LAKE FOREST, Ill. (104.3 The Score) — A year ago at this time, the Bears had hope that then-rookie cornerback Zah Frazier would emerge for them. That never came to fruition.
The Bears waived Frazier on Thursday, one day before the start of rookie minicamp at Halas Hall. He missed all of the 2025 season due to personal reasons, which were never made public. The Bear selected him in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
"It’s just one of those things when we’re looking at the roster, where he’s at, where we’re at, it was time to part ways,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson said Friday. “I appreciate everything he contributed when he was here. It opens up a roster spot and an opportunity to make this team.
“We were hopeful. It just wasn't going in that direction. The trajectory was off. So, we decided to go in a different direction."
Frazier, 25, transferred three times in college before playing his final three years at Texas-San Antonio. He caught the Bears’ attention with a promising combination of speed and athleticism, which the team hoped would develop at the NFL level.
But Frazier wasn't available to practice with the Bears once training camp began and never returned to the field. He was present at Halas Hall at times during the season but wasn't a regular part of the team.
Even with Frazier, the Bears faced depth questions at cornerback. Two-time Pro Bowl standout Jaylon Johnson missed much of last season due to core muscle surgery. Nahshon Wright, who earned Pro Bowl honors in 2025, left Chicago to sign a one-year deal with the New York Jets this offseason.
Opposite of Johnson, the Bears’ other starting job at boundary cornerback could feature a competition between Tyrique Stevenson and rookie Malik Muhammad, a fourth-round pick in April.
“For all of our defensive backs, it’s one of the better situations you can ask for,” Ben Johnson said. “I think the world of (defensive backs coach) Al (Harris). We were very fortunate to get him back. He was a great teacher. He was very systematic about the project in which we want to go about our business.
“He’s got some really good building blocks for young players, if they trust him and if they buy into his way of coaching, that they’re going to have success. His track record says that. I think Malik is a very sharp young man, and he’s going to be able to embrace that coaching style with open arms.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears and the Chicago sports scene for 104.3 The Score.
