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Chicago Bears’ Jared Allen Excited For Life As An Outside Linebacker

By Jordan Campbell

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Jared Allen is looking forward to thriving in his new position with the Chicago Bears. With the switch to a base 3-4 defense under head coach John Fox and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, Allen will be going from playing as a defensive end to playing as an outside linebacker.

For the first time in his NFL career, Jared Allen will be playing as an outside linebacker.

Allen couldn’t be any more excited about the position change.

“I’m ready to go out and bust someone’s head open, honestly,” Allen said while speaking with reporters on the first day of Chicago Bears’ training camp.

Allen has spent his first 12 seasons in the NFL playing as a defensive end but that will be changing under new Bears’ head coach John Fox and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. The Bears will be employing a base 3-4 defense for first time in team history during the 2015 season. In their base 3-4 system, Allen will be considered an outside linebacker.

Allen is looking forward to putting the 2014 season behind him and having fun in 2015.

“Last year sucked; I’m not going to sugarcoat it,” Allen said. “There are always circumstances around i, but it is what it is. I want to have fun. Last year wasn’t fun. It was miserable. I didn’t transition well coming over from Minnesota like I thought I was going to. There were just all these different circumstances and I let them get to me. I shouldn’t have. I’m about as healthy as I can be right now. I just want to go out and have fun and play football and win football games and display my talents and help our team win. That’s all I want to do.”

There is no question that Allen’s 2014 season with the Bears could have been considered the worst of his career. Allen totaled a career-low 5.5 sacks last season and the issue was the 12-year veteran did not have the same first-step burst that made him one of league’s prolific pass-rushers before signing with the Bears.

As an outside linebacker in 2015, Allen is looking to prove that he is still capable of being one of the league’s best pass rushers.

“Three years ago, if you had tried to make me switch my position, I would’ve quit,” Allen said. “Honestly, because I was a knucklehead and I would’ve been like ‘No, I’m a right end and I’m going to go up against the left tackle. This is where I’m going to be, that’s where he’s going to be, I’m the best, you’re the best, let’s see what happens and play ball.’ But coming off a year where I dealt with injuries and being sick and my production numbers were down, it kind of clears your mind. This game will humble you. However it does it, it will humble you. I got a nice little slice of humble pie last year. You look at a new opportunity as just that, a new opportunity. That’s the way I’m approaching it. I don’t feel anything is owed to me. I’m coming out here to prove that I’ve still got what it takes to be the best at what I do.”

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If Allen is able to succeed as an outside linebacker in 2015, that will likely lead to an all-around improvement from the unit. The Bears’ linebacking core is somewhat of a question mark at this point with Pernell McPhee being the only known commodity.

McPhee will be one of the Bears’ starting outside linebackers, but beyond that, it is not know who will be the other three starting linebackers for the Bears.

Allen, with an impressive showing in training camp, could be the one to start on the opposite side of McPhee.

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