What started out as a promising 2025 season ended as a nightmare finish for Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.
At the beginning, Stevenson put up strong performances in Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys and Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders as he replaced Jaylon Johnson at CB1 with his injury. Then, with the emergence of Nahshon Wright and Johnson getting healthy, by the end of the season, Stevenson was reduced to a bench player getting zero playing time. Bears defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator Al Harris talked about how Stevenson handled the adversity of not playing at the end of the year.
"I think he did an excellent job towards the end of the season of being a team player," Harris said via Bears reporter Josh Buckhalter. "I think he matured. I think last year, we matured Tyrique into the guy that you guys are going to see moving forward."
Tyrique Stevenson draws praise from Al Harris, but will that replicate to 2026 success?
Stevenson finished the 2025 season with 49 tackles, 10 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one interception, and one tackle for loss in 13 games. While those are decent numbers, he did allow over 57% of his targets to be completed and allowed a career-high 15.5 yards per reception.
The 2026 season is an important one for Stevenson as it is the make-or-break year that will determine if he gets a second contract with the Bears or elsewhere. He will be competing with rookie fourth-round pick Malik Muhammad for the CB2 job.
Despite the ugly moments in Stevenson's career, such as the 2024 Washington Commanders Hail Mary game, he has always fought through adversity to get to this point. He has arguably faced more than any other player on the team as he tries to live up to his second-round pick status.
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Bears fans might have mixed feelings about Stevenson, but the hope is that he emerges and has a career season at the right time, as he will be needed in this secondary, which already has questions about Kyler Gordon staying healthy.
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