One of the Chicago Bears’ biggest wins of the offseason was retaining defensive backs coach Al Harris, who led a secondary that had an NFL-high 23 interceptions in 2025 and produced two Pro Bowlers in safety Kevin Byard and cornerback Nahshon Wright.
Harris drew interest for several defensive coordinator jobs during the offseason, including the Green Bay Packers, but Chicago was fortunate enough to keep him for another year. Although, head coach Ben Johnson made it clear he expects him to land a defensive coordinator job in the near future.
Now, Harris returns to coach a secondary loaded with talent, including some new talent in Super Bowl-winning safety Coby Bryant, first-round rookie safety Dillon Thieneman and fourth-round cornerback Malik Muhammad. After turning Wright into a Pro Bowler in just one year, Harris will have a chance to do the same with Muhammad, who already has familiarity with his new position coach and understands the opportunity at hand.
“I’m super familiar,” Muhammad said. “My coach actually know him, my DC in high school actually know him as too. He talked about him a lot. Then just knowing his history, just knowing his history of the corners he has coached before and how he has played. I know I’ve got a great coach, that’s what I can say. I know I’m coming into a great situation.”
Muhammad was a great value pick for the Bears, as Dane Brugler had him as a third-round selection. The former Texas cornerback has impressive speed, a theme for this Dennis Allen defense, running a 4.42 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. While Jaylon Johnson has a starting spot locked down on the outside, Muhammad has the opportunity to compete for the starting spot opposite him with Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith. And if there’s someone who’s going to maximize Muhammad’s potential, it’s Harris.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears rookie CB Malik Muhammad eager to work with Al Harris
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
