The Chicago Bears already took their big swing in the trade market on Jeffery Simmons, which was an immediate home run. Most prominent NFL insiders have noted that the team’s next trip to the plate is likely to be a smaller play for a pass-rusher, such as 35-year-old Khalil Mack. However, the Bears’ injury situation in the secondary could cause a pivot to adding a cornerback over the next six days before the trade deadline.
Chicago offered an injury update on fourth-round rookie cornerback Malik Muhammad on Wednesday, November 4, which was a mixed bag for the Bears.
The Chicago Bears conducted a walk-thru on Wednesday, participation is an estimation.
Muhammad sat out the team’s “Monday Night Football” showcase with a toe injury, and the Bears listed him as a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice. However, that was an estimation that Chicago offered, as the session in question was a walkthrough.
Despite starting the year with a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback on one side in Jaylon Johnson and a fourth-year veteran/second-round pick in Tyrique Stevenson on the other, it has been Muhammad who has functioned as the team’s most effective cornerback through the midway point of the season.
Per Pro Football Network, Muhammad boasts a 74.5 player impact score, which ranks him 58th out of 106 cornerbacks who have seen enough snaps to qualify for a rating. Meanwhile, Stevenson ranks 101st, while Johnson is second-to-last at 105th.
Slot cornerback Kyler Gordon has played in just three games, so while he has been impactful, he has not seen enough snaps in 2026 to qualify for a PFN ranking.
Malik Muhammad Dealing With Toe Injury, Bears Could Err on Side of Caution Given Kyle Monangai Situation
Toe injuries are tricky, and if Muhammad’s is a run-of-the-mill issue, he will probably return sooner than later.
However, Bears running back Kyle Monangai suffered a turf toe injury in Week 4 and has sat out the last four contests since. The Bears estimated Monangai’s status as a DNP (did not practice) on Wednesday, which could mean the second-year RB sits out another game, this one against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Solider Field ahead of Chicago’s bye in Week 10.
Because the Bears (6-2) have a week off following Sunday’s outing, they are liable to be more cautious with every player dealing with any type of injury concern, Muhammad included.
Bears in Mix for Multiple Cornerbacks Ahead of Trade Deadline
That, plus how poorly Stevenson and Johnson have played through eight games with little sign that anything will change during the second half of the campaign, makes it even more likely the Bears hunt a cornerback over the next week.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN laid out Chicago’s secondary situation ahead of the deadline on Wednesday, November 4.
“The Bears have been linked to edge rushers such as Khalil Mack, but a few league evaluators told me … that cornerback is becoming more of a need,” Fowler wrote. “Washington’s Mike Sainristil is a name that has circulated this week, though I don’t get the sense the Commanders plan to trade him. An available corner such as the Eagles’ Riq Woolen for a Day 3 pick could make sense.”
Ian Rapoport of ESPN also noted earlier this week that the Bears have interest in a reunion with 2025 Pro Bowl CB Nahshon Wright, who left Chicago for the New York Jets in the offseason but has zero defensive snaps for the struggling AFC East team this year.
Bears Share Malik Muhammad Injury Update as CB Trade Rumors Fly