Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson has spent part of his offseason talking to Bears offensive coaches and hitting them with a hypothetical question — how would they attack him?
He’d never done it before. But he likes how it’s helped to hone his practice habits.
“I just want to know where I can get better to help this team,” he said after practice Wednesday, “and go out there and perform at a high level.”
Stevenson figures to start opposite Jaylon Johnson this year after the Bears let Nahshon Wright leave in free agency. The Bears didn’t have much need for Stevenson toward the end of last season — he didn’t participate in a single snap in the regular season finale.
He said the benching didn’t motivate him this offseason, and referenced his most famous gaffe — jawing at the Commanders crowd and misplaying a game-ending Hail Mary in 2024 — in his explanation why.
“I’m always motivated going into my offseason,” he said. “I’ll be real, that the Hail Mary was the top of the top, so I’m always motivated now. But, no, I just understand the coaches’ decision.”
Defensive backs coach Al Harris has been impressed.
“The young man that reported last year is so totally different than the young man that’s reporting this year,” he said. “He’s focused in, he’s locked in.
“The small details. You can just tell by the questions that he’s asking, the small details he’s honing in on, whether it’s his movements, whether it’s, ‘Hey Coach, just get me to the ball,’ he’s asking the right questions, and he’s staying focused in.”
