Most Chicago Bears fans were calling for general manager Ryan Poles to add another cornerback before the trade deadline, but when the deadline passed, it didn't happen.
Chicago is now left with some questions in the secondary after only making the Jeffery Simmons trade this season. While that was a massive move for the Bears' defensive line, it didn't fix the major problems with Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson at cornerback.
The good news is that Johnson's performance in the Bears' 27-24 Week 9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was at least a promising sign of progress. On the flip side, his performance might have convinced Poles to hold off on a trade, which could end up being a major mistake.
Jaylon Johnson's breakout Week 9 performance gave Bears confidence in him
Bears fans won't complain about getting a vintage Johnson performance that was desperately needed against the Buccaneers. After five turnovers by Chicago's offense, Johnson stepped up and performed well.
He managed just one completion on five targets for six yards. Johnson racked up three tackles, one pass deflection, one interception, and one 67-yard pick-six in the third quarter. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 79.2, the fifth-highest among the defensive players in the game.
This season, Johnson has 27 tackles, three pass deflections, two tackles for loss, one interception, one pick-six, and one forced fumble. He has allowed a 67.4% completion rate and a passer rating of 87.8.
PFF graded Johnson at a 44.3 overall, ranking him 92nd out of 104 eligible cornerbacks. They also gave him a coverage grade of 38.5 (ranked 100th) and a run-defense grade of 72.9 (ranked 30th).
While the overall numbers still look really bad for Johnson, this is actually a major improvement from what it had been. Before the Bucs game, he allowed a completion percentage of over 70% and a passer rating of 129. That one game really helped make things a lot for him.
Ryan Poles might have been conviced to not trade for a CB due of Jaylon Johnson (and that's not good)
Bears fans are praying that the Poles didn't make a final decision at cornerback based on Johnson's one good game. That can't be the final determination for the team, since it was just one good 60-minute showing.
Overall, this season, things still aren't great for Johnson, as he hasn't been consistent enough to earn full trust. Chicago needed to add depth to the position in case things went south for Johnson.
Tyrique Stevenson, the other starting outside cornerback, already feels like he is one foot out the door, as he is in the final year of his rookie contract. Stevenson has struggled just as much as Johnson has plus has not been able to stay healthy throughout the season.
Rookie fourth-round pick Malik Muhammad has been the Bears' best corner this season, allowing a 54.8% completion rate and a passer rating of 80.8. Muhammad might have a future as a starter and a replacement for Stevenson, but the rookie's toe injury has kept him out of games.
All of that leaves the Bears in an interesting spot, where the team really needs Johnson, Muhammad, and Stevenson to step up. If they struggle, this is the kind of decision that could cost the Bears a Super Bowl because Poles didn't want to make a trade.
Read more: Bears' Week 9 win exposed Joe Thuney, among other offensive line cracks
The pressure is on Johnson to return and play well. If he can't, the 2026 season might be sunk, and Poles will have a lot to answer for.
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