After a slew of hires for the Chicago Bears earlier in the week — including a former NFL player as their receiver coach — their offensive and defensive coordinator positions remained unfilled. However, on Sunday night, the Bears made a splash by hiring former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen, per Ian Rapoport on X.
“Sources: The #Bears are hiring former #Saints head coach and respected guru Dennis Allen as their new defensive coordinator,” Rapoport wrote. “The favorite to join coach Ben Johnson’s staff since Johnson’s hire, Allen adds experience and a top-notch DC to Chicago.”
Although his time as the Saints' head coach didn't completely work out, Allen could go a similar route as another former Bears head coach by the name of Vic Fangio.
As one of the smarter defensive minds in the NFL, Fangio coached the Bears' defense to nearly carry the team to a playoff run in 2018.
However, after leaving the Bears to coach the Denver Broncos, Fangio floundered, abruptly ending his head coaching career.
Now, Fangio is with the Eagles as their defensive coordinator, as they prepare for a Super Bowl matchup against the Buffalo Bills or Kansas City Chiefs.
The very same could happen for Allen, as he joins a Bears team with a talented defensive roster.
Although it wasn't recognized as a top defense last season due to all of the distractions in the front office, Allen could be the perfect hire to pair with Johnson in his first year as a head coach.
Allen has head coaching experience that he could pass on to Johnson.
Along with that, it gives Johnson the chance to focus a majority of his time on Caleb Williams and the offense, while Allen focuses on the defense.
It's a hire that looks great on paper, as it comes across similarly to Steve Spagnuolo's journey, too.
As a defensive-minded coach, Spagnuolo had strong defenses under him as a coordinator throughout his stops in his NFL career.
However, he wasn't a coach that fully got it together as a head coach.
Now, as the Chiefs' defensive coordinator, Spagnuolo is a three-time Super Bowl Champion in Kansas City. In fact, the Chiefs' most recent Super Bowl win put Spagnuolo in the history books.
Will Allen help lead the Bears to a potential three-peat in the Super Bowl? Probably not, statistically.
But, the hire should make Bears fans even more excited for the 2025 season.
