The Chicago Bears’ secondary struggled to keep the Detroit Lions' receivers from catching passes and making plays in the 19-16 loss in Week 18 at Soldier Field.
According to Pro Football Focus, Jaylon Johnson, Nahshon Wright, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson each gave up their fair share of receptions. It’s unrealistic to ask any secondary to have to cover for long periods of time when the pass rush isn’t impacting the quarterback. Still, there were instances for each cornerback when the receiver just won quickly off the line of scrimmage.
This shouldn't surprise anyone, but the Bears' cornerbacks struggled in this game.
— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) January 5, 2026
Jaylon Johnson: 6 rec on 7 targets for 81 yards
Nahshon Wright: 4 rec on 5 targets for 68 yards
C.J. Gardner-Johnson: 6 rec on 8 targets for 93 yards
Even though that was occurring, Tyrique Stevenson – who didn’t have an injury designation going into the game – didn’t play one single snap on defense.
Why did Tyrique Stevenson not play in one of the biggest games of the season?
Ben Johnson addressed why that was the case during his Zoom availability with the media one day after the loss.
“We felt good about where (Wright) Shonny and where Jaylon (Johnson) were, and we wanted those two guys to take the bulk of the snaps,” Johnson said.
Jaylon Johnson played 72 snaps in the loss to the Lions, by far his most all season. So getting him the bulk of the snaps, as Ben Johnson said, makes complete sense. The more reps he has going into the playoffs, the better.
In the 42-38 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Wright gave up six receptions on seven targets for 101 yards. The veteran cornerback dealt with a hamstring injury and an illness throughout the week, so maybe that affected his play. However, he wasn’t listed on the injury report all week leading up to the Week 18 matchup against the Lions, so there were no excuses.
With Wright struggling, it wasn’t out of the question to think Stevenson would get an opportunity, but it never happened.
And Johnson’s words, “we wanted those two guys to take the bulk of the snaps,” are telling of what this staff may think of Stevenson.
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The Bears drafted Stevenson No. 56 overall in the second round in 2023 out of Miami, and he has one more year left on his rookie contract. Whenever the Bears’ 2025 season officially ends, it will be interesting to watch how general manager Ryan Poles and this coaching staff approach Stevenson’s future with this team.