Chicago Bears rookie cornerback Malik Muhammad has been a joy to watch on the field through three games, but that success belongs to defensive backs coach Al Harris.
Muhammad is off to a strong start to the 2026 season, racking up 11 tackles, two pass deflections, two quarterback hits, one tackle for loss, one sack, and one interception in three games. He's allowed five of 12 passes to be completed his way for 78 yards and zero touchdowns, with a passer rating of 28.5.
Pro Football Focus has Muhammad with an overall grade of 56.7, ranking 65th out of 99 eligible cornerbacks. He also has a coverage grade of 54.1 (ranked 66th) and a run-defense grade of 55.4 (ranked 72nd).
Those are some impressive numbers from a rookie, but there's one clear reason he is playing so well. All the credit goes to Harris and his coaching.
Al Harris has done it again with Malik Muhammad being his latest success with Bears
Bears fans saw it in Harris' first season with the franchise last year. Nahshon Wright was just a depth player for Chicago at the beginning of the year. Wright finished with 10 turnovers and earned his first Pro Bowl selection.
Despite missing Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon for most of the regular season, Harris still put a respectable group of cornerbacks out there with Tyrique Stevenson and Wright. They weren't perfect in coverage or always consistent, but they did create multiple turnovers for the Bears' defense, leading to consistent production in the NFL with 33.
Although Harris got some initial looks at defensive coordinator jobs in the NFL, he didn't land one right away. It was a bit of a surprise, since he did well and others like Eric Bieniemy and Declan Doyle landed coordinator jobs after stints with Chicago.
It feels as though that will change for Harris soon enough, likely given the work he is doing with Muhammad. Harris inherited Johnson and Stevenson, so there is only so much he can do. He properly coached Wright and helped him land a nice contract with the New York Jets this offseason. Muhammad is the first player Harris has been able to coach from the beginning, and it has yielded great results so far.
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Harris still has a lot of work to do with the Bears' cornerback room, but Muhammad is trending in the right direction. The rookie's success could lead to bigger and better things for Harris in the offseason.
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