Not many teams would be able to win a road game after giving up 37 points, but the Chicago Bears aren't like most teams. Led by their explosive offense, Ben Johnson's team did much more than win: They won by a margin.
However, not even the Bears can count on putting up 50+ points per game every week. They also have to get stops, and the Carolina Panthers just laid out the blueprint for exposing their shaky secondary. It's as simple as attacking Tyrique Stevenson.
The veteran cornerback vowed to bounce back after a dismal campaign in 2025, but if Week 1 is an omen of what's to come, this team could be in some serious trouble. The only reason he shouldn't be benched right now is that they don't have anyone else.
Tyrique Stevenson was the Bears' weakest link in Week 1
Jaylon Johnson struggled most of the game, but he wasn't the worst player in the Bears' underwhelming cornerback corps. That infamous distinction goes to Stevenson, especially after giving up a 51-yard touchdown reception to Jalen Coker.
Once again, Stevenson seemed to be one step late on every route. He couldn't stay with his man in coverage, and his well-documented tackling struggles and poor pursuit angles led to some borderline comical plays.
According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Stevenson gave up four receptions on five targets for 77 yards. That's 19.3 yards per reception, and that's as good as playing the whole game down one player. If that wasn't bad enough, he missed three tackles, gave up two touchdowns, and Bryce Young had a 158.3 passer rating when attacking him.
Everyone deserves some slack, and Stevenson missed time in training camp. Perhaps he just needs to get his legs back under him, shake off the early-season rust and jitters, and he'll be just fine. Well, I mean, it's not like he can be much worse.
The problem is that this isn't the first time he's been a liability. Stevenson has been the secondary's weakest link for years now, and the mere fact that he even made the 53-man roster was somewhat surprising. If anything, it's an indictment of Ryan Poles' job with the secondary.
Rookie Malik Muhammad looked the part in his first taste of NFL action, but he'll likely play mostly in the slot while Kyler Gordon works his way back. That might be the only reason Stevenson's job might be safe.
That said, this team is just too special to allow Stevenson's miscues to hold them back or put them in tough spots. He's been in the league and with the team long enough to show this is as good as it gets with him, and they must keep an eye out on the trade market.
| More Bears on DaWindyCity |
Add us as a preferred source on Google