The Chicago Bears wrapped up day two of mandatory minicamp on Wednesday. After practice, head coach Ben Johnson and players like Jaquan Brisker, Tyrique Stevenson, and Gervon Dexter spoke to the media.
Tyrique Stevenson’s press conference was an interesting moment. He displayed maturity and provided insights into the new regime at Halas Hall. However, things took an awkward turn when a reporter asked whether the new coaching staff had discussed last season’s infamous Hail Mary play with him. Given that the play happened under the previous coaching staff, the question felt odd and out of place—especially since minicamp is about the present/future, not rehashing old mistakes. Many Bears fans agreed, suggesting it was time to move on.
Still, Stevenson handled the moment beautifully. He gave a candid and humble response, saying:
“There really isn’t any conversation to be had. I owned it. It was a mistake… I owe the guys from last year nothing but effort, and they see that I’m putting it in. So there’s really no conversation that needs to be had.”
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Head coach Ben Johnson echoed that sentiment when asked about the play. He explained that he hadn’t discussed it with Stevenson because he didn’t see the need:
“I think he learned his lesson from that, and his peers have certainly talked to him about it,” Johnson said Wednesday. “There wasn’t any reason for me or the staff to piggyback on that because he’s learned from it and he’s grown from it.”
In the end, while the question was awkward, Stevenson turned it into an opportunity to show his growth and accountability. A weird moment, but a big win for Stevenson.
