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3 things to know about Chicago Bears new LB A.J. Klein

By Parker Hurley

Oct 29, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints linebacker AJ Klein celebrates after a play agains the Chicago Bears at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory credit: Scott Clause/The Advertiser vis USA TODAY NETWORK
Oct 29, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints linebacker AJ Klein celebrates after a play agains the Chicago Bears at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory credit: Scott Clause/The Advertiser vis USA TODAY NETWORK /
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The Chicago Bears did not just get draft picks when they traded Roquan Smith. The team acquired A.J. Klein, a linebacker to make it a player-for-player swap with the draft picks added. With Klein in the mix, many fans could be wondering how he will fit in, and what he could bring to the team.

Here are some of the big things to know about A.J. Klein.

3. A.J. Klein has been in the NFL since 2013

If you are a Big 12 fan, you probably Klein back from his days as a tackle machine at Iowa State. That led to him being drafted in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers. One thing to note is that Sean McDermott was the defensive coordinator when Klein was drafted.

That is significant because after Klein spent the 2013-16 seasons with the Carolina Panthers, he happened to reunite with McDermott in 2020 when he signed with the Buffalo Bills. He spent 2020 and 2021 with McDermott, so in total, he was with that coaching staff for six seasons.

Over that span, he made 38 starts. However, in three seasons with the New Orleans Saints, A.J. Klein made 42 starts. His best two seasons of his NFL career were two seasons in the Saints’ defense starting next to Demario Davis.

Either way, it is notable that the two main staffs he played for were McDermott and Dennis Allen. Both are known for their 4-3 fronts, which is what the Chicago Bears run.

Of course, he did not stick with Buffalo after 2021 and signed on with the Baltimore Ravens in 2022. He was signed early in October after the Ravens had linebacker issues. The fact that he was a free agent should tell you what you need to know. This is a 31-year-old linebacker nearing the last days of his career, and not quite a high upside project or anything of that nature.

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