The Chicago Bears have reportedly decided to pull cornerback Tyrique Stevenson from the starting lineup ahead of the team’s Week 9 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport has the scoop this morning on Stevenson’s benching:
- Today’s demotion is the final step in the process, and the hope is it will only be a one-week disciplinary action.
- What the Bears want is that Stevenson gets better from this. It’s also clear, sources say, that teammates and coaches have Stevenson’s back for how he handled the aftermath and for who he is as a player and person. The key is for this to be a small lapse, rather than the start of a larger issue.
And with that, the punishment stemming from Tyrique Stevenson’s costly Week 8 blunder has been handed out.
The Bears hand Tyrique Stevenson his punishment
This disciplinary action seems fair. I thought making Stevenson a healthy scratch should have been on the table based on Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus’ history with Velus Jones Jr. and Chase Claypool in the past. But I don’t think it is the end of the world that the team didn’t go to those lengths with Stevenson. After all, the Bears cornerback was apologetic in the days that followed. Perhaps removing Stevenson from the starting lineup is enough of a punishment to send a message.
As for who is starting in Tyrique Stevenson’s place, the Bears are turning to fellow second-year cornerback Terell Smith. Smith, 25, was a fifth-round pick (165th overall) by the Bears in 2023. The University of Minnesota product started four games as a rookie in 2023 and already has one start under his belt in 2024. In other words, this isn’t uncharted territory for Smith. For what it’s worth, Smith played well in the time he was given last season, earning a 69.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2023. That grade was 40th among 127 cornerbacks who played enough snaps to qualify for the leaderboard. Not bad! Actually, that’s pretty good.
Among the challenges Smith and the rest of Chicago’s secondary will face on Sunday is Marvin Harrison Jr., the Arizona rookie who owns PFF’s 16th-best grade among receivers. Harrison is coming off a six-catch, 111-yard game against the Miami Dolphins. So Smith (and Stevenson … and everyone else) will have their work cut out for them on Sunday. Good luck!