Bears come out empty handed after another missed opportunity and with no other options the team faces an uncertain path forward
The Bears missed out on another chance to add some help at CB.
The Chicago Bears improved to 6-3 on Sunday with a thrilling win over the New York Giants, but the team isn’t getting complacent with where they stand after the first ten weeks of the season, and rightfully so.
A lot still needs to be improved before we can start talking about this team like a legitimate playoff contender and the upcoming schedule will really showcase what kind of team this truly is.
Head coach Ben Johnson understands this and acknowledged some of the areas that are still holding this team back from playing a complete game. As such, the Bears have been exploring different ways to improve on both sides of the ball and came out empty handed again with the latest opportunity.
Bears miss out on CB Asante Samuel Jr. after he opted to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers
On Tuesday, the Bears were scheduled to visit with free agent cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. to see what kind of playing shape he’s in after being cleared from a spinal-fusion surgery he underwent back in April. Chicago was in need of some depth at the position but league-wide interest was high in the former second round pick.
Samuel finally reached his decision after meeting with multiple teams and elected to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers on the team’s practice squad, first reported by Jeremy Fowler.
This is now the second time in as many weeks the Bears missed out on adding a starting-caliber player to the cornerback position. Last week, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported the Bears inquired about trading for New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor but couldn’t get the deal pushed across the finish line ahead of the trade deadline.
Chicago went into Week 10 with Tyrique Stevenson and Nahshon Wright starting on the outside at cornerback, the usual starters the team has been deploying since losing Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson earlier in the season.
The team’s head coach note Stevenson’s played improved from Week 9 to Week 10 despite allowing a team-high 96 yards in coverage on eight targets. Since Johnson’s injury, Stevenson has been forced into the #1 cornerback role with Wright starting on the opposite boundary.
Both players have been liabilities in coverage allowing big plays down the field all season. Stevenson’s 17.9 yards per reception allowed is the most among all cornerbacks with 250+ coverage snaps this season and Wright’s 13.5 yards per reception allowed is the 16th-most among 62 cornerbacks.
The chance of adding Samuel was really the last viable move the Bears could have made to upgrade the position and now the team turns to the waiting game. Standout nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon is expected to miss at least one more week on the injured reserve before he can have his practice window opened and Johnson isn’t expected back until December at the earliest.
In the meantime, the Bears will need Stevenson and Wright to step up and improve their play in coverage. A resurgent pass rush should help mask some of their struggles in the back end but it’s not something that should be seen as sustainable for long.
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