The Chicago Bears still have an outside chance at the No. 1 seed in the NFC, which gives them plenty to play for on Sunday night in their showdown against the San Francisco 49ers.
The 2025 edition of the Bears, particularly the defensive secondary, has fought through injuries all season long. This has forced players into roles they were never expected to fill during the 2025 campaign. Despite all the twists and turns thrown their way, this defense has managed to punch above its weight.
This is what makes Friday's injury report so intriguing. Chicago will be without another member of its secondary this weekend, but it could very well be a matter of addition by subtraction, given the way Nick McCloud has played this season.
McCloud will miss Sunday's game with an illness that has kept him off the practice field. While it should never be a good thing to lose a member of the 53-man roster, McCloud being the one impacted isn't the biggest loss.
Nick McCloud Being Ruled Out Week 17 Is Blessing in Disguise for Bears
The cornerback has been a favorite target of opposing QBs all season long, and for good reason, as the numbers would show. Entering Week 17, McCloud has allowed opposing QBs a passer rating of 149.2, third-worst of any eligible cornerback, per Pro Football Focus rankings.
With Jaylon Johnson recently returning, coupled with the emergence of CJ Gardner-Johnson since his arrival in the Windy City, there are plenty of battle-tested, veteran playmakers on the backend of this defense who are capable of picking up the slack.
Johnson and Nahshon Wright should continue to be CB1 and CB2 this Sunday against the Niners, with Stevenson rotating in and taking most of the snaps that McCloud was getting. Wright, in particular, should have plenty of motivation to provide his best effort after being one of the most outrageous snubs for this year's Pro Bowl team representing the NFC.
The fact of the matter is that McCloud had proven long before now who he was and how little he should be depended on as the stakes are raised. All his absence for Week 17 will do is provide the rest of the secondary a preview of what their playoff rotation could look like. Barring some unforeseen injury, McCloud was unlikely to be part of that group, no matter what.