Jon Gruden’s preview of the Chicago Bears felt one way when it was recorded and looks a whole lot worse now that it’s out in the world.
On the Gruden Family Football Show, the former NFL head coach broke down Chicago’s Monday night matchup with the Seattle Seahawks and had some praise for Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson. But when the conversation turned to the Bears’ defense, Gruden was far less impressed.
He spent a good chunk of the segment talking up Seattle’s defense and how well it has handled opposing quarterbacks, specifically pointing to recent games against Denver and Kansas City as reasons Williams could be in for a long night. Then came his shot at Chicago’s pass rush.
"The Dennis Allen, no pass rushers. I mean, Sweat hasn't played," Gruden said.
He did acknowledge the contradiction almost immediately.
"I say they don't have any pass rushers, but they've had two or more sacks in every game."
That alone tells the story of why the comment lands so awkwardly. Chicago has been finding ways to get after quarterbacks, even with personnel issues, and Gruden said as much while still framing the unit as if it had no real juice off the edge.
He also gave Dennis Allen credit for the way the defense has been created pressure through scheme, citing blitz looks, disguised coverages, and Kyler Gordon’s sack numbers. So in the same breath, Gruden both criticized the Bears for lacking pass rushers and praised the design that has helped them manufacture pressure anyway.
The timing makes it sting even more. Chicago’s addition of Jeffery Simmons suddenly gives Allen another proven interior force, one more piece that can wreck a pocket without needing extra blitzers.
Gruden’s segment appears to have been taped before the move, which matters. But once the Bears addressed the exact issue he highlighted, the criticism looked dated fast.
Gruden didn’t stop there. He also raised concerns about Chicago’s run game, especially with Cole Kmet out of the picture, and questioned whether rookie Colston Loveland can hold up as a blocker.
"Loveland's not a great blocker, so they're going to have to find an answer," Gruden said.
That take is likely to draw pushback too, since Loveland has become part of what Ben Johnson wants to build offensively. Limiting him to a blocking label misses the broader role Chicago expects from its tight ends.
Gruden still picked the Seahawks to win, and there’s nothing wild about siding with the home team in a tough matchup. Seattle is a real test, and Mike Macdonald’s defense gives Williams plenty to worry about.
But the line about the Bears having no pass rushers is the one that will hang around. Chicago was already getting sacks.
Allen was already finding answers. And now Simmons is in the mix too.
If Seattle’s protection leaks on Monday night, Gruden’s take is going to age even worse.
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