Another Dennis Allen Disciple Would Make Perfect Signing for the Bears

The Chicago Bears have been gutted in the secondary. With top corner Jaylon Johnson and premier nickel Kyler Gordon both on injured reserve, the front office had no choice but to search for immediate help.

Ryan Poles responded by signing veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the active roster — and Chicago wasted no time plugging him in at nickel to replace Gordon in Dennis Allen’s defense.

The three seasons Gardner-Johnson spent in New Orleans (2019–21) under Allen are paying off in real time. The familiarity with the scheme has allowed him to walk into Halas Hall and produce instantly. Two games into his Bears tenure, Gardner-Johnson already has a forced fumble, three sacks, and 15 tackles.

It’s almost shocking that the Houston Texans released him — and even more shocking that Baltimore only signed him to their practice squad. Gardner-Johnson has been an immediate difference-maker.

But the Bears’ defense is still a shell of what it can be. Injuries have left holes everywhere, and reinforcements are still needed.

That’s why Chicago should consider another recently released player with experience under Dennis Allen: defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) on X The Jaguars are releasing veteran DT Khalen Saunders, per source. A two-time Super Bowl champion in Kansas City, Saunders now heads to waivers with a chance to help another contender in a playoff push.

Saunders was cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday and is now headed to waivers. He was a starter in New Orleans in 2023 and 2024, when Allen was head coach — and those two years were the best seasons of his career.

He’s played just 25 defensive snaps this season. He’s fresh, healthy, and likely motivated to prove Jacksonville wrong while helping a contender.

There’s also a connection to GM Ryan Poles, who was in Kansas City when the Chiefs drafted Saunders.

Would the Bears see Saunders as an upgrade over Jonathan Ford? They should. Chicago’s run defense needs all the help it can get.

Skepticism is fair. If Saunders wasn’t good enough to make an impact in Jacksonville, why assume he’ll help the Bears? Well, the Jaguars have a much stronger defense than Chicago right now — and the same questions were asked about C.J. Gardner-Johnson just a few weeks ago. Now he’s second on the team in sacks.

If anyone knows exactly what Saunders brings to the table, it’s Dennis Allen. And if the Bears end up passing on him, you can safely assume it’s for a good reason.