The Ben Johnson to the Bears stuff isn’t officially official just yet. But when NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero is breaking the news, you can consider it to be a done deal. And once it does become official, Johnson’s next step will be hiring a new staff. There is heavy lifting to be done, but I don’t think he would take this job in Chicago thinking that there wasn’t work to do.
REPORT: BEN JOHNSON IS FINALIZING A DEAL TO BECOME THE NEXT CHICAGO BEARS COACH
With that being said, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter/X) that the incoming Bears head coach is preparing to assemble “a star-studded” staff in Chicago. Schefter name-checks Dennis Allen as the lead candidate to become Johnson’s defensive coordinator. This would be an inspired hire by the new head coach. Because not only would it mean that the Bears are bringing in an experienced defensive coordinator, but it also means they’d be hiring someone with previous head coach experience. That could be important.
Did Dennis Allen do well as a head coach with the New Orleans Saints or Oakland Raiders? No. Allen’s teams went 26-53 in his tenure as a head coach. But I suppose it wasn’t all bad. Allen led the Saints to a 9-8 record in 2023 with Derek Carr running the show. Ultimately, I do not want to overlook the potential value of having someone on the staff who has been there and done that and could be someone that a first-time head coach leans on as he embarks on this maiden voyage. Hence, this potential hire would intrigue me if it turned out that Allen would be the Bears’ next defensive coordinator.
Who is Dennis Allen and would he be a good Bears defensive coordinator?
We’ll do a deep dive on Dennis Allen (or whoever ends up as the Bears’ next DC) when the time comes. If it is Allen, then it is worth pointing out that he runs a 4-3 scheme. In other words, Chicago would not have to drastically re-make its defense. That might not be a huge deal for some, but it certainly isn’t something I’d view as inconsequential.
The recent results have been good for Dennis Allen. Last year, the Saints defense ranked 8th in points and 13th in yardage. In 2022, the New Orleans defense checked in finishing the year having allowed the ninth-fewest points and fifth-fewest yards. From 2015-2023, the years in which he was running the defense as a coordinator or head coach, Allen’s Saints teams had seven seasons in which they ranked in the top half of the league in scoring defense (including five top-10 finishes), six years where they finished in the top half in yards allowed (including three top-10 finishes), and five seasons in which the group finished in the top-10 in takeaways. That is a good bit of history.
Chicago’s defense has ballplayers, but after how things finished under Matt Eberflus and Eric Washington, it became clear that this unit needs a new voice. Maybe it’ll be Allen. We’ll see.
And to think, a potential Dennis Allen hire could be just the beginning. That Schefty says Ben Johnson is lining up a loaded staff is an encouraging bit of information. If you’ll recall, there was a report in December that the Bears brass has the authority to spend big on a new coach and their staff. I guess we’ll find out if that checks out. Stay tuned.