The Chicago Bears saw plenty of movement in their secondary this offseason. With two new starters coming to the safety room (Dillon Thieneman and Coby Bryant), there may be some changes coming to the CB2 spot.
Jaylon Johnson has one spot locked down on the outside, with Kyler Gordan slated to be the starter in the slot. That leaves the other CB spot up for grabs, which isn't the best revelation for Tyrique Stevenson.
OTAs, minicamp, and training camp will give the team a better indication of who will come out on top, but there's a world where Stevenson loses the CB2 battle to rookie Malik Muhammad.
Bears CB2 competition should have everyone's attention
ESPN's Ben Solak pointed out that this duel is worth watching. Although Stevenson has been with the Bears for the last three seasons, he hasn't done enough to guarantee his spot in the starting lineup.
"The snaps opposite Jaylon Johnson will go to either the incumbent in Stevenson or a fourth-round rookie in Muhammad. Stevenson was an ascending player before the infamous Hail Mary blunder seemed to ding his confidence. Can he bounce back behind a resurgent Bears team?" Solak wrote.
Ever since Stevenson was seen chatting to fans ahead of the Hail Mary clumsy mistake versus the Washington Commanders in 2024, his arrow has pointed down. He hasn't been able to consistently produce, which has led teams to attack him in coverage.
Last season for the Bears, Stevenson allowed 40 receptions for 617 yards with a whopping 15.4 yards per reception. Teams looked toward No. 29 and found success. It doesn't help that Stevenson is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is still fighting for a job.
Meanwhile, Muhammad was nabbed in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL draft and will certainly make a push to get into the starting lineup. Some of his strengths that stand out are the ability to quickly redirect, which allows him to play well in both man and zone coverage.
He does a solid job getting his hands on the football and isn't shy about sticking his nose in run defense. Over 41 games with the Longhorns, Muhammad had 97 total tackles, 16 pass deflections, and three interceptions. The Athletic's Dane Brugler gave him a third-round grade, so the fact that Chicago got him in the fourth round was great value.
Muhammad is a player who will fight tooth and nail to beat out Stevenson for the CB2 gig. This is an area that fans should keep a close eye on. Chicago clearly isn't fully confident in Stevenson, which is why they drafted Muhammad.
Read more: Draft expert is preparing for massive Year 2 leap from Bears weapon
If Stevenson drops the ball this summer, there's a good chance he'll be a backup by the time the 2026 season kicks off.
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