Bears position review: Team needs to bolster secondary to improve next season
The Bears' pass rush ability was elite in 2021, but the secondary wasn't good enough to make the defense as a whole elite.
Under new head coach Matt Eberflus, the Bears hope they can return their defense to an elite level. To do that, the Bears will have to make some adjustments in the secondary.
Positives: Cornerback Jaylon Johnson continued to show he belongs. He led the Bears with nine passes defended, had one interception and one forced fumble. After a shoulder injury ended his 2020 season early, Johnson stayed healthy in 2021 except for a brief stint on the COVID-19 list that lasted two games.
Safeties Deon Bush and Tashaun Gipson led the team with two interceptions each. DeAndre Houston-Carson was a solid backup when asked to play in the secondary, until he injured his forearm late in the year.
In late December, rookie cornerback Thomas Graham had a breakout performance and earned a spot on the active roster for the remainder of the season. Bears fans should be excited about his potential moving forward.
Negatives: The second cornerback spot was a sore spot all year. The team benched Kindle Vildor midway through the season in favor of Artie Burns, who was only marginally better. The Bears also tried numerous players in the nickel spot and never settled on one person for the job.
The issues at those two positions made it easy for opponents to avoid throwing in the direction of Johnson.
Johnson, meanwhile, was by no means flawless. There's still room to improve. He wants to be a cornerback who can play anywhere on the field. But when he did move inside, particularly against the Packers' Davante Adams, he wasn't good enough. He acknowledged he needs and wants to improve in that area of his game.
Safety Eddie Jackson had another mediocre season. He hasn't had an interception since 2019. On a positive note, he actually performed well in the slot.
Defining moments: In retrospect, the Bears' Week 2 victory against the Bengals looks better and better after Cincinnati reached the Super Bowl. The Bears intercepted Bengals' quarterback Joe Burrow three times. Johnson was the only defensive back with a pick that day, but the secondary limited Burrow all day.
In the Dec. 20 loss against Minnesota all four Bears starters were on the COVID-19 list and ruled out. The backups stepped up and played surprisingly well against quarterback Kirk Cousins. That was Graham's breakout performance. He defended several passes and earned a permanent roster spot within days.
Grade: C. It might come as a surprise the Bears ranked third-best in the NFL in passing yards against in 2021 at 191.6 yards per game. In an odd juxtaposition, the Bears ranked 22nd in passing yards allowed per play (6.83 yards) and 26th in interception rate.
The secondary wasn't good in key moments, didn't create enough turnovers and had far too much miscommunication.
Contract status: Jackson has three years remaining on his contract. Johnson and Vildor have two seasons on their rookie deals. Duke Shelley and Graham are under contract in 2022.
Bush, Gipson, Burns and Houston-Carson are set to become free agents.
The plan: The Bears need another starting safety. That could be as simple as re-signing Gipson. He's been a solid veteran presence who, though he's not a game-changer, makes limited mistakes. If not Gipson, the Bears probably need someone with experience.
Graham or Vildor could be the starting cornerback opposite Johnson. But don't be surprised if the Bears look to add a veteran at cornerback via free agency. Their second cornerback was a weak spot all season in 2021.