In the midst of an intense NFC playoff push, the Chicago Bears need all hands on deck, and it seems they'll be getting reinforcements at just the right time. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson has been sidelined since exiting the Bears' Week 12 game vs the Steelers, and with Kyler Gordon's lingering injury issues, it left Chicago with no choice but to play backup cornerback Nick McCloud
Stevenson began this week with consecutive limited practices, but was a full participant on Friday, indicating that his hip injury is behind him, and he's ready to play vs the Browns on Sunday. Stevenson has said that he will be on a pitch count on Sunday, which seems to follow the Bears' recent plans for players returning from injuries. This is the perfect week for Stevenson to be on a limited snap count. A matchup against the injury-riddled Cleveland Browns in frigid temperatures is as close to an ideal chance for Stevenson to ease back into playing time as there could be.
Bears Can Now Wake up From Nick McCloud Nightmare
The key takeaway from Stevenson's return is that Nick McCloud's snap count should severely diminish over the next few weeks. McCloud, who was supposed to provide added depth at the cornerback position for Chicago, quickly saw himself starting games with injuries piling up in the secondary. To say the least, it was rarely a pretty sight, and he quickly became polarizing amongst Bears fans, especially after the Week 14 loss vs the Packers.
Jaylon Johnson and Nahshon Wright should continue to be CB1 and CB2 this Sunday against the Browns, with Stevenson rotating in and taking most of the snaps that McCloud was getting. Stevenson being back in the lineup and hopefully returning to the level he was at before his hip injury is exactly what this Chicago secondary needs right now.
Stevenson isn't the only cornerback that Bears fans will have their eyes locked on this week. Jaylon Johnson hasn't exactly been the same elite cornerback he was before his injury, and the Bears faithful have noticed. He's only playing roughly 65% of snaps and still looks a bit sluggish. To fully conclude the Nick McCloud experiment, Chicago needs both Stevenson and Johnson to return to form and fast.
Week 15's matchup against the Cleveland Browns has the opportunity to be a saving grace for the Bears' entire season. Assuming the game begins as planned for Chicago, they should be able to take care of business against the 3-10 Browns and keep Stevenson in good health while doing so.
Despite having no injury designation, it would be better to play it safe with Stevenson in this situation if the Bears can jump out to a nice lead. At that point, McCloud seeing the field for a few drives wouldn't be the end of the world. Regardless, this should be McCloud's last game seeing a healthy number of snaps in a Bears uniform.