Chicago’s defense is rolling into Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers with some seriously shaky vibes, according to Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron. He just dropped the scoop on their run defense that was already a mess last year, and a secondary that’s somehow even worse off. If you’re looking for a lockdown D out of the gate, well, you might be waiting a while.
The Run Defense: Still A Sieve?
The Bears’ run defense in 2025 was, to put it mildly, not good. They finished 27th in rushing yards allowed per game and a dismal 29th in yards per attempt, coughing up 5.0 yards every time. They struggled to stop the run all season long, and even in the playoffs, where they supposedly “cleaned it up,” the Packers and Rams still found ways to gash ’em. So, what’s changed this year? Not much, apparently, and that’s the scary part. They traded Gervon Dexter, who wasn’t exactly a brick wall against the run, for some secondary help and a draft pick. Then they replaced Andrew Billings with Neville Gallimore, who, guess what, isn’t considered a stronger run defender either. TJ Edwards is back and he’s a solid force, but Tremaine Edmunds walked and Devin Bush stepped in. The defense is supposedly faster overall, which hopefully means swarming to the ball more effectively, but Montez Sweat seems to be the only strong run defender mentioned. The bottom line? Zimmerman says there will be “plenty of opportunities for the Panthers’ running backs to get some yards through large holes.” That’s not exactly a confidence booster for Week 1.
The Secondary: Jaylon Johnson Against The World
Now for the secondary, and hoo boy, it’s a MASH unit. The *only* real strength mentioned here is Jaylon Johnson. The dude’s had an excellent camp and looks closer to his All-Pro year, which is great, but he’s a lone wolf out there. Kyler Gordon, an excellent Nickel back, is on IR and won’t play. Coby Bryant, who was brought in to replace Kevin Byard, is also injured and on IR. So, after Johnson, the rest of the starting secondary is “definitely beatable.” This is a huge problem, especially when you consider one of the Panthers’ few bona fide strengths is their wide receiver corps. You’ve got a pass-happy team with good weapons going against a secondary that’s missing key pieces and looks ready for the taking.
This Week 1 matchup is shaping up to be a true test for the Bears’ defense right out of the gate. The Panthers are going to need to pound the ball, even with two starting offensive tackles out for extended time, which means those “large holes” in the run defense are going to be critical. And their strong receiving corps will be licking their chops against that depleted secondary. We’ll find out if that supposed “added speed” can actually save them or if it’s going to be a long afternoon from the jump.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Cat Scratch Reader.
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