Toward the end of the Bears’ most physical practice in perhaps a decade, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson strolled over to the offensive huddle and stood there waiting while 10 players prepared for Caleb Williams’ play call to come in.
“I don’t even think they noticed,” Stevenson said with a smile.
It wasn’t until center Drew Dalman turned around and shooed him away that Stevenson ran back across the line of scrimmage.
On a day that featured four fights and even more trash talk, Stevenson’s field trip was a much-needed moment of levity. New head coach Ben Johnson, though, has been clear with Stevenson that there’s a line he can’t cross — metaphorically, of course.
“He has quite the personality,” Johnson said before Tuesday’s thumper of a practice at Halas Hall. “He’s good to talk to. I think he works hard. Sometimes he talks a little bit too much, and you have to tell him to be a little bit quiet.”
That was certainly the case last season, when Stevenson was more interested in shouting at fans than covering the Commanders’ Hail Mary. He ran into the play late, leaped for the ball instead of covering his man and watched as that receiver, Noah Brown, caught the tipped pass for a 52-yard touchdown. Stevenson became a national punch line.
The only way he’ll ever live the play down is to have a season he can be proud of. But first he has to win a starting job.
“He understands that this is a big year for him,” Johnson said. “Going into Year 3 is ‘make or break it’ for a lot of guys. He understands that, and I think he’s approaching this the right way.”
Stevenson is facing a challenge from Nahshon Wright, the 6-4 veteran who has made the most of Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson’s injury. His size and experience playing for defensive backs coach Al Harris when the two were in Dallas have made him a training-camp darling.
If Johnson returns by Week 1 — his head coach said there’s a scenario where that can happen — Bears assistants will have to choose between Wright and Stevenson. The latter has little experience as a backup. Stevenson started 30 games as a Bear and has come off the bench twice — one of the occasions being the week after the “Fail Mary.”
Ben Johnson has been clear that Stevenson’s mistake last year does not disqualify him from a starting job now.
“He’s a guy that you want on your side,” he said.
New defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s preference for man coverage plays to Stevenson’s strengths — in college at Miami, he was a standout press-man cornerback. He’ll get a chance to match up against the league’s best when the Dolphins come to Halas Hall for a joint practice Friday. Tyreek Hill is perhaps the league’s most dangerous receiver, and Jaylen Waddle has averaged 1,132 receiving yards over four seasons.
He’ll have to control his emotions then — and all season.
“Just learning how to be a pro, how to go about your business every day and controlling your personality,” Stevenson said. “Sometimes you have to tone it down, sometimes you have to let it explode, but at other times it has to be at the right level. That’s what I have to learn to do to be a part of this team.”
It’s part of what he learned last season.
“Carry with me? Keep my same aggression and my mentality when I’m in the game,” he said. “Put behind me? Pretty much anything that shows negative on my résumé. That’s technique, game situations, that comes with any little thing. Not hustling, not showing effort that I need to on certain plays.”
