How Malik Muhammad Could Impact Chicago Bears' Starting Safety Decision

Before the Chicago Bears cut their roster down to 53 players on Sunday, head coach Ben Johnson revealed that there were two starting spots unsettled.

Along with left tackle, the Bears still haven't made a decision about who will start at safety next to Dillon Thieneman. The choices are clear, though: Cam Lewis and Xavier Woods.

Both players took the field in the preseason finale, which was yet another sign the Bears haven't made a decision.

But that decision may not just be about who is the better player for the spot next to Thieneman. As the Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs points out, who the Bears deploy at safety could be dependent upon how the team feels about Malik Muhammad in the slot.

"The calculus for this decision spills over to the nickel cornerback position as well," he said. "If the Bears are completely comfortable with rookie fourth-round pick Malik Muhammad II playing nickel, that’s fine. If Lewis is going to remain a candidate to play nickel, that probably means Woods is the starter at safety."

Malik Muhammad's golden opportunity

Chicago Bears cornerback Malik Muhammad. — Chicago Bears cornerback Malik Muhammad (24) tackles Tennessee Titans wide receiver Elic Ayomanor (5) during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Bears have been ravaged by injuries in the secondary during the offseason. More specifically, the nickel cornerback spot has been hit hard.

Kyler Gordon has been hurt throughout the offseason and is now set to miss at least the first four games of the season after remaining on the PUP list through cutdown day.

Jaylon Jones looked to be the next man up in the slot after Lewis moved back to safety in the wake of Coby Bryant's injury because Jones saw the vast majority of the reps with the ones.

But Jones went on to get injured not long after and missed a big chunk of training camp before returning for the preseason finale, only to get hurt once again, leading to his placement on injured reserve on cutdown day.

While Jones was dealing with his initial injury, it was Muhammad who repped with the ones at practice. The rookie wasn't perfect, but by all accounts he held his own, and we saw some flashes of promise in preseason play.

That said, it's hard to gauge just how ready Muhammad is to step into such an important role. That leaves the door open for the Bears to go with Lewis instead, which would then mean that Woods, a free-agent signing in August, will start next to Thieneman.

Cam Lewis' slot experience

Chicago Bears cornerback Cam Lewis. — Chicago Bears cornerback Cam Lewis (21) during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When the Bears signed Lewis, part of the intrigue was his versatility.

The former Buffalo Bill has seen time in multiple spots during his six-year career, including at both safety positions, in the slot and even at outside corner.

Most of Lewis' experience (724 snaps) has come at the safety spots, but he does have 493 snaps in the slot, including 250 in 2024 and 135 in 2025.

Last season, Lewis recorded some of his best Pro Football Focus coverage grades in games in which he played most or close to most of his snaps in the slot.

In Week 2, Lewis played 25 snaps there and recorded a 70.4. He followed that up with a 73.2 in 35 snaps in Week 9, and then was graded with a 74.2 in Week 10 with 17 snaps. Bear in mind that Lewis played safety in those games, also, but if he were a total liability in the slot, his grades would have looked a lot worse.

Lewis' experience and apparent success in the slot makes this a tough decision for the Bears to make, and it's one that might not be decided until the days leading up to Week 1.

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