Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen signals coaching staff changes

Dennis Allen just signaled major Chicago Bears coaching staff changes coming in 2026. The defensive coordinator praised Al Harris so heavily in mid-December that it hinted at Harris leaving for a defensive coordinator job elsewhere. Sources close to the team confirmed sweeping defensive roster overhaul plans.

Allen’s Interview Reveal Suggests Harris On His Way Out

In late December 2025, Dennis Allen sat down with media to discuss his coaching staff, and he couldn’t have been clearer about Al Harris. The defensive backs coach earned extraordinary praise that caught analyst attention. Allen said Harris brings instant credibility, teaches with precision, and has delivered a swagger and confidence to the secondary that stops opponents in crucial moments.

The key sign: Allen spoke about Harris in glowing terms that signal a coach on borrowed time. When coordinators publicly celebrate assistants that profusely, it often means those assistants are about to get promoted elsewhere. Al Harris spent years as a career backup cornerback before becoming one of the NFL’s brightest defensive minds. Sherman told his podcast that Harris will get major consideration to become a defensive coordinator very soon.

The Defense Exposed Deeper Problems Than Just Secondary Play

The Lions defeat on January 4, 2026, revealed how stretched thin the Bears defense has become. Chicago allowed 218.9 passing yards per game and ranked 18th in the NFL in pass defense. More troubling: the unit showed no pass rush, no explosiveness, and head coach Ben Johnson couldn’t trust his defense to get stops when it mattered most.

Despite Al Harris working magic with the secondary, the defense cracked under pressure. Harris turned a career backup into the league’s second-highest interception leader and converted a safetyinto a slot corner in days. Yet that ingenuity couldn’t fix fundamental roster problems. Dennis Allen knows deep changes must come to the front seven and overall team athletics.

Defensive Roster Shake Up Targets Older Veterans in 2026

Player	Status	Reason
Andrew Billings	Likely Out	Age, run defense decline
Kevin Byard	Likely Out	Lost range, entering 30s
T.J. Edwards	Likely Out	Exposed in coverage at 30
Tremaine Edmunds	Cap Casualty Risk	17M+ cap hit with recent decline

Dennis Allen signaled to GM Ryan Poles that multiple defensive veterans entering their 30s must go. Billings isn’t the dominant tackle he was years ago, and the Bears run defense ranks among the worst. Byard‘s turnovers came from intelligence, not range. T.J. Edwards gets routinely picked on in coverage by opposing quarterbacks.

Pass Rush Crisis Demands 2026 Free Agency Priority

The most glaring issue Allen must address: the Bears have no elite pass rusher beyond Montez Sweat. The defense generated minimal pressure all season, making defensive backs look worse than they actually were. Analysts uniformly agree Chicago must: find another premium edge rusher in free agency or trade, improve overall team speed, and keep core players Jaylon Johnson and Sweat intact.

Ryan Poles faces a cap crunch but must prioritize pass rush upgrades above secondary depth. One Los Angeles analyst noted: teams can’t cover forever without pressure. The Bears proved that truth multiple times in 2025. Montez Sweat remains the lone consistent force.

Will Al Harris Really Leave The Bears For A Defensive Coordinator Job?

The consensus among NFL insiders: Al Harris will field offers before the 2026 season starts. His track record converting journeymen into Pro Bowl performers makes him an attractive coordinator candidate. Already, multiple teams monitor his job status.

If Harris departs, the Bears secondary loses the coach who elevated it from broken to functional. That scenario would prove that Dennis Allen’s December praise wasn’t sentiment but an admission: losing this coach would hurt. The coaching staff anticipates major transitions heading into the new league year.

“When you play this game, and you’ve played this game at a high level like he has, there’s instant credibility in terms of what you can provide from a player’s perspective. I think that and the mindset of how we’re going to play and how we’re going to attack the ball. I’m extremely happy with him and really all the assistant coaches.”

— Dennis Allen, Bears Defensive Coordinator

Sources

• Bear Goggles On – Dennis Allen’s praise of Al Harris coaching staff decisions
• Sports Mockery – Defense analysis on Lions loss and 2026 offseason plans
• MSN Sports – Dennis Allen confirms major defensive returns and changes ahead