FOX analyst Craig Carton is demanding answers after Bears rookie cornerback Malik Muhammad reacted poorly to a play by the New England Patriots. Carton echoed the thoughts of fans who believe there was something fishy going on here.

Before halftime, the Bears had a comfortable 20-7 lead. However, right before the clock for the second quarter ran out, the Patriots were able to sneak in a shock 48-yard touchdown, courtesy of Rhamondre Stevenson. During this play, many have pointed out how Muhammad seemingly ran in the wrong direction.

“And again, these plays happen probably more often than we know about it,” Carton said on The Craig Carton Show. “But because it was a standalone game, we’re all watching it; it was a fluky kind of touchdown at the end of a half, it is now, for me, topic number one when it comes to the lack of integrity that the NFL has. And it is a real, real problem.”

Why would a defender move away with the ball carrier still in front of him?

The touchdown mattered more than it looked. Stevenson’s score with three seconds left cut that to 20-14 at the break.

Carton focused on the moment Muhammad appeared to change direction, saying he had been moving toward the hole a frame earlier. He wants the NFL to speak to Muhammad and Bears head coach Ben Johnson.

“That is a problem right there. And that’s the type of play that needs to be investigated. The NFL now has to sit down and interview Malik Muhammad and interview Ben Johnson of the Bears and get an explanation as to why were you running away from the ball carrier.

“Now, I’m not saying the NFL’s in on it, obviously. I’m not saying the Bears would be in on it. But I’d love to hear what Malik Muhammad has to say about why he did what he did last night. It defies all logic.”

It can perhaps be argued that Muhammad was taken by surprise at the play. He was also trying to evade a block. By the time he turned around, Stevenson had already gone past him.

Muhammad is a fourth-round pick out of Texas, taken No. 124 overall in the 2026 draft. He has been solid in the slot this season, with quarterbacks posting a 28.5 passer rating when targeting him after the first two games.

“He’s a sticky player. He continues to get better every single game, every single practice,” Johnson said of him after Week 3. “We had a couple communication errors last week that we got to clean up, but he’s going to learn from that and he’s going to continue to get better. I think we’re really pleased through three games where he’s at, being able to contribute to our defense and our team in general. He’s a competitor and we really like where he’s at right now. He’s on an upward trajectory.”

In this game, Malik Muhammad had three tackles and a pass breakup before leaving. Veteran WR A.J. Brown had a tough game against Muhammad in particular.

In this same play, another Chicago player also caught heat: Jaylon Johnson. The defensive back could not tackle Stevenson. He even tried to jump behind him to try and catch the RB, who was already out of his reach by then.

Chicago still beat New England 30-24 at Soldier Field to improve to 5-2. Caleb Williams threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns, while Cairo Santos hit a career-long 58-yard field goal with 1:34 remaining.

The Bears have yet to announce a diagnosis or timeline for Muhammad’s toe injury. But with no confirmed evidence of wrongdoing, will the NFL investigate the play, or will questions about Muhammad’s movement remain unanswered?