Chicago Bears Defensive Rankings: Linebackers Lead Team in PFF Grades

The Chicago Bears' defense that ended the 2025 season will feature some different personnel this year. 

Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will have two new starting safeties in Coby Bryant and first-round pick Dillon Thieneman. Devin Bush replaces linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who signed with the New York Giants in free agency. With Nahshon Wright gone, Tyrique Stevenson will likely compete for the starting cornerback spot opposite of Jaylon Johnson. 

These personnel changes to the defense, combined with refined coaching, focusing more on technique and fundamentals, are what the Bears' staff is counting on to improve the unit this upcoming season.

The Bears also need their returning players to step up for this defense to see the necessary results to help push this team to become a more consistent unit at pressuring the quarterback (189 quarterback pressures, 25th worst) and stopping the run (134.5 rushing yards per game, 6th most). 

Two of those players are at the linebacker position. Of the returning players who played at least 214 defensive snaps (20% of the defensive snaps) last season, D'Marco Jackson and T.J. Edwards led the Bears with the highest Pro Football Focus grades. 

Jackson (83.8 grade) only played 260 total defensive snaps, but made the most of his opportunities. Through the first 11 weeks, the 6-foot-1, 233-pound linebacker only had three total tackles in 32 defensive snaps played. 

But with Edwards (72.0 grade), Edmunds and Noah Sewell all out because of injuries in Week 12, Jackson played 72 defensive snaps and registered eight total tackles and allowed just four receptions for 13 yards in the win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Against the Cleveland Browns in Week 15 at Soldier Field, Jackson had his most impactful game of the season, registering five total tackles, one sack and an interception in the Bears' dominant 31-3 win. Jackson was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance. 

Edwards' 2025 season was greatly impacted by injuries, limiting him to just 10 regular-season games. Before he fractured his fibula in the wild card round against the Green Bay Packers, which shut him down for the year, Edwards missed time because of a hamstring issue and a broken hand. 

In 10 games played, Edwards finished his seventh season in the league with 48 total tackles, seven quarterback pressures, three passes defensed, one sack and a pick-6 against the the San Francisco 49ers. 

The veteran linebacker also finished with his highest-graded tackling grade (76.3) since joining the Bears in 2023. 

Edwards is still recovering from his season-ending injury and told reporters back in late April that a summertime return could be possible, which would give Edwards enough time to acclimate with Bush and Jackson in the second level of this Bears defense. 

With new additions to Allen's unit and raised expectations for this upcoming season, the Bears' defense must take another step forward. To make that happen, the linebackers will be heavily counted on to raise their level of play.