The Chicago Bears’ defense was decimated by injury, with linebackers and cornerbacks getting hit especially hard. The Bears were forced to start LB5 and LB6 in a game, and seven different corners started at least one game.
The injuries at cornerback started in the offseason, they continued during the season, and it seemed like the Bears were trying to catch up to them and find a consistent lineup all year long.
Here are the Bears’ current cornerbacks.
Jaylon Johnson – Signed through 2027 – An offseason
groin injury delayed the start to Johnson’s season. He made it back for Week 2, but another groin injury and subsequent surgery landed him on the injured reserve list. He made it back for Week 13 and finished the season, but the Bears played him in a rotation, and he looked a step slow at times.
In all, he appeared in seven regular-season games (17 tackles, 2 passes defended, 1 interception) and both of Chicago’s playoff contests (6 tackles, 2 PD).
Johnson is still a couple of months shy of his 27th birthday, so if he can get his body right, I would expect him to come back and regain the form that made him a two-time Pro Bowler. However, if the Bears wanted to go in another direction, they could designate Johnson a post-June 1 cut and save $15.5M in cap space.
Nahshon Wright – Free agent – Wright made the Pro Bowl after showcasing his ballhawking skills with 5 interceptions, 11 passes defended, 3 fumble recoveries, 2 forced fumbles, 80 tackles, and 2 tackles for loss.
Prior to the 2025 season with the Bears, he had 3 starts in 4 years, and he spent the 2024 season on the Vikings’ practice squad. Wright worked with Bears defensive backs coach Al Harris for three years in Dallas before reuniting with the Bears, and Wright credits Harris with much of his development.
That development has the 27-year-old Wright on the cusp of a massive payday, which will likely price him out of the Bears’ budget.
“I would love to be back in Chicago,” Wright said again recently, “but I don’t necessarily know exactly what’s going to happen.”
For what it’s worth, Wright and his representation do have a meeting scheduled with the Bears.
Tyrique Stevenson – Signed through 2026 – Did you know that of all Chicago’s defensive backs, Stevenson had the lowest passer rating allowed when targeted at 86.3? He was also the third most targeted Bears’ defender, so it’s not like the sample size was tiny.
Kyler Gordon – Signed through 2028 – When Gordon plays, he’s one of the best nicklebacks in the game, which is how he earned his contract extension. In 2025, he played only three regular-season games after two separate stints on injured reserve. He also appeared in both playoff games, making it a nearly two-month stretch of healthy play.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson – Free agent – I mentioned C.J. in my safety article, so I’ll reiterate that here. I’d like him back on a one-year deal to provide depth at both safety (where he spent all of 2024) and nickel (where he also has plenty of experience).
Terell Smith – Signed through 2026 – Smith missed the entire 2025 season with a torn patellar tendon he suffered in the preseason.
Jaylon Jones – Free agent – Jones is an experienced special teamer, and he may be back on a vet min deal to compete for a depth spot.
Nick McCloud – Free agent – I don’t think McCloud was a big part of the Bears’ plans, but injuries forced him into 15 games.
Josh Blackwell – Signed through 2026 – Blackwell has been a core special teamer, but in 2025 he only played 3 snaps on defense.
Dallis Flowers – Signed through 2026 – Flowers is a 4-year vet who has 5 starts and 24 games played. He played in 1 game for the Bears last year on special teams and spent the rest of the season on the practice squad.
Dontae Manning – Signed through 2026 – A 2024 UDFA who spent the year on the practice squad.
Zah Frazier – Signed through 2028 – Frazier missed his whole rookie year on the non-football injury list (neither the team nor the player ever gave specifics), but reports are that he’ll be back in 2026 to compete for a roster spot.
2026 OUTLOOK – At times, it felt like the Bears were phasing Stevenson out last season, but with all the injuries, they needed him on the field. Cutting him wouldn’t make sense unless they truly want to move on, in which case, they could save about $3.5M.
There’s been some buzz about the Bears having interest in New Orleans Saints free agent Alontae Taylor, who was coached previously by Dennis Allen. Taylor mostly played nickel for the Saints, but he has also played outside, which sounds a lot like Kyler Gordon. Perhaps the Bears want to be interchangeable at corner to help disguise some stuff.
Re-signing Gardner-Johnson (who just turned 28 two months ago) could help with some lineup versatility.
Whether the Bears target a slot corner or not, I think this coaching staff may take a look at Gordon outside.
I wouldn’t expect a cornerback to be a high target in the draft, though Ryan Poles said they were taking a best-player-available philosophy early. That said, this is a good draft for the trenches, which the Bears could use, so I don’t see a place for a corner to hit on their board until day three.
What do you think the Bears will do at corner?
