As the Chicago Bears move toward their second training camp under head coach Ben Johnson, players know exactly what to expect. Of course there will be some interesting position battles to monitor, even if one seems to just about determined coming out of OTAs.
If we think about Bears' veterans who are a bit of a hot seat for training camp, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson would be high on the list. Adding to the stakes for him, as his long-term future in Chicago sits in a tenuous state, is the fact he's entering a contract year.
Stevenson is set to face serious competition from rookie fourth-round pick Malik Muhammad for the starting outside cornerback spot opposite Jaylon Johnson. The rookie could also push for some work in the slot, as durability questions linger around Kyler Gordon.
Stevenson's experience should give him a fairly solid edge in that position battle with Muhammad, and Gordon's lack of reliability health-wise may turn things somewhat moot, but we know better than to anoint him.
Could Tyrique Stevenson become a tradeable asset for the Bears?
Things would have to take shape in just such a way to make it a real conversation, namely Muhammad winning the CB2 job and Gordon getting healthy/showing he can stay that way, but a fall down the depth chart could lead to Ryan Poles fielding trade calls about Stevenson before the season starts.
Thomas Martinez of SI.com has suggested the Los Angeles Chargers could have interest in Stevenson should the Bears be in a position where they'd consider moving him.
"One of the few position groups the Chargers still have questions at is at cornerback. The incumbent starters or main contributors is veteran Donte Jackson alongside third-year cornerbacks Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart. Behind them is a series of question marks."
Martinez noted how in 2024 the Chargers, apparently not satisfied with their situation at safety, made a trade to acquire Elijah Molden from the Tennessee Titans after their final preseason game.
If a Stevenson trade were to be entertained by the Bears between now and Week 1, the timeframe would likely be similar.
Martinez then pointed directly to how Stevenson could be a fit for the Chargers.
"In 2025, Stevenson was Chicago's best man cover corner. New defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary has hinted at being more aggressive on defense which would require corners who can cover man-to-man giving Stevenson an easy role to work into with the Chargers."
For all his general struggles last season, which led to a benching, Stevenson earned a 68.1 grade in man coverage from Pro Football Focus (tied for 15th-best among cornerbacks with at least 160 total coverage snaps).
So if the Chargers move toward being a more aggressive defense and thus more reliant on man coverage, while also not being satisfied with who they currently have in that regard, they do look like a nice fit for Stevenson.
Read more: Bears should be in no rush to address a supposedly urgent contract situation
It takes two to tango if a trade is going to go down, of course. While there's certainly a potential path to that dance floor for the Bears when it comes to Stevenson, it also feels more like a conversation for into the season, closer to the trade deadline. At that point, there should be a clearer picture of their cornerback depth, and more importantly, the former second-round pick's place in it.
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