The Chicago Bears' defense is 2026 is looking to bounce back from what was a very up and down season last year.
They did lead the NFL in turnovers with 33 last season, but only produced 35 sacks. The Bears were also in the bottom 10 in yards allowed per game (29th with 361.8), rushing yards allowed per game (27th with 134.5), and points allowed per game (23rd with 24.4)
There were some much-needed changes during the offseason with the additions of Coby Bryant, Devin Bush, and rookie first-round pick Dillon Thieneman that should help the unit as a whole out. It still leaves a lot of questions about what kind of defense the Bears would be and what's the best thing that could happen from what could be the nightmare scenario for them.
What is the best-case scenario for the Bears' defense in 2026?
Bleacher Report writer Gary Davenport examined each NFL team's best- and worst-case scenarios for the 2026 season. Davenport wasn't so enthusiastic about a specific scenario for them getting better, as it is more about just improving in general.
"The Bears will take any kind of defensive improvement they can get in 2026 after the team allowed the fourth-most yards per game in the league last year and surrendered the 10th-most points per contest. But any improvement will likely be incremental—going from Tremaine Edmunds to Devin Bush was a lateral move, and the secondary will be rolling out a pair of new safeties in Coby Bryant and rookie Dillon Thieneman."
Honestly, this is a fair comment by Davenport as the Bears were great in the red zone, but they gave up a ton of yards from 20-yard line to 20-yard line. It will be all about whether they can improve with that aspect of their game.
Saying Bush is a lateral move may not be 100% correct as it is a slight improvement from a guy who has played better over the last two years while Edmunds has regressed. Bryant and Thieneman give the safeties more consistency in pass coverage versus what Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker were like despite the two being very good at creating turnovers.
What is the worst-case scenario for the Bears' defense in 2026?
Davenport next jumped into the worst-case scenario for the Bears' defense, and it is about as bad as fans thought it could be.
"Chicago can't afford any sort of defensive backslide if they want to win the NFC North again, but said backslide can't be ruled out. After reportedly taking a run at Maxx Crosby, a pass rush that logged just 35 sacks last year wasn't improved. Bryant would appear an upgrade at deep safety, but while Thieneman is talented he's also untested. It won't take much for this to be a bottom-five defense. And that would be a real problem for Chicago's postseason chances."
Bears general manager Ryan Poles' failure to add another pass rusher could end up being the thing that kills this defense. Montez Sweat is great after recently being named a top 100 player, but the verdict is still out on Austin Booker and Dayo Odeyingbo.
The secondary should be better, with the safety positions being better in pass coverage even if they don't get the turnovers. Jaylon Johnson is 100% healthy and looked great at Bears OTAs, so there is already hope that things will be better there.
Read more: Bears fans better be ready to see a different Caleb Williams in 2026
It really all comes down to the defensive line and how they fair. If they don't play well and generate more sacks, the Bears will face the same problems they did last year.
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