The Bears came out of Week 1 with a blowout win and a defense that suddenly looks like a problem worth staring straight at.
Chicago hung 50-plus on Carolina, and the offense deserved every bit of the praise coming its way. But the other side of the ball told a much uglier story, especially at cornerback, where Tyrique Stevenson and Jaylon Johnson were beaten over and over again. Bryce Young took advantage, throwing for 361 yards and three touchdowns while the Bears’ outside coverage got exposed.
That puts Ryan Poles and the front office in a tough spot with Justin Jefferson and company looming next. The question isn’t whether the Bears need help at corner. It’s how they go about getting it, and whether that means replacing one starter or trying to survive with what they have.
One possible path runs through Pittsburgh. A Tyrique Stevenson-Joey Porter Jr. swap is at least plausible because the Steelers don’t appear eager to pay Porter, and both corners are in the final year of their rookie deals.
Porter was inactive in Week 1 with a back injury designation, though the contract situation is widely viewed as the real issue. Last season, he allowed an opposing quarterback rating of 57.2 and broke up 14 passes.
He’s also gone two straight seasons without allowing a touchdown in coverage, according to Pro Football Reference.
If Pittsburgh isn’t planning to keep him, it would make sense for them to get something back. A straight-up deal could be in play, or maybe Chicago would need to attach Stevenson and a fourth-round pick to get it done.
The bigger question on the Bears’ side is whether Porter would require an extension before he’d accept the move. Still, a team with Super Bowl hopes might have appeal, and the Bears would fit that description.
If Porter isn’t available, the Bears’ path gets messier fast. The next move would have to be adding a starting-caliber cornerback, but that would also force Chicago into a Stevenson decision.
Hold onto him and you risk losing him for a compensatory pick later. Try to trade him after already adding another starter, and the rest of the league knows exactly what you’re doing.
That kind of leverage usually crushes trade value, and the return might not climb past a sixth-round pick.
Johnson is a different case. He’s not going anywhere this season, and the cap math points to why.
His cap hit is $24.5 million for 2026, and a trade would save the Bears $15.5 million. Even so, the argument here is to keep him.
The risk of moving on from a player who might only fetch a third-round pick at best is bigger than the risk of waiting and hoping he rebounds.
After the way he opened the season against Carolina, even that third-round idea feels shaky. Any team interested in Johnson would be in the same position Chicago is in now: waiting and hoping he gets back to his 2023-2024 form. For now, the safer play is to keep him and hope he can get back to 75-80 percent of his prime form, then add another capable starter to stabilize the room.
There’s also the rookie route. Malik Muhammad briefly worked on the outside against Carolina when Stevenson was banged up, and he held up well.
He’s still a rookie, so mistakes are coming, but the Bears might eventually decide he’s the better option. If Chicago goes with Muhammad and Johnson on the outside, Cam Lewis could handle the slot if Xavier Woods is back and starting next to Dillon Thieneman.
However they sort it out, the bigger point is clear: the secondary needs help, and it needs it quickly.
In Other News...
Bears Still Have One Tempting Answer To Their Pass Rush Problem
Maxx Crosby wasted no time reminding the league why he remains one of the most coveted pass rushers in football, finishing the Raiders season-opening win over the Dolphins with two combined tackles, three quarterback hits and a milestone that pushed him past 70 career sacks. Even with the extension he signed in March 2025, his name has stayed in the trade conversation, and the Bears remain among the teams linked to him if Las Vegas ever decides to listen.
For Chicago, the appeal is obvious: a proven edge rusher who can change the tone of a defense without requiring much projection. The obstacle is just as obvious, though, because Crosbys new deal made him expensive, with an annual salary of $35.5 million, so any pursuit would have to be aggressive and carefully timed. For now, the Bears can only watch his production and wonder whether this is the rare pass-rush fix that might still be sitting within reach. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Defense Faces Immediate Pressure After Dave Wannstedt's Week 2 Take
After giving up 37 points in the season opener, the Bears defense is already under the kind of early scrutiny that comes with playing in Chicago. Former head coach Dave Wannstedt thinks theres a path to a sharper showing in Week 2, pointing to Dennis Allens background as a defensive coordinator and the possibility that the matchup could look different depending on Minnesotas quarterback situation.
Wannstedt didnt dismiss what went wrong in the opener, but he did frame the issues as the sort that can be fixed rather than a sign of deeper trouble. For a unit trying to steady itself right away, that matters, because the next game will say a lot about whether the opener was an outlier or the first real warning sign. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Special Teams Just Unleashed A Weapon Fans Need To See
The Bears Week 1 rout of the Panthers had plenty of big moments on offense, but one of the quieter swings came from special teams when Tory Taylor put together a punt that helped tilt the game. His unusual banana ball kick forced a muffed catch, and Chicago turned the takeaway into a field goal as part of the 59-37 win, another sign that this team can create problems in more ways than one.
Ben Johnson pointed to the punt as a momentum shift, which says plenty about how the Bears view Taylors value heading into the season. With Caleb Williams lighting up Carolina and the offense already carrying a heavy load, any hidden-yardage edge matters, and Taylors ability to change field position in an instant gives Chicago something opponents have to account for every week. [Read more 🡒]