The Chicago Bears have made it known that they want to increase their defense’s speed this upcoming season.
Chicago’s free agency class from the defensive line to the linebackers to the secondary all feature players who embody that particular trait. Maybe Bears general manager Ryan Poles is a fan of Maverick and Goose from the original “Top Gun” and the iconic phrase.
“I feel the need … The need for speed.”
If Poles isn't a fan of the classic film, there is an actual reason why improving the speed on the defensive side of the ball was such a priority. Two alarming stats highlight some of the issues that impacted the Bears’ defense in 2025.
These stats show Bears must get speed to their defense in 2026
Next Gen Stats tracks a team’s average time to pressure the quarterback and pass rush get-off – two important statistics that can tell a lot about a football team, depending on where a defense lands on the list.
The Bears were the worst team in both of those categories. Chicago’s average time to rush the quarterback was 2.90 seconds, .01 slower than the Cincinnati Bengals, a unit that tied the Bears with 35 total sacks. The Bears finished with a 0.93-second get-off, which was .01 slower than the Baltimore Ravens.
It makes complete sense why the Bears had to revamp Dennis Allen’s defense going into the 2026 season. Of the three newly signed defensive linemen, all have some explosiveness to their game.
A good way to measure a defensive lineman’s speed, other than the 40-yard dash, is to look at their 10-yard split. Neville Gallimore (1.71 sec), Kentavius Steet (1.66 sec), and James Lynch (1.73 sec) registered times that were relatively close to each other.
Linebacker Devin Bush also brings speed to the position, and so does Coby Bryant at safety.
The Bears struggled to get to the quarterback last season and couldn't get in the backfield fast enough. With new additions on defense plus another year with Allen calling the plays, that could translate to better results.
Read more: Everyone is starting to notice Ryan Poles' approach to Bears' free agency
One thing is clear: the Bears have plenty of room to grow in their average time to pressure and get-off. If those two areas improve by a slight margin, that would make a much-needed difference for Allen's unit.