The Chicago Bears' secondary did not perform well during the 2025 season, largely due to injuries, but it did expose both strengths and weaknesses within the unit.
When Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon got hurt, Chicago turned to Tyrique Stevenson and Nahshon Wright to step up. Stevenson and Wright were both inconsistent, but Wright became more of a star as he created the most turnovers in the NFL with 10, as he had five interceptions, three fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles.
As for Stevenson, it was a mixed bag: while he had good games against the Dallas Cowboys and the Las Vegas Raiders, he had more off games, to the point that by the end of the season, he was not even receiving snaps on defense. He finished the year with 49 tackles, 10 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one tackle for loss, and one interception in 13 games. There is a good reason to believe that Stevenson might
Tyrique Stevenson might not be on the Bears' roster for long
A lot of this situation with Stevenson could depend on what the Bears do with Wright and whether they bring him back. Wright is expected to receive a big payday in free agency, which might scare the Bears off from signing him.
There's a chance that even if Wright doesn't come back, Stevenson might still be on the hot seat. Pro Football Focus graded Stevenson out at a 64.4, ranking 52nd out of 114 cornerbacks in the NFL. He averaged a career-high 15.5 yards per reception this season, as he was targeted 57 times and caught 33 passes for 512 yards.
Chicago has an interesting situation: if they cut Stevenson, they would save roughly $3.7 million and only have dead cap of $422,636 as he enters the final year of his rookie contract, according to Spotrac. That contract gives the Bears the opportunity to move on from him without taking a big hit financially.
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The Bears showed their true feelings at the end of the season with the lack of snaps. So why prolong the inevitable and move on from Stevenson, either by drafting or re-signing Wright as his replacement?