Top Chicago Bears with something to prove in 2025: No. 4 Tyrique Stevenson

Shaw Local is counting down the top five Bears players who will have something to prove in 2025. These could be veterans who maybe took a step back last year or younger players fighting for a starting spot.

[ Top Chicago Bears with something to prove in 2025: No. 5 Montez Sweat ]

Players in the NFL always feel like they have something to prove each season. But some years are more important than others for some players, whether it’s because of a contract or playing time.

Here’s a look at No. 4 on the list of top Bears players with something to prove. Check back throughout the week to see the next edition of the countdown.

No. 4 Tyrique Stevenson

Position: Cornerback

Experience: Third season

Looking back: It’s hard to look back at Stevenson’s 2024 season and not talk about the elephant in the room, no matter how much Stevenson and the Bears want to move on. Stevenson never truly regrouped after he faced national backlash for yelling at fans on the final play of the team’s Hail Mary loss to the Washington Commanders.

He showed plenty of potential during his rookie season after Bears general manager Ryan Poles selected him in the second round in 2023. Stevenson started 16 games as a rookie and intercepted four passes, forced two fumbles and defended 16 passes.

Year No. 2 seemed like it would be a big one for Stevenson after he returned an interception for the game-winning touchdown against the Tennessee Titans in the season opener. But in the 10 games since the Commanders loss, Stevenson added one more interception and seven passes defended.

There was confusion days after the loss to the Commanders on whether Stevenson would be disciplined. Former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus took Stevenson out of the starting lineup for the next game against the Arizona Cardinals. But in five of the next six games since the loss to the Commanders, Stevenson never played more than 60% of the defensive snaps.

Terrell Smith stepped in for those snaps and played well. Stevenson came back and played all of the defensive snaps in the final three games of the season, finishing with 17 tackles and one pass defended.

Looking ahead: That’s exactly what Stevenson and the Bears are trying to do. Both Stevenson and new Bears head coach Ben Johnson didn’t feel the need to talk about last season’s incident when they met with each other this spring.

Johnson was more excited about what Stevenson potentially could do in defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s system.

“Press man-to-man is something that we’re going to do a healthy amount of and we feel he fits that mold really well,” Johnson said. “Once again, he’s learning the scheme. There’s some different things that [Allen] and [pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach] Al Harris and the rest of the crew are asking of him. But he’s been very receptive so far, and he’s a young hungry player like a lot of these guys.”

Stevenson’s length and aggressiveness makes him a perfect candidate to succeed in Allen’s defense. Because Allen applies consistent pressure from the defensive line, the secondary plays a lot of man-to-man defense. Stevenson has shown an ability to keep up with receivers from the line of scrimmage in his first two seasons.

“I enjoy it, I like it,” Stevenson said during the spring. “It gives me room to improve on myself because if I get beat, I did something in my technique that created a flaw to allow you to win. I like that. It just takes out the guessing for me.”

There will be plenty on the line this fall. Stevenson has two more years remaining on his rookie contract and will need to prove that he’s more like the player from his rookie year if he wants an extension over the next year.

He’ll try to prove to Poles and the new coaching staff that he’s more than that one moment in Landover, Maryland.