The Chicago Bears secondary is undergoing some serious changes this offseason. Both of their starting safeties from last season are gone. Coby Bryant and Dillon Thieneman are the new kids on the block. However, the shuffle might not be over. It is quite possible we could see another mass overhaul in 2027, depending on what happens this season. Jaylon Johnson is working to bounce back from his injury-riddled 2025. He’s probably safer than anybody. The same can’t be said of Kyler Gordon, who may have already been cut if not for recently signing an extension. He missed 14 games last year. Then there is Tyrique Stevenson.
No player has been more frustrating than the former 2nd round pick over the past three years. There are stretches where he looks like a front-line starter, playing some really good wide receivers tough. Then he’ll have games where he is repeatedly victimized, and games where he makes baffling mental mistakes. It got to a point last year where defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and defensive backs coach Al Harris reduced his playing time. Now he’s going into a contract year and Stevenson can sense the pressure.
According to Adam Jahns of CHGO, the cornerback is so desperate for solutions that he is seeking advice from the Bears’ offensive coaches as well.
Stevenson said he’s turned to the Bears’ offensive coaches for advice.
“It’s kind of like the first time I did it,” he said. “I just want to know where I can get better to help this team and go out there and perform at a high level.”
Tyrique Stevenson knows he’s up against the wall.
He’s had three years to show the Bears that he is capable of being that guy they can rely on for any situation. Instead, he has spent most of it letting his emotions and impulses guide his decision-making. That is how you end up with a situation like the Hail Mary two years ago. Stevenson wasn’t making enough plays last year to justify his lapses in judgment. That is why the Bears felt comfortable going with Nahshon Wright as the starter across from Johnson instead. He at least made big plays.
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Asking the offensive coaches for advice can’t hurt. They see things differently. It is their job to scout and identify a cornerback’s weaknesses so they can best exploit them. If Stevenson can learn to see what they see, he might be able to find ways to cover some of those weaknesses. That would make him a more consistent player. Whether he takes the advice to heart and applies it is the big question. He certainly has the motivation necessary to put in the work.
Stevenson is fighting for his future.
Remember, most NFL players only get one realistic shot at a big contract. That comes after their four-year rookie deal expires. They’re in their mid-20s and at the peak of their physical primes. Teams are willing to pay big money for that, provided the player shows he is good enough to warrant it. As of right now, it doesn’t sound like Tyrique Stevenson has much of a market. The Bears have offered zero indications they’re planning to extend him. That means the view from other NFL teams isn’t much better.
He has the next six months to change that. First, he must lock down a starting job. Wright’s exit in March helps, but he’ll still have competition with rookie Malik Muhammad. Presuming he holds serve there, Stevenson must put together a full season in which he’s consistent in all facets of the game, particularly turnovers. That may sound like asking a lot, but that is what top players do. He likes to think of himself as in that same tier. It is time to start proving it.
