The 2026 NFL free agency period opened the door for several members of the Chicago Bears' roster to leave the Windy City. The Bears' secondary has been the most impacted position by the market opening, as defensive backs Jaquan Brisker (Pittsburgh Steelers), Nahshon Wright (New York Jets), C.J. Gardner-Johnson (Buffalo Bills), and Kevin Byard (New England Patriots) have all moved on in favor of fresh starts.
With the quartet no longer with the Bears, the attention turns to the other members of the secondary. More specifically, who could be next to leave town?
Although defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's unit is likely safe from another major DB-related exit this offseason, there's always the possibility that Tyrique Stevenson might not be long for Chicago.
Tyrique Stevenson's Bears Future Is Still Up in the Air
Ever since being drafted 56th overall in 2023, Stevenson has dealt with his fair share of highs and lows with the Bears. Although he became a lightning rod for criticism due to his Hail Mary blunder vs. the Washington Commanders in 2024, he started to rehab his image by putting together a 2025 campaign that left Chicago fans wondering if the best was yet to come.
Battling through injuries, Stevenson was limited to a career-low 13 appearances (10 starts) last season. The former Miami (FL) cornerback used those opportunities to tally 36 solo tackles, two forced fumbles (with as many recoveries), and 10 broken-up passes. While he matched his career-high of one defended pass per game, his one interception continued a decline after amassing four as a rookie and two in 2024.
Stevenson wasn't awful in coverage, but it wasn't as if he was a shutdown man, either. His completion percentage increased from 53.1% in Year 2 to 61.5%, and he even saw his yards per catch jump from 13.9 to 15.4. He was flagged for five penalties as well (three declined), adding another reason why the Bears might rethink his long-term future.
His inconsistent play in coverage was a major reason Stevenson's role shrank as the season went on. According to Pro Football Focus, he only averaged 15 coverage snaps in his final five games (including playoffs) compared to an average of 33.4 in the first nine games before suffering a hip injury against the Steelers in Week 12.
Stevenson's Time Isn't Up, But It's Running Out
The 2026 season will be a contract year for Stevenson, meaning he has to put it all on the line if he wants to stick around with the Bears. We've already seen Chicago easily turn the page on Wright and Byard despite career years, meaning Stevenson might need to seriously exceed expectations to get the job done.
He'll have another offseason with DBs coach and defensive passing game coordinator Al Harris under his belt, which should help a lot. At the same time, if Harris and Allen come to agree that there isn't another level to Stevenson's game — whether that's decided during the same or regular season — the Bears might not be inclined to bring him back when he reaches 2027 free agency.
There's also the fact that Spotrac is projecting the Bears to have only $39 million in cap space next offseason. While that figure could grow before then, the likes of D'Andre Swift, Gervon Dexter, and the newly acquired Garrett Bradbury will also be free agents then, and that's without mentioning how Caleb Williams, Jaylon Johnson, Montez Sweat, and others will need extensions, too.
In other words, Stevenson doesn't have much room for error. He must prove to the Bears that he can be a long-term contributor in their CB room, or else he'll be the next notable DB to leave Chicago.