Chicago Bears rookie could make Tyrique Stevenson’s job a lot less secure in Week 3

After a tough 9-3 loss on Sunday, the Chicago Bears now find themselves at 1-1 on the young season.

Offensively, the Bears looked like a juggernaut after their Week 1 win. They put up 59 points, seemingly moving the ball at will against a tough Carolina Panthers defense. It’s safe to say that wasn’t the case in their Week 2 matchup, when they hosted the Minnesota Vikings.

Caleb Williams was injured in the fourth quarter and left the game due to a hamstring injury. Even before that occurred, the offense struggled to get into any sort of rhythm. Minnesota controlled the line of scrimmage and turned the ball over multiple times to get the win.

However, defensively, the Bears took a step forward. After a horrendous Week 1 outing, the defense showed signs of improvement in Week 2, surrendering just 9 points. More times than not, that leads to a victory.

One of the main areas of concern for the Bears is their secondary, which is without one of its best players, Kyler Gordon. He is set to return to practice soon and will hopefully be playing in a few weeks.

Another injury concern is DB Tyrique Stevenson, who suffered a hamstring injury of his own on Sunday. Today, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune joined 104.3 The Score to discuss Stevenson and who could step up if he can’t play on Monday night.

“Yeah, you’re bracing for the possibility that his availability will be in question for the Eagles game. I think there’s a simple move if Tyrique is out, certainly in the short term, and that would be taking Malik Muhammad and moving him to the outside.”

Muhammad, a rookie cornerback from the University of Texas, has made a name for himself early on in the 2026-27 season. He’s impressed Ben Johnson with his play and is already competing for snaps with veterans like Stevenson.

Moving him to the outside would be the obvious choice. Getting your first start on Monday Night Football could go one of two ways, but hopefully Muhammad is ready if his number is called.

Even with Tyrique Stevenson, the Chicago Bears secondary is still shaky

Stevenson was ripped apart during Week 1, as Bryce Young and the Panthers put up 37 points in a losing effort. He threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns. WR Jalen Coker also had a career day, going for 138 yards and two touchdowns.

Luckily, the Bears offense was elite, so it wasn’t talked about much on a national scope. However, if you watched the game, you know how poorly the defense played.

Moving Muhammad into a starting role may actually be a positive for the Bears. So far, their two starting cornerbacks have been awful, including veteran Jaylon Johnson.

Through two games, the passer rating allowed by the corners is as follows:

Tyrique Stevenson — 137.5

Jaylon Johnson — 114.8

Malik Muhammad — 27.5

Not a great sign when you consider how much money Johnson is making. This is a unit that could certainly improve when Gordon returns, but no one really knows how well he’s rehabbing.

Muhammad looks very sticky in man coverage. His quickness jumps out on tape, and his ability to improve in zone coverage over the past few weeks has been something worth noting. His confidence will be key going forward.

Stevenson’s job is not safe, especially if he misses time.

More: Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson rips his special teams unit, says improvement is coming

The post Chicago Bears rookie could make Tyrique Stevenson’s job a lot less secure in Week 3 appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/tyrique-stevenson-malik-muhammad-starting-chicago-bears/