Now entering his 10th year in the NFL, a milestone he takes pride in, Byard is one of the most seasoned players on the defense. He\u2019s not afraid to be blunt. The Bears went 5-12 last season. The defense ranked 27th in yards allowed per game and 28th against the run.<\/p>\n
Asked about his new coaching staff, led by head coach Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen<\/a>, Byard wasn\u2019t even thinking about X\u2019s and O\u2019s or defensive techniques.<\/p>\n \u201cThe main thing we\u2019re trying to get accomplished is really shifting the culture, changing the culture and not trying to do what we\u2019ve done in the past,\u201d Byard said.<\/p>\n The defense was supposed to set the tone under former Bears coach Matt Eberflus \u2014 and the unit looked as if it were ascending in 2023 and also started strong during the 4-2 burst in 2024. But the bottom fell out during the second half, and over the course of a 10-game losing streak, the defense sometimes looked just as lost as the offense.<\/p>\n That same defense remains largely intact heading into the 2025 season, but with some key additions along the interior. The Bears signed defensive tackle Grady Jarrett<\/a> and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo<\/a> during free agency. And they selected defensive tackle Shemar Turner<\/a> out of Texas A&M in the second round of last month\u2019s draft.<\/p>\n Jarrett, much like Byard, comes in with a decade of NFL experience under his belt and no hesitation to speak up.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to take a lot of work for us to be able to achieve what we\u2019re capable of,\u201d Jarrett said. \u201cBut that\u2019s the beautiful part of it. It\u2019s a process, day in and day out.\u201d<\/p>\n That work began this week when the team returned to Halas Hall for organized team activities<\/a>. For the first time since last season, the majority of the team was back on the practice field together.<\/p>\n Asked about Allen\u2019s style, Jarrett said the coordinator wants to build \u201can attacking-style defense.\u201d That has to start up front. Jarrett joins a unit that includes returning starters in Montez Sweat, Gervon Dexter and Andrew Billings. With Jarrett and Odeyingbo in the mix, this line looks to be deeper than it was a year ago.<\/p>\n General manager Ryan Poles prioritized the interior on both offense and defense during the offseason, which says a lot about where he thinks the team needs to improve.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst and foremost, stopping the run, something we really weren\u2019t good at last year,\u201d Byard said. \u201cSo we can attack in that way. If we stop the run, then everything opens up for the defense. Those (pass rushers) can pin their ears back, get after the quarterback.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Grady](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/1748344090_585_CTC-L-BEARS-0521-39_229504044.jpg\")
Grady Jarrett works out during the Bears OTAs in the Walter Payton Center at Halas Hall on May 21, 2025, in Lake Forest. (John J. Kim\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n