Two Major Bears Defensive Concerns Reared Their Ugly Heads in Preseason Week 1

During the preseason Week 1 game, we got a glimpse of why the Chicago Bears have concerns along the defensive line ahead of the 2026 season.

Chicago Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. (99) reacts after a sack against the Minnesota Vikings during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Entering the offseason, two major concerns for the Chicago Bears were their run defense and pass-rush.

In 2025, the Bears were tied for the seventh-fewest sacks in the NFL, and the run defense was the sixth-worst. Despite that, the Bears made minimal additions to their edge rushers and interior defensive linemen groups, which was puzzling, to say the least.

Through one preseason game, there isn't much hope either one of those areas will improve much, if at all.

Odeyingbo, Dexter struggled in preseason Week 1

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a pass against Chicago Bears defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo (55) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Former Bears tight end and Chicago Sports Network analyst Clay Harbor jotted down what he saw after watching the tape of the victory over the Cleveland Browns and he pointed out both Gervon Dexter and Dayo Odeyingbo as negatives.

Harbor said that Dexter "wasn't great" and "was moved too often in the run game (and) struggled against double teams," which are two things no team wants to see from its best interior lineman.

When it comes to Odeyingbo, Harbor noted that the edge rusher "was blocked by (tight ends) one on one multiple times," which he says " can't happen for a player his size."

For the record, Odeyingbo is 6-foot-5 and 282 pounds. That is not a frame that should be having issues with smaller tight ends.

The glass-half-full part of Harbor's analysis comes from his adding that Odeyingbo is still working his way back from his torn Achilles, leaving the door open for him to get better.

But that highlights another concern with Odeyingbo. We've seen time and time again that players returning from such an injury are not themselves in the first year back, which can be particularly problematic for Odeyingbo, who didn't play well at full strength during the 2025 campaign.

Dexter's struggles in the run game have been a prominent issue for him throughout his career. The Bears defender posted a 44.0 Pro Football Focus run defense grade last season and that just so happened to be his run defense grade on Saturday, which also amounted to the worst of all Chicago defenders who played.

But surely the guys the Bears can surround Dexter with can pick up the slack against the run, right? Wrong, as both Grady Jarrett and Neville Gallimore were awful against the run in 2025.

This is not the start we wanted to see from either player and it does not lend much hope that things will get better for Dexter in the run game and Odeyingbo in the pass-rush in 2026.

Bears exploring their options?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (50) warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The performances of Odeyingbo and Dexter are stark reminders that the Bears should continue exploring their options at both positions, something the team appears to be doing.

Not only did the Bears reportedly check in on a trade for Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Vita Vea, they also brought in former Detroit Lions edge rusher Marcus Davenport for a visit.

Granted, the Bucs have remained steadfast in their desire to not trade Vea, and Davenport is not an inspiring option considering his injury history and inconsistency during his career, but at least the Bears are looking.