It isn't every day you watch a team like the Chicago Bears drop 50-plus points in a game only to jump right into what needs to be fixed, but that's exactly what the fan base is doing after the Week 1 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
Sure, the offense looked phenomenal. That's a Super Bowl-caliber offense, without a doubt.
But, the defense?
Goodness gracious, Ryan Poles. Are you awake, yet?
The Bears' lack of talent in the pass rush department certainly showed up, but what might've been even worse was what we saw from the two outside starting cornerbacks in Tyrique Stevenson and Jaylon Johnson.
Both Stevenson and Johnson looked slow. There's no other way to put it. The two of them got beat on a regular basis and were the main reasons why Bryce Young tossed three touchdowns and went for 361 passing yards.
So, what do the Bears do with Johnson and Stevenson? Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker are good players, but next week the Bears have to deal with Justin Jefferson and company.
How do they go about fixing or replacing the two of them?
The Bears and Steelers could agree to a Tyrique Stevenson-Joey Porter Jr. swap
This is a realistic scenario because the Steelers don't look like they want to pay Joey Porter Jr. Both Porter and Stevenson are in the final year of their rookie contracts.
Porter was inactive for Week 1 with a back injury designation, but most agree that it was mainly due to his contract situation. Last year, Porter allowed an opposing quarterback rating of just 57.2, coming up with 14 pass breakups.
He's also gone two straight seasons without allowing a touchdown in coverage, per Pro Football Reference.
Would Pittsburgh agree to a straight-up swap?
Maybe.
If they don't plan to pay Porter, they'd rather get something for him, right? If they let him go next offseason, though, the Steelers would get a compensatory pick.
Maybe the Bears offer Stevenson and a fourth-round selection and that gets it done.
But then, the question becomes, do the Bears give Porter a contract extension? Would Porter play for a new team without an extension?
Maybe he plays for a team that has a real chance at winning the Super Bowl, and the Bears certainly fit the bill.
Replacing Tyrique Stevenson may require two moves and Ryan Poles cutting his losses
If Porter isn't an option, things get a whole lot trickier.
The way I see it, the Bears have to go out and make a move for a starting-caliber cornerback, first. Who might that be?
Truthfully, it doesn't matter who that is, right now. What matters is what happens next.
If the Bears go get another starting cornerback, then they would be forced to trade Stevenson unless they'd like to risk attempting to get a compensatory pick next year when Stevenson signs elsewhere.
Now, if they tried to trade Stevenson after acquiring another cornerback, the rest of the league knows they're trying to get rid of him. That instantly lowers his trade value across the board, even if there are multiple teams that want to take their shot on Stevenson.
I doubt Chicago gets anything more than a sixth rounder in return if this scenario played out.
The Bears are stuck with Jaylon Johnson until at least 2027, so let the prayers begin
Some fans might be wondering what the Bears do with Jaylon Johnson, and to those fans who may not follow as close, I'm here to tell you that Johnson is a Bear this season.
He isn't going anywhere.
Johnson's cap hit is $24.5 million for 2026. If they were able to trade him, they'd save $15.5 million.
However, I would caution the Bears not to trade him. The risk of losing him for maybe a third-round pick, at best, is far greater than the risk of waiting for him to turn things around.
The way he started the season against Carolina, do we think he's even worth more than a third -rounder? At this point, prospective teams are in the same boat as Chicago if they were to wait it out: praying for Johnson to return to his 2023-2024 form.
The risks are far greater with Johnson, on both ends of the spectrum, compared to Stevenson.
Keeping Johnson and hoping he can even return to 75-80 percent of his prime form is probably the better move at this point. Then, you go out and find a capable starter to help complement and bolster the cornerback room.
Malik Muhammad could be the answer to the Bears' cornerback problems
We haven't even touched on the idea of rookie Malik Muhammad taking over for Stevenson, which is another possibility if Chicago figures out their nickel situation.
Is Kyler Gordon ever going to play football again? Who knows.
Muhammad played briefly on the outside against Carolina while Stevenson was banged up, and he played well. He's a rookie. He'll have some mistakes. But he very well might be the better player when all is said and done.
If the Bears opt to roll with Muhammad and Johnson on the outside, maybe Cam Lewis can step in and give them adequate play in the slot (this is assuming Xavier Woods is back and starting next to Dillon Thieneman).
Woods being healthy could be the key to patching the holes without having to make any moves at all.
Read more: Panthers admit they knew what Bears were doing and still couldn't stop it
The moral of the story, in Chicago, though, is this: the secondary is an issue and needs to be fixed quickly.
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