The Chicago Bears made one move this offseason that towers over the rest: they tore down and rebuilt the secondary.
Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard, Jonathan Owens, Nahshon Wright and C.J. Gardner-Johnson are all gone, part of a sweeping change in a defensive backfield that otherwise saw little turnover. In their place, the Bears added Coby Bryant and rookie Dillon Thieneman, giving the unit a very different look heading into 2026.
There’s also hope that Kyler Gordon can finally stay healthy and on the field long enough to show what he can do. Put it all together, and the message from Chicago is clear: the team is betting big on Dennis Allen to make the most of what’s now in front of him.
That’s why this stands as the biggest offseason risk for the Bears. The offense has enough talent to keep the team in the playoff conversation regardless, but if Chicago wants a real Super Bowl push, the new pieces in the secondary have to work.
Some early-season growing pains should be expected. The full picture may not come into focus until the middle of the year, as Allen figures out which players he can trust and works to settle in a new safety duo under heavy expectations.
Ben Johnson’s offense should help matters by stringing together long drives and easing some of the pressure on the defense. Even so, if the Bears are going to reach the top of the mountain, this revamped secondary has to be more than just different - it has to be better.
Byard is now with the New England Patriots, while Brisker landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, giving both veterans new homes with expected AFC contenders. Chicago chose to get younger at the position and align the roster with its current window.
No other offseason decision carried this much weight. For the Bears, the secondary overhaul is the move that will be judged first when the 2026 season is over.
In Other News...
Ryan Poles Finally Solved A Bears Problem Fans Hated
When Ryan Poles arrived in Chicago in 2022, one of the ugliest parts of the Bears ledger was the dead salary-cap space he inherited from the previous regime. It was the kind of hidden roster tax that makes every move harder, and for a while it hung over everything the front office tried to build. Over the next few seasons, though, Poles steadily chipped away at it, turning one of the leagues biggest cap headaches into something far more manageable.
By 2026, the Bears were no longer carrying the kind of dead-money burden that once limited their options, and that matters because it changes how a team can plan beyond the next offseason. Chicago is now in position to keep extending its young core without having to claw out of another cap hole first, even as the current roster direction continues to evolve under Ben Johnson. The cleanup is not just a bookkeeping win. It gives the Bears room to make real football decisions instead of cap-driven compromises. [Read more 🡒]
Bears May Have Quietly Fixed A Few 2026 Trouble Spots
A few of the Bears quieter offseason additions may end up mattering more in 2026 than they do right now. Chicago brought in cornerback Cam Lewis, used a fourth-round pick on Malik Muhammad and added some needed stability on the coaching staff by hiring Eric Studesville as the new running backs coach, all moves aimed at giving the roster a little more depth before the next season arrives.
The secondary is still the clearest place where those decisions could pay off, especially with roles not fully settled yet and camp still ahead to sort out the pecking order. The backfield has a similar feel, with another running back in the mix to challenge for the RB3 job and a few uncertain futures hanging over that competition, which makes these low-key moves worth watching once the pads come on. [Read more 🡒]