There might have been a lot wrong with the Chicago Bears' defense in 2026, but they were at least good at doing one thing: creating turnovers.
They led the NFL in turnovers with 33 created during the regular season. The problem they face is that the players who created those turnovers, like Tremaine Edmunds, Kevin Byard, and Nahshon Wright, are no longer on the team.
That led Sports Illustrated writer Eva Geitheim to ask a question before the 2026 season that only Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen can answer: "Will their defense be good enough if turnovers regress?"
"The 2025 Bears’ defense ranked just 21st in EPA per play and 26th in opponent success rate, but they were able to get away with largely because they forced a league-high 36 turnovers. Turnovers are a stat that typically regresses toward the mean each season, leaving the question of whether the Bears’ defense can be as good or improve while likely not recording the same number of takeaways in 2026. The Bears overhauled their secondary, but did not make many significant additions to their pass rush, so it’s fair to wonder how much better this unit got personnel-wise."
Will Dennis Allen's group be okay without the turnovers?
If the Bears take a dip in turnovers created on defense, it means something else has to increase from last year. The biggest thing that must improve in 2026 is the pass rush up front.
Only six teams have fewer sacks than the Bears did last year, as Chicago finished with just 35. Montez Sweat led the way with 10, but the second-place player on the team was a defensive tackle, Gervon Dexter, who had six.
The Bears spent nearly $50 million last offseason on Dayo Odeyingbo, and all he could muster up was one measly sack in eight games. Austin Booker missed the first half of the season, but still put up pretty good numbers with 4.5 sacks in 10 games.
Chicago has a path to improvement without key secondary guys like Wright and Byard. Jaylon Johnson is healthy again, so he can play the whole season again. The Bears also revamped their safety position with Coby Bryant and first-round pick Dillon Thieneman taking over.
While Bryant and Thieneman won't get as many turnovers as Byard and Jaquan Brisker, they will be more consistent in pass coverage and cut down on the passing yards allowed. The Bears were 22nd in the NFL against the pass, allowing 227.2 yards per game.
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If the Bears don't get better with their pass rush and cut down on passing yards allowed, they will feel those missing turnovers. Allen has a lot of work to do in training camp to make sure this unit is ready to help support a Super Bowl-ready offense in Chicago.
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