Tyrique Stevenson has special source of motivation heading into a pivotal season

Since being drafted in the second round of the 2023 draft by the Chicago Bears, Tyrique Stevenson has earned an underachiever label. The talent is clearly there, and he has shown it in some flashes, but the negative element has shown itself far too often.

The last couple of seasons have been uniquely negative at certain points for Stevenson.

In Week 8 of the 2024 season, Stevenson was captured engaging with the crowd at FedEx Field as the Washington Commanders were set to attempt a Hail Mary. Stevenson's late arrival to the play led to him tipping the ball into the awaiting arms of the Commanders' wide receiver Noah Brown in the end zone. That loss, the first of a 10-game losing streak after a 4-2 start, marked the negative turning point of that season for the Bears.

Last season, Stevenson started very nicely as he stepped up in the wake of injuries that sidelined Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon. Entering a Week 6 rematch against the Commanders, he was Pro Football Focus' 13th-highest graded cornerback with the second-best run defense grade at the position.

A shoulder injury in Week 7 against the New Orleans Saints cost Stevenson the next game. He started the first four games after returning, then a hip injury sidelined him for Weeks 13 and 14.

After that, as Johnson had returned to action (albeit clearly operating at less than 100 percent), Stevenson's playing time dwindled. After playing 33 defensive snaps against the Cleveland Browns in Week 15, he never played 30 defensive snaps in any of the Bears' remaining games, and he was a healthy scratch for the regular season finale.

Some of that erosion of playing time was driven by Johnson's return, but Stevenson's performance also fell off. He ultimately finished with an overall PFF grade that ranked him 50th among 114 qualifiers, and he was among the worst perimeter coverage corners in the league for the season by the time it was all said and done.

Overall, Stevenson seemed not to be delivering what defensive backs coach Al Harris and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen were looking for. So he was effectively benched.

Tyrique Stevenson is tapping into some unique motivation heading into critical season of his career

The departure of cornerback Nahshon Wright in free agency has put to bed the idea of Stevenson no longer being a Bear at some point this offseason. But he is guaranteed nothing heading into the final year of his rookie contract, and he surely knows it.

In a recent Instagram video, Stevenson revealed how he's tapping into a unique source of motivation heading into his fourth season.

"This s*** here about to be dangerous. I'm telling you. I'm coming back for everything. The last 2 yrs, I put that on me. This yr, this s*** for my son. I promise you. I promise you."

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Stevenson previously lamented how he'll have to explain the aforementioned Hail Mary mistake to his son someday. Now, heading into the most important season of his NFL career, he's channeling the struggles of the last two seasons into some "Dad Strength," and that kind of motivation cannot be discounted.