The Chicago Bears‘ pass rush struggles are no secret, and it’s once again been a hot topic of discussion after the team elected not to address the edge rusher position this offseason.
The pass rush as a whole is a massive concern for Chicago after totaling just 35 sacks on the year, which was the seventh-fewest in the NFL. While the Bears‘ top three defensive ends — Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo and Austin Booker — are all back in 2026, the pass rush was virtually nonexistent last season, and the onus is on finding a way to generate pressure on the quarterback to help out the secondary.
But Chicago’s actions this offseason — where they’ve opted not to add an edge rusher — have made it clear that they believe they already have the right players on the roster. And it’s defensive coordinator Dennis Allen who’s actually shouldering the blame for the unit’s struggles getting after the quarterback last season.
“We had a lot of discussions this offseason about a lot of different things, and one of the things we identified was me,” Allen said. “We focused so much on installing all the scheme last year because it was brand new, and we do have a high volume of things we carry in the defense. We focused so much on that that we lost sight of some of the fundamentals and techniques that it takes to function, to do those things. I don’t think we were as fundamentally sound defensively as we need to be. So how do we have to coach it better? Well, let’s minimize how much we’re focused on the scheme, OK, and let’s focus on not what we’re gonna do but how we’re gonna do it. I think that’s how we’re gonna improve.”
Allen preached focusing on the fundamentals and techniques needed for this pass rush to function as a whole. And while the coaches are focused on doing their part to right the ship, the onus is also on the players — notably the highly-paid guys like Sweat ($25.08 million) and Odeyingbo ($20.5 million) — to do their part.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears DC Dennis Allen says pass rush struggles start with him
