There's a lot of talk about the Chicago Bears cornerback position and what to make of it.
Going into training camp, Tyrique Stevenson is the front-runner to win the CB2 job, but he needs to fend off rookie Malik Muhammad for the job. Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen makes it clear what he wants Stevenson to do, despite saying he wants him to be a "starting -caliber corner."
"I can make you a tape of Tyrique from last season where you would look at it and say, wow, that's pretty good," Allen said via CHGO. "It is the lapses in consistency."
Tyrique Stevenson must get consistent to be a great cornerback
Allen was very complimentary of Stevenson, even with what happened last year. Stevenson had a two-game stretch in Weeks 3 and 4 where he looked great, but Nahshon Wright eventually replaced him, and by the end of the season, Stevenson wasn't even playing.
Stevenson finished the 2025 season with a career-low 49 tackles, 20 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one interception, and one tackle for loss in 13 games. He allowed a completion percentage of 57.6% and a passer rating of 86.3. Pro Football Focus graded him out as the 50th-ranked corner with a 64.4 overall grade.
The Bears lost several key members of the secondary during the offseason, including Wright and C.J. Gardner-Johnson at cornerback. Stevenson moved up into the starting lineup, but Muhammad is there to push him in training camp.
This is a massive season for Stevenson, as he enters the final year of his contract. He is looking to separate himself from Muhammad first at camp. After that, he is either playing for a new contract with the Bears or auditioning for another team in the offseason.
Allen isn't the only one on the Bears coaching staff, though, who has shown confidence in Stevenson. Bears defensive backs coach Al Harris also spoke up for Stevenson, suggesting they believe he can be a solid starter in the NFL.
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The Bears' secondary really struggled with consistency and staying healthy all year long. Stevenson must make sure he can get the consistency stuff fixed before the season begins. If he can't fix that in training camp, he is looking at a long year on the bench and an uncertain future in the NFL.
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