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The Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive exodus continues.
Just three days after the Green Bay Packers hired former Chiefs outside linebackers coach Mike Smith, their NFC North rival in the Chicago Bears has hired former Chiefs inside linebackers coach Mark DeLeone.
The Bears’ public relations department announced the move via its official Twitter account.
#Bears Coaching Update: We have hired Mark DeLeone as Inside Linebackers Coach. Welcome to Chicago, Mark! pic.twitter.com/Q2L2rsVwZ2
— Chicago Bears (@BearsPR) January 29, 2019
DeLeone coached with the Chiefs under former defensive coordinator Bob Sutton from 2013-18, spending his final season with the team as its inside linebackers coach after three seasons as an assistant linebackers coach.
DeLeone started his Chiefs coaching career by spending his first two seasons (2013-14) as a defensive quality control coach.
The move to Chicago makes sense, as the Bears will run the 3-4 base defense under new defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano and former Chiefs offensive coordinator (and now Bears head coach) Matt Nagy. DeLeone coached alongside Nagy from 2013-17.
The moves of Smith and DeLeone indicate the Chiefs will indeed be moving to the 4-3 base defense under new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.