What Does the League Think of the 2025 Chicago Bears, Volume IX: Welcome to the Secondary!
We’re almost done with this series! The feelings are emanating through me: pride, relief, etc. So, what do my friends from around the sport this of the backend of this coming Chicago Beards defense? I posed a series of questions to find out.
Do you believe in Tyrique Stevenson? “Serviceable, sure. But I don’t think he’s more than a fourth or fifth corner for a good defense.”
What makes Jaylon Johnson special? “When we scouted them last year, we basically decided to leave him alone. If he had better hands, he could lead the league in picks every single year. That’s how good he is when the ball is in the air. How many touchdowns does he drop?!? I don’t know what ‘underrated’ means anymore but he might be the most underrated defensive back around.”
What don’t you like about this group? “Not sure if it was the coaching or what, but there are plays from last season where multiple receivers are just running free in space. It’s convenient to blame Flus in Chicago, but that’s not a tendency of his defenses. Usually that’s about communication and DA will certainly make that a priority this summer.”
Tell me something you would like to add to the secondary. “A rare question from you that I like. The easy answers are health and pass rush, but I would like to see the whole group play with more aggression. Get up on the line of scrimmage and hit some people. Don’t let guys run free on the shallow cross. They have good players at the safety spot, but do they have a punisher? Do they have someone the receivers fear? I don’t think so.”