The Chicago Bears didn’t make a giant splash in free agency, but their most surprising move may have been one they didn’t make. Tyrique Stevenson walked out of the offseason relatively unscathed after being benched toward the end of the 2025 season, and Chicago added Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad in the fourth round of last month’s draft. Stevenson appears on track to get one more chance to prove his worth with the Bears entering a contract year.
For the most part, the ball is in Stevenson’s court. But there could be one more obstacle he has to clear.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, free agent cornerback L’Jarius Sneed had all criminal charges against him dropped stemming from a December 2024 incident where he was accused of being present during a shooting, per Snead's attorney, Michael J. Todd. Schefter adds that Sneed “originally was charged with aggravated assault that was reduced by the grand jury to the misdemeanor offense of failure to report the commission of a felony.”
With the charges dropped, Sneed, released by the Tennessee Titans in March, could be more appealing to cornerback-needy teams, and the Bears could give him a good look if they haven’t changed their opinion on Stevenson heading into the upcoming season.
L’Jarius Sneed Could Ruin Tyrique Stevenson’s Redemption Arc with Bears
Stevenson has been a three-year starter for the Bears since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2023, but last season was arguably his worst in Chicago. While he started 13 regular-season games, he allowed a career-high 15.4 yards per reception and 40 catches for 617 yards with a touchdown, an interception, nine pass breakups, and five penalties (three declined) on 65 targets according to Pro Football Focus.
With the Miami product becoming a big-play magnet for opposing offenses and suffering a hip injury during a Week 12 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Nahshon Wright took advantage and forced his way into the starting lineup. While Wright is gone, the questions about Stevenson remain, and it was assumed the Bears would find competition for him this offseason.
If he replicates his past performance, Sneed could be that player. A fourth-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2020 draft, Sneed seized a big role early in his rookie season. He reeled in 10 interceptions over 57 career games during his four years in Kansas City, but was traded to the Titans before the 2024 season. In Nashville, Snear never lived up to the hype of a four-year, $76.4 million contract extension.
A quadriceps injury limited Sneed to four games in 2024, and his 2025 season was derailed by offseason knee surgery. While he played in seven games, he allowed 13 catches for 224 yards and three touchdowns, along with a pass breakup and six penalties (two declined), per Pro Football Focus, before suffering a season-ending quad injury, and Tennessee decided to move on this spring.
Despite the rough time in Tennessee, Sneed could still be a competition for the Bears. Chicago has been willing to take risks before, signing Wright to a one-year, $1.1 million contract last spring and watching him become a key member of the Chicago secondary last season, as Sneed’s previous performance could convince some team to roll the dice.
While Muhammad could be that competition, the former Longhorn may also need time to become acclimated to the NFL, leaving the Bears to take a flier on the veteran.
A lot may depend on the situation that Sneed wants to go to, and if the Bears won’t guarantee a starting role, he could decide to go elsewhere. But Tuesday’s news should at least make Stevenson nervous and give him another thing to sweat out as he looks to rebound in 2026.
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