After Week 1 of the 2026 season there was a lot of reason to doubt the Chicago Bears defense after giving up an epic day to Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers passing attack. However, in the three weeks since the defense of Dennis Allen has turned the corner and no shortage of credit is due for this to the play of the secondary. Rookie safety Dillon Thieneman has been shockingly good not struggling to adjust anywhere close to the level expected.
This brings us to look back at the offseason changes and realize just how much credit is due to the front office for shuffling the safety position. Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker had been an impressive duo, but were both slated to hit free agency and the Bears opted to quickly pivot bringing in youth at the position as well as Coby Bryant, who is yet to make his debut due to injury.
The Bears lost their prized free agency addition while losing both starters and backup Jonathan Owens. Chicago's front office and defensive coaching staff deserve immense credit for losing such important pieces and still being able to put together a unit that found a way to getting nearly instant results.
Dennis Allen's defense has been a huge piece of why the Bears have won back-to-back games with Caleb Williams out of the lineup. The defense accomplishing this with such turnover at the safety position deserves more early-season credit when you consider the degree of difficulty and the fact Bryant isn't likely to return until mid-December.
Bears safety shuffle deserves more credit as defensive effort has clearly fueled Chicago's win streak
It will be interesting to watch whether or not the high level of performance continues or if there is even a hint of the injury and level of overturn. Thieneman is unquestionably the current engine of the unit as the defensive back has 19 tackles and an interception pointing to the potentially elite ceiling of the rookie.
For Chicago, the secondary now feels far more cemented with the team's safety having a tandem that should be in place for years to come. It helps as well that veteran Xavier Woods has been far more capable in comparison to realistic expectations.
The Bears will unquestionably need the safety production to continue on Sunday as they are tasked with a difficult matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Taking on the hated rival without the benefit of having Williams in the lineup demands a continued elite effort from a position that wasn't expected to be this productive this fast.
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