Chicago Bears: Dennis Allen has put himself on notice

During the rookie mini camp, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen earned widespread praise for doing something rarely heard from coaches. He admitted the Bears did not generate enough pass rush because they did not win enough one‑on‑ones and also did not consistently affect quarterbacks the way his scheme demands.

Allen put it all on himself because the fundamentals were poor, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.

“We had a lot of discussions this offseason about a lot of different things, and one of the things we identified was me. We focused so much on installing all the scheme last year because it was brand new, and we do have a high volume of things we carry in the defense. We focused so much on that that we lost sight of some of the fundamentals and techniques that it takes to function, to do those things. I don’t think we were as fundamentally sound defensively as we need to be.”

Many new coaches focus on making their scheme work, so they force-fit the players into their scheme rather than adjusting to their talent. Allen fell into the same trap, but at least he was honest and refreshingly self‑aware.

The Bears have focused on improving their defense this offseason by adding safety Coby Bryant and linebacker Devin Bush. They also drafted safety Dillon Thieleman, cornerback Malik Muhammed, linebacker Keyshun Elliott, and defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg. But they did not add any pass rushers in the draft. General manager Ryan Poles cited that the team’s strong secondary could allow for more time to pressure the quarterback.

It is an answer that leaves many fans feeling uncomfortable and shaking their head. It feels even more uneasy for the fans when Allen singled out Dayo Odeyingbo as a player they are counting on for an internal improvement.

Dennis Allen’s reputation will be put to the test

Odeyingbo is not the only player under the microscope. The Bears are high on Shemar Turner, a second-round pick last offseason, who suffered an ACL injury last October. The Bears are converting him from defensive tackle to the edge while he continues to recover from his injury.

While both Odeyingbo and Turner continue to recover from their injuries, Austin Booker is the biggest wildcard out of the three. Booker missed the
first eight games of the 2025 NFL season before playing the last 10 games, collecting 4.5 sacks. His potential is definitely tantalizing, but he must stay healthy.

Outside of Allen, defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett will face even more pressure to help them reach their potential. His NFL resume includes assistant defensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns(2020-21). He was also the defensive line coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024. While his resume looks light, he has coached All-Pro Myles Garrett in Cleveland. He also coached Joshua Hines-Allen and Travon Walker in Jacksonville.

Many fans have the right to be skeptical about Odeyingbo because Allen sounds like he is taking one for general manager Ryan Poles. Still, Allen seems confident he can help improve the pass rush. If it does not show improvement, head coach Ben Johnson may need to find a new defensive coordinator, fair or not, in 2027.

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