Bears Position Battle I'm Watching Closest in Training Camp (And How It'll Play Out)

Things just got a lot more interesting (and concerning) for the Chicago Bears at cornerback ahead of training camp.

Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Chicago Bears will have plenty of competitions taking place up and down the roster at training camp, with players battling it out for starting and top backup jobs, and roster spots in general.

One of the most important position groups to keep an eye on is cornerback, where there is at least one starting spot up for grabs.

But there could now be as many as two starting jobs to be had after the Bears made roster moves recently that put the status of one of their projected starting cornerbacks up in the air.

Because of that, one can logically argue cornerback is now at the top of the list of the most important positions to watch in camp.

Let's dive into the details, shall we?

Why I'm watching cornerback closely

Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After sporting the No. 23 pass defense in the NFL last season, the Bears need a better effort from their secondary.

Part of the problem with the unit was injury, as Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson missed huge chunks of time. The Bears also saw a lackluster effort from Tyrique Stevenson, who was benched in favor of Nahshon Wright, who is no longer with the team. Now, Stevenson is in line to return to his starting role.

While Johnson is healthy, we cannot say the same for Gordon, who didn't practice at all this spring due to an unspecified soft-tissue injury. We hoped to see Gordon ready to go for camp, but that won't be the case after he was placed on the PUP list, which was yet another ominous sign for his 2026 outlook.

It remains to be seen how long Gordon will be out, but the Bears need to figure out who will step in if the veteran isn't ready for the beginning of the 2026 campaign.

Jaylon Jones got plenty of reps in the slot during the spring while Gordon was sidelined. We also know Cam Lewis, Cobie Durant,
Dillon Thieneman and Malik Muhammad could play there if needed.

Another key battle to watch comes at the CB2 spot across from Johnson, where the Bears will see Muhammad compete versus Stevenson.

Stevenson stands as the favorite because of his experience, but based on what we saw out of him in 2025, Muhammad has a legit shot to beat him out. But Muhammad is a total wild card in his first camp, and that's especially true after he had a quiet spring.

How the cornerback competitions will play out

Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the Bears needing Thieneman and Bryant as the starters at safety, and with Muhammad competing at CB2, we would venture to guess Jones and Lewis will be the main competitors to be the primary backup for Gordon in the slot.

Lewis has logged nearly 500 snaps in the slot during his career, whereas Jones has just 83. That's a significant gap in experience and that gives Lewis the edge. We ultimately believe he'll be the first man off the bench if Gordon can't play.

As far as CB2 is concerned, we have to lean on experience again here with Stevenson. I did previously think Muhammad would win the job, but that confidence has waned a bit because of how little we heard from the rookie at OTAs and minicamp.

That said, the Bears won't be afraid to bench Stevenson if his play isn't sufficient, so Muhammad may not be relegated to backup duties for long if Stevenson struggles.