There’s a fine line between being a playoff team and a Super Bowl-caliber killer. The 2025 Chicago Bears are built to walk that line — maybe even erase it — with a secondary that's loaded, aggressive, and oozing potential.
We’ve already broken down the offensive line, dissected the playmakers, and sized up the defensive front. Today? We turn our eyes to the guys patrolling the skies — the secondary. How good can they be? The answer’s waiting at the end, but let’s just say it might put them in rarefied air.
Let’s break it all down.
Rewinding the Championship Tape: What Makes a Super Bowl Secondary?
You want a ring? Start with DBs who don’t miss.
So how do we score secondaries? Simple — we build a 0-100 scale, blending raw stats, advanced metrics, and impact plays into one badass rating. Metrics include pass yards allowed, TDs given up, interception rate, EPA per play, and individual player grades (think PFF scores, Pro Bowl honors, etc.). Anything over 90? That’s elite. 80-89? Contender-level. Below 80? Better hope your offense is carrying Zeus' thunderbolt.
Over the last decade, a pattern has burned through the film: great secondaries = Lombardi potential. Take Seattle’s 2013 "Legion of Boom” — a savage 98-point clinic. Denver's 2015 "No Fly Zone"? 95 points. Even Philly’s 2024 squad clamped down with a 92-point lockdown. Mahomes’ 2023 Chiefs? Solid at 85. But his 2019 crew? Just a 72—won because their offense was nuclear.
The common thread? Hit the 81-point benchmark or stay home in February.
The 91-Point Statement: Bears’ Secondary by the Numbers
This ain’t your grandpa’s Bears defense. This unit is sleek, fast, and backed by data that'll slap your spreadsheets into submission:
- -0.25 EPA in coverage (BVMSports.com) – the NFL's best. Translation? They made QBs earn every damn yard.
- 11 takeaways and 11 straight games giving up under 21 points(BVMSports.com). That’s consistency with bite.
- Only 17 passing TDs allowed (FoxSports.com), despite giving up 217.9 pass yards per game (16th). Situational killers.
Advanced analytics love this crew. They didn’t just bend without breaking — they bent offenses until they cried for help.
Individual Bears DB Scores: Breaking Down the Unit
Here’s how each projected starter in the Bears’ 2025 secondary grades out on the 0-100 scale — and why:
Jaylon Johnson – 94
Elite cornerback play with shutdown skills, physicality, and consistent Pro Bowl-caliber output. Ranked among the top-graded corners on PFF and backed it up on tape every damn week.
Kevin Byard – 90
Veteran leadership, tackling monster, and reliable in coverage. Not quite the All-Pro force he once was, but still top-tier and invaluable to this unit's IQ and communication.
Kyler Gordon – 89
Premier nickel back who can lock up the slot and support against the run. The only reason he’s not over 90 is because he’s still ascending — but he’s knocking on that door.
Jaquan Brisker – 88
Versatile, rangy safety who hits like a linebacker. If he stays healthy, he’s one of the best strong safeties in the game. The projection accounts for his bounce-back season.
Tyrique Stevenson – 83
The young gun with tools and flashes of brilliance. Still inconsistent, but when he’s on, he’s a problem for any WR2. Expect a leap in 2025 with Allen’s coaching.
Elijah Hicks (rotational safety) – 78
Reliable depth piece who doesn’t screw up. That may sound boring, but in today’s NFL, that makes you damn valuable as a third safety.
Terell Smith (depth CB) – 76
Still raw, but shows promise in man coverage. He’ll be important in dime packages and could push for more reps if he tightens up technique.
Add it all up, and you’ve got a unit with elite talent, strong depth, and breakout potential. Now let’s talk about the guys setting the tone.
Talent That Talks with Their Pads
Jaylon Johnson is a stud, period. ESPN had him with 53 tackles, 2 INTs, 8 pass breakups, and more island time than a travel blogger. He got Pro Bowl nods and a fat 89 rating in Madden for good reason.
Kevin Byard? A tackling machine. 130 hits from a safety isn’t just productive (ESPN), it’s surgical leadership. The guy led the team in tackles as a DB — first time that’s happened since 2014. Old school grit meets film-room IQ.
And let’s not sleep on Kyler Gordon, now $40 million richer (Spotrac) and every bit worth it. His nickel corner work was elite, locking down slot receivers and blowing up screens like a DB possessed.
Advanced Metrics, Real-World Impact
That -0.25 EPA number isn’t just pretty. It means they were elite at eliminating chunk plays, forcing throws into tight windows, and straight-up punking opposing passing schemes. Compared to Jacksonville’s 0.29 EPA (aka the league’s worst), the Bears were playing 4D chess while others were still learning checkers.
Coaching and Continuity = 2025 Ammo
This offseason, Chicago brought in Dennis Allen to run the D. Say what you will about his stint in New Orleans, but Allen knows secondaries. His units have been known to punch you in the mouth with disguised coverages and blitzes that leave coordinators looking lost.
Add in a healthy Jaquan Brisker, who was sorely missed in 2024 with concussion issues, and you’ve got a deep, physical, versatile DB room. Allen + Brisker + chemistry? That’s a trifecta ready to smash gameplans.
Looking Ahead: A 96-Point Projection?
Projecting forward, this Bears secondary could hit 96 points. That would put them on par with the best of the last 20 years. The reason? Health, chemistry, coaching, and player growth.
Johnson’s in his prime. Gordon’s ascending. Byard’s the vet glue. Brisker adds back the physical edge. And Allen’s cooking up disguises in his defensive lab.
Final Verdict
The NFL isn’t a fairytale. It’s trench warfare with turf burns. And look — I get it. This is a team sport. You don’t hoist a Lombardi just because one group shows out. The offense has to do its job, and that defensive line? It’s gotta take a leap too. But if we’re isolating just the secondary? The Bears have a unit that puts them firmly in the Super Bowl conversation.
With the potential to be one of the nastiest backfields in football, Chicago’s DBs give this team a damn good shot at making noise in January — maybe even February. The rest? We wait and see.
But if they do go the distance, don’t kid yourself — this secondary will be the reason.
