The story of the 2025 season for the Chicago Bears' defense is one of resilience, as they have fought through injuries to perform as they have.
Chicago might be 6-3, but that does not mean it has been easy for the Bears' defense, which has been in the bottom 10 in total defense, passing, and rushing. Thanks to their NFL-leading 20 turnovers created in nine games, it has helped them win multiple contests.
One of the biggest question marks on the Bears' defense is in their secondary, with three cornerbacks on IR, leading to Tyrique Stevenson moving into the number one corner position in place of Jaylon Johnson. While it has been a mixed bag of performances this season for Stevenson, Chicago's Week 11 showdown against the Minnesota Vikings presents an intriguing career-defining game for the cornerback.
Stevenson has a chance to either be a hero, or disappoint Chicago once again
All things considered, Stevenson had a decent showing in the Bears' 27-24 loss to the Vikings in Week 1, as he helped the defense allow just 143 yards passing. It wasn't until the fourth quarter of that game that Stevenson started to struggle against Minnesota.
There have been some great performances by Stevenson, like the stellar wins over the Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys. Still, he has also been exposed against top receivers like Ja'Marr Chase in the win over the Cincinnati Bengals. This season, Stevenson has put up 37 tackles, eight pass deflections, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, one tackle for loss, and one interception in eight games. He's posted a PFF overall grade of 58.8, ranking 58th out of 109 NFL cornerbacks.
The good news for the Bears is that Johnson's 21-day practice window was opened. The bad news is that he will not play in the Vikings game, leaving Stevenson as the CB1 once again.
It's back to Stevenson going up against Justin Jefferson, one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. This is Stevenson's toughest matchup of the season, and he may not face a better wide receiver in the league the rest of the season.
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This performance can go in two different directions: Stevenson shuts down Jefferson and gets his mojo back, or he fails, and the Bears are forced to rush Johnson back for the rest of the season, risking another injury. In a must-win game, Stevenson must find that guy who played well in the Cowboys and Raiders game to help Chicago stay in the playoff hunt.