'We want violence' – Shemar Turner is the exact type of player Dennis Allen was looking for to help bring the energy to the Bears' defense
After a run of three straight selections on the offensive side of the ball by head coach Ben Johnson, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen finally got some love in the second-round of the 2025 NFL Draft when the Chicago Bears selected Shemar Turner.The former Aggies standout was the third defensive lineman selected out of Texas A&M […]
After a run of three straight selections on the offensive side of the ball by head coach Ben Johnson, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen finally got some love in the second-round of the 2025 NFL Draft when the Chicago Bears selected Shemar Turner.
The former Aggies standout was the third defensive lineman selected out of Texas A&M following edge rushers Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton, and the Bears got perhaps the most aggressive and versatile one of the three.
Turner has the ability to play all over the defensive front and brings that different style of energy the Bears were looking to add on defense.
"We want violence and we want knockback, right? And so if that was the goal, you look at a player like Shemar and he really embodies those two things: relentless, violence, changing the line of scrimmage," director of player personnel Trey Koziol explained.
Allen noted he wanted his defense to be an attacking style defense the Bears formerly were known as in Chicago. Adding a guy like Turner will help achieve that in the short and long term with his mindset alone.
"Like, kill. Literally just go, go, bro," Turner said. "That's all I'm thinking about as soon as I touch the field, all I do is go. I've been having that mentality since a kid. I don't know what it is. I honestly don't know. It's just a fire inside me. Kill. Take their lunch money."
Someone who shared a similar aggressive mindset early in his career, fellow Bears defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, Turner's new teammate and mentor. Jarrett was another addition made to the defensive front this offseason and while his career is winding down, he still plays with a hot motor and more importantly can be someone for a player like Turner to look up to.
"I think the perfect match came along when I had the opportunity to join this team," Jarrett said back in March. "Being a part of something that is going to start here special. Me being somebody who wants to be in a position to compete for championships, encourage younger guys around me, and really share my experience and my hunger for greatness to others who want to achieve it."
One of the things Turner will have to look to improve on with his aggressive nature is limiting the penalties on the field without altering his playing style. Turner was called for seven personal foul penalties over the past two seasons but also had eight sacks and 16 tackles for a loss in the same span.
"Part of it is just been more disciplined and playing selfless to know when you're doing those things you're hurting the entire team," general manager Ryan Poles explained when asked about Turner's penalty history. "We'll continue to educate him when he's in the building on that part. It's one of those things where you want that edge in your defensive linemen… and I feel like if you can pull that back a little bit, that's a lot easier than having to push guys. I also think that [energy] is contagious."
Controlled chaos is what the Bears are looking to get out of Turner, and being able to take things slow behind Jarrett for the time being will only help him get better as a dominant interior threat.
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