Will Dennis Allen be on the Hot Seat if Bears' Defense Struggles This Season?

Could the Bears consider cutting ties with their veteran defensive coordinator if they don't show improvement from last year's performance?

Aug 5, 2026; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen walks on the field during training camp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dennis Allen has always had a reputation as a great defensive coordinator. Hyper-aggressive with blitz packages? Sure. But great nonetheless. He usually knows when to call those blitzes and does a good job of keeping opposing offenses on their toes.

Virtually everyone was thrilled when the Bears hired Allen to coach the defense shortly after Ben Johnson was brought on board. It was a perfect marriage between a first-time supposed offensive-genius head coach and a veteran defensive coordinator who has been there and done it. Allen had not one but TWO prior stints as a head coach with the Saints and Raiders.

Expectations for Chicago's defense immediately got raised once the hiring was announced. The Bears have/had a lot of talented veterans on the defensive side of the ball, and Allen was the perfect man to get the most out of them.

Dennis Allen says he’s talked to Kyler Gordon about taking on a second position to keep him on the field more. Outside corner and safety are both options 👀 pic.twitter.com/GKO4fdTwO5

— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) April 17, 2025

...and then Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, T.J. Edwards, and Austin Booker all got hurt before the season even began. Then it started, and the first three landed back on IR for a few (or a lot more than a few in Gordon's case) more games. So did Tremaine Edmunds, Grady Jarrett, Dayo Odeyingbo, Shemar Turner, and Tyrique Stevenson. They might not all be big names (although most are), but they were all expected to play vital roles. High-priced free-agent signings and highly drafted players.

Unsurprisingly, the defense struggled mightily. Still, you could make a strong case that they performed much better than they should have considering the circumstances.

They also did a remarkable job of surviving a war of attrition

Dec 14, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears linebacker D'Marco Jackson (48) sacks Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Bears might not have thrived in the yards allowed department, where they ranked 29th last season. They also ranked 23rd in total points allowed. However, they led the league with 33 takeaways. That's an impressive feat in of itself, and it becomes more remarkable with all the injuries they were dealing with on defense.

Cornerback Nahshon Wright came out of nowhere to lead the league in total takeaways. Not bad for the guy on the Vikings practice squad the previous year. D'Marco Jackson, whom the team picked up off the scrap heap at the beginning of the season, was a revelation at linebacker. Special teams ace Amen Ogbongbemiga had a 14-tackle performance against the Steelers. C.J. Gardner-Johnson did a marvelous job of filling in for Gordon in the slot after being picked up midseason.

Nov 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright (26) celebrates after recovering a fumble against the Philadelphia Eagles during the third quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Virtually everyone stepped up when their number was called, and that's a testament to the coaching staff. Allen and the position coaches consistently had them ready to play.

Unfortunately, with injuries already stacking up in the secondary, they might have their work cut out for them again. Shockingly, Gordon is hurt once again. So is their prized free-agent acquisition, Coby Bryant, who will be out until December at the earliest.

Those injuries, combined with the fact that takeaways are a historically volatile statistic, have led many to believe the team will be relying on the offense to win shootouts. There's much less confidence surrounding their defense (at least before the injuries struck last season) this time around. Could that be a precursor to another disappointing season on defense and Dennis Allen's eventual firing? I sure hope not.

Trust the process

Jul 29, 2026; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen speaks during Chicago Bears Training Camp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Personally, I don't think Allen belongs on the hot seat after this season, regardless of how it goes. Sure, the Bears had a lot of solid veterans, but on top of being injury-riddled, they finished with the league's 27th-ranked defense the year before (a season in which they remained relatively healthy). They have remained an underwhelming unit ever since bottoming out in their pitiful 2022 campaign.

Meanwhile, it's also worth noting that Allen inherited one of the league's worst defenses when he re-joined the Saints (after five years in Denver and Oakland) as their defensive coordinator in 2015. It took him two years to help them reach league-average territory, and another three before they became one of the league's best units, which was a status they maintained until his firing in 2024.

From 2015 through 2020, they improved in the total yards allowed category every season. To make a long story short, defensive improvements take time. Ben Johnson will surely understand that fact, and they'll just have to show improvement for Allen to keep his job. With the injuries they're already dealing with, it won't even be an internal conversation until after the 2027 campaign (and it will only be one if they stagnate). He's seemingly been dealt back-to-back bad hands.

Meanwhile, fans will call for his head if they struggle this season. It's inevitable. They shouldn't hold their breath, though. Johnson won't be quick to fire the guy who helped him learn the ropes. Allen probably has a pretty long leash.