Hiring Dennis Allen to lead the Chicago Bears defense might end up being the most important hire Ben Johnson makes as a first-year head coach. And while every Bears fan I know is geeked up about the offensive firepower Johnson promises to bring to Chicago, I still have an interest in seeing how the defense can get back on track in 2025.
And as far as I’m concerned, that begins with Dennis Allen coaching up the Bears defense in a way that resembles what a vintage Chicago defense looks like. I love what he had to say about his vision for the D during his Thursday press conference:
โWe want to be an attacking, aggressive style of defense. I think we want to take the fight to the offense and not let the offense dictate the tempo to us. Weโre going to be aggressive. Weโre going to challenge everything. Weโre going to play the game the right way. Weโre going to play a tough, physical brand of football.โ
Tough, physical football. Aggressive. Taking the fight to the offense. These are the things that the Chicago Bears defense has been known for since football’s inception. That the new defensive coordinator wants to take us back to that type of football has me fired up for 2025 โย and that is before we even begin discussing possible new additions to the group.
The 2023 season finished with the Bears playing their best ball on the defensive side of things. With Matt Eberflus calling plays and Phil Snow offering up guidance along the way, Chicago’s defense finished allowing the 12th-fewest yards and forcing the fifth-most turnovers. The 2024 season was off to a promising start in its own right, but the combination of player injuries, coaching missteps, poor execution, and a regression to the mean from some key players led to this unit taking a clear step back. Chicago’s defense should have been better given the talent on the roster. Perhaps putting new eyes on the unit will pay off in positive regressive next season.
MORE: What Are the Chicago Bears Getting in Dennis Allen?
It is easy to be hopeful about a new defensive coordinator bringing change. Particularly when he is as vocal as Dennis Allen is about being aggressive, attacking, tough, and physical. There were far too many moments in which the Bears’ defense was instructed to be passive in moments that called for them to be in attack mode. It hurts to think about how former head coach and defensive play-caller Matt Eberflus scaled back on bringing the heat one year after ratcheting it up and seeing quality results. I’ll never understand why Eberflus chose to take a step back and ease up off the gas. Thankfully, that isn’t a problem Bears fans have to deal with anymore.
Chicago’s defense has some quality ballplayers. And I imagine Dennis Allen has plans to get the best out of them in 2025. The secondary features two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson and two-time first-team All-Pro safety Kevin Byard. Up front, defensive end Montez Sweat is just one season removed from his first-ever Pro Bowl appearance. Gervon Dexter Sr. looks to be a player on the rise, while fellow defensive tackle Andrew Billings is an unheralded player. That collection of talent should give this group a high floor next season.
With that being said, I hope that a new coaching staff can help elevate some players whose improvements could provide a major boost. Safety Jaquan Brisker and cornerback Kyler Gordon seem to have untapped potential. The same can be said about Tyrique Stevenson, a cornerback who has been hot and cold in his first two seasons. We’ve still yet to see Tremaine Edmunds at his best. Perhaps a new defensive leader can unlock a two-time Pro Bowl linebacker.
I am excited about what the Bears’ defense can look like in 2025. A lot of it has to do with the players. But putting new eyes on old problems could be what takes that group to another level.
Watch Dennis Allen’s first press conference as the new Bears defensive coordinator
New Bears coordinators Dennis Allen (defense) and Declan Doyle (offense) spoke on Thursday. As did Richard Hightower, who is returning as the Bears’ special teams coordinator. We’ll share some thoughts and insight on Doyle and Hightower later. For now, you can watch all of their media availability below: