The Chicago Bears defense has been one of the biggest surprises across the entire league. Entering the 2026 season, most just wanted them to be slightly below average and not a bottom-ten unit. Right now, they are sixth in expected points allowed per play and seventh in success rate allowed.
They shut down the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Jets three weeks in a row. Head coach Ben Johnson loves what he is seeing from his unheralded unit and has a new nickname for the group.
Johnson wants to call the defense the no-name defense.
“You can almost call them the no-name defense here at this point,” admitted Johnson. “I don't know if anybody is super flashy, and yet they're playing really good football as a collective 11 on the field. All those guys, they just want to be sound; they want to know exactly what their assignment is and make sure they're doing exactly right by their buddy."
Ben Johnson has a new name for the Bears defense
The defense might not have an All-Pro or even many potential Pro Bowlers. Still, they are 3-1, including 2-0 with a backup quarterback. The defense has been a key to winning rather than the unit that is holding them back.
The biggest names are Montez Sweat and Jaylon Johnson. Sweat is a consistent performer, but has never had a standout season. He has made just one All-Pro. Johnson made an All-Pro, but that was in 2023. He is coming off of an injury-filled 2025 and is flying under the radar.
Speaking of past success, Grady Jarrett was an All-Pro in 2019 and a Pro Bowler in 2020. Those days are a bit behind him.
The other big names would be Dillon Thieneman and Devin Bush, because both are former first-round picks. Still, Thieneman is a rookie, and Bush was deemed a bust as recently as three seasons ago. He is revitalized with the Bears.
The rest of the room is filled out with depth names and quality additions. Dayo Odeyingo and Austin Booker make up the edge room. Neither has topped eight sacks. Kentavius Street was a great find on the defensive front. Still, the depth gets talked more than the talent upfront. T.J. Edwards is a former Undrafted Free Agent. Malik Muhammad is a rookie fourth-round pick, while both Xavier Woods and Cam Lewis are borderline starters.
The Bears defense is not flashy, but they also do not have significant holes. They are getting the job done.
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