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Bears' Secondary Looks Like Chicago's Most Improved Unit Heading Into Camp

The Bears may look most improved in the secondary heading into training camp, with Caleb Williams and the linebacker group also showing real progress this spring.
Gene Chamberlain|
Bears safety Dillon Thieneman stretches during mandatory minicamp at Halas Hall.
Bears safety Dillon Thieneman stretches during mandatory minicamp at Halas Hall. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

With the completion of spring work and the Bears taking summer hibernation with the rest of the NFL, it's easier to assess what they've done to improve the roster.

What they've shown without pads makes some of the improvement apparent, but some of what they did can be irrelevant by the start of training camp.

"You always fall in love with some players in the springtime and it doesn't always translate," coach Ben Johnson said.

OTAs and minicamp did make obvious how GM Ryan Poles and Johnson changed the roster, although situations can still fluctuate.

If, for example, they acquired an edge rusher, then their outlook defensively could be drastically altered. They haven't, though, and the edge rush outlook appears no better than when the playoffs ended.

It's not the same way at every position, though. Here are the roster areas ranked where they look most improved at going into training camp.

3. Linebacker 

They've barely seen rookie Keyshaun Elliott because he missed extensive offseason practice time and the same was true for projected strongside linebacker starter/inside backup D'Marco Jackson. 

Also, they lost a linebacker in free agency who rated among the better ones in the league in pass defense last year. Not only did Tremaine Edmunds make four interceptions, but his 77.7 passer rating against when targeted was eighth best among linebackers in the league. 

However, they replaced Edmunds with Devin Bush. While Bush lacks Edmunds' height and reach, there is no question he is faster and he was one of the linebackers with a better passer-rating against than Edmunds. Bush was third best among linebackers at 64.2 and 14th in the league for all defensive positions. 

Not only that, but Bush did something Edmunds struggled with last year and at other times. That was stop the run.  

While Edmunds did drastically improve at this last year in terms of Pro Football Focus' run-stopping grade, he hasn't been on Bush's level the last two years. Bush was graded eighth in the league among linebackers stopping the run each of the last two years. Edmunds was 17th last year but was 60th or worse three straight seasons including a year prior to Poles signing him at $72 million for four seasons. 

Poor run defense was the chief demise for the Bears' defense last year. It wasn't all on the defensive line. Linebackers figured into it, but the prospects for improvement look better with Bush and a healthy T.J. Edwards.

2. Quarterback 

Caleb Williams' passing looked sharper and led receivers in all offseason work. It didn't matter whether he was throwing to veteran wide receivers and tight ends or the free agent signings. 

This was definitely not the case last year at the outset of training camp, or at times even later in the regular season. In fact, when Williams started running plays in last year's training camp and even before that it OTAs and minicamp, the real target was getting lined up and getting plays started properly. Where the passes actually wound up were less important when they couldn't even get plays snapped without committing presnap penalties.  

Williams is far more confident with where he's supposed to throw and in delivering the ball in a way to let receivers have yards after the catch. 

1. Secondary 

Particularly at safety, the Bears look much better on paper. They will need some time to work the look on the field.  

They lost Kevin Byard, Nahson Wright, and Jaquan Brisker from the secondary. How could this be the most improved area? After all, 19 of the 23 interceptions they made came from Byard, Wright, Brisker and former Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. All are gone. 

It might not look like it yet, as they have barely begun to work together. However, the players they brought it in are potentially more productive because of far greater speed, and also because those players who made the interceptions did not necessarily enjoy great 2025 seasons even with the turnovers.  

Kevin Byard made seven interceptions, the second-highest total in his career. However, he also allowed seven touchdown passes per Pro Football Reference and Stathead.  Only four players gave up more. In addition, he gave up 16.5 yards per completion when targeted. While safeties normally do lead the NFL in yards allowed per completion, there were only eight safeties or cornerbacks in the league who had worse averages than Byard. Stevenson often fields blame for being one of the worst cornerbacks in the league in this regard but he allowed only 15.9 yards per completion. 

Brisker made one interception but gave up five touchdown passes. He also had a 127.6 passer rating when targeted.  

Wright made all of the takeaways with eight, including five interceptions, but gave up six TD passes. When Wright gave up completions, it was usually a disaster because they were farther downfield. The 596 air yards allowed on completions he had were the third most by anyone in the NFL. Only Denver's Riley Moss (644) and Detroit's Amik Robertson (607) were worse. 

It might be difficult to see how they can make more interceptions than last year, but it's easy to see how they could force more three-and-outs and get the ball back for their offense in better field position, and with less possession time allowed.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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