Chicago Bears: Sean Desai poised to restore the 2018 defense

Current Chicago Bears defensive coordinator, Sean Desai, was first hired as the defensive quality control coach in 2013 and then promoted to safeties coach in 2019. After eight seasons working as an assistant on the Bears coaching staff, Matt Nagy handed Desai the keys to the entire defense in what looks to be a make or break year for both Nagy and general manager, Ryan Pace. Ultimately, he was hired to restore the Chicago Bears defense back to its 2018 form.

To be frank, the offense and defense are on two different timetables going into this season. The offense simply needs to make progress. For Nagy and the offensive coaching staff, the goals are simple: not ranking in the bottom 10 for both passing and rushing, actually giving David Montgomery 20 carries a game, and developing Justin Fields.

However, Desai is under immense pressure to deliver an elite, top-5 defense in 2021. Ryan Pace has given him a surplus of talent at almost every position except in the secondary which has some young up-and-comers. If the Bears’ defense doesn’t play up to its potential, the blame will fall squarely on the shoulders of their defensive coordinator. Luckily, it seems that Desai is already on pace to deliver on the fans and front office’s high expectations.

Training camp is already showing why the Chicago Bears made an excellent hire in Sean Desai.

Bilal Nichols, an emerging star on the defensive line noted that under Desai the team has a whole new swagger about them, reminding him of the 2018 season (via Kevin Fishbain). This was great to hear from Nichols as the Bears need that 2018 magic to disrupt the NFC North and ruin the Packers’ “last dance.”

Other stories that we’ve heard come out of Halas Hall have highlighted that the defense definitely has their energy back. From the takeaway bucket to all the chirping they’re doing to the offense, and the whole crew coming back healthy, Sean Desai definitely has the respect of his guys. This was something that I could not always confidently say about his predecessor, Chuck Pagano.

Khalil Mack, the leader of the defense, also commented that Desai has some of those same qualities as his mentor, Vic Fangio. He added that Desai excels at understanding player strengths and knowing what positions he should be putting his players in to succeed (via Kevin Fishbain).

This would help explain why it was much easier for Desai to gain the respect of his players as they’ve not only gotten to know him as an assistant over the years but because they trust that he’ll be installing a system that every player on the defense will thrive playing in.

This was a sentiment that safety, Tashaun Gipson further echoed in his press conference, saying that Desai has been so trustworthy and accountable for the things he has preached and promises he’s made to put players in the right position. He added that his approach and attitude have energized the whole defense to play hard for him.

I am eager to see how this skill helps revitalize Robert Quinn this upcoming season. Robert Quinn is in a make-or-break year as the Bears could cut him without much penalty in 2022 if he doesn’t perform. He was better than the numbers showed last year but the Chicago Bears are going to need more than two sacks from their edge rusher opposite Khalil Mack.

Ultimately, 2021 is a big year for the Chicago Bears defense. With many aging veterans and emerging stars poised to seek large contract extensions next summer, the pressure on the defense to return to dominance is palpable. There was a lot of pressure on Matt Nagy to hire the right man to lead the charge on defense and so far it appears that he got it right with Sean Desai.