 1st round. The last time that happened was from 2004 through 2011. This is the longest drought in franchise history, and it shows. The popular saying is you have to spend money to make money. Such is the case here. The Chicago Bears can’t expect to build a dynamic pass rush without investing their most valuable draft capital in the position. It was true in 1985 and 2018. The only exception was 2005, when they had Tommie Harris, one of the league’s best interior pass rushers and a former 1st-round pick.

Poles has put this off long enough. He was justified in his selections of Darnell Wright and Caleb Williams. Both were crucial to establishing a true offense. However, hindsight suggests the Bears missed a golden opportunity with that 9th overall pick in 2024. While Rome Odunze might’ve felt right at the time, it’s hard not to wonder how different things might be if they’d gone with Laiatu Latu or Jared Verse instead. Raiding the bargain bin hasn’t worked to this point. There is no reason to think that will change.

Charles Tillman has gone down in history as the greatest cornerback ever to play for the Chicago Bears. That really isn’t up for debate. He was fantastic for almost a decade with the organization, and literally changed the game of football as we know it. His incredible ability to force turnovers with his patented “Peanut Punch” has been copied and coached for over a decade since he retired. The Bears have had some really good cornerbacks since his departure, but none of them have quite captured the same aura as Tillman had.

You can bet for certain the organization would jump at the chance to land another player like him if they felt he was in this 2026 draft class. Well, it turns out, some NFL scouts believe that is the case. However, there is one problem.

He is a linebacker.

Bob McGinn of Go Long spoke to league evaluators about Texas Tech standout Jacob Rodriguez. They see a tough, athletic, and hyper-instinctive playmaker who served as the beating heart of one of college football’s best defenses. They also see a savant at forcing turnovers.

“Instinctive as shit. He’s quick, he triggers. Tough as hell. He’s fast. His only issue is he’s got those short arms (30 7/8). It does show up in space when he can’t finish on tackles. He’ll make 10 and then miss two, something like that. He’s going to have some missed tackles but he’s going to make a ton, too.”

“What his superpower is is just the instincts,” a third scout said. “He has a knack for creating turnovers – whether it’s in the passing game getting his hands on balls for interceptions or punching the ball out. He has some Charles Tillman to him. Like it’s part of who he is as a tackler. He goes for the ball and it shows up. He’s a high-character dude.”

Rodriguez has all the Charles Tillman traits except two.

He’s not 6’2″ with 33-inch arms and isn’t a cornerback. Many deem the linebacker, at 6’1″ with 30-inch arms, shorter than preferred for his position. However, that didn’t seem to matter much. Opponents still felt his wrath on many occasions. Not only was he elite at taking the ball away, but he was also lauded as a standout leader who constantly pushed his teammates. We talked about aura before, and Rodriguez has it. That is something the Bears’ defense is frankly missing. They have talent, but no substance.

This young man would change that. He might not be the superstar they seek, but players like him always carve out long careers thanks to their sheer understanding of the game. He is a good enough athlete to survive at this level, just like Charles Tillman was. The tricky part will be when to grab him. Most experts believe he will go in the 2nd round. That is great for the Bears since they have two picks in that range. The problem is that both are toward the bottom, which means he’d likely be gone.

Dennis Allen would love Rodriguez.

The Bears’ defensive coordinator is less concerned about size at the position than he is about range. They must be athletic enough to play in coverage while still handling their responsibilities around the line of scrimmage. Rodriguez showcased that ability with his four interceptions last season for the Red Raiders. He may not be tall, but he is plenty thick enough to handle the pounding of the NFL trenches. The Bears have said they want more playmakers. This young man is the epitome of it.

Being connected to Tillman is plenty interesting despite playing a different position. The point is that Rodriguez has the natural instincts of taking the ball away. It isn’t something that comes around often. While fans might prefer it in the form of another cornerback, the truth is they should be eager to grab it in any form. Turnovers are turnovers, regardless of who forced them. This guy can play. If the Bears’ coaches can figure out what to do with him, they shouldn’t be getting paid.

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles has a soft spot for the little guy. Not literally, mind you, but figuratively. Since taking over his current role in 2022, the Bears GM has spent at least one draft pick every year on a player hailing from a small school. Not a mid-major one. An actual FCS, Division II, or lower program. You had Braxton Jones from Southern Utah, Travis Bell from Kennessaw State, Kiran Amegadjie from Yale, and, of course, Zah Frazier from Texas-San Antonio.

