Getty Tyrique Stevenson of the Chicago Bears reacts during the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders.
The Chicago Bears have officially put to bed the early celebration scandal of cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, which may have cost the team a win over the Washington Commanders in Week 8.
Head coach Matt Eberflus spoke with media members on Wednesday, October 30, during which he announced the team’s final decision on a punishment for Stevenson — essentially that there isn’t going to be one.
“I’m not going to talk about Tyrique in terms of starting, not starting all those things,” Eberflus said, per Courtney Cronin of ESPN. “Tyrique has made a lot of plays … he’s going to continue to do that. … We’re behind Tyrique, and we’re with him all the way.”
Eberflus added that he and Stevenson had a “good” conversation about the now infamous incident last Sunday with his starting cornerback and that the organization wil not be revealing the details of that discussion.
Tyrique Stevenson Good Fit for Bears Defensive Scheme
GettyCornerback Tyrique Stevenson of the Chicago Bears.
Stevenson missed a game earlier this season, but he has played in all six of the other contests and started five of those.
The second-year cornerback out of Miami has struggled at times this year, though his skill set makes Stevenson built to excel in the Bears’ defensive scheme.
“According to TruMedia, Chicago ran Cover 2 or Cover 3 on almost 60 percent of its snaps. The Bears were top five in league-wide usage rate for both coverages,” James Foster of 33rd Team wrote in September. “Stevenson took advantage of his opportunities to have eyes on the quarterback and led the NFL with 14 pass breakups and interceptions in zone coverage. … [He] needs to improve his press coverage footwork and limit penalties, but he’s trending in the right direction and is a perfect scheme fit for Chicago’s defense.”
Stevenson echoed that sentiment himself approximately one week later when he discussed what it means to play opposite All-Pro cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
“I ain’t no weak link. Just because there’s an All-Pro corner over there, that doesn’t mean you can throw it over here just because you feel like it,” Stevenson told reporters during a media session on September 11. “I look at it as an opportunity waiting for me. We all know the ball ain’t going to Jaylon, so the defense looks to me to be the guy I am in practice. I need to make the plays that come to me, to catch the balls that come to me and make sure that I can funnel everything back into this defense.”
Tyrique Stevenson Has Struggled After Hot Start to Second NFL Season
GettyCornerback Tyrique Stevenson of the Chicago Bears.
Stevenson tallied 16 pass breakups, 4 INTs and 1 forced fumble during his rookie campaign, in which he started all 16 games that he played.
He then started off this season hot by producing 4 tackles, 2 pass breakups and 1 INT that he returned for a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. However, he has struggled since then.
Stevenson ranks 98th out of 110 cornerbacks who have seen enough snaps to qualify this season, based on advanced metrics from Pro Football Focus. The second-year cornerback has allowed 23 receptions on 45 targets at a rate of 16.4 yards per completion, according to PFF. He has also missed 4 tackles.
Chicago’s defense has led the way to a 4-3 record this season, which would be 5-2 had the Commanders not completed the 52-yard Hail Mary as time expired last weekend. The unit must remain stalwart, as the Bears enter their final 10 games of the campaign with the hardest remaining schedule in the NFL.
