The Chicago Bears' biggest problem going into the 2026 season has been obvious since the beginning of the offseason: a lack of a pass rush.
Last season, the defense struggled to pressure the quarterback as they only got 33 sacks in 17 games, with only six NFL teams having less than that mark. Bears general manager Ryan Poles decided to take a risk and do essentially nothing about it in terms of the edge rushers with only Daniel Hardy getting re-signed and no new additions.
What Poles did do, though, is add plenty of depth at defensive tackle to hopefully hit a home run with one of them in case Grady Jarrett has another down year. There is one new defensive tackle that was brought in that could actually help with their Jarrett dilemma while help with the pass rush situation.
Kentavious Street could actually supply more of a pass rush than Bears fans think
While it was Montez Sweat who led the Bears in sacks last season with 10, defensive tackle Gervon Dexter was second in that category with six. Getting a decent pass rush from the defensive tackle spot is not out of the question for the Bears.
Street comes in with a lot of veteran experience after spending time with the Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, and San Francisco 49ers, but he has a key part of his game that should not be ignored. During his Saints days, he was coached by Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen in 2022, a season that led to the best season of his career. Street racked up 29 tackles, eight quarterback hits, five tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and one pass deflection under Allen.
That is an important note, as Allen knows what he can get out of Street to help with the lack of a pass rush. Street has proven over the years that with the right coach, he can be an underrated force on the defensive line in pressuring the quarterback.
Dexter and Jarrett are expected to be the starters at defensive tackle, but Street could see himself in the rotation with others like Neville Gallimore and James Lynch, who are also newcomers to the team. Allen will trust Street more to come right in and help get pressure when they need it on third down.
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The Bears fan base may not know it yet, but Street could be the missing piece to the pass rush issues for 2026.
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