The Chicago Bears have plenty of familiar names at cornerback heading into the 2026 season, but the depth behind them is still a work in progress.
Jaylon Johnson leads the room and is expected to be fully healthy after injuries slowed him last year. Tyrique Stevenson is in line to start after Nahshon Wright fell out of the picture, though consistency has been the knock on him.
Kyler Gordon remains one of the better slot corners in the league when he’s on the field, but staying healthy has been the challenge. Malik Muhammad could factor into that slot role eventually, but the Bears aren’t expected to push him into the mix right away.
Further down the depth chart, Terell Smith, Josh Blackwell, and Jaylon Jones all have something to prove when camp opens. With those questions still hanging, Chicago isn’t done adding to the secondary.
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Bears Host Free Agent CB Nazeeh Johnson
According to NFL reporter Jordan Schultz, the Chicago Bears brought in free-agent cornerback Nazeeh Johnson for a visit on Tuesday. The 27-year-old has drawn interest from multiple teams in recent weeks.
He met with the Philadelphia Eagles on May 4 and visited the New York Giants on May 14 but left both stops without a deal. That opened the door for Chicago to take a look at whether he fits what they’re building for 2026.
Source: Former #Chiefs CB Nazeeh Johnson is visiting the #Bears.
Johnson amassed 66 total tackles and one sack during his time in Kansas City and was a key special teamer as well. He also recently met with NYG and PHI. pic.twitter.com/iAG6GRwk27— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 19, 2026
Johnson came into the league as a seventh-round pick out of Marshall University when the Kansas City Chiefs selected him in 2022. At 5-foot-10 and 199 pounds, he was part of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVII and LVIII championship teams and logged 35 combined regular-season and playoff appearances on his rookie deal.
The problem has been staying on the field. Johnson missed all of 2023 after tearing his ACL in training camp. He bounced back in 2024 with a solid workload, playing 498 snaps across 16 games with a 48 percent defensive snap share while recording 66 total tackles and a sack.
Then a serious shoulder injury in the 2025 preseason sent him to injured reserve again. He returned in December but played in just two games and finished with two tackles.
The Bears haven’t made a move yet. But with camp approaching and depth still thin at the corner, Johnson’s visit could be worth watching.
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