It has been a rough year for Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.
It started back in Week 8 against the Washington Commanders. The second-year DB had a gaffe that gained national attention when, on the game’s final play, he taunted the crowd with his back to the action as the Commanders completed a Hail Mary pass. Stevenson’s lapse in focus ultimately resulted in him tipping the ball into the hands of Commanders receiver Noah Brown, leading to an 18-15 loss for the Bears.
The incident drew widespread criticism and led to Stevenson being removed from the starting lineup for the team’s subsequent game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Now, over a month later, video has emerged of the Bears corner blatantly tripping Detroit Lions wideout Jameson Williams after Williams had run out of bounds.
Officials Appeared to Miss Bears CB Tyrique Stevenson Tripping Lions WR Jameson Williams
Stevenson began the 2024 season with a standout performance in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans. He recorded four tackles and two pass deflections, including a pivotal interception that he returned 43 yards for a touchdown, contributing significantly to the Bears’ 24-17 victory. His stellar play earned him the NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors that week.
Over 11 games, Stevenson has accumulated 47 total tackles (31 solo), nine pass deflections and one interception. His play after Week 8 has been inconsistent at best, but his antics toward Williams show a player who could benefit from some maturing.
In Chicago’s Week 13 loss to the Lions on Thanksgiving, Williams caught a pass near the Bears sideline and was penalized for taunting after throwing the football in Stevenson’s face after getting up from the turf. It turns out, Williams likely threw the ball at Stevenson as a reaction to getting tripped. X user Dan Campbell is my Dad captured an angle that looks pretty damning:
@JimmyLiaoMD All 22 angle is even worse.
Naturally, Lions fans took umbrage with the play, but so did some Bears analysts.
“This is embarrassingly unprofessional,” Windy City Gridiron’s Bill Zimmerman wrote about Stevenson’s actions, adding in a later post: “Stevenson was a spectator not an active player. It was a cheap shot.”
Tyrique Stevenson Could Lose Starting Job to Terell Smith
Since Stevenson’s costly error against the Commanders, the Bears have been rotating him with another young cornerback, Terell Smith.
Both were drafted in 2023 — Stevenson in the second round and Smith in the fifth. Initially, Stevenson secured the starting role; however, the coaching staff has implemented a rotation to leverage the strengths of both players.
The rotation has also served as a developmental tool, ensuring that both cornerbacks gain experience. Bears DBs coach Jon Hoke has noted that alternating series between Stevenson and Smith fosters growth, which could be good for both players. But if Stevenson doesn’t shape up, he could lose his starting spot entirely.
Smith had a game-changing goal-line interception against the Green Bay Packers Week 11, and he has been playing well. It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out.
Moving forward, focusing on situational awareness and maintaining composure under pressure will be vital for Stevenson’s progression and maturation as a player. If the young DB can address these areas, he has the talent to become a cornerstone of the Bears’ secondary in the coming years.
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Bears CB Tyrique Stevenson Draws Heat for Antics Against Lions’ Jameson Williams