Bears Lose Standout Rookie to Vikings in Early Free-Agent Move

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Former Bears cornerback Reddy Steward has signed with the Minnesota Vikings.

Standout rookie cornerback Reddy Steward is leaving behind the Chicago Bears for the Minnesota Vikings heading into his second NFL offseason in 2025.

According to NFL insider Aaron Wilson, Steward has decided to sign a reserve/future contract with the Vikings for the 2025 NFL offseason after his practice-squad contract with the Bears expired on January 13. Wilson added that “numerous teams” pursued him in his short-lived free agency; though, it is unclear if the Bears made him an offer.

In all likelihood, Steward — who intercepted two passes in the 2024 preseason — opted to test the free-agent market after he played just 18 defensive snaps in one game during his rookie season with the Bears. Chicago will also return the majority of its cornerback talent from last year’s roster in 2025, limiting his opportunities to earn a notable role.

Things are a little bit more open for Steward in Minnesota. The Vikings have four of their top six defensive backs — including cornerbacks Byron Murphy Jr., Shaq Griffin and Stephon Gilmore — scheduled to enter free agency in March. Even if they re-sign Murphy, a 2024 Pro Bowler, they should have plenty of competition at the position.

Unfortunately, Steward’s departure gives the Bears one less promising young player to continue developing during the 2025 season. They will have easy opportunities to re-sign Josh Blackwell (restricted free agent), Jaylon Jones (restricted free agent) and Ameer Speed (exclusive rights free agent) for depth, but Steward also flashed potential.

The 2025 league year and unrestricted free agency will begin at 4 p.m. ET on March 12.


Reddy Steward Shined in Rookie Preseason for Bears

Steward will now try to make things work elsewhere in the NFC North, but it is a little surprising to see him go considering how well he played for the Bears last preseason.

Steward impressed early in his first NFL training camp, briefly holding down the nickel cornerback position with the first-team defense while starter Kyler Gordon missed time with an injury. He also made the most of his limited reps in the preseason, playing in all four exhibitions and finishing strong with a two-interception game against Kansas City.

Ultimately, the Bears left him off their initial 53-man roster, but they worked fast to get him back on the practice squad for further development. They also later elevated him to their game-day roster for Week 8’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, watching him tally one tackle and one forced fumble on 18 total defensive snaps in the 29-9 loss.

Perhaps the Bears feel there is too much uncertainty with their 2025 coaching staff to bring back Steward. After all, they fired head coach Matt Eberflus — their defensive architect — and could potentially change schemes under whomever they hire for 2025. Still, the Bears will have to hope they didn’t let a hidden gem get away in Steward.


Will Bears Add Another CB During 2025 Offseason?

The Bears will head into the 2025 offseason with cornerback among their roster needs. While the position will return two clear-cut starters in Gordon and two-time Pro Bowler Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson’s play declined significantly in his second season on the boundary in 2024. Most of the Bears’ backups will hit free agency in March, too.

With that in mind, the Bears could look to bring in another veteran cornerback to beef up their cornerback rotation for the 2025 season. Stevenson is far from a lost cause — especially if the new coaching staff figures out better ways to reach and teach him — but Chicago would be wise to bring in an experienced challenge to push him for his job.

Alternatively, the Bears could target another cornerback in the 2025 NFL draft. They will likely look to address greater positions of need with their first three picks — Nos. 10, 39 and 41 — but they could realistically start looking for a corner as soon as their No. 72 pick in the third round if a prospect rated highly on their draft boards is still available.

How aggressively the Bears attack the cornerback position, though, could depend on whether they can sign Gordon to a contract extension now that he is eligible. Gordon has one more year left on his rookie contract, but the 2022 second-round pick has developed into one of the top slot cornerbacks in the NFL and will likely only drive up his price tag in 2025, creating some urgency for the Bears to negotiate a new deal.

If they sign him, the Bears might take it easy on their cornerback investments. If they cannot work out a new deal with Gordon, though, they could pursue more leverage.

Jordan J. Wilson is a sports reporter who covers the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. He has previously covered all levels of sports — high school, college and pro — for a variety of publications including The Indianapolis Star, The News-Gazette, Springfield State-Journal Register and Peoria Journal Star. More about Jordan J. Wilson

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