While the Baltimore Ravens are getting healthier ahead of their Week 8 clash, the Chicago Bears are trending the other direction. The Bears' injury report on Thursday was a lengthy one, as it included Cole Kmet, Roschon Johnson, Joe Thuney, and Braxton Jones as non-participants.
The most concerning of them all, however, was cornerback Tyrique Stevenson missing his second practice in a row. He seems to be trending towards not suiting up on Sunday, and considering the Bears' cornerback rotation, that could be a serious problem going forward.
Stevenson is in the midst of a breakout season and has easily been the best backfield defender for the Bears so far. He already has an interception and five pass breakups, and is only allowing an 81.8 passer rating in coverage, per Pro Football Focus. His career-high 76.2 defensive grade on PFF places him as the tenth-ranked cornerback in the entire league.
The rest of the CB rotation, however, leaves plenty to be desired. The Bears got a big boost after their bye week with Kyler Gordon's return, but Nahshon Wright and Nick McCloud have been struggling since the start of the season. McCloud had to play extended snaps once again after Stevenson missed the entire second half against the Saints with a shoulder injury.
Bears Must Aggressively Pursue a CB Trade Before Deadline
If Stevenson were to miss time, Wright and McCloud would be starters, and that is a less-than-ideal situation.
That is why it behooves the Bears to aggressively pursue a CB trade at the Nov. 4 deadline. This is certainly not the place the Bears thought they would be at the start of the season, with Jaylon Johnson and Gordon having signed new extensions. Being a competent general manager, however, requires one to be able to adjust and meet the team's needs on the fly. The Bears obviously need an upgrade at cornerback, so it's time for GM Ryan Poles to get the ball rolling.
Tennessee Titans CBs Roger McCreary and L'Jarius Sneed, Seattle Seahawks CB Riq Woolen, New York Jets CB Michael Carter, and Cincinnati Bengals CB Cam Taylor-Britt are some of the names that are regularly mentioned in trade speculation. How available any of these defenders actually are is unclear, but GM Poles needs to be on the phone trying to get a deal done in the next 10 days.
The Bears are currently a bottom-five team in the league in net yards allowed per pass attempt, and have allowed more passing TDs than any team in the NFL. They are also in the bottom half of the league in passing yards allowed, and that was with Stevenson playing well above expectations.
Without him, one can only expect these metrics to regress even further, giving Poles another reason why he must prioritize a CB trade before it's too late.