Malik Muhammad (born September 14, 2004) is an American professional football cornerback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and was selected by the Bears in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL draft.
Early life Muhammad was born on September 14, 2004, in Dallas, Texas, and grew up in the city's Oak Cliff neighborhood. Muhammad attended South Oak Cliff High School where he had 60 tackles with two interceptions as a senior and 70 tackles and three interceptions with two returned for a touchdown as a junior. He committed to the University of Texas at Austin to play college football.
College career Muhammad earned extensive playing time as a true freshman at Texas in 2023. He appeared in all 14 games and started two games. He scored his first career touchdown recovering a blocked punt against Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry. He recorded his first career interception against Texas Tech.
Before the 2024 season, he was named to the preseason All-SEC second team. As a sophomore, Muhammad started in all 16 games, logging 36 tackles and eight pass deflections throughout the season.
Before the 2025 season, Muhammad was named to the preseason All-SEC second team and Jim Thorpe Award watchlist. Muhammad missed the game in Week 6 against Florida due to an undisclosed injury. In the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma, Muhammad recorded two interceptions, a tackle for loss, and a pass breakup, earning SEC Defensive Player of the Week. At the end of the season, Muhammad was named to the All-SEC second team.
On December 22, he declared for the NFL draft, forgoing his final year of eligibility.
College statistics Season Team GP Tackles Interceptions Fumbles Solo Ast Cmb TfL Sck Int Yds TD PD FR Yds TD FF 2023 Texas 14 21 10 31 0 0.0 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 2024 Texas 16 32 4 36 1.0 0.0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 2025 Texas 11 23 7 30 2.5 1.0 2 0 0 4 0 0 0 0Career 41 76 21 97 3.5 1.0 3 0 0 16 0 0 0 0
Professional career
Muhammad was selected in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL draft with the 124th overall pick by the Chicago Bears. Muhammad signed his four-year rookie contract worth $5.48 million. He signed his rookie contract on May 8.
Muhammad made his NFL debut in Week 1 as a starting cornerback against the Carolina Panthers, making one interception, two pass deflections, and three tackles.
References
External links Chicago Bears bio Texas Longhorns bio