The Bears will eventually move past Tyrique Stevenson’s gaffe Sunday, but not without it being properly addressed.
Stevenson created a lasting image moments before the Bears’ meltdown against the Commanders. The second-year cornerback was seen with his back to the play just before the ball was snapped, with Stevenson preoccupied with what appeared to be taunting fans instead of focusing on the final play of the game.
When the ball was eventually snapped, Stevenson still had his back to the play. At one point, fans near field level could be spotted pointing and yelling to Stevenson that the play was live.
Stevenson got over the the play, but he ultimately ended up being the player to tip the Hail Mary pass from Jayden Daniels into the hands of Noah Brown, who was standing alone in the end zone.
It was a brutal look for Stevenson, even if the Bears had successfully defended the prayer.
“I didn’t see it happening during the play,” Bears wide receiver and captain DJ Moore said Monday in his weekly appearance on Mully & Haugh. “I’ve seen it just how everybody else has seen it (on social media).
“The captains were talking about how we need to really address that. I saw that he put something out that he was sorry, but we’ve still got to address it as a leadership group in front of the team.”
The reaction to the mistake has been mixed – with takes ranging from stapling Stevenson to the bench, to an internal fine or just a stern talking to.
Whatever route the team goes, Moore made clear it will be addressed.
“I don’t know (what the punishment will be), that’s not up for us to do,” Moore said. “But we can address it as captains, and upstairs will have to do what they’re going to do. …
“It’s a lesson learned, for sure. He won’t do that again. But if you bench him it’s just like, that one play – it’s a big play – but that one play doesn’t define him as a player.”