The 2026 season for the Chicago Bears should have plenty of excitement around it, but a mystery could end up being the biggest storyline that no one is talking about.
This offseason, the secondary took some massive hits with guys like Nahshon Wright, All-Pro Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson all departing. The good news is that the Bears got Coby Bryant and rookie first-round pick Dillon Thieneman to replace Byard and Brisker.
One question is what will happen at CB2 after last year's mess between Wright and Tyrique Stevenson. It feels like Stevenson should be in the driver's seat to win the job this summer, but rookie Malik Muhammad might have something to say about that.
Tyrique Stevenson could realistically lose his job to Malik Muhammad in 2026
Last season was an overall disappointment for Stevenson, despite a fast start, with standout performances in Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys and Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders. After that, though, the wheels fell off the wagon for Stevenson, and by the end of the season, he wasn't even on the field as Wright ended up replacing him.
That opened the door for fourth-round rookie Muhammad to potentially be in the conversation at CB2 in 2026. Muhammad had a solid college career at Texas, but there is a lot of buzz around the young corner. Last season, Muhammad allowed a passer rating of 57.8 and earned a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 70.8.
This offseason, he had a chance to work with former Bears legendary cornerback Charles Tillman to get some advice on how to perfect the "Peanut Punch" and force more turnovers.
Training camp should have an open competition between Stevenson and Muhammad at CB2. Stevenson will most likely have the lead at the job, but if he shows a lot of the same struggles he had in the middle of last season, Muhammad might be able to sneak into a job.
Another important variable could be what happens in the slot with Kyler Gordon. During OTAs, it was a major topic of discussion that Gordon was dealing with his soft-tissue injury again, and his status to return was unknown. If Gordon can't take the field, watch for Muhammad to potentially move into the slot and start there.
Read more: 3 Bears who could make the All-Pro team for the first time in 2026
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will have a tough decision to make at cornerback, but if Muhammad exceeds all expectations, it might be too hard to ignore putting him on the field right away.
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