Report: Dennis Allen the “leading candidate” to be Bears’ defensive coordinator

The Bears hired Ben Johnson as their new head coach on Monday.

He has already begun “assembling a star-studded coaching staff,” reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.

The leading candidate to be his defensive coordinator in Chicago is former Saints head coach Dennis Allen, according to Schefter.

However, the Bears must first comply with the Rooney Rule before they can officially hire Allen.

The Saints fired Allen on Nov. 4 after a seventh straight loss. Allen, who replaced Sean Payton in 2022, went 18-25 as the team’s coach.

He was the head coach of the Raiders from 2012 until a four-game losing streak to start the 2014 season. Allen went 8-28 in his career with the Raiders.