The Tyrique Stevenson Redemption Tour is underway.
Stevenson’s blunder in the Chicago Bears’ Week 8 loss to the Washington Commanders was one of those moments that went viral for all of the wrong reasons. And that the Bears spent the week after the loss discussing accountability and talking about (and around) the situation, only to lay an egg immediately in Week 9 makes you think that the loss in Washington bled into what turned into a lopsided defeat in Arizona. But at this point, I’m just about ready to move on from that situation.
For what it’s worth, I think Tyrique Stevenson sounds like someone who has learned a lesson. This block from a Colleen Kane piece in the Chicago Tribune has stuck with me since I read it earlier in the week:
“The guys are looking at me to see how I respond. The guys respect me, so I couldn’t come in with my head down,” Stevenson said. “All I did was come in, show them boys I wanted to work, and that’s what happened this week.”
Stevenson said he set out to prove “to the whole building that one play don’t define me.”
“You don’t put things like that aside,” he said. “You take them as they go and you add them to the resume. I think this is going to be on my resume to always keep me locked in in every game until the end of the game.”
There are times in life that leave you with a scar you can’t hide. For Stevenson, this is one of those times. Ultimately, there are two paths to go moving forward. Tyrique Stevenson could let that be the defining moment in his playing career *OR* he could refocus and play his butt off en route to making good plays that people will remember him for instead of that one gaffe. But first, he’ll need to re-establish himself in the lineup.
Tyrique Stevenson should re-enter the starting lineup soon, but…
Tyrique Stevenson was benched in favor of Terell Smith to start the Bears-Cardinals Week 9 game. But Stevenson still played 79 percent of the team’s defensive snaps because of an injury Smith suffered early in the game. Whether he returns to the starting lineup in a full capacity remains to be seen:
That is … not a ringing endorsement for Stevenson’s return to the starting lineup. But it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Hear me out…
The reality is that Tyrique Stevenson’s replacement, Terell Smith, last week played well when he was in the game. Plus, Smith played well in an expanded role when given opportunities as a rookie in 2023. There are a bunch of defensive backfields around the league in which Smith would be a starter. But because of the talent the Bears have with Pro Bowler Jaylon Johnson, slot ace Kyler Gordon, Stevenson, and Jaylon Jones (before going on IR earlier in the week), Chicago boasts a handful of starting-caliber cornerbacks. And there are only so many corners you can play at a given time.
In the end, I fully expect Tyrique Stevenson to return to the starting lineup. Moreover, I expect Stevenson to play his best ball moving forward. Few things motivate a player like wanting to prove that you’re better than what your worst moment looks like on the field. Cornerbacks have to have a short memory. Stevenson showed he had that last year when he was getting picked on early and often as a rookie, only to rebound, finish strong, and win an NFC Defensive Player of the Week award in January (and again in Week 1).
There was a belief that Tyrique Stevenson was poised for a breakout entering this season. And I am not going to let one play (albeit an awful one) sway me from thinking that superb play from the University of Miami product isn’t still on the horizon.