The Chicago Bears' defense is hoping for improvements heading into the 2026 season, but all eyes will be on one player who could make all the difference.
Bears defensive backs coach Al Harris spoke to the media, where he was asked about cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. Harris gave a promising response about Stevenson that might give Bears fans some hope for good things to come.
"He (Harris) told us that he’s noticed a difference in the DB when they reported this year," Bears reporter Zack Pearson said. "Saying that he’s more focused and locked in. Mentioned how he’s focusing on the small details and is asking the right questions."
Al Harris reassures that Tyrique Stevenson is looking good for Bears' 2026 season
If there is any Bears player who needs a comeback season, it's Stevenson, who had a 2025 campaign to forget. It actually started well, as he had big games against the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders in Weeks 3 and 4, but it all fell apart after that to the point that he was benched completely in favor of Nahshon Wright by the end of the season.
With Wright and C.J. Gardner-Johnson off the team and signed elsewhere, it appears as though the CB2 job is Stevenson's to lose. The only real competition appears to be rookie fourth-round pick Malik Muhammad and potentially Terell Smith.
Stevenson's tenure in Chicago since being a second-round pick has been really up and down, with his worst moment coming in the 2024 Hail Mary against the Washington Commanders, when he was caught waving at the fans during the play, before the Commanders scored and won the game. Ever since then, Stevenson has been trying to erase that memory, but last year's performance did not help.
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Now entering the final season of his $6.4 million rookie contract, Stevenson has a lot to prove to the Bears fan base as he must perform well if he wants to stick around in Chicago. It sounds like so far, he's on the right path to get there.
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