There's no denying the Chicago Bears have a lot changes to make this offseason. The changes have started with a new coaching regime in the Windy City. There will be many tough decisions as the Bears try to upgrade their roster One position, however, that the Bears won't have to worry about is cornerback.
Currently, the Bears starting cornerbacks are Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson.
One of the best cornerbacks in the league, Johnson has developed into a shutdown corner for the Bears. Last season, he received a performance grade of 76.2 from Pro Football Focus, making him the 18th-best cornerback in the league out of 223 that were ranked. Back in 2023, Johnson was crowned the best cornerback in the entire league by Pro Football Focus. That season, he gave up just 195 yards and held quarterbacks throwing his way to an insanely low 31 passer rating.
Johnson was the only Bears player selected to the Pro Bowl for this season after reeling in two interceptions, eight passes deflected, and 53 tackles, per Pro Football Reference. Of course, Johnson also shut down the other team's best receiver on a week-by-week basis.
The Chicago Bears remain strong at cornerback
What sets Johnson apart is his man coverage. Johnson is the type of cornerback who isn't afraid to cover the other team's best receiver all game and shut him down on a week-by-week basis.
Meanwhile, Stevenson put together a solid campaign in 2024. He was ranked as the 133rd-best cornerback in the NFL and logged two interceptions, one pick-six, 12 passes deflected, and 78 tackles. Despite the Hail Mary play against the Washington Commanders, where he missed his coverage assignment because he was taunting the Commanders fans, he showed some signs of progress. Although, we can't say this play hasn't been replayed over and over again on social media by NFL fans across the globe. It was one of the most memorable plays of the year and has become infamous in Chicago.
The silver lining is that it appears Stevenson, 24, has learned a lot from this play. The young cornerback made a mistake and has a lot of time to redeem himself.
Thankfully, both Johnson and Stevenson aren't going anywhere. Johnson signed a four-year, $76 million contract with the Bears last season and Stevenson is on a rookie deal until 2026. Having both locked in on long-term deals will be important, especially since the Bears have to cover Justin Jefferson and Amon-Ra St. Brown twice a year.