The Chicago Bears may have a real decision to make at cornerback, and rookie Malik Muhammad is making that decision a lot more interesting…
Muhammad turned heads during Chicago’s preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday and it seems like the fourth round rookie may be ready to push for a starting role sooner than expected.
Muhammad is making the CB2 competition real
GettyBears CB Malik Muhammad
Coming into training camp, Tyrique Stevenson was the favorite to start opposite Jaylon Johnson.
That remains the official reality. The Chicago Bears latest depth chart, updated Aug. 11, lists Stevenson as the first string cornerback with Malik Muhammad behind him.
But the gap between those two could become much harder to ignore if Muhammad keeps producing.
The CB2 competition was already expected to be one of Chicago’s most important position battles. The Bears moved on from Nahshon Wright after he took over for Stevenson at points late in the 2025 season, leaving Stevenson and the younger corners competing for the job heading into 2026.
Muhammad was one of the obvious names to watch.
His physical tools have always made the possibility of an early starting role realistic. The 6 foot, 182 pound corner ran a 4.42 second 40 yard dash at the NFL Combine and has 32 and 3/8ths inch arms.
Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson recently described the rookie as a “dawg” and praised his energy and desire to get hands on with receivers. That mentality showed up again Saturday.
Now that doesn’t mean Muhammad has already won the job. It does mean the rookie is giving the Bears something to think about.
The Bears need Muhammad to keep pushing
GettyBears CB Malik Muhammad
The timing of Malik Muhammad’s emergence could be especially important for the Chicago Bears.
From Kyler Gordon’s calf issue, to Elijah Hicks and Terell Smith both being down for who knows how long, to losing Coby Bryant, to Tyrique Steveson and Cam Lewis having issues, the Bears need bodies.
Muhammad has the versatility to potentially help in more than one spot, too.
Defensive backs coach Al Harris previously said Muhammad can play both outside corner and nickel, calling him a “ball guy” based on his evaluation of the Texas product. That versatility gives Chicago options.
If Stevenson plays well, the Bears can allow Muhammad to develop without forcing him into a major role immediately. If Stevenson struggles, however, Muhammad now appears capable of making the competition uncomfortable. And that’s exactly what Chicago should want from a fourth round pick.
Now there is still a long way to go before Week 1. One preseason game cannot determine a starting job, particularly when the Bears have several weeks of practices and two more preseason games remaining.
But Muhammad has already accomplished something important… He’s made people start paying attention.
The Bears don’t need to name Muhammad a starter today. They simply need to keep giving him opportunities and see whether this performance carries over into the rest of the preseason.
If it does, Chicago could have a much more difficult decision at CB2 than it expected when training camp began. And for a fourth round rookie, that’s a pretty good problem to have.
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