The Bears came out of Week 1 with a massive offensive headline, but the secondary’s mess against Carolina is the part that could end up driving real change. And the fix may not start with a star move. It may start with getting Xavier Woods back on the field and letting the pieces fall where they should.
Woods missed the opener with a back injury, and the issue didn’t sound serious. The Bears should have him back as the other starting safety next to rookie Dillon Thieneman, which matters because his veteran experience was a big reason Chicago signed him after Coby Bryant went down for the season.
That return could reshape everything around him. Cam Lewis filled in for Woods against the Panthers, and once Woods is healthy, Lewis could either slide to the bench or get another look at nickel corner, the spot rookie Malik Muhammad handled for a lot of Sunday’s snaps.
Lewis is the wild card here, even if the sample size is tiny. Over the last three seasons, he has played slot corner in four games, with three of those games featuring double-digit snaps, per PFF. In those four games, he logged 60 coverage snaps, allowed three catches on five targets, gave up 19 yards, allowed no touchdowns, and broke up one pass.
That kind of usage doesn’t tell the whole story, but it does show the Bears at least have something to work with if they want to try him inside. If Lewis can hold up there, Chicago suddenly has more room to maneuver on the back end.
And that’s where Malik Muhammad enters the picture. The rookie looked good in his NFL debut.
Outside of the diving interception he made on Bryce Young just before halftime, he wasn’t a headline in the booth - which, for a cornerback, is usually a compliment. He also had a few snaps outside when Tyrique Stevenson went into the blue medical tent.
Muhammad came out of Texas as primarily an outside corner, but Dennis Allen was comfortable using him in the slot during the summer because of his physical style and versatility. If Lewis takes over at nickel and Woods settles back into safety, Muhammad could have a path to challenge Stevenson on the outside.
That would be a major development for Chicago, because Stevenson was rough against Carolina. He looked slow, he was late on plays, and the Bears may have a real decision to make if that’s the level he’s bringing in a contract year. Stevenson is in line to play elsewhere in 2027, and if this is what the Bears are getting now, there’s no reason they should hesitate to bench him for Muhammad.
Of course, the biggest disappointment in the secondary was Jaylon Johnson. He looked like a shell of himself in Week 1, and for now, the only fair reaction is to hope it was rust. Johnson remains the Bears’ best outside corner until a larger sample says otherwise.
Still, if Woods returns, Lewis gives them something at nickel, and Muhammad keeps building on what he showed against Carolina, the Bears could end up with a secondary that looks very different - and much better - than the one that showed up in Week 1.
In Other News...
Bears Face One Huge Question In Maxx Crosby Buzz
Bleacher Reports recent trade buzz put Maxx Crosby in the Bears orbit, naming Chicago as a possible suitor alongside Dallas if the Raiders ever entertained moving the star edge rusher. The fit is easy to see from a Bears standpoint: Crosby would instantly change the conversation about a defense that has been looking for more disruption up front, and his presence would be the sort of addition that alters how opponents game-plan for an entire game.
For now, though, the conversation is mostly hypothetical. Crosby has recently reaffirmed his commitment to Las Vegas, and there are no indications that Chicago and the Raiders are engaged in any active trade talks. Still, the fact that his name is even attached to the Bears is enough to keep the idea simmering, because if the door ever cracked open, this would be the kind of move that could reshape the roster fast. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Already Have One NFC North Rival To Worry About
The NFC North is crowded at the top, but the Bears still sit in the spot every division opponent is chasing. With Chicago tied for the lead, the more interesting question is which rival is best positioned to close the gap first, and the early answer points to a familiar foe that has spent the last few years trying to turn promise into something more durable.
Detroit, Minnesota and Green Bay all have reasons to believe they can make this a real race, with coaching stability, quarterback play and overall performance shaping the order of the threat list. For Chicago, the margin is thin enough that one hot stretch from the wrong opponent could change the feel of the division fast, even if the Bears remain the standard for now. [Read more 🡒]
Bears May Be Getting The Caleb Williams Protection Boost They Needed
Ozzy Trapilos recovery has become one of the more encouraging developments around Halas Hall as the Bears move toward their divisional matchup with the Vikings. After entering the year with expectations that a patellar tendon injury would keep him out for most or all of last season, Trapilo was listed as a full participant on Chicagos final injury report, a sign he may be ready to rejoin the mix sooner than expected.
For a team trying to settle the left side of its offensive line, that matters. Braxton Jones handled left tackle in Week 1, but Trapilos return could give Chicago another option in front of Caleb Williams and potentially shift how the Bears piece together protection moving forward, especially as the schedule begins to tighten in a divisional stretch. [Read more 🡒]