The first thing I thought about when I saw the news that Kyler Gordon was dealing with another soft tissue injury was how it could potentially create a path for Malik Muhammad to get some meaningful snaps as a rookie.
Muhammad, a fourth-round pick from the Chicago Bears’ most recent draft class, wasn’t expected to get a ton of playing time, according to ESPN’s first batch of projections for 2026 rookies. However, he figures to be in line as the next man up if any of the team’s cornerbacks deal with prolonged injury issues. Unfortunately, this is something the Bears need to be cognizant of because it isn’t just Gordon who has a history of injuries that have kept him off the field.
Injuries to Bears cornerbacks could create opportunities for rookie Malik Muhammad
Let’s take a quick rundown of other cornerbacks whose injury histories give us pause:
Jaylon Johnson — A two-time Pro Bowler, Johnson is the best of the Bears’ cornerbacks. But save for an immaculate 2024 season, Johnson has missed significant time in four of his other five seasons with the team. In addition to missing 10 games in 2025, Johnson missed three games in 2020 and 2023, six games in 2022, and two games in 2021. When he is healthy, Johnson — who deserves credit for toughing out an injury-shortened 2025 — is one of the NFL’s best boundary corners. Unfortunately, health concerns are still prevalent. Terell Smith — A fifth-round pick in 2023, Smith was on the cusp of a larger snap share in each of his first two seasons with the team. Six of the 26 games he played in were starts, and there were times when he looked like a starting-caliber cornerback. But a season-ending knee injury suffered in the team’s 2025 preseason win against the Buffalo Bills took him out of contention for a starting role last season. So in addition to proving he can play ball to a coaching staff that has seen him in only a limited capacity, Smith also has to prove he is healthy going into Year 4. Tyrique Stevenson — The rising fourth-year cornerback is at a crossroads as he enters this season, but is still the frontrunner to start opposite Johnson. And while he played in 16 games in each of his first two seasons as a pro, Stevenson missed four games in 2025 — including two late in the season because of a hip injury.If injury issues persist in the Bears’ secondary, rookie Malik Muhammad could see plenty of action in 2026. To be clear, this isn’t how I wanted to see Muhammad reach the field. I would have rather seen him play his way into the coaching staff’s good graces by outperforming what looks to be a competitive depth chart. But injury issues could accelerate Muhammad’s timetable. I hope he is ready for the challenge.
Mandatory Credit: Aaron E. Martinez/USA TODAY Network via Imagn ImagesGiven what is written above about the injury issues that three of the Bears’ top cornerbacks have dealt with in recent years, it feels like a good time to bring you up to speed on some contract statuses. Smith and Stevenson will be free agents after this season reaches its conclusion.
Because you might be thinking it, cutting Johnson isn’t feasible right now. A cut would cost the Bears $1.1 million in cap space while taking on a dead money hit of $25.6 million. However, parting ways next offseason could create $16 million in cap space at the cost of a $9 million dead money hit. As for Gordon, the extension he signed in 2025 doesn’t have a clean out for the team until 2028, when a cut could create $10.8 million in cap space with a $2.5 million dead money hit. A post-June 1 cut in 2027 could clear $800,000 in cap space, but it would leave the Bears with a $12.5 million dead money hit.
Back in April, teammate Patrick Flowers wrote about the possibility of Muhammad being a surprise starter in 2026. But if the injury bug continues to gnaw at the Bears, it won’t be a surprise to anyone when Malik Muhammad gets the call.
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