It feels like a safe assumption that Poles will strike in that area again in the 2026 NFL draft. That is especially true if he works to add some extra picks at some point. The question becomes which small school prospect figures to draw Poles’ attention the most, or more specifically, the Bears’ coaching staff. I gathered five names that fit many of this team’s offensive and defensive preferences.

Ryan Poles will have some fascinating options.

Curtis Allen (RB, Virginia Union)

Not just a one-year wonder but a one-year legend. Allen was a backup for three years in college, serving in a rotational role. He didn’t get the nod as a starter until 2025. Then he shattered the Division II record with 2,409 rushing yards, previously held by NFL standout Danny Woodhead. Allen is lauded for his mixture of good size (6’2″, 215 lbs), power, and excellent vision. He shows an uncanny feel for how his blocking will unfold and for finding the lane. He won’t win with quickness or speed, but the guy is a load to bring down.

Ted Hurst (WR, Georgia State)

Being a 6’3″ receiver with low 4.4 speed by itself is worth noting. He can get vertical really well and has a natural feel for boxing out defenders and making tough catches in traffic. The best part is that he has the fluidity and quickness to run good routes. He just doesn’t know how to do it consistently yet. Ben Johnson and his staff would fix that. Once he learns, all of the tools are there for him to be a legitimate threat. The big uncertainty is how willing he’ll be as a run blocker given his slimmer frame.

Kaleb Proctor (DT, Southeastern Louisiana)

The 2026 draft class is light on interior pass rushers. Not many names stand out with that quality this year. That means anybody who does will get extra attention. His final season saw him finish with nine sacks and 13 tackles for a loss. He has elite athleticism for his position and an explosive first step. His inventory of pass rush moves is also surprisingly deep. The core concern with him is size. Proctor is only 6’2″ and 291 lbs. That means he won’t fit every defense. He’ll have to land under a coach who understands how to use him. Dennis Allen is particularly experienced with undersized yet explosive defensive tackles.

Ricky Freymond (EDGE, Western Colorado)

He certainly looks the part at 6’5″ and 265 lbs. The first thing you hope to notice about a Division II prospect is whether he dominated his level of competition. Freymond had 29 sacks and 58 tackles for a loss across his four years of college. He also had eight forced fumbles. His power stands out, able to overwhelm blockers while collapsing the pocket or holding the edge against the run. His explosiveness is also solid, helping him win more than one way while pursuing the quarterback. His down senior season might keep his draft stock semi-under the radar, but he has the dimensions of an NFL contributor.

Charles Demmings (CB, Stephen F. Austin)

We know what defensive backs coach Al Harris likes in his cornerbacks. He wants size, length, athleticism, and ball skills. Demmings made waves for his school throughout his entire career, snagging nine interceptions. He’s 6’1″ with 32-inch arms and 4.41 speed. All of that shows up on film, allowing him to play tough press coverage against every wide receiver he faced. He’s explosive and smooth in his backpedal, showing the fluidity to turn and run down the field without losing his guy. The big question will be whether Ryan Poles and the coaches can live with his somewhat average run support.

Caleb Williams is fast becoming what amounts to the football version of the Baba Yaga for the Green Bay Packers. The Chicago Bears‘ eternal rival expected the young quarterback to follow the same fates as Justin Fields, Mitch Trubisky, and Jay Cutler. Talented, sure, but nowhere near good enough to swing the rivalry from the direction it had been going for the past 30 years. Then Williams beat them in Lambeau Field as a rookie in 2024. Okay, no problem. That was a fluke. Green Bay reasserted control in the rematch last season. Everything would be fine.

Then Williams led two of the most epic comebacks in modern Bears history, erasing deficits of 16-3 and 21-3 to stun the Packers twice. Just like that, Williams had won three of his last four games against them. The last quarterback to accomplish that was Rex Grossman two decades ago, and he was mostly aided by a dominant defense and strong running game. Nobody can dispute that Williams was the primary reason Chicago won this time around.

Jeff Hafley, the Packers’ former defensive coordinator and now head coach of the Miami Dolphins, admitted to Nicholas Moreano of Bears Roundtable that Williams is not a fluke. He’s the real deal.

“I just think what Caleb did at the end of the games and his ability to make off-schedule plays was incredible,” Hafley said. “I mean, that’s just me being honest. At the end of games, when he had to make off-schedule plays and somehow pull it off, he did. So, he got better throughout the season. I think he’s a really good quarterback that’s only going to get better.”

