One of the deep position groups on the Chicago Bears’ 90-man roster is the cornerback spot. The Bears’ cornerback room is one of the best on paper, as they have Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, and Tyrique Stevenson.
Stevenson had an up-and-down season in 2024, but should bounce back playing alongside a two-time Pro Bowler in Johnson and a standout in the slot in Gordon.
Additionally, the Bears selected rookie Zah Frazier in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft and brought in vets like Nick McCloud, Nahshon Wright, and Shaun Wade. When you factor all of that in, someone will be the odd man out in Dennis Allen’s defense.
As of right now, Wade could be on the outside looking in by the time the calendar flips to July. The Bears signed the 26-year-old defensive back at the beginning of April to a one-year deal after he spent last season on the Los Angeles Chargers’ practice squad.
Chicago signing Wade wasn’t a huge needle-mover given the dearth of talent the Bears had at the position. However, Wade has some NFL experience, playing in 20 career games (six starts) with the New England Patriots.
The veteran cornerback was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Wade never played a single game with the Ravens, as he was traded later that summer to the Patriots.
Wade didn’t play much in his first two years with the Patriots, but saw more snaps in his third year with the club in 2023. The 6-foot-1 cornerback had 23 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, and a pass deflection in 14 games.
The former Ohio State cornerback held his own in pass coverage during that season, posting a 64.7 completion percentage allowed on targets and an 85.9 pass rating allowed when targeted.
If Chicago wasn’t stacked at cornerback, you could make the case for Wade to be on the 90-man roster this summer. However, looking at the depth chart, he’d have to beat out Josh Blackwell, who has been an integral part of the Bears’ special teams unit for the last three years.
Not to mention, Nick McCloud offers more upside at cornerback, and Nashon Wright has a tie to new defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator Al Harris. Nonetheless, with OTAs on the verge of ending and mandatory minicamp on the horizon, it will be interesting to see if Wade can do anything to stand out.