The Chicago Bears completely revamped their defensive line over the offseason, signing Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo to a pair of deals that totaled nearly $100 million. But not everyone is convinced Chicago’s defensive line is truly improved.
The Bears finished right in the middle of the pack with 40 sacks in 2024. However, their run defense was abysmal as Chicago ranked 28th overall, allowing 136.3 yards per game. New defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will be looking for his defensive line to be more consistent and explosive.
Jarrett and Odeyingbo are expected to leaders on the Bears’ new-look defense. However, Chicago still placed just 18th on Pro Football Focus’ preseason defensive line rankings.
“The Bears added veteran interior defender Grady Jarrett to a unit that lacks star power but has plenty of starting-caliber players,” Zoltan Buday wrote. “In 2024, Chicago’s defense generated pressure on 34.2% of pass plays without blitzing, which ranked sixth in the NFL.”
“The 2024 defensive line was led by second-year interior defender Gervon Dexter Sr., whose 70.3 PFF overall grade ranked 23rd at the position,” he concluded.
Chicago Bears additions
Jarrett spent the first 10 years of his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons. Making the jump to the Bears will present its own set of challenges. As will the fact that Jarrett’s entering his age-32 campaign. Still, Chicago gave the defensive tackle a $43.5 million contract because the franchise still believes he has plenty of gas left in the tank.
Over his tenure with the Falcons, Jarrett racked up 496 tackles, 126 quarterback hits and 36.5 sacks, being voted to the Pro Bowl twice. He suffered a torn ACL in 2023, limiting his play. Still, Jarrett played in all 17 games during the 2024 season, making 53 tackles, 12 quarterback hits and 36.5 sacks. Alongside his work on the field, Jarrett will be a crucial leader for the Bears throughout his time in Chicago.
Odeyingbo has spent his four-year NFL career exclusively with the Indianapolis Colts to this point. Overall, he has made 106 tackles, 46 quarterback hits and 16.5 sacks. Odeyingbo is coming off of back-to-back 17 quarterback hit campaigns and registered eight sacks in 2023. Training camp will be crucial for Odeyingbo to get acclimated to his knew role. But the Bears only expect him to grow further in Chicago.
Both players will need to prove themselves, but there’s a reason the Bears targeted Jarrett and Odeyingbo so aggressively in free agency.
Windy City returners
When talking about Chicago’s defensive line, the unquestioned leader is Montez Sweat. While his play has been a bit muted in the Windy City, Sweat is still expected to undertake a commandeering role in Allen’s scheme.
The pass rusher led the Bears in sacks during the 2024 season, however, that meant just 5.5. He made six in his Chicago debut, which was apart of a 12.5-sack Pro Bowl campaign. Still, if Sweat has a clearer path to the quarterback and is able to create chaos in the opposing team’s backfield, it’s easy to see his numbers skyrocket in 2025.
Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter had a breakout season in 2024, finishing second on the team with five sacks. He added 51 tackles and 19 quarterback hits, ranking 28/219 defensive tackles with his 70.3 grade from Pro Football Focus. If Dexter takes another step forward playing next to Jarrett, he will solidified his role in Chicago’s defensive core.
The Bears will also see veteran Andrew Billings return from injury. While he will be in more of a rotational role, it was clear Chicago’s run defense took a major hit when he suffered his season-ending injury. Billings’ return should plug up holes in the middle.
Allen and company will need to put all the pieces in their proper place. Still, the Bears will have an opportunity to blow past expectations if everyone hits their ceiling.
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