Hafley experienced the Caleb Williams magic firsthand.

We must remember the former defensive coordinator had really good plans for the Bears quarterback in every meeting. It was his scheming and play calling that shut down Chicago’s offense early in all of those games. Most quarterbacks would’ve just wilted at the end and just moved on to the next week, taking their L. Not Williams. He seemed to dial in as games entered the 4th quarter, determined not to let the opponent leave without a proper fight. As he drew the score closer, Green Bay would start getting tight.

What made it worse was Williams’ uncanny scrambling ability. He’d constantly force defenders to chase him. This had a stacking effect. By the time games got late, guys were gassed. This led to more busts in coverage, enabling the Bears to hit big plays. The Packers were on their heels and had no answers. Hafley made the same smart calls, but it didn’t matter anymore. Once Williams found a groove, there was almost nothing that stopped him. The final result became inevitable.

Hafley is probably happy to be away from the NFC North.

While becoming an NFL head coach was obviously the primary draw, getting away from having to face Caleb Williams twice a year was an added bonus. It must not have been fun to game-plan against a player like that, especially when he has an offensive wizard like Ben Johnson calling the plays. Plenty of sleepless nights. Packers fans may act like they’re the classier type of people, but in reality, they’re just as nasty and unforgiving as most other fanbases. That becomes especially true after losing to the Bears.

That won’t be a problem anymore in Miami, although now Hafley will have to deal with Josh Allen and Drake Maye. Worth it? Apparently so. The Packers now hope new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon can succeed in snuffing out the Williams threat before it gets too big. They’d better hope so. If Hafley is right and last season was merely the beginning, then their lives are about to get much worse. That is saying a lot after what happened last year.

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles knew the daunting task ahead of him when he took the job. The roster was aging and expensive. They had no quarterback and no clear path to the Super Bowl. If he realistically wanted to get them to a place where they could compete for a title, they would have to start over. Poles made the tough decision to gut the roster, trading away or cutting every high-priced veteran and collecting as much draft capital as possible. From there, it was about building for the future.

There was a major problem throughout the process that he quickly learned. Players didn’t want to come here. Many times, he would call free agents, and they weren’t interested in joining the Bears. That came from their reputation as a losing organization surrounded by dysfunction. Often, the only way Poles could bring them in was through added financial incentives.

Everything changed this past month. Suddenly, he was getting much more favorable reception from potential options on the market. It didn’t take long to figure out why. They wanted to play for Ben Johnson. Poles explained the jarring shift in perception to The Bigs.

This is uncharted territory for Ryan Poles.

He saw what it could be like first-hand in Kansas City. The draw of head coach Andy Reid was obvious. He’d been successful for well over a decade by that point. Players knew he could make them better and give them a chance to win. Who was the last Bears head coach to have that kind of pull? Did any of them? Free agency wasn’t instituted until 1994. Dave Wannstedt, Dick Jauron, Marc Trestman, John Fox, and Matt Nagy certainly didn’t have that kind of reputation. The only one who may have come close was Lovie Smith, but he didn’t have the same aura Johnson seems to.

What he accomplished last year was nothing short of remarkable. He took a team that had been 5-12 the previous year, made some roster tweaks, and led them to an 11-6 record, winning the NFC North and a playoff game. Chicago became the must-watch story of the season, looking like a team that worked hard, played hard, and had fun along the way. Johnson’s shirtless celebration after taking down Philadelphia was a perfect encapsulation of the experience.

Poles likely can’t wait for when he has real money to spend.

What you saw last month was hopefully a taste of things to come. Landing Coby Bryant and Devin Bush at their respective prices felt like big wins for the Bears. Both had strong markets for their services. Next year, the team will be able to remove some of their big contracts from the books. That should open the door for Ryan Poles to take a big swing at somebody the team may have felt they had no shot at in previous years. Until then, we’re getting a preview of what having a draw for a head coach is like.

This is probably what Los Angeles feels with Sean McVay, and what San Francisco feels with Kyle Shanahan. Many prominent free agents want to play for winners. Johnson proved he can be that type of guy as well last season. If he can duplicate it in 2026, becoming the first Bears coach in 20 years with back-to-back winning records, you’ll see some surprising moves come next spring. No doubt Poles is eager for that day to come.