Going into this season most Chicago Bears fans had mixed feelings about the state of the team's secondary. But, a couple of rookies look like they could be alleviating at least a little worry.
Safety Dillon Thieneman and cornerback Malik Muhammad both received their first NFL starts in Week 1 as the Bears took on the Carolina Panthers, with Muhammad slotting in at nickel.
Prior to the game, safety Xavier Woods was ruled out which then caused Cam Lewis to step into that spot, allowing Muhammad to get his first career start at nickel. Kyler Gordon's injury situation nearly feels like a lost cause, but that's another story entirely.
Thieneman and Muhammad offer some hope as young rookies under Dennis Allen. Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson looked like they'd be strong starters on the outside and ended camp on positive notes.
The Bears could theoretically live with Lewis until Woods is back.
So, the Bears' secondary could've ended up being a strength in Week 1, when all was said and done.
But then, the opposite of what we thought would happen ... happened.
Dillon Thieneman and Malik Muhammad somehow offer more current hope than the Bears veteran cornerbacks
Thieneman and Muhammad had some bright moments; the former had several, in fact. Thieneman's closing speed and ability to fight through blocks was on full display and quite impressive.
He even had Drew Brees and Adam Amin mentioning his name on several occasions in the booth. He was everywhere, including at the right spot at the right time helping force a big fumble of Tetairoa McMillan in the fourth quarter.
Muhammad took home his first career interception off the arm of Bryce Young just before halftime. He also had several reps in coverage -- even taking some outside -- which proved his physicality and footwork to be more than sufficient.
As a fourth-round rookie, Muhammad did everything you could have asked for having been thrown into the fire minutes before kickoff.
Outside, though, both Johnson and Stevenson struggled. It was weird to see Johnson struggle as much as he did, and of course Bears fans weren't completely surprised with Stevenson struggling.
But it was bad.
Oh, was it bad.
Johnson got beat, blatantly, on multiple occasions. He looked like a totally different player than Bears fans were used to seeing.
My question is, why? How?
He ended camp so positively, with Ben Johnson and Dennis Allen singing his praises and talking about just how good he looked.
Last year, we chalked up to injuries for Johnson. And that was fair.
He needed this entire offseason to get himself right and, by all accounts, we were going to see the real Jaylon Johnson return in 2026 -- but after one showing against the Panthers, of all teams, there is real reason for concern.
Stevenson, on the other hand, is playing in a contract year. This season is as important to him as any if he's going to earn himself a nice pay day as a free agent in 2027 -- and I don't think anyone is officially ruling out Stevenson coming back to Chicago.
Well, before Week 1 happened, that was.
Now, Johnson and Stevenson are both question marks whiel Thieneman and Muhammad are the ones offering fans a great deal of hope.
It's sort of this gross yin and yang fans have to try and swallow despite a big win and offensive explosion.
I mean, Bryce Young threw for 361 yards, three touchdowns and had a rating of 110.3 for goodness sake.
Could Malik Muhammad be the answer outside rather than nickel?
There were a few snaps, briefly, that Muhammad took on the outside while Stevenson was banged up. It was a small sample size, but Muhammad played well. You didn't hear his name called which, as a cornerback, is a great sign.
At this point, Dennis Allen has to be thinking about making any and all changes he can if the defense continues to perform this way. Obviously, we probably won't see Allen make any major starting changes after just one week.
But, if this same story continues to play out with Stevenson, then why not pull the plug? He's likely gone after this season, anyway, and as a franchise you'd much rather try and develop the guy who not only offers some hope, but will be here the next few years.
By Week 4, if Stevenson continues to struggle, I firmly believe we will see Muhammad take on an outside role opposite of Johnson.
Read more: Ex-Bears OC Declan Doyle's Week 1 laser show is Ben Johnson's brilliance at work
And, as for Johnson, I suppose we're just praying that he turns things around and can chalk this up to rust.
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