Bear Digest

The stunner Dennis Allen had for Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson

Chicago's starting cornerback, who was the victim in last year's Hail Mary, was moved down to the second team cornerbacks during Wednesday's red zone work.
Gene Chamberlain|
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen delivered a jolt to Tyrique Stevenson when he was in with the second team Wednesday.
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen delivered a jolt to Tyrique Stevenson when he was in with the second team Wednesday. | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

When the Bears defense went onto the field for a series of plays against the offense in the red zone, they had a decidedly different look in the secondary. 

No Tyrique Stevenson at cornerback. It wasn't the only change. They also had been playing Nashon Wright at the defensive side's right cornerback position but he had been pulled. Third-year backup Terell Smith had missed part of camp earlier but is back, but was running with the backups.  

Instead, they had looks at both Shaun Wade and Nick McCloud with starters. It was the first time in camp they had both Wade and McCloud in with the first team.  Wade was out there mainly because they were in dime packages, a defense Allen says he likes because of its versatility.

"You know, I've seen a lot of improvement from a lot of different guys," defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. "I think Nashon Wright's improved. A guy that's stood out to me in the last few days, Nick McLoud. Here's a guy that in the spring I wasn't sure exactly what he was going to be. But he's come back in great shape. He understands the defense.

"He's doing all of the things that (DB coach) Al's (Harris) coaching him to do which is allowing him to be successful." 

As a result, Allen says he feels more positive about the depth at cornerback. In fact, he likes it so much he dropped this bomb on Tyrique Stevenson while talking about the No. 2 cornerback spot. 

"I think it's completely up for grabs," Allen said. "You saw it out there today. You saw some different guys going out there with the 1s.

"And I think that's how you develop the very best defense that you can, is create as much competition as you can and let the tape make the decision. And that's really what it's about." 

The tape wasn't going to show much good for Stevenson in Wednesday's practice. When he was put with the backup defense, Stevenson was in zone near where tight end Durham Smythe caught a Case Keenum TD pass while slanting in to the middle. He also gave up another catch. 

Is it possible they're doing more than just looking at the veteran free agent help they had signed in McCloud and Wade in order to examine depth? Or should Stevenson worry?

McCloud was an undrafted free agent player who initially signed with the Bills in 2021. 

He's been with the Bengals, Giants and 49ers, too. 

McCloud has been in 48 games with 16 starts, all of them with the Giants. He has 10 pass breakups and his passer rating against when targeted in 2024 with the 49ers and Giants was the worst possible number math allows, 158.3. Before that season, though he put up respectable passer ratings against of 92.8 and 72.4. 

Wade was a standout Ohio State cornerback drafted in the third round by Baltimore in 2021 but he was traded to New England and spent three years there before being released last year. Wade was in 20 games with six starts for the Patriots but had only one pass breakup, although he had 26 tackles.

Considering how impressive Wright has been playing on a daily basis in the cornerback spot normally held by injured No. 1 cornerbackJaylon Johnson, it already appeared as if there would be a some kind challenge for the second cornerback job.  

Now Allen seems to be confirming it.  Allen hardly seems like someone who does things without purpose, as Tremaine Edmunds' description of him makes clear.

"Just his whole demeanor. It’s nasty," Edmunds said. "We’re going to dominate. That’s what it is. You’re sure of that when he talks, you’re sure of that the way he coaches, you feel that the way we practice out there.

"As a competitor, it makes you be like, yeah, let’s do that. Because that’s what we want. That’s what we want to be. That’s our identity, nothing less."

It's up to Stevenson to show he can be part of that.

Stevenson's 2024 season was a nightmare because of the Hail Mary play that dogged him all season.  

It would appear the new coaching staff, at the very least, is intent on making him work hard for his starting job or even roster spot.  

It's a different age at Halas Hall and jobs are not given freely.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.